PURPOSE: We compared the clinicopathologic effects of TTT between pigmented and albino rabbits. METHODS: TTT was delivered using infrared diode laser at 810 nm(Iris Medical Instrument, Mountain Veiw, CA, USA) and applied with spot size of 3 mm, duration of 60 seconds. At 1 week and 4 weeks after TTT, fundus photographs and simultaneous FAG/ICG angiogram were taken with SLO(Scanning Laser Ophthalmolscopy, Rodenstock, Munish, Germany). Light and electron microscopic examination were performed. RESULTS: In pigmented rabbits, visible funduscopic change was visible even with minimal power setting(100 mW). Obliteration of choroidal vessels was observed on ICG angiogram. In microscopic examination, entire layers of neural retina, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and deep choroid were severely damaged at the center of treated fields. Whereas, in albino rabbits fundus changes were not observed at any power setting. However, focal thrombosis at margin of lesion was identified on ICG angiogram after power of 300 mW. In microscopic examination, tissue damage was developed up to 600 mW and the lesion extended into the superficial choroid posteriorly and outer neural retina anterioly. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of TTT was increased with fundus pigmentation. Clinically we should adjust TTT power setting according to the amount of melanin pigmentation in the fundus.
Choroid ; Epithelial Cells ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Melanins ; Pigmentation ; Rabbits ; Retina* ; Retinaldehyde ; Thrombosis

AIM: To evaluate fundus findings in patients with intracranial aneurysm (ICA) to determine the relation between ICA and distinguishable retinal features.METHODS: We analyzed the medical records and ocular images of 46 patients with previously diagnosed ICA referred from the Neurosurgical Department.All patients underwent ophthalmologic evaluation including fluorescein angiography (FAG).Furthermore, the presence of drusen, macular degeneration, cotton wool spot, hard exudates, retinal hemorrhage, arteriolar attenuation, A-V crossing signs, arm-to-retina time, and A-V transit time were evaluated.The results of ICA patients (Group 1) were compared with those of 22 idiopathic epiretinal membrane patients with unaffected eyes (Group 2).RESULTS: Mean ages were 60.02y (Group 1) and 60.68y (Group 2) respectively (P=0.70).The prevalence of hypertension was similar in both groups.No case with retinal macroaneurysm was found in either group.The presence of drusen, macular degeneration, cotton wool spot, hard exudates, retinal hemorrhage, arteriolar attenuation, and A-V crossing sign was not significantly different between the two groups.Mean arm-to-retina time was not significantly different in two groups, either.CONCLUSION: We cannot find any evidence that the patients with ICA shows specific changes in the FAG and fundus.

This study was design to evaluate the efficacy of cataract surgery with simultaneous intravitreal bevacizumab injection for wet age-related macular degeneration. Of the patients who underwent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections, cataract surgery was performed in 24 eyes (control group), and simultaneous intravitreal bevacizumab injection was performed in 27 eyes (bevacizumab group). Best corrected visual acuity, ocular tonometry, anterior chamber inflammation, and central subfield macular thickness were measured at baseline and 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. The mean central subfield macular thickness increased 1 month postoperatively in the control group (p = 0.02), whereas there was no significant change in the bevacizumab group. When the preoperative and postoperative differences between the two groups were compared at each time point, the mean best corrected visual acuity improved in the bevacizumab group at 3 months after surgery (p = 0.045), and the mean central subfield macular thickness was more decreased in the bevacizumab group at 1 month after surgery compared to that of the control group (p = 0.032). Additional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection was performed after surgery at 1.56 ± 2.05 months and 2.52 ± 2.01 months, in the control and bevacizumab groups, respectively (p = 0.047). Simultaneous cataract surgery and intravitreal bevacizumab injection is considered an effective treatment since it reduces central subfield macular thickness in the short term, and it can delay the timing of additional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections after surgery.

A pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) causes a dramatic pressure overload to the right heart. Previous case reports have shown that elevated right atrial pressure secondary to a PTE can cause right-to-left shunting in the presence of an atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). A 57-year-old female with diabetes, hypertension, and an old cerebral infarction was admitted to our hospital with acute PTE. Initial transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed an ASA swing from the right side to the left side, and right-to-left shunting was detected immediately in the agitated saline test. However, definite signs of pressure overload of the right heart were not detected in the TTE. This educational case shows that right-to-left shunting via a patent foramen ovale in the ASA can cause normal right atrial pressure, thus masking the pressure overload of the right heart in a patient with PTE.
Aneurysm ; Atrial Pressure ; Cerebral Infarction ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Masks ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Embolism

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a performance measurement scale for nurses in the hospital setting and to test the reliability and validity of the scale. METHODS: This study was conducted in three phases including an application of conceptual framework, development of scale items, and test of validity and reliability of the scale. In order to test validity and reliability, data was collected from 1,966 nurses who work in twenty eight hospitals nation-wide. The data was analyzed by the SAS 8.0 program using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and reliability coefficients. RESULTS: The Performance measurement scale consisted of 4 factors which included competency, attitude, willingness to improve, and application of nursing process, and a total of 17 items. The Four factors explained 63.45% of the total variance, and Cronbach's alpha of the scale was .92. CONCLUSION: The performance measurement scale developed by this study is a reliable and valid instrument that is utilized effectively to evaluate the performance of hospital nurses. Furthermore, it could be used as a steping stone to assess educational needs of nurses, develop professionalism among nurses, and improve quality of nursing care in the hospital setting.
Adult ; *Employee Performance Appraisal ; Female ; Humans ; Models, Nursing ; *Nursing Evaluation Research ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Task Performance and Analysis

About 5% of patients with SCLC have the ectopic production of ACTH. Ectopic ACTH production of SCLC is suspected when patients of SCLC have unexplained metabolic alkalosis and hypokalemia. Most patients lack the classic feature of Cushing's syndrome. According to the recent report, they have poor prognosis, which median survival is less than 4 months and associated with a high rate of complication during chemotherapy. Also a case of paraneoplastic CRH production with SCLC can mimic the ectopic ACTH syndrome hut it can be distinguished by immunohistochemistry or direct measurement of serum CRH level. We report here a case of small cell lung cancer associated with Cushing's syndrome of ectopic ACTH production. That is immunohistochemically provened by staining with ACTH.
ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone* ; Alkalosis ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Prognosis ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

The purpose of this research was to compare the microtensile bond strength of resin coated surface and resin inlay according temporary filling materials prior to applying self-adhesive resin cement. Caviton(GC, Japan), Provifil(Promedica, Neumunster, Germany), Provifil(Promedica, Neumunster, Germany) & petrolatum, and Eugenol-based cement, Tembond(Kerr, Orange CA, USA) were used as temporary filling materials. After fabrication of Tescera(Bisco, Schamburg IL, USA), it was bonded with a self-adhesive resin cement, Rely X unicem(3M, St. Paul. Minn, USA). After this procedure, the microtensile bond strength was measured and it was analyzed through one-way ANOVA and Duncan test(p<0.05). Caviton(GC, Tokyo, Japan) showed statistical difference except for the control(group I) and the saliva(group II)(p<0.05). Provifil(group IV), Provifil & petroneum(group V), Tembond(group VI) had lower microtensile bond strength.
Analysis of Variance ; Calcium Sulfate ; Citrus sinensis ; Dental Cements ; Dentin ; Inlays ; Petrolatum ; Resin Cements ; Root Canal Filling Materials ; Tokyo ; Vinyl Compounds ; Zinc Oxide

PURPOSE: To identify the factors related to repeatability of intravitreal bevacizumab injections in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: The present study included 26 patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO occurring within 1 month of diagnosis. Initial best corrected visual acuity, type of BRVO according to the involved vein branch, distance between fovea and occlusion vein, central macular thickness, type of macular edema, presence of macula hemorrhage, and presence of capillary nonperfusion were evaluated at the time of diagnosis. The patients received an intravitreal bevacizumab injection at the time of diagnosis and reinjections when macular edema and visual acuity were aggravated. According to the factors considered, the reinjection-free rate which was considered a survival rate was evaluated for 1 year after the first injection. RESULTS: The patients with initial visual acuity lower than log MAR 0.5 showed 52.6% survival rate within 1 year compared with 14.3% of the patients with visual acuity higher than log MAR 0.5 (p < 0.01). The patients with occluded vein closer than a distance of 2.5 disc diameters (DD) from the foveal center had a 57.1% survival rate and the patients with occluded vein farther than a distance of 2.5 DD from the foveal center had a 25.0% survival rate (p = 0.04). Macular BRVO and major BRVO patients had 64.3% and 16.7% survival rates, respectively (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The patients with BRVO may have less chance of repetitive intravitreal bevacizumab injections due to macular edema when initial visual acuity is lower than log MAR 0.5, occluded vein is closer than 2.5 DD from the foveal center, and macular branch is involved at the initial diagnosis. These factors can be utilized to predict the prognosis of BRVO patients and the probability of repetitive intravitreal bevacizumab injections.
Capillaries ; Diagnosis ; Edema* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Macular Edema ; Prognosis ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Survival Rate ; Veins ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the degree of visualization of the vitreous and internal limiting membrane (ILM) during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) using preservative-free triamcinolone acetonide (PF-TA) or triamcinolone acetonide suspension (TAS). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 61 eyes of 61 patients who underwent 25-gauge PPV and ILM peeling for various macular diseases. We assigned the patients to PF-TA and TAS groups, i.e., according to the type of triamcinolone acetonide used. The degree of visualization of the vitreous and ILM was classified into four different categories. The number of dye injections during PPV, need for indocyanine green (ICG), time elapsed before ILM peeling, and intraocular pressure (IOP) before surgery, 1 day and 1 month after surgery were determined. Results: The degree of visualization of the vitreous and ILM was significantly better in the PF-TA group compared with the TAS group. Although the number of dye injections during PPV was not different between the PF-TA and TAS groups (2.56 ± 0.07 and 2.37 ± 1.08, respectively, p = 0.06), the need for ICG was significantly different (6 and 22 eyes, respectively, p < 0.01). The time elapsed before ILM peeling was 185.68 ± 130.02 s in the PF-TA group and 411.15 ± 267.38 s in the TAS group (p < 0.01). The IOP was not different before or 1 day after surgery between the PF-TA and TAS groups, but was significantly different 1 month after surgery (12.88 ± 3.10 and 14.41 ± 2.91 mmHg, respectively, p = 0.03). Conclusions Visualization of the vitreous and ILM was better when using PF-TA compared to TAS. PF-TA-assisted PPV could reduce the usage of ICG and was associated with a reduced latency to ILM peeling. Because this was in turn associated with a lower IOP at postoperative 1 month, PF-TA was safer and more effective than TAS.