PURPOSE: The determination of tetanus prophylaxis according to patients' memories of past immunization is inaccurate. However, by using the Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test, it is possible to select Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers and to perform tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department. In 1996, Ha reported that tetanus toxoid injection into healthy Korean adults revealed significant differences between the tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and the tetanus antibody titers after 1 week. Our purpose is to determine the effect of a single tetanus toxoid in Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 44 volunteers for a period of 6 weeks. All samples were analyzed using the Tetanus IgG ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method. RESULTS: The results for tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and after 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks were 0.04+/-0.05 IU/mL, 1.22+/-3.63 IU/mL, 4.99+/-7.3 6 IU/mL, 8.36+/-11.10 IU/mL and 6.59+/-9.21 IU/mL respectively. There was a statistically significant defference between the tetanus antibody titers at the beginning and the tetanus antibody titers after 2 weeks. There was no statistically significant defference between the tetanus antibody titers after 2 weeks and 6 weeks. After 4 weeks, all subjects' tetanus antibody titers were at the protective level. CONCLUSIONS: A single tetanus toxoid injection is effective in Korean adults with low tetanus antibody titers.
Adult* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin G ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus* ; Volunteers

BACKGROUND: Preoperative chemotherapy has been adopted in our hospital as a standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer patients with N2 disease. However, there have been cases of pathologic N2 disease that have been detected after curative-intent surgical resection. We retrospectively studied the outcomes of initial surgical treatment without neoadjuvant therapy in patients with unexpected N2 non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between January 1995 and June 2007, 225 patients were diagnosed with pathologic N2 disease after they underwent initial pulmonary resection without neoadjuvant therapy. Among them, 170 patients were preoperatively diagnosed with lymph node stage N0 or N1. We retrospectively reviewed their medical record and analyzed the outcomes. RESULT: The overall 5-year survival rate was 35.4%. The prognostic factors that were significantly associated with survival were no adjuvant therapy, histologic cell types other than adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, a pathologic T stage more than T1, old age (> or =70 years) and no mediastinoscopic biopsy. During the follow-up, 79 patients (46.5%) experienced tumor recurrence, including loco-regional recurrence in 20 patients (25.3%) and distant metastasis in 56 (70.9%). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 33.7%. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, the survival was good for patients with unexpected N2 non-small cell lung cancer and who underwent initial pulmonary resection without neoadjuvant therapy. A prospective comparative analysis is needed to obtain more conclusive and persuasive results.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Mediastinoscopy ; Medical Records ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: Tetanus is still one kind of major health problem in many countries, so tetanus prophylaxis is very important. However medical interview and wound description are not always enough to determine the tetanus prophylaxis. Thus, we assessed the utility of Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test for selective tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department. METHODS: From September 17, 2003 to October 4, 2003, 180 patients were studied for 14 days. Tetanos Quick Stick (R) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were performed with 180 samples from 180 patients. RESULTS: The Tetanos Quick Stick(R) had a sensitivity of 79.6%, a specificity of 99.2%, a positive predictive value of 97.7 %, a negative predictive value of 91.9%, and an accuracy of 93.3%. CONCILUSION: The results of our study revealed that the Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test is useful for selective tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tetanus* ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Allografts* ; Herpesviridae* ; In Situ Hybridization*

OBJECTIVE: Middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm is a common source of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, but distal MCA aneurysms are rare. This present study was conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics of the distal MCA aneurysms and the optimal treatment for a good outcome. METHODS: Among 3323 patients underwent aneurysmal surgery from 1975 to 2007, 21 patients with distal MCA aneurysm was identified. The clinical, radiological and operative records of 21 patients with distal MCA aneurysms who underwent surgical management were reviewed retrospectively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS: The clinical analyses of 21 patients with distal MCA aneurysms has following characteristics. (1) Mean aneurysm size of 5.3mm (range 2~8mm). (2) All lesions were considered to be saccular except one case. (3) The location being M2 in one patient, M2-3 junction in 12, M3 in 3, and M4 in 5 patients. (4) In 7 of 21 patients, initial CT scan revealed intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). (5) All patients underwent surgical treatment for aneurysm; the procedures were clipping in 17 patients, trapping in 2 patients, trapping and end-to-end anastomosis in 1 patient, and direct vessel suture in 1 patient. (6) All patients without ICH had a good recovery. However, the patient with ICH had a different prognosis. Of the 7 patients with ICH, 4 patients had a good recovery and 2 patients had a moderate disability. 1 patient died due to severe brain swelling. CONCLUSION: The patients with distal MCA aneurysm were relatively young, and there was no female predominance. The aneurysms have high rates of cardiac problems such as infective endocarditis or mitral valve prolapse, attributing to be developed infectious aneurysm. Ruptured distal MCA aneurysms are rare and can cause life-threatening ICH with SAH. However, the appropriate surgical treatments can obtain a favorable outcome.
Aneurysm ; Brain Edema ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Sutures

The Committee on Pediatric Bone Health of the Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology has newly developed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for optimizing bone health in Korean children and adolescents. These guidelines present recommendations based on the Grading of Recommendations, which includes the quality of evidence. In the absence of sufficient evidence, conclusions were based on expert opinion. These guidelines include processes of bone acquisition, definition, and evaluation of low bone mineral density (BMD), causes of osteoporosis, methods for optimizing bone health, and pharmacological treatments for enhancing BMD in children and adolescents. While these guidelines provide current evidence-based recommendations, further research is required to strengthen these guidelines.

We have encountered a rare case of symmetrical peripheral gangrene complicating Escherichia coli sepsis in a 47-years-old male. He was successfully treated with antibiotics, anticoagulants, and vasodilator. To our knowledge, this is the first report on symmetrical peripheral gangrene complicating E. coli sepsis in Korea.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anticoagulants ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Gangrene* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Sepsis*

We have encountered a rare case of symmetrical peripheral gangrene complicating Escherichia coli sepsis in a 47-years-old male. He was successfully treated with antibiotics, anticoagulants, and vasodilator. To our knowledge, this is the first report on symmetrical peripheral gangrene complicating E. coli sepsis in Korea.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anticoagulants ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Gangrene* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Sepsis*

OBJECTIVE: To review and evaluate a total of 2,372 cases of prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses at Asan Medical Center from 1999 to 2002. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of the patients in whom the procedure for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis was performed. A total of 1780 cases of amniocentesis, 455 cases of cordocentesis, and 137 cases of chorionic villus sampling were analyzed. The cytogenetic results, indications for prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses, maternal ages, and the profiles of abnormal karyotypes were reviewed. We calculated the positive predictive value of each indication for abnormal fetal karyotypes and evaluated a factor that was the most sensitive marker for abnormal fetal karyotypes. RESULTS: Among the 2,372 cases of prenatal cytogenetic diagnoses, abnormal karyotypes were identified in a total of 158 cases (6.7%). The most frequent indication for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis was abnormal maternal serum screening (33.9%), followed by ultrasonographic abnormality (22.9%) and old age (20.0%). No significant difference was found between mean maternal age with and without abnormal fetal karyotypes after excluding balanced rearrangements and polymorphisms (31.9 +/- 5.3 vs. 32.1 +/- 4.5 years). Among the 92 cases of abnormal fetal karyotypes after excluding balanced rearrangements and polymorphisms, the most frequent indication for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis was ultrasonographic abnormality (58.7%), followed by abnormal maternal serum screening (10.9%). The positive predictive value of ultrasonographic abnormality for abnormal fetal karyotype was 9.9%. CONCLUSION: Among the several indications for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis, ultrasonographic abnormality could be the most predictive marker for abnormal fetal karyotypes.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Amniocentesis ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Cordocentesis ; Cytogenetics* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Mass Screening ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) on clinicopathologic features and outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: All women who were surgically treated for endometrial cancer at the Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center between January 2000 and December 2003 were eligible. One hundred-forty one patients underwent retrospective review of medical record. Pathologic findings of LVSI were reviewed and divided in LVSI-positive group and LVSI-negative. Statistical analysis was performed by dBSTAT-4. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (39%) were LVSI-positive and eighty-six patients (61%) were LVSI-negative. LVSI-positive patients were statistically older than LVSI-negative. LVSI-positive patients had more abnormal cytology, poorer differentiation, larger tumor size (diameter>2 cm), more myometrial invasion. more pelvic nodal metastasis, more paraaortic nodal metastasis, and more advanced stage. There was no difference between the two groups in the percentage of patients with gravidity, parity, histologic types (endometrioid vs nonendometrioid). CONCLUSION: LVSI-positive patients with endometrial cancer are generally older, consistent with more abnormal cytology, poorer differentiation, larger tumor size, more myometrial invasion, more lymph-node metastasis, and more advanced-stage disease. So, LVSI should be a consideration in appropriate treatment in endometrial cancer.
Delivery of Health Care ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Gravidity ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Parity ; Retrospective Studies