BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate risk factors for perioperative periods between general anesthesia (GA group) and thoracic epidural blockade combined with general anesthesia (CEA group) for consecutive hepatic resections. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was carried out regarding 85 patients who had undergone hepatic resections. We compared the effects of postoperative pain control in the two groups, including pulmonary complications and durations of hospital stay. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in demographic data between the two groups. The perioperative fluid requirement and transfusions were lower in the CEA group. Supplemental analgesics requirement was significantly lower in the CEA group than the GA group in the 3 days postoperatively. There were no statistical difference between the two groups in nausea, vomiting, urticaria, constipation or urinary retention, but hypotension was more pronounced in the CEA group than the GA group. Postoperative pulmonary and surgical complications were similar between the two groups, but the duration of hospital stay was longer in the GA group than the CEA group. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the thoracic epidural blockade combined with general anesthesia provided lower surgical blood loss and better postoperative analgesia and hospital stay than general anesthesia for hepatic resections.
Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Anesthesia, General* ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Constipation ; Hepatectomy* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Length of Stay ; Nausea ; Pain, Postoperative ; Perioperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Urinary Retention ; Urticaria ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Eating* ; Furosemide* ; Nephrocalcinosis*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of secondary T wave changes in WPW syndrome and the relation between the incidence of the secondary T wave changes and sex, age (duration of preexcitation), mean and maximal QRS duration (from the onset of delta wave to the end of S wave) of standard 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and the site of accessory pathway (AP). The secondary purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between the site of secondary T wave changes and the location of the AP. METHODS: Of the total 128 patients (pts) with WPW syndrome, standard 12 lead ECGs of 125 pts (mean age 35, male 71 pts) who were free from bundle branch block (n=2) and myocardial ischemia (n=1) were analyzed. The locations of Aps were divided into 4 categories (anterior, left lateral, posterior and right lateral) by intracardiac mapping. RESULTS: 82 (66%) pts of 125 pts showed secondary T wave changes. The incidence of secondary T wave changes was not related to sex or duration of preexcitation, but mean QRS duration (<0.12: 46%, 0.12: 88%, p<0.001), maximal QRS duration (<0.12: 32%, 0.12: 73%, p<0.001) and the site of AP (right: 80%, left: 54%, p=0.003). The most frequent lead showing secondary T wave changes in ECG was lateral (lead I, aVL) in pts with anterior (43%, 9 out of 21), posterior (50%, 25 out of 50) and right lateral (86%, 6 out of 7) AP. But, no secondary T wave change was found in most pts with left lateral (n=47) AP. CONCLUSION: The incidence of the secondary T wave changes in pts with WPW syndrome is high (66%). These changes are not related to sex and duration of preexcitation, but to the mean and maximal QRS duration during preexcitation and the location of the AP. The ECG lead showing secondary T wave changes in pts with WPW syndrome appears to be related to the location of the AP and the most frequent lead is I and aVL.
Bundle-Branch Block ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

No abstract available.
Animals ; Constitution and Bylaws* ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare smoking prevalence and risk factors of smoking between Korean and Korean-Chinese middle school students. METHODS: Data was collected from seventh and eighth grade students from 12 schools in Korea and 6 schools in China. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and t test were performed. RESULTS: For data analysis 10,002 usable surveys were utilized. The smoking prevalence was higher in Korean-Chinese students than in Korean students. Risk factors, such as father smoking, friends smoking, gender, grade, academic achievement, alcohol use, and family income were associated with current smoking, and the differences in the two samples were significant. Korean-Chinese students were more likely than Korean students to have friends who smoked and a father who smoked. Smokers had a significantly higher rate of friends smoking, father smoking, and alcohol use. Korean-Chinese male students smoking prevalence was more than three times higher than Korean students. Korean students could sense a more anti-tobacco atmosphere in their environment. Korean-Chinese students were more likely than Korean students to perceive that it was easy to buy cigarettes and to smoke cigarettes in a public computer room. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the differences of smoking prevalence and risk factors between Korean-Chinese students and Korean students. The findings may help health educators and researchers to better understand adolescent smoking and risk factors cross culturally and aid in the development of more effective education programs, which could lead to preventing tobacco use among these populations.
Achievement ; Adolescent ; Atmosphere ; China ; Cross-Cultural Comparison ; Fathers ; Friends ; Health Educators ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Statistics as Topic ; Tobacco ; Tobacco Products

OBJECTIVES: To analyze differences in health behaviors among the social strata in Korea by using the 1995 National Health and Health Behavior Survey Data. METHODS: Study participants numbered 2,352 men and 1,016 women aged between 15-64 years old, with housewives, students and non-waged family workers excluded. Health behaviors in this study were defined according to the recommendations of the Alameda 7 study. The measure of health behaviors was based on the Health Practices Index(HPI; 0-5 range, with the exclusion of snacking between meals and regularly eating breakfast) developed by the Alameda County research. The significance of the relationship between social strata and HPI was assessed by considering the adjusted means from the multi-variate model. RESULTS: For men, incidence rates of never having smoked, no/moderate use of alcohol, regular exercise, and regular 7-8 hours sleep per night were higher in the upper social strata. Meanwhile, for women, incidence rates of never having smoked, no/moderate use of alcohol, appropriate weight, regular exercise, and regular 7-8 hours sleep per night were higher in the upper strata. HPI varied significantly among social strata in both sexes (p<0.001), a result which held true when adjusted for age, education, income, social insurance type, marital status and region. CONCLUSIONS: Health behaviors assessed by Health Practices Index(HPI) varied significantly among social strata for both sexes. Therefore, the existing gap in health behaviors among social strata can be corrected more effectively by target oriented health promotional activities.
Eating ; Education ; Female ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Male ; Marital Status ; Meals ; Smoke ; Snacks ; Social Security

PURPOSE: Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign neoplasm in parotid gland. Superficial parotidectomy was usually used to remove the pleomorphic adenoma. But, this method has to remove tumor with normal parotid tissue. Authors did lumpectomy to remove pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland, because pleomorphic adenoma is wrapped in a capsule as it grows. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of lumpectomy as a treatment of pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland. METHODS: From 2002 to 2008, 8 patients underwent the lumpectomy of the pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland. Occurrence of the complications and recurrance were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients were followed-up for a mean 45 months. There were no recurrance or no complication after lumpectomy. CONCLUSION: Authors suggest that the lumpectomy lead to decrese complications, recurrane and can be used as a procedure for the resection of pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Parotid Gland

Mutations in the transmembrane inner ear (Tmie) gene, which encodes the Tmie protein, have been attributed to deafness autosomal recessive 6 (DFNB6), an autosomal nonsyndromic recessive hearing loss disorder. Although the Tmie gene was identified a few years ago, little is known about subcellular localization of the Tmie protein. In order to address this, we developed a stable cell line expressing Tmie protein. The expression of Myc-tagged Tmie protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis using an anti-Myc antibody and localization of the Tmie protein was confirmed by immunostaining, using the anti-Myc antibody as well as the anti-tmie antibody. Our study demonstrates that the Tmie protein is localized mostly in the cellular membrane and to a lesser extent in cytoplasm. These results suggest that our Tmie expressing stable cell line provides a suitable in vitro model to explore Tmie synthesis and functions.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cytoplasm ; Deafness ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing Loss ; Membranes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The change in QT dispersion (QTd) immediately after balloon angioplasty reflects the immediate impact of ischemia. We intended to analyze the immediate impact of ischemia on myocardial repolarization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention were enrolled. The standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded just before, during, and 1 minute, 5 minutes and 10 minutes after ballooning. QTd was determined by the difference between the maximum and minimum QT interval (QTi). We then calculated the corrected QTi (QTc) using Bazett's formula. QTd and QTi were compared according to the site of the ballooned vessel, number of ballooned vessels and history of acute myocardial infarction. RESULTS: QTd just before, during, and 1 minute, 5 minutes and 10 minutes after ballooning were 35.21+/-10.36 msec, 54.56+/-16.89 msec, 50.91+/-14.20 msec, 45.52+/-9.6 msec and 38.56+/-10.89 msec, respectively. QTd increased markedly during ballooning, but after myocardial ischemia was relieved, decreased rapidly. Ten minutes after ballooning, QTd was reduced to a similar level as that of baseline. There were no significant differences between the AMI and non-myocardial infarction groups, single-vessel and multi-vessel groups, and the location of the stenosed artery. There was no significant difference in QTi according to different stenosed vessel. CONCLUSION: QT (QTc) dispersion increased rapidly with myocardial ischemia and reduced rapidly after the myocardial ischemia was resolved. Therefore, increased QTd can be used as an early clue of myocardial ischemia.
Angioplasty* ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Arteries ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention