BACKGROUND: From 1980s the methamphetamine(phillopon) was suddenly spread to our country and it becomes a serious social problem. Although the proportion of transfusion associated hepatitis C declined after introduction of Anti-HCV assay as screening test of blood donors, the overall prevalence of hepatitis C has remained the same, primarily because of increase of the proportion of hepatitis C patients among intravenous drug abusers. So we studied about prevalence of Anti-HCV, and other viral infectious disease transmission by intravenous drug abuse. METHODS: Total 202 drug abusers who had been admitted to Taegu Medical Center in 1994-1996 were tested for the presence of Anti-HCV. Epidemiologic data and histories related to drug use were obtained, as were serum test for hepatitis B, aminotransferase, HIV. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity of anti-HCV was 79.2%. Patients In HCV positive group were significant old age(34.0 yrs) and had long duration of injection(3.0 yrs) and the number of patient who had elevated aminotransferase level were significantly more than HCV negative group(p<0.05). No significant difference in sex, prevalence of HBs Ag and Anti HBc were observated between HCV positive group and negative group. The prevalence of Anti HBc was 52.1% and HBs Ag was 4.2%, but anyone was not detected for AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The seropositivity of Anti-HCV in intravenous drug users in Taegu, Korea was 79.2%, comparable to that in Europe and U.S.A. This finding suggest that its time to hurry up for medical and public walfare service personal to concern and education of drug abusers, and inview of preventive medical care the need of general public information and education is pressing.
Blood Donors ; Daegu ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Drug Users* ; Education ; Europe ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C ; HIV ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Social Problems ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

Post-traumatic tricuspid insufficiency is a rare condition and may be clinically silent and imprecise. The diagnosis may be difficult when it progreses slowly and other acute lesions exist concomittantly. Two-dimenstional Doppler echocardiography appears to be an essential procedure in diagnosting the rupture of chordae tendineae or papillary muscle following traumatic injury. We report a case of tricuspid insufficiency of which symptom developed 8 years later following a blunt chest trauma. The patient was operated by tricuspid vlave repair with chordal replacement and ring annuloplasty successfully. We would like to emphasize that patients sustaining major thoracic trauma should be carefully examine for possible blunt chest trauma including cardiac valve rupture or tear.
Chordae Tendineae ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Papillary Muscles ; Rupture ; Thorax*

BACKGROUND: The normal sinus heart rate standard of 60 to 100 beats per minute was set by the NYHA(New York Heart Association) in 1928. It has long been accepted to physicians, but clinical studies and experience suggest that both these limits are too high. Thus we reexamined to define operationally normal sinus heart rate that are scientifically and clinically acceptable. METHODS: Total 1,930 subjects(aged 20 to 92 years) were analyzed and evaluated for age, sex, body mass index(BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rates by electrocardiogram. We used Pearson's correlation test and t-test to analyze these data. RESULTS: Among 1930 subjects, 982 cases were male(51%) and 948 cases were female (49%), whose mean age was 48 years in male and 51 years in female. For the entire sample, mean heart rate and standard deviation was 68 +/- 11 beats/min. There was statistically significant difference between male(67+/-11 beats/min) and female(68+/-10 beats/min)(P<0,05). The prevalence of sinus tachycardia and bradycardia, calculated by current normal standard of 60 to 100 beats/min, was 22.0% (424 cases) and 0.9% (18 cases). Mean +/- two standard deviation yields rounded extremes of 46 to 89 beats/min for normal sinus heart rate. A positive correlations between resting heart rate and age(r=0.11), systolic blood pressure(r =0.17), diastolic blood pressure(r=0.12) were found(P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Two extremes of the normal sinus heart rate standard of 60 to 100 beats/min are set too high. They result in lower sensitivity for tachycardia and lower specificity for bradycardia. We propose that normal range for sinus heart rate should be 50 to 90 beats/min which is statistically justified, more realistic for clinical investigation.
Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Sinus

