OBJECTIVE: The prescription rates of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are very low around 1% in Korea. This study was aimed to explore the preference of LAIs in patients with schizophrenia, who are currently living in community, and their caregivers. METHODS: The patients, diagnosed with schizophrenia by DSM-IV TR and were registered in the 31 mental health centers of Gyeonggi province and their caregivers were inquired the knowledge of the LAIs. The questionnaires contained information such as demographic characteristics, history of psychiatric treatment, and so on. RESULTS: About 5,318 were registered in 31 community mental health centers of Gyeonggi province in February 2012. The questionnaires of 614 patients and 365 caregivers were gathered from 20 community mental health centers. The mean ages (+/-SD) of patients and caregivers were 41.9 (+/-10.2) and 62.2 (+/-13.4) years old, respectively. 272 patients (44.6%) had experienced the discontinuation of medications without doctor's consent. 217 patients (35.9%) and 97 caregivers (27.1%) knew about the LAIs. The preference rates for LAIs were 35.2% and 46.8% for the patients and caregivers, respectively. CONCLUSION: There is still huge discrepancy between the preference and the real prescriptions of LAIs in community-dwelling patients and their caregivers, much higher than in those of hospital settings. This study suggests that both patients and caregivers registered in the community mental health centers have a strong commitment to live in the community. The obstacles against the benefits of LAIs need to be resolved.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Caregivers ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the brain waves and develop various exercise programs to improve the physical and mental aspects of stroke patients when neurological physical therapy and sitting table tennis exercise are applied to stroke patients. Methods: In this study, an experiment was conducted on 15 patients diagnosed with stroke, and training was performed after changing the ping-pong table to a sitting position to apply ping-pong exercise to stroke patients. After training was conducted for 40 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks, brain waves were measured before and after. EEG was measured using Laxtha’s DSI-24 equipment as a measurement tool, and data values were extracted through the Telescan program. Results: Most of the relative beta waves showed a significant difference before and after the intervention. As for the characteristics of beta waves, this result can be seen as being highly activated during exercise or other activities. Conclusion Ping-pong exercise in a sitting position is a good intervention method for stroke patients, and it can help to use it as basic data in clinical practice by showing brain activity.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic sympathectomy seems to be a safe therapeutic procedure without a severe complication. Hypotension has been often reported as one of postoperative complications, but intraoperative changes in blood pressure (BP) were not studied. However, authors' past experience of thoracic sympathectomy told that intraoperative BP reduction could be observed only when measured in ipsilateral arm. During general anesthesia, BP reduction might be a crucial, which could be associated with complication. Authors conducted this study to establish whether BP reduction is confined to ipsilateral arm, or is systemic phenomenon in thoracoscopic sympathectomy. METHODS: Twenty healthy, male and female patients scheduled for one stage thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy were prepared for this study. Without premedication, invasive BP monitoring was taken place in bilateral radial arteries. General anesthesia was induced with low dose of fentanyl, propofol and vecuronium. Endotracheal intubation was done with double lumen tube and anesthesia was maintained with variable concentrations of isoflurane in 100% oxygen. Sympathetomies were done for T2~3 during one lung ventilation. BP and palmar temperature were recorded at arrival, after one lung ventilation, after sympathectomy, 5 min, 10 min, after two lung ventilation. BPs and temperatures were analyzed by time and groups. RESULTS: Concurrent with initiation of sympathectomy, BP was reduced only in ipsilateral radial artery. Mean BP decrement was almost 11% (right side: 80 +/- 11 mmHg -> 71 +/- 15 mmHg; left side: 80 +/- 14 mmHg -> 71 +/- 9 mmHg; both of p<0.05). It was accompanied with ipsilateral palmar temperature elevation (right side: 1.28 degrees C; left side: 1.19 degrees C; both of p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Conclusively, BP reduction in thoracic sympathectomy is a change confined to ipsilateral arm, which seems because of peripheral vasodilation.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arm* ; Arterial Pressure* ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Hypotension ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Isoflurane ; Lung ; Male ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Oxygen ; Postoperative Complications ; Premedication ; Propofol ; Radial Artery ; Sympathectomy* ; Vasodilation ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Ventilation

The exercise ECG gives a valuable indirect evidence of insufficient myocardial perfusion during stress, but it has been impossible with ECG data alone to localize the site or sites of partial or complete arterial occlusion. The coronary angiography has proved to be valvuable as a technique for identifying anatomical lesions. However, arteriography alone dose not provide evaluation of the underlying myocardium. The two tests are complementary, one supplying indirect physiologic data and the other providing anatomical licalization of obstruction. The author reviewd 58 patients out of 86 patients who performed treadmill test and coronary angiography at the cardiac laboratory of Yonsei University Severance Hospital from January, 1981 through December, 1983. The following results were obtained. 1) Among the 58 patients in this study, 33 had negative exercise test and 25 had positive test. 2) Among the 14 patients who ended exercise test due to chest pain,2patients had negative exercise test. Coronary angiography on all the 14 patients showed significalt coronary artery stenosis. 3) With this multigraded treadmill test, the sensitivity was 68.8% and spedccificity was 88.7%. 4) The appreance of ischemic change during the early stage of exercise, the deeper ST segment depression and the downsloping ST segment have the higest specificity as indicators of coronary artery disease. 5) Four patients showed ST segment elevation in the exercise ECG, and their coronary angiogram showed 1-vessel disease in 1 patientts, 2-vessel dosease in 2 and 3-vessel disease in 3. All of them had multiple stenosis or complete obstruction of the left anterior descending artery on coronary angiogram and ventricualar dyskinesia on the left ventriculogram.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Depression ; Dyskinesias ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test* ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax

A 27 year old man presented with complaints of headache and visual disturbance, first noted six months earlier. Simple radiographs of skull sellar widening and calcification. Brain CT revealed a 3 X3 X4 cm-sized sellar suprasellar mass with heavy calcification. T1-weighted MR images showed that the signal intensity of the mass was slightly lower than that of the gray matter, while T2-weighted images showed heterogeneous high signal intensity with central low-signal-intensity foci, suggesting calcification After contrast infusion, enhancement was irregular. Surgery revealed a 4 X5 cm sized, well-demarcated, lobulated mass adhering to the meninges. Papillary-type pituitary adenoma was histologically confirmed. We report the CT and MR findings of atypical pituitary adenoma with extensive internal calcification mimicking craniopharyngioma.
Adult ; Brain ; Craniopharyngioma* ; Headache ; Humans ; Meninges ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Skull

No abstract available.
Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Prevalence* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: A laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) is a less invasive alternative to a conventional radical prostatectomy. However, the learning curve for a LRP is steep; therefore, becoming skilled at the procedure is difficult. Herein, our experience of laparoscope assisted radical retropubic prostatectomy (LARRP) is reported. MATERIALS AND MATHODS: LARRP was performed on 16 patients with clinically organ confined prostate cancer. The mean age and serum prostate- specific antigen (PSA) of the patients were 63+/-5.7 years (51-70) and 20.01+/-24.8ng/ml (3.45-97.50), respectively. A longitudinal skin incision was made from the symphysis pubis to midway of the umbilicus. The incision was retracted with a self-retractor, without port placement and gas insufflation. The laparoscope was directly inserted into the wound, with modified bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection, prostatectomy and vesicourethral anastomosis performed under laparoscopic monitoring, using both open and laparoscopic instruments in the same order as for open surgery. RESULTS: The mean operative time was 282+/-45.7 minutes (200-375), including the time required for the modified bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. The mean estimated blood loss and specimen weight were 2,500+/-1,247ml (500-5,000) and 53+/-19.0gm (20-98), respectively. The surgical margins and lymph nodes were positive in 3 (19%) and 2 patients (13%), respectively. The mean number of dissected lymph node and incision length were 12+/-7.5 (4-31) and 11+/-3.2cm (6-15), respectively. Gradual recovery of continence occurred in 13 (93%) for 1 years after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: LARRP is a feasible and less invasive alternative to conventional RRP, which is also devoid of the steep learning curve associated with a LRP. LARRP may be a bridge between an open RRP and a pure LRP. With the increase in the number of cases, LARRP may prove to be an effective treatment option for localized prostate cancer.
Humans ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopes* ; Laparoscopy ; Learning Curve ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Operative Time ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Skin ; Umbilicus ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia, with or without bilateral vagotomy, epinephrine-induced arrhythmias were studied in 31 rabbits anesthetized with 1 MAC enflurane. METHODS: Logdose protocol was used for the infusion of epinephrine; its arrhythmic dose being defined as the smallest infusion rate produced four or more continuous or intermittent arrhythmias within 15 seconds. RESULTS: The values (geometric mean) of arrhythmic doses and the plasma concentration of epinephrine during arrhythmia were as follows: 10.21 g.kg 1.min 1 and 83.16 ng/ml in epidural control group; 118.90 g.kg 1.min 1 and 677.76 ng/ml in epidural lidocaine group (p<0.05); 6.34 g.kg-1.min 1 and 96.42 ng/ml in intravenous lidocaine group; 8.65 g.kg 1.min-1 and 44.64 ng/ml in vagotomized-epidural control group; and 12.03 g.kg 1.min 1 and 95.35 ng/ml in vagotomized- epidural lidocaine group. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that thoracic epidural anesthesia raises the threshold for enflurane- epinephrine arrhythmias in rabbits and that this effect is eliminated by bilateral vagotomy.
Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Enflurane ; Epinephrine ; Lidocaine ; Plasma ; Rabbits* ; Vagotomy*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of new protocol (Modified luteal long; MLL protocol) to improve the clinical outcomes in IVF-ET. METHODS: New protocol was applied to repeated ART failure group for 7 months (GroupI, n=106) after informed consent. Outcomes of new protocol group were evaluated and compared to conventional long protocol group (Group II, n=315) prospectively and compared to same indication group with GroupI (Group III, n=144) historical prospectively. RESULTS: There were no differences in the clinical characteristics except patient's age between GroupI and II (35.16+/-4.35 vs. 33.22+/-4.14, p<0.05). Outcomes of IVF-ET, such as numbers of retrieved oocytes, numbers of transferred embryos, numbers of 2 PN, rates of ICSI, rates of blastocyst ET, rates of fertilization, ampules of gonadotropin between GroupI & II, and GroupI & III, respectively. But the embryo quality score of GroupII was significantly higher than GroupI. There was significant increase of implantation rate (25.2 vs. 17.1%, p=0.02) in GroupII compared to GroupI, especially in 31-35 years old group. Implantation rate of less than 35 years old group and clinical pregnancy rate of 31-35 years old group in GroupII tubal factor patients were significantly higher than GroupI tubal factor patients. Clinical pregnancy rate (47.2 vs. 12.8%, p=0.001) and implantation rate (15.2 vs. 5.5%, p=0.009) of GroupI was significantly higher than GroupIII, especially in 36-40 years old group. Implantation rates of ES factor patients (especially in 36-40 years old) and unknown factor patients (especially less than 35 years old), and clinical pregnancy rate of ES factor patients (especially in 36-40 years old) were significantly higher in GroupI than III. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that new protocol may play some role in the increase of endometrial receptivity. Further investigation, including molecular research work will be needed to clarify the factors concerned in the increase of implantation rate.
Adult ; Blastocyst ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; Prospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Heteratopic or ectopic pancreas is found in 0.5% to 13% autopsy series and also found one in approximately every 500 operations in abdominal surgery. The mast common sites are stomach (esp, greater curvature of the antrum), duodenum and proximal jejunum. Many ar most of these lesions do not cause clinical symptoms and the symptoms with heterotopie pancreas are nonspecific. When it produces complication(hemorrhage, pancreatitis, pyloric or CBD obstruction, pseudocyst, cancer etc.), the symytoms depend on the site of lesion, the size of mass, and the primary pathologic processes occurring within the heterotopic pancreatic tissue. Gaetrofiberoscopy revealed a small round, submucosal projection with a central niche or umblication, but this characteristic umbilication is not always present. The lesions are frequently confused with polyp, leiomyoma, intramural neoplasm, gastric ulcer and early gastric cancer, The tumors are predominantly intramural masses; 75 percent are submuicosal and the others are either intrsmuscular or subserosal. We have recently experienced a case of heterotopic pancreas on the antrum of greater curvature of stomach in 54-year-old man, who visited our hospital for melena. Gastrofiberoscopy revealed a 2 x 2 cm sized submucosal mass without bleeding focus and local excision was performed. Histologic finding showed a pancreatic acini within the gastric poper muscle layer.
Autopsy ; Duodenum ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Leiomyoma ; Melena ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatitis ; Pathologic Processes ; Polyps ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ulcer