Our experience with 150 patients with congestive heart failure has been reviewed with particular reference to physical and laboratory findings on admission, precipitating factors and diagnostic clues. Congestive heart failure has been defined as that heart failure due to myocardial failure (primary or secondary). (1) Congestive heart failure was found in 3.65% of total medical admissions and in 24.0% of total cardiovascular patients. There was no difference between two sexes and incidence was peak in the 6th decade. (2) Rheumatic heart disease was the most common cause of congestive heart failure (41.0%). Hypertensive and/or atherosclerotic heart disease (36.5%), cor pulmonary (6.6%), postpartum heart failure (5.3%), pericardial disease (3.6%), thyrotoxic heart disease (2.0%) and congenital heart disease (0.6%) were the etiologies of the remainder. In male hypertensive and/or atherosclerotic heart disease was most common cause of congestive heart failure. (3) The precipitating factors of congestive heart failure were found in 31% and infection, pregnancy, discontinuation of digitalis and physical exertion were major causes. (4) Dyspnea, cervical vein distension, pulmonary rale, hepatomegaly and cardiac murmur were important symptoms and signs on admission. (5) Peripheral venous pressure was elevated in 883.2% and circulation time was prolonged in 90.9%. (6) Leucocytosis (39.8%) albuminuria (60.2%), elevated GOT (serum glntamin oxaloacetic transaminase) (12.0%) and azotemia (50%) were observed. (7) Chest X-ray on admission revealed increased vascularity including pulmonary edema (88.8%), cardiomegaly (83.3%) and hydrothorax (27.1%). (8) Electrocardiographic findings was abnormal in 99.4% and left ventricular hypertnophy (45.7%), atrial fibrillation (27.3%), Right ventricular hypertrophy and low voltage were frequently observed.
Albuminuria ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Azotemia ; Cardiomegaly ; Digitalis ; Dyspnea ; Electrocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Murmurs ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Hydrothorax ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; Incidence ; Male ; Physical Exertion ; Postpartum Period ; Precipitating Factors ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Edema ; Respiratory Sounds ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Thorax ; Veins ; Venous Pressure

No abstract available.
Carbon Disulfide* ; Carbon* ; Humans ; Poisoning*

BACKGROUND: Whether the changes of risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol) can precipitate stroke remains unknown, and antecedent infection and psychologic stress are described insufficiently as predisposing risk factors for cerebral infarction. Therefore, we attempted to examine the roles of recent infection, psychologic stress, and the changes of risk factors as potential precipitants in each stroke subtypes. We also tested the temporal relationship between preceding exposure to coldness and stroke onset. METHODS: In this case-control study, 113 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (38 small vessel disease, 43 large vessel disease, 11 cardiogenic infarction, 4 infarction of undetermined cause, and 17 intracerebral hemorrhage) and 23 control subjects were evaluated. Changes of the risk factors (and their management) were interviewed. A sign/symptom based questionnaire was used to characterize the prevalence of recent prior infection and exposure to coldness. Psychologic stress was measured with the use of Social Readjustment Rating Scale. RESULTS: The negative change of alcohol drinking was significantly higher in the stroke group. However, there was no significant difference between stroke and control groups in the changes of the other risk factors. The prevalence of previous (within 1 month) infection was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.03). However, there were no significant differences among the stroke subtypes in the prevalence of infection(p=0.08). Upper respiratory tract infections constituted the most common type of infection. The exposure to coldness was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.002). The level of stress within the prior 1 month/1 year was significantly higher in the stroke group than control group (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that preceding infection, exposure to coldness, psychologic stress, and the negative change of alcohol drinking may be com.
Alcohol Drinking ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Infarction ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological* ; Stroke*

No abstract available.
Hepatic Encephalopathy*

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis(AGEP) is a disease entity caused mostly by drugs or viral infections. Clinically it manifests as generalized erythema, erythema multiforme and amicrobial pustules with fever. Histologically, AGEP is composed of neutrophilic subcorneal and spongiform pustules. A 70-year-old female, with no personal or family history of psoriasis, was given medication including diltiazem for hypertension. Fourteen days after taking the medications, pustular eruptions appeared on the face and rapidly spread to the trunk and limbs. A Laboratory examination revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The skin biopsy showed subcorneal and spongiform pustules. We report here a case of AGEP probably due to diltiazem.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis* ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Blood Sedimentation ; Diltiazem ; Erythema ; Erythema Multiforme ; Extremities ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Leukocytosis ; Neutrophils ; Psoriasis ; Skin

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical features, microbiologic results, and the efficacy of perineal hygienic care of pediatric vulvovaginitis. METHODS: Forty-two unselected premenarcheal patients with symptoms or signs of vulvovaginitis who were attended the outpatient pediatric and adolescent gynecology clinic at Pundang CHA General Hospital from August 1997, to September 1999 were systematically interviewed and examined using a standardized format, studied microbiologically, and followed the efficacy of perineal hygienic measures prospectively. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 4.8 years (range 2.9 years to 10.9 years). Vaginal complaints of 42 patients were discharge(79%), genital pain or irritation(31%), odor(17%), pruritus(14%), and vaginal bleeding(7%). On physical examination, vaginal discharge and vulvar erythema were noted in 17(40%) and 22(52%) patients, respectively. Aerobic bacteria or yeast excluding vaginal normal flora were found in 24 of 42 patients(57%). Convincing evidence of specific pathogens was found in 9 of 42 patients(21%) including one case of pinworm infestation. Isolated pathogens were H. influenza(3), S. pyogenes(2), K. pneumonia(2) and N. gonorrhea(1). No patients were found to have chlamydial infection or trichomoniasis. In 14 patients, risk factors were identified such as swimming(14%), bubble bath(5%), sexual abuse(5%), genital trauma(5%) and foreign body(2%). After two weeks instructions of perineal hygienic care, 26(62%) of 42 patients revealed complete resolution of symptoms and signs of vaginitis without antibiotics. Efficacies of perineal hygienic care were 94%(17/18) in the patients with normal flora alone, 60%(9/15) in the patients with organisms suspected for nonspecific infection and 0%(0/9) in the patients with specific pathogens(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Majority(62%) of the pediatric patients with symptoms or signs of vulvovaginitis were cured with perineal hygienic care alone. And the efficacy of hygienic measure were higher in the patients without specific pathogens(79%, 26/33). Therefore, proper physical examination, microbiologic study and appropriate instructions of perineal hygienic care were more important than empirical antibiotic treatment in initial management of pediatric vulvovaginitis.
Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria, Aerobic ; Enterobius ; Erythema ; Gynecology ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Vaginal Discharge ; Vaginitis ; Vulvovaginitis* ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Peripheral Nerves* ; Rabbits* ; Regeneration*

Human uniparental gestations such as androgenetic hydatidiform moles provide a model to evaluate the integrity of parent-specific gene expression,-i.e, genomic imprinting,- in the absence of a complementary parental genetic contribution. Several imprinted genes are characterized so far including the insulin-like growth factor-2 gene (IGF2) coding for a fetal growth factor and the Hl9 gene whose normal function is unknown but which is likely to act as an untranslated mRNA for its tumor-suppressing function. IGF2 is expressed exclusively from the paternal allele while Hl9 from the maternal allele. Such an alternate expression is quite interesting because both Hl9 and IGF2 genes are located close to each other on chromosome 11p15.5. An in situ hybridization analysis has shown strong expression of Hl9 and IGF2 alleles in nine hydatidiform moles. Especially, a prominent expression of Hl9 and IGF2 was detected in cytotrophoblast and the cellular localization was almost paralleled in Hl9 and IGF2 transcripts . Hl9 and IGF2 genes could be expressed either biallelically or monoallelically in the moles. However, IGF2 biallelic expression did not affect allele-specificity of Hl9 expression.. These results suggest that both H19 and IGF2 transcripts are expressed in the same cells and that the functional imprinting of H19 and IGF2 genes in hydatidiform moles can be controlled individually and independently of each other.
Alleles ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Clinical Coding ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Genomic Imprinting* ; Humans* ; Hydatidiform Mole* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II* ; Parents ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; Trophoblasts