This study was performed to determine the effects of nitric oxide on human sperm cell function. Semen samples were obtained from normal healthy volunteers. Motile spermatozoas collected by swim-up method were incubated up to 24 hours in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with a various concentration of sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide releasing agent). Sperm motility, hyperactivation, acrosome reaction rate, and acrosin activity were determined. The results are as follows; 1. 1mM of SNP resulted in a significant decrease in sperm motility (44.8%+/- 8.9%:78.1%+/-6.3%, and hyperactivation (10.4%+/-6.4%:477%+/-9.5%) after incubation for 3 hours compared with the control group (Ham's F-10 alone), but had no effect on acrosome reaction. 2. At 100muM SNP, sperm motility was reduced after incubation for 6 hours (54.8%+/- 3.2%) compared with that of the control group (82.7% +/- 8.9%), but hyperactivation and acrosome reaction were not affected. 3. However, a lower concentration (less than 101M) of SNP had no effect on sperm motility and hyperactivation for 8 hours of incubation but significantly decreased them when incubation periods were increased up to 24 hours compared with the control group. On the other hand, 1muM and l0muM SNP significantly increased the acrosome reaction rate in both acrosomal status (17.3%+/-5.2%,23.5%+/-4.7%, respectively) and acrosin activity (34.3muIU+/- 10.5muIU, 45.6muIU+/-5.6muIU, respectively) as compared with the control group (7.0%+/-4.0%, 9.5muIU+/-3.4muIU). These results indicate that SNP, NO releasing agent, has a dose-dependent effects on the sperm cell function. Therefore it may positively affect the fertilization by promoting acrosomal reaction at a lower concentration (less than 101M).
Acrosin ; Acrosome Reaction ; Fertilization ; Hand ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of an injection of bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule on ocular surface neovascularization disease including pterygium and corneal neovascularization. METHODS: Twenty-five eyes of 21 patients with pterygium and 19 eyes of 15 patients with corneal neovascularization were given an injection of 5 mg bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule. The clinical effects and complications were evaluated by analyzing the changes in anterior segment photo, visual acuity, and intraocular pressure at week one, week two, week four, and every month thereafter. RESULTS: After injections of bevacizumab, partial remission of corneal neovascularized lesion was observed in five eyes (20%) of the pterygium group, and there were no significant changes in the visual acuity and no complications. In the corneal neovascularization group, corneal neovascularized lesions of 18 eyes (95%: 2 eyes, complete remission 16 eyes, partial remission) improved after injections of the bevacizumab and the scores of extent and severity of corneal neovascularized lesion improved significantly, unlike the pterygium group. The visual acuity of two eyes (11%) improved more than two lines of Yong-Han Jin's distance visual acuity test and there were no systemic side effects. Localized side effects included four eyes (21%) with punctate epithelial erosions and two eyes (11%) with temporary, elevated intraocular pressure in the corneal neovascularization group. The side effects improved without any additional treatment. CONCLUSIONS: An injection of bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule is more effective in fresh lesions of corneal neovascularization disease than in old and stable lesions of pterygium. Therefore, it could be used as a prominent treatment of various corneal neovascularization diseases.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Corneal Neovascularization ; Eye ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Pterygium ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

The effectiveness of operative and non-operative management for postoperative adhesive ileus in children has been discussed. This study reviews the clinical characteristics and the treatment consequences of adhesive ileus in our institution, Department of Surgery of Chunbuk National University Hospital, retrospectively. A total of 62 cases of post-operative small bowel obstruction treated between January 1975 and December 1998 under the 15 years of age are included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups, operative (n=26) and non-operative (n=36) groups. The prevalent age was between 11 and 15 years (28 cases; 45.2%), and the most common previous operation was appendectomy (28 cases; 45.2%). The most common operative procedures were adhesiolysis (17 cases; 65.4%). The interval between admission and operation was 1 day in 11 cases (42.3%). The most common site of adhesion was the ileum in 13 cases (50.0%) and band constriction was the most frequent pattern (8 cases; 30.8%). Intestinal resection was significantly high in delayed operations of more than four days, in the patients with three or more classical signs of strangulation (fever, tachycardia, leukocytosis, abdominal pain, rebound tenderness), and in the cases of complete obstruction on plain abdomen film (p < 0.05). In conclusion, operation should be considered in cases with three or more signs of strangulation, no clinical improvement for over four days of conservative treatment, and signs of complete obstruction on plain abdomen film during the observation periods.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Adhesives* ; Appendectomy ; Child* ; Constriction ; Humans ; Ileum ; Ileus* ; Leukocytosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tachycardia

