No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Oxygen* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration* ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilation*

No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Oxygen* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration* ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilation*

Hantavirus is a genus of the Bunyaviridae family causing two serious diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Puumala virus is a member of hantavirus originally found in Europe, and its natural reservoir is Clethrionomys glareolus. It is also associated with the hurnan disease nephropathia epidemica, a milder form of HFRS. To identify the hantaviruses in bats, bats were collected from Jeong-Sun, Won-Joo, Chung-Ju and Hwa-Cheon area in Korea, and nested RT-PCR was performed with serotype specific primer from M segment. Interestingly, Puumala virus was detected in bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) only from Won-Joo. The 327 bp nested RT-PCR product, was sequenced. The sequence database search indicates that the sequence is homologous to the published sequence of Puumala viruses. The sequence similarities were ranged from 71% to 97%. The highest sequence similarity was 97% with Puumala virus Vranicam strain, and the lowest was 71% with Puumala virus K27 isolate. Puumala virus Vranicam strain was isolated from a bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Puumala virus K27 was isolated from human in Russia. This analysis confirms that bats (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) in Korea are natural reservoir of Puumala virus.
Arvicolinae ; Base Sequence ; Bunyaviridae ; Chiroptera* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Europe ; Hantavirus ; Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Puumala virus* ; Russia ; Sequence Analysis*

STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen patients with cervical interlocked facets dislocation in whom closed reduction by skull traction was failed were evaluated about the patterns of ruptured disc fragment. Objects : To evaluate the causes of failure at closed reduction, and the relation between ruptured discs and interlocked facets, and the treatment results through an anterior approach. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In traumatic dislocation of the cervical facet joints, spinal cord or nerve roots injury associated with the ruptured disc fragment has been reported. However, there is few report evaluating the patterns of ruptured disc fragment as a cause of reduction failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1988 and 1997, thirteen patients were treated by anterior fusion with plate after complete removal of the intervertebral disc through anterior approach and reduction of interlocked facets by O1iveira method. They have been followed for an average of 36 months(range : 12-96 months). The interlocking was bilateral in seven cases and unilateral in six cases. We assessed the types of ruptured disc fragment by preoperative MRI and CT and the clinical and radiological results. RESULTS: Ruptured disc fragment was found in all thirteen patients with interlocked facets dislocation. The patterns of ruptured discs were within the uncovertebral joints in 5 cases, posterioly under the posterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases, anteriorly under intact anterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases and combined under the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligament in 2 cases. The displacement of ruptured disc fragment were seemed to be the cause of failure in closed reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Intervertebral disc injury should be evaluated carefully with MRI and CT in the lower cervical interlocked facet dislocations before trial of reduction or decision makings of treatment.
Dislocations* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Joints ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Skull ; Spinal Cord ; Spine* ; Traction ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available.
Acute Kidney Injury*

The various and serious types of disaster occur everyday and everywhere on the earth. There is no doubt that it is very timely to discuss about the effectiveness and preparedness of disaster. The purpose of this study is to develop a curriculum on the disaster management through reviewing disaster concepts and the disaster management system. For the empirical relevance of the study, researchers participated in a couple or more disaster training program, reviewed references, and consulted to the experts working on action parts in the area. As a result, the 'Integrated Disaster Management System Model(IDMSM)' was designed, in which four dimensions were explained. Then the 'Disaster Curriculum Model(DCM)' was explored with its theoretical framework based on the system model. The developed curriculum is composed of four levels ; the introductory course, the fundamental course, the advanced course, and the expert course. From this DCM, basically the course-outlines of two subjects in the introductory course, 18 subjects in the fundamental course(5 of direct services, 13 of indirect services) were developed. Also each course-outline was explored by its course objective, learning objectives, contents, and its length. Finally to make the most of the results, suggestions are proposed. The governmental considerations on the policy should support the systematic and integrated educational program to practice, appointing [Disaster School] or [Disaster Training Center] of relevance and accountabilities. The further study should explore the higher levels of the DCM through interdisciplinary efforts, and develop the text materials. The further study should explore the higher levels of the DCM through interdisciplinary efforts, and develop the text materials.
Curriculum* ; Disasters* ; Education ; Learning

The present study was intended to examine the effect of sodium vanadate on contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various conditions. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Sodium vanadate induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) The contractile effects were not blocked by treatments with adrenergic blocking agent(phentolamine) and indomethacin, indicating the direct action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of ouabain, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, sodium vanadate still increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle. 4) Treatment with 4.4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid(DIDS) blocked completely the contractile effects of sodium vanadate. 5) In the presence of verapamil, lanthanum and ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle by sodium vanadate was decreased. From the above results. it was suggested that sodium vanadate acts directly on vascular smooth muscle and causes contraction. It was probably due to inhibition of Ca(++)-ATPase in plasma membrane as well as increasing the release of Ca(++) from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca(++) influx across the plasma membrane, but not inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cell Membrane ; Endothelial Cells ; Indomethacin ; Lanthanum ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium* ; Vanadates* ; Verapamil

When blow-out fracture repair is performed, many implants including Silastic, Supramid, Porous polyethylene and others have been used to pervent reherniation of orbital tissue. Complications associated with implants include implant extrusion, orbital infection, fistula formation, implant migration, extraocular muscle entrapment, globe elevation, protosis and orbital cyst formation. The latter was known as a rare late complication of blow-out fracture repair. We report two cases of orbital cyst which developed after blow-out fracture repair with alloplastic implants. These patients developed diplopia and unliateral proptosis 7 and 10 years after repair of blow-out fracture, respectively. In these cases, orbital CT scan revealed retrobulbar cyst-like structures surrounding the orbital implant. At sufgery, a fibrous capsule surrounded the previously inserted orbital implants and was filled with dark brown mucoid material in both cases. These cysts were lined by squamous epithelium with cholesterol cleft and hemosiderin laden macrophage collection. Proptosis and diplopia were resolved after surgical removal of the cyst. These cases illustrate that it is important for us to be aware of the complication of late cyst formation around alloplastic implants after repair of blow-out fracture.
Cholesterol ; Diplopia ; Epithelium ; Exophthalmos ; Fistula ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Nylons ; Orbit* ; Orbital Fractures* ; Orbital Implants ; Polyethylene ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) has brought an oppotunity for rapid detection of Mycobacterium leprae in clinical pecimens for the diagnosis of leprosy. Th DNA segment specific to M. leprae was detectable in a matteir of hours and DNA from one orgnisa appeared positive by PCR. However, the PCR tool has not been evaluated using elinical specimeriis from leprosy patients and controls. OBJECTIVE & METHODS: The primers amplifying 372bp segment of rebetitive sequence of M. leprae DNA were used in PCR. Skin biopsy specimens from 102 leprosy patient, and controls were examined for the presence of M. leprae by PCR and the results were aomared with microscopic and histopathologic findings. RESULTS: 1. As a result, of PCR after DNA preparation of M. leprae, six other mycobacteria, ten other bacteria, and skin from leprosy with five other skin biopsy tissues, 372bp DNA fragment was specifically amplified from M. leprae. 2. Dot blot, hybridization of PCR products showed that the 372bp DNA from skin biopsy specimens were derived from M. leprae. 3. As a result of PCR after DNA preparation of 10-fold diluted M. legrae from mouse footpad, PCR gave a positive result as low as one organism. 4. Of 87 specimens in which acid-fast bacilli were found under microcopic examinations 97% had positive PCR results. 5. Of 97 specimens which hadihistopathologic evidences of leprosy 95% had positive PCR results. 6. Of 15 specimens in which acid-fast bacilli were not found under n!icroscopic examinations 73% had positive PCR results. In three of five cases which had neither histopathologic nor microscopic evidences of leprosy had positive PCR results. CONCLUSION: PCR method amplifying 372bp fragment of repetitive seqi,ence was highly sensitive and specific in detecting M. leprae DNA in skin biopsy specimens, thus may be a useful tool as an additive diagnostic method, espcially for cases where microscopic antihystopathologic findings are not definite.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Biopsy* ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Mice ; Mycobacterium leprae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Pre-Eclampsia* ; Proteinuria*