Authors experienced a case of acute myocardial infarction confirmed by analysis of LDH isoenzyme. 53-year-old male was admitted to Sacred Heat Hospital, Chung Ang University Because of severe precordial pain radiating to both arm, shoulder and back. Chest X-ray film & electrocardiogram were within normal limit and SGOT was 110 unit/ml on the day of admission. Determination of total LDH value and analysis of LDH isoenzyme by agar gel electrophoresis were made on the second hospital day. Total LDH was 315unit/ml, but there was significant increased percentage of LDH isoenzyme(LDH1). Electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation only on the 8th hospital day.
Male ; Humans

Differential diagnosis between tuberculous epididymitis and nonspecific chronic epididymitis is one of the most difficult problem in the field of urology. The definitive diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis is often made by pathological examination of the epididymectomy or orchiectomy specimen. However, the preferred approach to treatment of tuberculous epididymitis is primarily antituberculous chemotherapy and we believe that as a primary measure, surgical procedure is avoidable with careful clinical work-up. A clinical comparative investigation was undertaken on 20 cases of tuberculous epididymitis and 13 cases of nonspecific chronic epididymitis, diagnosed by histopathologic examination during recent 6 year period. Tuberculous epididymitis occurred most frequently in men aged 21-30 years (80%), whereas nonspecific chronic epididymitis occurred frequently in men aged above 31 years (69.2%). Tuberculous epididymitis and nonspecific chronic epididymitis Were present clinically as painless scrotal mass in 70%, 53.8%, painful scrotal mass in 30%, 46.2%, and voiding symptoms in 15%, 7.7% respectively. Scrotal swelling were present in 30% of tuberculous epididymitis, but only in 7.7% of nonspecific epididymitis. Irregularity of mass were noted in 65% of tuberculous epididymitis, and in 23.1% of nonspecific epididymitis. Scrotal fistula were present only in 5% of tuberculous epididymitis. Of the patients with tuberculous epididymitis, 20% had a history of tuberculosis, and 46.1% of the patients with nonspecific chronic epididymitis had a history of acute epididymitis. In tuberculous epididymitis, clinical findings of concurrent infection with tuberculosis were found in kidney, prostate, vas, lung, and testis in order of frequency. Past history of tuberculosis or acute epididymitis and clinical findings of concurrent tuberculous lesions were helpful for clinical diagnosis, in 70% of the patients with tuberculous epididymitis and 46.2 % of the patients with nonspecific chronic epididymitis.
Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Epididymitis* ; Fistula ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lung ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Prostate ; Testis ; Tuberculosis ; Urology

PURPOSE: The diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome on CT is difficult if CT do not demonstrate obstruction of the IVC or hepatic vein and other parameter is needed for the correct diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to determine the usefulness of measuring the diameter of azygos-hemiazygos vein on CT to differentiate Budd-Chiari syndrome from advanced liver cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients who were proven as Budd-Chiari syndrome on vena cavography were studied for analysis. All patients showed evidence of liver cirrhosis on CT. As a control group fifteen cases of advanced liver cirrhosis who underwent endoscopic sclerotheraphy due to esophageal variceal bleeding were also included for comparison. The largest short axis diameter of azygos-hemiazygos vein was measured in all patients at the level of diaphragm on axial CT and the results were compared in both groups. RESULTS: In patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome the largest short axial diameter of azygos-hemiazygos vein ranged from 0.5cm to 2.5cm(mean ;1.5cm). Only one patient who showed hepatic venous obstruction demonstrated a diameter of less than 1 cm(0. Scm). In contrast, the diameter in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis without obstruction of IVC or hepatic vein was less than 1 cm with a range from 0.2cm to 1 cm(mean ;0.6cm). CONCLUSION: The short axis diameter of azygos-hemiazygos vein was an indicator of IVC obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome).
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Diagnosis* ; Diaphragm ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Veins*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Rifampin*

BACKGROUND: With the rapid growth of the elderly population, osteoporosis has become a major health problem worldwide. Although health knowledge and self-efficacy are important assets to facilitate healthy behaviors and disease prevention, such information as it relates to individuals and their bone health is limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, and health behaviors on promoting bone health in middle-aged Korean women. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey study. A convenience sampling of middle-aged women (> or =40 years) was done at a community health center in Korea. Bone mineral density was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry with the DEXXUM T. The level of knowledge was measured with the Knowledge of Osteoporosis Scale, and self-efficacy with the Osteoporosis Self-efficacy Scale. A questionnaire for bone health behaviors was developed for this study. Collected data were analyzed through descriptive methods, independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: A total of 150 middle-aged women whose mean age was 59.8+/-11.5 years participated in the study. Most (74%) were menopausal. Less than one-quarter of participants (22.7%) had osteoporosis and less than half (42%) had osteopenia based on the T-score at the left femur neck site. Level of knowledge (mean score, 10.35) and self-efficacy (mean score, 47.67) ranged from low to moderate. Intake of calcium and vitamin D-rich foods was insufficient in our subjects. Bone health behaviors had significant positive relationships with knowledge (r=0.22, P=0.008) and self-efficacy (r=0.29, P<0.001) on promoting bone health. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that educational interventions are needed to enhance knowledge and confidence and to encourage middle-aged women to engage in bone health behaviors.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Calcium ; Community Health Centers ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; Self Efficacy ; Vitamins

No abstract available.
Miller Fisher Syndrome*

Background: Esmolol as a drug for induced hypotension can, not only avoid many drawbacks of nitroprusside, but reduce the amount of intraoperative bleeding and make better operative field. This study was performed to evalute cardiovascular changes during esmolol-induced controlled hypotension. Methods: Induced hypotension using esmolol was applied to 18 adult patients receiving spinal surgery under the diagnosis of spinal stenosis or scoliosis. After prehydraion of 2,000 ml of crystalloid solution, 0.5 mg/kg esmolol was used as loading dose once, twice or three times until mean blood pressure (MBP) fell below 70 mmHg, followed by continuous infusion (50~300 microg/kg/min) of esmolol. MBP and heart rate (HR) were measured before, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 90 min after esmolol administration, and 5, 10 and 15 minutes after discontinuation of esmolol. In 8 patients, cardiac output (CO) and mixed venous oxygen tension and saturation were measured before, during and after esmolol use. Results: MBP was decreased from 91+/-12 mmHg to 67+/-7 mmHg after 15 min (P<0.05). HR(BPM) was decreased from 76+/-17 to about 60 after 15 min (P<0.05). CO was decreased about 30% during induced hypotension but recoverd to initial level 15 min after esmolol discontinuation. While oxygen transport was reduced significantly during induced hypotension (P<0.05), oxygen consumption was maintained all the time. Conclusion: With the use of esmolol, stable hypotension could be achieved. Although oxygen transport decreased possibly due to reduction of CO, but oxygen consumption was maintained.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Diagnosis ; Heart Rate ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypotension* ; Hypotension, Controlled ; Nitroprusside ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Consumption ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Stenosis

No abstract available.
Child* ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Renal Veins* ; Renin* ; Veins*

Chitin and chitosan, polysaccharides made up of polymeric N-acetly glucosamine and D-glucosamine, are widely found in nature, forming the skeletons of crustaceans and insects, as well as the components of bacteria cell walls. Chitin and chitosan have been known to have many useful biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial activity, and wound healing. There properties have been known to be different depending on the degree of deacetylation of chitin, but it has not yet been fully evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the wound healing effect by the degree of deacetylation. Full-thickness skin incision was made on the backs of Sprague-Dawley rats. Three concentrations of powder, comprising 90% chitin, 50% chitin and 10% chitin, were separately embedded in the wounds of 3 rat groups. The wound-breaking strength and the collagen-hydroxyproline content of the skin at the wound sites were measured and histological examination was performed at postoperative 3, 7, and 10 days. The 50% chitin group had the highest tensile strenght of all groups. But the 50% chitin and 90% chitin groups had the lowest collagen hydroxyproline levels among all groups. The wounds treated with 50% chitin powder were completely reepithelialized and granulation tissue in the wound was observed 7 days after initial wounding. The arrangement of collagen fibers in the skin was ordered and similar to normal skin The 50% chitin powder is considered to be the most efficient wound healing accelerator among different concentrations of chitin powder.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Cell Wall ; Chitin* ; Chitosan* ; Collagen ; Glucosamine ; Granulation Tissue ; Hydroxyproline ; Insects ; Polymers ; Polysaccharides ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skeleton ; Skin ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

PURPOSE: Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation (ITPV) is developed to decrease dead space ventilation. A reverse thrust catheter (RTC) is introduced into an endotracheal tube through an adapter. Bias gas through the RTC exits from the catheter tip. The flow of gas is redirected outward away from the lung. Gas is intermittently introduced into the lung as tidal volume (VT) by an expiratory valve. ITPV can be combined with pressure control mode, resulting in hybrid ventilation (HV). We hypothesized that HV might decrease VT, compared with volume controlled ventilation (VCV) or pressure controlled ventilation (PCV) alone. METHODS: HV was compared with VCV and PCV in 7 tracheostomized rabbits. We aimed at maintaining PaCO2 levels normal as the respiratory rates (RR) were set at 20, 40, 80, and 120/min. Blood pressure and airway pressures were monitored and dead space ratio was calculated. RESULTS: The dead spaces (VD) of VCV are 30+/-4 mL, 18+/-4 mL, 14+/-4 mL, and 12+/-5 mL and the VD of PCV are 24+/-6 mL, 16+/-3 mL, 15+/-4 mL and 12+/-4 mL at the respiratory rates of 20/min, 40/min, 80/min, and 120/min, respectively. The VD of HV are 13+/-6 mL, 9+/-3 mL, 7+/-2 mL, and 5+/-1 mL, respectively. The VT and PIP of HV are significantly lower than those of VCV and PCV at the same RR. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that HV can be applied to minimize the airway pressures and dead space ventilation of VCV and PCV.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Lung ; Pulmonary Ventilation ; Rabbits* ; Respiratory Rate ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilation*