No abstract available.

The present report presents a case of dens invaginatus (DI) in a patient with 4 maxillary incisors. A 24-year-old female complained of swelling of the maxillary left anterior region and discoloration of the maxillary left anterior tooth. The maxillary left lateral incisor (tooth #22) showed pulp necrosis and a chronic apical abscess, and a periapical X-ray demonstrated DI on bilateral maxillary central and lateral incisors. All teeth responded to a vitality test, except tooth #22. The anatomic form of tooth #22 was similar to that of tooth #12, and both teeth had lingual pits. In addition, panoramic and periapical X-rays demonstrated root canal calcification, such as pulp stones, in the maxillary canines, first and second premolars, and the mandibular incisors, canines, and first premolars bilaterally. The patient underwent root canal treatment of tooth #22 and non-vital tooth bleaching. After a temporary filling material was removed, the invaginated mass was removed using ultrasonic tips under an operating microscope. The working length was established, and the root canal was enlarged up to #50 apical size and obturated with gutta-percha and AH 26 sealer using the continuous wave of condensation technique. Finally, non-vital bleaching was performed, and the access cavity was filled with composite resin.
Abscess ; Bicuspid ; Dental Pulp Calcification ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Dental Pulp Necrosis ; Female ; Gutta-Percha ; Humans ; Incisor ; Tooth ; Tooth Bleaching ; Ultrasonics ; Young Adult

Despite the increasing use of alternative analgesic agents, salicylate overdose remains a not-uncommon problem. Severe poisoning is life threatening, so prompt treatment and supportive measures are required to reduce mortality. Generally, salicylate intoxication results in the development of high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis. However, outside of Korea, normal-anion-gap or negative-anion-gap metabolic acidosis with hyperchloremia is rarely reported. We report herein the case of an 83-year-old female patient with chronic aspirin intake who presented with hyperchloremia and a negative anion gap. The patient's symptoms improved with conservative treatment and hemodialysis; notably, her chloride levels decreased as her blood salicylate concentrations decreased. Salicylate may cause hyperchloremia, demonstrating the importance of careful documentation of patient medication histories.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Acidosis ; Aged, 80 and over ; Analgesics ; Aspirin ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Poisoning ; Renal Dialysis

PURPOSE: Many patients in South Korea are brought to hospitals by ambulance. As such, bacterial contamination within the ambulance and their critical or semi-critical equipment may be dangerous, especially for immunocompromised patients. No previous studies have examined the distribution patterns of pathogenic bacteria in ambulances or the bacterial contamination rate associated with riding in an ambulance in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of pathogenic bacteria species in ambulances, and to investigate the bacterial contamination rate associated with ambulances and their equipment, in South Korea. METHODS: Thirty ambulances (17 from private facilities and 13 from regional emergency centers) were enlisted for this study. We took 955 swabs and isolated the resulting bacteria. We surveyed the intervals between cleaning and disinfecting of the ambulances and their equipment. We compared the distributional of the bacterial species, following Spaulding's classification, between critical equipment (CE), semi-critical equipment (SCE) and non-critical equipment (NCE) in the ambulances, using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The ambulances were cleaned and disinfected every 5 and 8 days, respectively. The equipment was cleaned and disinfected once every 22 and 30 days, respectively. Of the 955 swabs, 159 (16.6%) were found to be contaminated by bacteria. Fourteen pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the CE and SCE, but no methicillin-resistant or vancomycin-resistant bacteria were found. CONCLUSION: Approximately 16.6% of the ambulances and their equipment were contaminated by bacteria, and pathogenic bacteria were found on both CE and SCE. Consequently, in South Korea, we find a risk associated with the hazard presented by bacterial contamination in ambulance CE and SCE.
Ambulances ; Bacteria ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Methicillin Resistance ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: Many patients in South Korea are brought to hospitals by ambulance. As such, bacterial contamination within the ambulance and their critical or semi-critical equipment may be dangerous, especially for immunocompromised patients. No previous studies have examined the distribution patterns of pathogenic bacteria in ambulances or the bacterial contamination rate associated with riding in an ambulance in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of pathogenic bacteria species in ambulances, and to investigate the bacterial contamination rate associated with ambulances and their equipment, in South Korea. METHODS: Thirty ambulances (17 from private facilities and 13 from regional emergency centers) were enlisted for this study. We took 955 swabs and isolated the resulting bacteria. We surveyed the intervals between cleaning and disinfecting of the ambulances and their equipment. We compared the distributional of the bacterial species, following Spaulding's classification, between critical equipment (CE), semi-critical equipment (SCE) and non-critical equipment (NCE) in the ambulances, using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The ambulances were cleaned and disinfected every 5 and 8 days, respectively. The equipment was cleaned and disinfected once every 22 and 30 days, respectively. Of the 955 swabs, 159 (16.6%) were found to be contaminated by bacteria. Fourteen pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the CE and SCE, but no methicillin-resistant or vancomycin-resistant bacteria were found. CONCLUSION: Approximately 16.6% of the ambulances and their equipment were contaminated by bacteria, and pathogenic bacteria were found on both CE and SCE. Consequently, in South Korea, we find a risk associated with the hazard presented by bacterial contamination in ambulance CE and SCE.
Ambulances ; Bacteria ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Methicillin Resistance ; Republic of Korea

