STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study analyzing 73 patients treated by decompression, pedicular screw instrumentation and posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for lumbosacral spondylolithesis and symptomatic spinal stenosis. we used laminected laminar and spinous process instead of iliac bone. OBJECTIVES: This is to evaluate fusion rate and clinical results of PLIF with laminected laminar and spinous process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PLIF in 73 patients with lumbosacral disorders who carried out at Pohang St. Mary's Hospital from March 1994 to January 1996. Fusion rate was evaluated by simple X-ray and dynamic view. Clinical effect was evaluated by Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. RESULTS: The solid fusion was achieved at 67 cases(91.8%) and the average period of fusion was 6.4 months. Complications were 2 cases of superficial skin infection and 3 cases of root irritation. The functional results by Kirkaldy-Willis were as follows ; excellent 40 cases, good 23 cases, fair 9 cases and poor 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: This PLIF procedure combined with transpedicular instrumentation showed sufficient fusion rate and excellent clinical results and improvement in vertebral alignment.
Decompression ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Spinal Stenosis

PURPOSE: We experienced six cases of late infection of the hydroxyapatite (HA) orbital implant treated with surgical procedures. METHODS: Exposures of the HA and pyogenic granulomas around conjunctival dehiscence helped us to confirm infections of the HA orbital implants. Infections were not controlled by medical therapies so the HA implants were exchanged by silicone implants in all cases. Finally, the silicone implants were replaced by Medpor(R) after the inflammation had been controlled. Dermis fat graft was also performed in two cases due to insufficient conjunctival sac. RESULTS: Infections of HA orbital implants occurred at 62 to 106 months postoperatively. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were cultured from removed implants. All cases show successful outcomes during 12 to 42 months after Medpor(R) implantations. CONCLUSIONS: Infections of peg-inserted HA orbital implants occurred after five years due to exposure of HA orbital implants. To replace infected HA implants with Medpor(R) implants is considered a functionally and aesthetically effective therapeutic method.
Dermis ; Durapatite* ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Inflammation ; Orbit* ; Orbital Implants* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Silicones ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Transplants

Narcotic analgesics may be added to spinal anesthetics solution to improve the quality of sensorimotor blockade and to produce postoperative pain relief. The opioid-related side effects of respiratory depression, pruritus, nausea, and urinary retension also occur with intrathecal administration and the effects are dose-related. It is difficult to select morphine with spinal anesthetic solution due to fatal side-effect, respiratory depression. Intrathecal morphine dose used for our study was less than 1mg, thereby the risk of respiratory depression was decreased. There was no report that the addition of morphine affected the motor block produced by the local anesthetics in spinal anesthesia. But in our study, we found that 0.9 mg of intrathecal morphine produced prolongation of optimal condition for operation(more than 3 hours duration), and sufficient postoperative pain relief(for about 20 hours) without respiratory depression in 28 out of 30 spinal anesthesia cases. On the other hand, 0.5 mg or 0.7 mg of intrathecal morphine produced sufficient postoperative pain relief without respiratory depression(for about 20 hours), but insufficient prolongation of optimal condition for operation in each 30 cases of spinal anesthesia.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Hand ; Morphine* ; Narcotics ; Nausea ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Tetracaine*

PURPOSE: Crowding causes dysfunction in the emergency department (ED) and is associated with poor quality of patient care, dissatisfaction of the physicians, and increased financial burden of medical care. Frequent use is often considered a major contributor to ED crowding. The present study sought to verify the relationship between the frequent ED users and ED crowding, and to ascertain the severity of the frequent ED users. METHODS: One-year ED visit data from a tertiary teaching hospital located in an urban area were analyzed. Frequent ED users were defined as four or more ED visits per year. Crowding indicators were defined as the length of stay and the percentage of patients staying over 6 hours. Severity indicators were defined as operation within 24 h, admission to intensive care unit, and expiry in the ED. RESULTS: The 2.7% of patients who had four or more ED visits were responsible for 11.9% of visits. The median length of stay of frequent users was significantly longer (6.18 h) than that of infrequent users (3.42 h). The percentage of patients who stayed more than 6 h was significantly larger in the frequent user group than infrequent user group (51.4% vs. 32.9%, respectively; OR=2.158; 95% CI, 2.041~2.281). However, the severity of frequent users was lower than that of infrequent users (3.0% vs. 5.3%, respectively; OR=0.553; 95% CI, 0.472~0.648). CONCLUSION: Frequent users presenting to an ED located in an urban area were more likely to stay longer in the ED, and were less likely to be severe. Active interventions to reduce ED crowding are required.
Crowding ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Health Services Misuse ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Patient Care

PURPOSE: Crowding causes dysfunction in the emergency department (ED) and is associated with poor quality of patient care, dissatisfaction of the physicians, and increased financial burden of medical care. Frequent use is often considered a major contributor to ED crowding. The present study sought to verify the relationship between the frequent ED users and ED crowding, and to ascertain the severity of the frequent ED users. METHODS: One-year ED visit data from a tertiary teaching hospital located in an urban area were analyzed. Frequent ED users were defined as four or more ED visits per year. Crowding indicators were defined as the length of stay and the percentage of patients staying over 6 hours. Severity indicators were defined as operation within 24 h, admission to intensive care unit, and expiry in the ED. RESULTS: The 2.7% of patients who had four or more ED visits were responsible for 11.9% of visits. The median length of stay of frequent users was significantly longer (6.18 h) than that of infrequent users (3.42 h). The percentage of patients who stayed more than 6 h was significantly larger in the frequent user group than infrequent user group (51.4% vs. 32.9%, respectively; OR=2.158; 95% CI, 2.041~2.281). However, the severity of frequent users was lower than that of infrequent users (3.0% vs. 5.3%, respectively; OR=0.553; 95% CI, 0.472~0.648). CONCLUSION: Frequent users presenting to an ED located in an urban area were more likely to stay longer in the ED, and were less likely to be severe. Active interventions to reduce ED crowding are required.
Crowding ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Health Services Misuse ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Patient Care

OBJECTIVE: In severe head injury or postoperative patients with increased intracranial pressure(IICP) in spite of indroducing barbiturate coma therapy, mannitol, and diuretics infusion, we try hypertonic saline infusion therapy as a new treatment modality and observe its relating results and complications. METHODS: Eleven patients that were treated using hypertonic saline infusion were analyzed. They showed decreased Glasgow coma scale(GCS) or aggravated brain swelling on brain CT scan in spite of conventional therapy for IICP using barbiturate coma and mannitol infusion. We infused 3% hypertonic saline with the rate of 40~60cc/hour. Our goal in using 3% hypertonic saline is to increase the serum sodium level in the range of 150 to 155mEq/l. Serum electrolyte level were monitored every 6 hours and the rate of infusion was controlled according to the current serum sodium level. The therapy was continued until each patient demonstrated clinical improvement, complication of therapy, or lack of response. RESULTS: Six cases showed improvement of GCS. One case was expired due to lung problem even though GCS was improved. Two cases showed persistent vegetative state and other 2 cases never showed any response. All expired cases were head injury patients whose GCS score were lower than 5. There was no hypertonic saline infusion related complications. CONCLUSION: Hypertonic saline therapy are very easy and effective adjunctive therapeutic modality for the patient with severely IICP that is refractory to conventional method. To establish this method as standard therapeutic regimen for the intracranial hypertension, more cases analysis should be necessary to confirm the safety and effectiveness.
Brain ; Brain Edema ; Coma ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diuretics ; Humans ; Intracranial Hypertension ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Lung ; Mannitol ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Sodium ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The aim of this study was to identify a new gene of Haemophilus parasuis that could be used to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for this porcine pathogen. H. parasuis genomic DNA was cloned into a set of expression vectors, and transformants expressing His-tagged polypeptides were identified by colony blotting. An ABC transporter-like gene was isolated. The cloned DNA fragment is 1,105 base pair and shows 78% similarity at the nucleotide level with an ABC transporter gene of H. ducreyi. Based on this sequence, two PCR primers were designed to amplify the entire 1,105-bp fragment in the proposed diagnostic PCR test. PCR amplification was able to detect a minimum of 1 x 10(4) CFU/ml of H. parasuis organisms. Fifteen different H. parasuis serovars were positive using the PCR test. No amplification was observed when the test was done using DNA from 16 other bacterial species commonly isolated from swine.
Base Pairing ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; Haemophilus ; Haemophilus parasuis ; Peptides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Swine

OBJECTIVE: Using the standardization of disease diagnosis of disease, and surgical procedures, the authors have made a clinical application for the analysis of inpatient data with the ability to search for information pertinent for writing of clinical articles. METHODS: A client-server system and database software was developed for networking. For clinical application, a computerized daily report has been developed. Data from Neurosurgical patients admitted at Soonchunyang University Hospital from January to December 1998 were analyzed with this system. Data for clinical articles was obtained using the search mode, information such as orbital infarction syndrome following intracranial aneurysm surgery and epidemiological analysis or geriatric neurosurgical patients. RESULTS: For the daily report it takes approximately 10 minutes to input the patients demographic information, name of disease, diagnosis and surgical procedure. The daily report also numbers and sorts the inpatients according to large categories of diagnosis, reports the ratio between inpatients and operative patients. The annual report that was obtained was very accurate and gave rapid statistics for the one year. By retrospective study for the past 18 years, we calculated the incidence of orbital infarction syndrome following intracranial aneurysm surgery as 1.4%, and also estimated the population of geriatric inpatients as 18.3% by retrospective study. CONCLUSIONS: It has been found to be most useful to make a daily and annual report for tracking and research purposes. For use in clinical articles, it can be possible to do a search of the patients using the standardized disease, diagnosis and neurosurgical procedures application and obtain pertinent information in a timely manner.
Diagnosis ; Epidemiology* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Inpatients ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Neurosurgical Procedures* ; Orbit ; Retrospective Studies ; Writing