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of localized orbital pseudotumor in the limbus. CASE SUMMARY: A 60-year-old man with a limbal mass in the left eye was referred to our clinic for further treatment. The patient's symptoms began 9-months earlier, and he was treated with oral prednisolone, but his symptoms relapsed. His left eye had a circumferentially protruded gelatinous limbal mass. The anterior segment fluorescein angiography was performed and the mass was then surgically removed. There was an interrupted fluorescence at the area of infiltrative mass at 8 seconds, and a relative hypofluorescence at 30 seconds on anterior segment fluorescein angiography. Histologic examination revealed a non-specific inflammatory reaction without the presence of tumor cells and these findings indicated a presumptive diagnosis of limbal pseudotumor. After the cessation of steroid treatment there was no evidence of tumor recurrence at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The authors reported the first case of localized orbital pseudotumor in the limbus. Anterior segment fluorescein angiography was found useful in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of this type of limbal mass.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fluorescence ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbital Pseudotumor ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of localized orbital pseudotumor in the limbus. CASE SUMMARY: A 60-year-old man with a limbal mass in the left eye was referred to our clinic for further treatment. The patient's symptoms began 9-months earlier, and he was treated with oral prednisolone, but his symptoms relapsed. His left eye had a circumferentially protruded gelatinous limbal mass. The anterior segment fluorescein angiography was performed and the mass was then surgically removed. There was an interrupted fluorescence at the area of infiltrative mass at 8 seconds, and a relative hypofluorescence at 30 seconds on anterior segment fluorescein angiography. Histologic examination revealed a non-specific inflammatory reaction without the presence of tumor cells and these findings indicated a presumptive diagnosis of limbal pseudotumor. After the cessation of steroid treatment there was no evidence of tumor recurrence at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The authors reported the first case of localized orbital pseudotumor in the limbus. Anterior segment fluorescein angiography was found useful in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of this type of limbal mass.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fluorescence ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbital Pseudotumor ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: The effects of AmniSite-Lens on wound healing were evaluated for a burn wound on a rabbit cornea. METHODS: A chemical burn was inflicted on the cornea of rabbits using 0.1N NaOH and a superficial keratectomy with trephine was performed. The control group consisted of rabbits with a bandage contact lens (Focus Lens) after the operation. In the other group, the AmniSite-Le was applied on the rabbits' cornea. The rabbits were evaluated for the following: 1) the time of epithelialization; 2) the grade of corneal opacity; and 3) the histological analysis by evaluation of inflammatory reaction and apoptotic keratocytes. RESULTS: In the alkali-burn model, the time of epithelialization in the AmniSite-Lens group was not statistically significant compared with the bandage contact lens group. There was no difference of corneal opacity at postoperative week 1. The corneal opacity in the AmniSite-Lens group was clearer than the bandage contact lens group at postoperative weeks 4 and 8 and the difference of corneal opacity was statistically significant. In the keratectomy model, the time of epithelialization in the AmniSite-Lens group was not statistically significant compared with the bandage contact lens group. The corneal opacity in the AmniSite-Lens group was clearer than the bandage contact lens group at postoperative weeks 1 and 4 and the difference of corneal opacity was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The AmniSite-Lens has both the wound healing effect of an amniotic membrane and the convenience of a bandage contact lens.
Amnion ; Bandages ; Burns ; Burns, Chemical ; Cornea ; Corneal Opacity ; Rabbits ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: Our study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of gastric aspirate examination (GAE) in the early identification of early onset sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was done for a total 291 neonates who were admitted with high risk for early onset sepsis to Nowon Eulji Hospital neonatal intensive care unit between Jan. 1999 and Jan. 2003. Contents of gastric aspirate via nasogastric tube were analyzed with wet smear, gram stain and culture. Positive blood culuture was our definitive criterion for sepsis. GAE was considered positive when five or more leukocytes per high power field were counted on wet smear or when any bacteria were present on gram stain or when any organism grew on culture. RESULTS: Positive results in gastric aspirate examination are 57 patients (19.6%) in wet smear, 28 patients (9.6%) in gram stain, 30 patients (10.3%) in culture and positive result in blood is 27 patients (9.3%). There are no statistically correlation between gastric aspirate examinations and early onset sepsis. CONCLUSION: We concluded that gastric aspirate examinations are of limited value in predicting the diagnosis of early onset sepsis in neonate.
Bacteria ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Leukocytes ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis*