PURPOSE: Prealbumin is known as a biochemical marker for assessing nutritional status, and it is influenced by a systemic inflammatory condition. This study aims to find any correlation between patients' low serum prealbumin in electrical burn and unhealed burn surface area and insufficient nutritional support. METHODS: Data were collected by a review of the medical charts of patients admitted to Hanil General Hospital for electrical burn. Laboratory results such as prealbumin, albumin, total lymphocyte count (TLC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected and tested every week. Residual burn surface area (residual BSA) during a specific period was calculated from the surgery record. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 30 subjects were selected, all male. Average total burn surface area was 20.9±14.9%, and patients were operated on about three times after admission. There was statistical significance among all variables in Pearson's correlation test, but in multiple regression analysis, albumin and CRP were significant compared with prealbumin. CONCLUSION: The results could indicate that burn causes a systemic inflammatory reaction, which could affect the serum prealbumin level. Further study concerning the biological plausibility of each variable is needed.
Biomarkers ; Burns* ; Burns, Electric ; C-Reactive Protein ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Nutritional Support ; Prealbumin*

We report a case of tinea corporis arising in previous burn area which shows tinea imbricata-like clinical appearance in a 69-year-old male. He showed round, 5.0x5.0 cm sized, fine scaly, well-defined erythematous patch with concentrically arranged rings of scales on the right forearm. Histopathologically, PAS staining revealed fungal hyphae in the horney layer of the epidermis. Fungal culture of scales of the lesions on Sabouraud's dextrose agar showed typical Trichophyton verrucosum. He was treated with oral terbinafine (250 mg/day) and topical lanoconazole for 1 month. Skin lesions improved one month after the treatment, and recurrence has not been observed
Agar ; Aged ; Burns ; Epidermis ; Forearm ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Imidazoles ; Male ; Naphthalenes ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Tinea ; Trichophyton ; Weights and Measures

A 50-year-old man with bladder cancer had spinal anesthesia for transurethral resection of bladder. After he had spinal block at the T8 level, he developed a persistent penile erection, making it impossible to introduce the 24 French cystoscope. To treat a persistent penile erection, intravenous glycopyrrolate was incrementally given for a total of 0.4 mg. A persistent penile erection was markedly subsided 5 minutes after last 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate was given. Then corpus cavernosum blood was aspirated. The cystoscope was easily introduced, and transurethral resection of bladder proceeded without further complication.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Cystoscopes ; Glycopyrrolate ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penile Erection* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

PURPOSE: FK506 (tacrolimus) is a widely used immunosuppressive agent in the treatment of various medical conditions, including autoimmune disease, bone marrow and organ transplantations. Previously FK506 was known to cause apoptotic death of human Jurkat T cells. METHODS: The current study was designed to analyze the gene expression pattern of Jurkat T cells after FK506 application by using cDNA microarray. Treatment of Jurkat T cells with FK506 resulted in a decrease of cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Next, total RNA of Jurkat T cells was extracted by using TRIzol reagent and used to carry out a confirmation test for the purity and integrity of total RNA. RESULTS: Gene expression levels related to apoptosis and cell cycle process were mainly focused to analyze in FK506-treated Jurkat T cells. According to the inhibition of calcineurin activity, MARCKS in PKC substrates and Sp3 transcription factor was markedly increased in FK506-treated cells. Also, cell cycle control gene Id1 and Id3 were induced in expression from FK506-treated Jurkat T cells. However, FK506 decreased the expression of Src homology 2, G protein, and MEK 2 genes in bioactive peptide induced signaling pathway. It also reduced the expression level of the insulin receptor, DRPLA and Bai1-associated protein 2 genes, which are involved in the regulation of cell motility and morphology control. CONCLUSION: The author will continue to pursue the exact functional roles of genes that are markedly changed in expression by FK506 in human Jurkat T cells in vitro and in vivo experimental models.
Apoptosis ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Bone Marrow ; Calcineurin ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Movement ; Cell Survival ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Guanidines ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells ; Models, Theoretical ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Organ Transplantation ; Phenols ; Receptor, Insulin ; RNA ; Sp3 Transcription Factor ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants

Background: Thrombocytopenia is a condition where platelet counts are below the normal range (< 150 ×103 /µL), resulting in a higher risk of bleeding and affecting the results of hip arthroplasty. We assessed the impact of preoperative platelet counts on the clinical results of patients who underwent hip arthroplasty. Methods: Between April 2003 and March 2023, 437 patients (451 hips), who had preoperative thrombocytopenia of less than 150 ×103 /µL platelets, underwent hip arthroplasty. Preoperative platelet levels were categorized into severe thrombocytopenia (< 50 ×103 /µL) and non-severe thrombocytopenia (50–149 ×103 /µL). Total blood loss, operation time, requirement of transfusion, amount of transfusion, duration of surgical wound oozing, length of hospital stay, mortality rate at 1 year after surgery, and any complication were compared between the 2 groups. Results: No notable differences were observed in the surgery time or the total amount of blood loss between the groups. The requirement of transfusion and the amount of transfused blood were higher in the severe thrombocytopenia group. Prolonged oozing was found in around 18% in both groups, while periprosthetic joint infections occurred in 3 of the non-severe thrombocytopenia group. No significant difference was noted in the duration of hospital stay (25.6 ± 18.3 days vs. 19.4 ± 16.6 days, p = 0.067) and 1-year mortality (22.2% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.110). Conclusions Hip arthroplasties are safe for patients with low platelet counts and do not lead to prolonged hospital stays. On the other hand, patients with severe thrombocytopenia tend to need blood transfusions more frequently than those with less severe thrombocytopenia.

PURPOSE: Chronic constipation is not uncommon even in children. Recently biofeedback treatment (BT) is considered as a useful modality in the treatment of various types of constipation. The aim of this study was to evaulate the effectiveness of BT in children with chronic constipation. METHODS: We reviewed 24 cases of childhood constipation (17 boys, 7 girls) who visited the Jinju Hakmoon colorectal surgery clinic and GNUH1 between April, 2001 and September, 2002. Balloon-mediated anorectal manometry system was used for BT. The effects of therapy was assessed by bowel movement, defecation time, fecal soiling and balloon evacuation test in the early course of therapy. The long term follow up survey was done by telephone interview at January 2003 and the effects of therapy was assessed by bowel movement, defecation time, fecal soiling and parents' satisfaction. RESULTS: Patients received the BT for the three times on average, and as the result of the therapy, 20 patients experienced disappearance of symptoms (87%) or at least improvement of symptoms. In terms of manometric values, the mean resting pressure was 113.4 mmHg before the BT, but decreased to 86.3 mmHg after the BT (P=0.0012). Mean pushing pressure dropped to 85.98 mmHg from 130.45 mmHg (P=<0.0001). Mean sensitivity decreased from 55 ml to 35 ml (P=0.0053). Mean compliance decreased from 20.28 H2O/cm to 4.21 H2O/cm (P=0.0015). 13 patients (76%) showed disappearance or improvement of symptoms in the long term follow up. CONCLUSIONS: The Balloon mediated biofeedback therapy is effective in children with chronic constipation. It is safe, easy to administer and also improve symptoms and objective parameters of anorectal function. Balloon mediated biofeedback therapy could be the first-line therapy in child patient with chronic constipation who failed conservative management.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Child* ; Colorectal Surgery ; Compliance ; Constipation* ; Defecation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Manometry ; Soil

Coronary artery aneurysms are detected rarely during coronary angiography, and are associated with injury to the mechanical vessel wall during percutaneous coronary intervention. Potential causes also include atherosclerosis, congenital defects, connective tissue disorders, vasculitis, infection, drug-related injury, and trauma; it can also be idiopathic. The complications of coronary artery aneurysms vary, but they rupture only rarely. However, there is no consensus treatment strategy for coronary artery aneurysm after coronary intervention. We report a case of a 55-year-old male who developed a coronary artery aneurysm and in-stent restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-eluting stent. The aneurysm was treated successfully with the implantation of a graft stent.
Aneurysm* ; Atherosclerosis ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Connective Tissue ; Consensus ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels* ; Drug-Eluting Stents* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Rupture ; Stents ; Transplants ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that spinal anesthesia has a sedative effect and so this decreases the hypnotic requirement of intravenous anesthetic. Therefore, we have conducted a prospective randomized study to investigate the effect of the spinal anesthesia level on the hypnotic requirements for conscious sedation. METHODS: Forty adult patients were scheduled to undergo spinal anesthesia, and they were randomly allocated to one of the two groups. After subarachnoid injection of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 16 mg, the patients in group 1 and group 2 were maintained in a reversed Trendelenburg position and a Trendelenburg position, respectively. After fifteen minutes, the target controlled infusion of propofol was started for achieving a target concentration of 1 microgram/ml, and the mean BIS for 1 min was checked after an effect site concentration (Ce) of 1 microgram/ml was reached. The target controlled infusion of propofol was restarted at a target concentration (Tc) of 1.5 microgram/ml, and the mean BIS for 1 min was checked after the Ce level of 1.5 microgram/ml was reached. RESULTS: The mean BIS at 1 microgram/ml Ce was 90.0 +/- 8.5 and 77.8 +/- 10.3 in group 1 and group 2, respectively. The mean BIS at 1.5 g/ml Ce was 73.6 +/- 19.4 and 60.0 +/- 13.1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant difference in the requirements of propofol for conscious sedation between the below T12 block group and the above T4 block group.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Bupivacaine ; Conscious Sedation ; Head-Down Tilt ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Propofol* ; Prospective Studies

No abstract available.
Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic

BACKGROUND: Ropivacaine is an amino amide local anesthetic that has an advantage of a low-toxicity profile. Clonidine, an alpha2 adrenergic agonist, is known to prolong and intensify anesthesia from epidural local anesthetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dose-response effects of added clonidine to ropivacaine-fentanyl epidural anesthesia for lower extremity surgery. METHODS: Forty-five patients undergoing lower extremity surgery were randomly allocated to three groups to be given the following agents by an epidural route: 0.75% ropivacaine 15 ml+fentanyl 50microgram with clonidine 50microgram (group I), 100microgram (group II), or 150microgram (group III). Onset and maximal height of sensory block, and duration of sensory and motor block were assessed. Also, blood pressure, heart rate and sedation score were measured. RESULTS: Duration of sensory and motor block of groups II and III was significantly longer than that of group I, but there was no difference between group II and group III. Two segment regression times were significantly different among the three groups. Onset of sensory block, blood pressure, heart rate, and sedation scores were not significantly different among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of Clonidine 100 and 150microgram prolonged duration of anesthesia more than 50microgram with ropivacaine-fentanyl epidural anesthesia for lower extremity surgery.
Adrenergic Agonists ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthetics, Local ; Blood Pressure ; Clonidine* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Lower Extremity*