BACKGROUND: Unexpected deaths of the patients at ED are surprising to the medical staffs as well as the families. It may also increase the possibilities of medico-legal problems. This study was conducted to review the unexpected death in ED and find the predictive factors leading patients to unexpected death. METHODS: A retrospective study with reviewing available medical records of 183 patients who were expired at ED of Shinchon Severance Hospital from Mar. 1997 to Feb. 1998 and 103 patients of Youngdong Severance Hospital from Mar. 1996 to Feb. 1998 was done. Analyses were 4one on 30 variables of physical findings, laboratory results, procedures and therapies. We used univariate analysis, such as t-test and x2-test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the total 286 deaths in ED, 153 cases were enrolled in this analysis. The number of unexpected deaths were 76. Age, mental status, fraction of neutrophil count, BUN level, whether endotracheal incubation was done, use of inotropics were the factors with statistical ,significance on the univariate analysis, but only comatose mentality, endotracheal incubated case, and use of the inotropics were significant on logistic regression analysis. The longer the ED length of stay, the higher the rate of mortality and unexpected death. CONCLUSION: This result suggest that medical attention is needed on the patients with comatose decreased mental stylus, endotracheally intubated case and needing inotropic agents to prevent unexpected deaths. Shortening the ED length of stay may also be a factor for decrease the unexpected death rate.
Coma ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Medical Staff ; Mortality ; Neutrophils ; Retrospective Studies

INTRODUCTION: In traditional society, the roles of housewives were to do housework, to look after her children and to give her family emotional stability. With rapid social and economic change, the traditional sense of value changes and the concepts of sexual roles, too. However, they are in a transition period yet. These discord and tension followed by role change appeared as the form of psychological instability or social pathological problem in modern family. Thus, this study aimed to avaluate the effect of employment on depression of housewives who play importent roles in family and their commumity. METHODS: From May to July 1996, the questonnaires were distributed to 179 housewives who have university education background(including community college), and have one or more children and live in Bundang-Ku of Sungnam city, making a distinction between working housewives and nonworking housewives. Regarding the subjects of this study, the non-working housewives are restricted to full-time housewives who have no job, and working housewives who have full-time job. As tools of measurement, we used BDI questionnaires consisted of 15 items in Korean. We performed statistical analysis among the data by means of SPSS/PC+. We analyzed statistical data for significance using one-way ANOVA and analyzed categorical data for significance using S-test. RESULTS: The average score on BDI for working housewives was 12.22(standard deviation 7.42) and this is rather higher than that of non-working housewives(10.80, standard deviation : 7.42). But the number of children increased, the BDI score were higher significantly in both groups. And the BDI score was high in working Housewives groups whose husbands had professional job or dommerce job, whose family system is a multi-generation family, and who feel a lot of fatigue after work. In case of non-working housewives, the BDI score was high with age(especially between 50-59), duration of marriage, lower income and Duvalls family life cycle 6, 7. CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference in depression tendency between working housewives and nonworking housewives. But in case of working housewives, some factors have influence on their depression tendency, the number of children, husbands job, family type, degree of fatigue after work. And in case of non-working housewives, the factors are the number of children, age, duration of marriage, income, family life cycle.
Child ; Depression* ; Education ; Employment ; Fatigue ; Gyeonggi-do ; Housekeeping ; Humans ; Marriage ; Seoul* ; Spouses ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Multiple primary lung cancer is not common and classified as a synchronous primary lung cancer and a metachronous primary lung cancer. We experienced one case of the triple synchronous primary lung cancer of different cell types. We conducted right pneumonectomy for preoperative diagnosed neuronendocrine tumor of the RUL and adenocarcinoma of the RLL. Pathologic examination revealed the carcinoid tumor of RUL bronchus, the squamous carcinoma of the RML and the adenocarcinoma of the RLL.
Adenocarcinoma ; Bronchi ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Pneumonectomy

Many tumor markers in relation to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been evaluated for detecting and monitoring diseases outcomes. However, none of these biomarkers reported to date has shown sufficient sensitivity and specificity for as a detector and prognosticator of the whole spectrum of RCC in routine clinical practice. The limited value of the established prognostic markers requires analysis of new molecular parameters of interest in predicting the prognosis of RCC patients; in particular, the high-risk patient groups at risk of recurrence and progression. Abnormal methylation of CpG islands can efficiently repress transcription of the associated gene in a manner akin to mutations and deletions. Recent progress in the understanding of epigenetic modification and gene silencing has provided new opportunities for the detection, treatment, and prevention of cancer. Methylation is an important molecular mechanism in RCC and could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker. Aberrant patterns of epigenetic modification would be, in near future, crucial parameters in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and a good target for developing novel therapies while maintaining the quality of life. This review discusses the epigenetic issues involved in the detection and prediction of prognosis in RCC.
Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; CpG Islands ; Diagnosis ; Epigenomics ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Methylation* ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Biomarkers, Tumor

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study is to identify the factors that predict mortality in elderly trauma patients. METHOD: We reviewed retrospectively the medical record of 144 cases of geriatric trauma admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital firm January 1998 to December 1998. We evaluated the general characteristics, mechanisms of injury, Revised Trauma Score(RTS), Injury Severity Score(ISS), Probability of survival(Ps) by TRISS(Trauma and Injury Severity Score) method, amount of blood transfused, preexisting disease, complications, length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS: 1. The mean age was 75.39+/-7.89 years old, and male to female ratio was 0.89 : 1. 2. The mechanisms of injury were primarily frills(56.3%) followed by bicycle or motorcycle(13.9%), and pedestrian injuries(13.2%) and motor vehicle accidents(6.9%). 3. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), RTS and ISS ate 13.3+/-3.5, 7.2+/-1.4 and 14.2 +/-11.6 respectively. 4. The actual mortality rate was 18.1% (26/144). But by TRISS method, predicted mortality rate was 9.3%(12.5/144), excess mortality rate was 108% and Z score was 3.99 indicating that actual number of death exceed predicted number of death. 5. Between the survivors and nonsurvivors, the insults were significantly different as follows ; systolic blood pressure(141.9+/-28.3 vs. 116.8+/-48.7 mmHg), GCS(14.3+/-2.0 vs. 9.0 +/-5.1), RTS(7.8+/-0.7 vs 5.4+/-2.3), ISS(11.3+/-5.6 vs 27.2+/-20.2), Ps by TRISS(0.97+/-0.06 vs 0.65+/-0.37), preexisting diseases(50.8 vs 69.8%). CONCLUSION: Geriatric patients are more likely to die after trauma than other age groups. The cause of higher actual mortality rate compared to predicted mortality rate was considered as the higher incidence of delayed death due to sepsis or multiple organ failure. In order to reduce the mortality, even with relatively stable initial vile sign, invasive hemodynamic monitoring and intensive treatment are recommended and also, prevention and treatment of nosocomial infection are very important.
Aged ; Coma ; Cross Infection ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality* ; Motor Vehicles ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Survivors

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that arises from the gallbladder is extremely rare, and the associated studies are not well described in the literature. We report our experience that diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the gallbladder was diagnosed by histological findings after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a 75-year-old man. The patient was diagnosed with stage IV lymphoma, and chemotherapy was performed following surgery. The abdominal, chest, neck computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT were performed after chemotherapy, and the results showed that there were no multiple lymphadenopathies. The patient was considered to have achieved complete remission. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the gallbladder is extremely rare and never been diagnosis preoperatively. Pathological examination of the cholecystectomy specimen is important. This will be very helpful for identifying patients who need additional treatment.
Aged ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Neck ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Thorax

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between initial personal experiences with distal pancreatectomy and perioperative risk factors, outcomes, and management of pancreatic fistulas. METHODS: Between May, 2007 and May, 2010, a total of 28 patients who had undergone elective distal pancreatectomy were evaluated for this study. Perioperative factors and the occurrence of pancreatic fistula were analyzed on the basis of International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) criteria. RESULTS: There were sixteen cases of benign neoplasms and twelve cases of malignant tumors. The remnant pancreas was manually sutured with ligation of the pancreatic duct (n=14), auto-suture stapling along with manual sutures (n=12), or stapling alone (n=2). According to the ISGPF classification, morbidity and mortality associated with pancreatic fistulas was 42.9% (n=12) and 0%, respectively. These pancreatic fistulae were classified as grade A in 8 cases (28.6%), grade B in 3 cases (10.7%), and grade C in one case (3.6%). All patients with pancreatic fistula were treated conservatively. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative factors do not affect the risk of pancreatic fistula. Adequate drainage is the most effective method for management of a pancreatic fistula after distal pancreatectomy.
Drainage ; Humans ; Ligation ; Pancreas ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Fistula ; Risk Factors ; Sutures

BACKGROUND: Definite criteria for determining severity of organophosphate poisoning have not been made. Discovery of the third neuromuscular syndrome, the intermediate syndrome, have made it more complicating then ever. Objectives of this study is to determine early prognostic factors of outcome and development of a new treatment algorithm. METHOD: 74 patients admitted to Severance hospital with acute organophosphate poisoning during 5 years were included. We made a protocol concerning the initial consciousness level, QTc interval, PVC, serum cholinesterase, the intermediate syndrome, total hospital, ICU day, length of ventilator support, disposition and have done a study retrospectively. Multiple regression and Chi-square was used as statistical analysis. Significant statistical P-value was 0.05. RESULTS: The total hospital days were prolonged as serum cholinesterase levels were lower, the age was older and mental status graver.(p<.05) The length of ventilatory support was prolonged when patient's serum cholinesterase level was very low, they were unconscious and serum cholinesterase level not recovered to 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days. The intermediate syndrome was significantly related to the prolonged cholinesterase inhibition. CONCLUSION: As an early prognostic factor for the length of ventilatory support in organophosphate poisoning, 1) level of concsiousness and 2) serum cholinesterase level at admission, 3) recovery to more than 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days are useful. Especially when the serum cholinesterase level is not recovered to more than 500 IU/ml within initial 3 days, it is essential to observe closely for the possibility of an intermediate syndrome.
Cholinesterases ; Consciousness ; Humans ; Organophosphate Poisoning* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
Trisomy* ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: Most patients attempting suicide present to the emergency department (ED). Active post-event intervention is helpful in preventing additional self harm. However, the current management system and decision-making processes of individual doctors are highly variable. This survey aimed to describe the ED management system and to compare the decisions of doctors in emergency medicine and psychiatry for patients for attempting suicide. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent by e-mail to directors of both ED and psychiatry departments in all Korean teaching hospitals. The questionnaires surveyed the current management system for suicidal patients in the ED, the medical director's opinion about the management of suicidal patients, and decisions about disposition of the three clinical scenarios. RESULTS: Sixty-four out of 180 surveys(36%) were returned. The average number of suicidal patients visiting the ED was 13.6 per month and the number referred to a psychiatrist was 11.3 per month. Half of EDs(15/30) had established criteria for patient disposition, but only 7% of ED and 82% of psychiatry departments had practice guidelines for doctors. Only 4% of ED performed any active post-event intervention other than psychiatry out-patient visits. Decisions of emergency physicians and psychiatrists about referring a patient to the psychiatrist in the three clinical scenarios were in part statistically different. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that appropriate facilities and standard guidelines for suicidal patients are needed. Each hospital should develop a common management protocol with collaboration between emergency medicine and psychiatry departments.
Cooperative Behavior ; Electronic Mail ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medicine ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Psychiatry ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Suicide ; Suicide, Attempted