This study was conducted to draw out prevalence and the risk factors of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose for adults,(age 30-69). The subjects were 2096 adults, who had regular health examinations between January and December of 1999 at K Hospital in Seoul. The data was analyzed using chi-square test, unpaired t-test and logistic regression. Diabetes Mellitus and impaired fasting glucose were diagnosed by ADA (American Diabetes Association, 1997) criteria. The results were as follows: 1. Mens' prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus was 7.9% and womens' prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus was 3.8%. Mens' prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 10.4% and womens' prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 6.5%. Prevalences of Diabetes Mellitus and impaired fasting glucose increased with age. 2. Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and impaired fasting glucose of obese subjects (relative body weight>=162) was higher than that of overweight subjects (110<=relative body weight<=119) in men and women. 3. The diagnoses of Diabetes Mellitus and impaired fasting glucose increased with systolic blood pressure and triglyceride. 4. Significant factors associated with diabetes in the logistic regression best gut model were age, relative body weight, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride in men, and systolic blood pressure in women. In conclusion, as age, weight, systolic blood pressure and triglyceride get higher, Diabetes Mellitus and impaired fasting glucose prevalence also increases, porportionally.
Adult* ; Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diagnosis ; Fasting* ; Female ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Overweight ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul ; Triglycerides

Damage to adjacent teeth is one of the various complications that may occur during implant placement and is often the result of improper direction during fixture placement or excessive depth of placement. In general, if detrimental symptoms, such as reaction to percussion in damaged teeth, mobility, and pulp necrosis, are not present, osseointegration should be observed at follow-up. In three cases, the possibility of root damage due to an implant fixture placed too close to each adjacent tooth was perceived on radiographs. However, in all of these cases, there were no clinical symptoms or radiographic changes present in the tooth, and the implants did not exhibit decreased stability or peri-implantitis. Therefore, we can carefully predict that the implant fixture close to the adjacent tooth did not invade the cementum of the root, and therefore did not produce the suspected pulpal damage or periradicular symptoms. In this study, we considered both the implant status as well as the adjacent tooth.
Dental Cementum ; Dental Implants ; Dental Pulp Necrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Osseointegration ; Percussion ; Peri-Implantitis ; Prognosis ; Tooth

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between somatostatinergic tone (SST) and the size of growth hormone (GH)-producing pituitary tumors. GH levels of 29 patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly were measured using a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), an insulin tolerance test (ITT), and an octreotide suppression test (OST). Differences between GH levels during the ITT and the OGTT (DeltaGH(IO)), and between the OGTT and the OST at the same time point (DeltaGH(OS)) were compared according to the size of the tumor and the response pattern to the OST. DeltaGH(IO) of macroadenomas (n=22) was non-significantly higher than those of microadenomas while DeltaGH(OS) of macroadenomas were significantly higher than those of microadenomas. According to further analyses of macroadenomas based on the response pattern to the OST, GH levels during the ITT were significantly higher in non-responders. DeltaGH(OS) showed near-significant differences between responders and non-responders. In conclusion, as the size of the pituitary tumor increases, the effect of glucose on SST appears to be attenuated. Macroadenomas that are non-responders to the OST possess a portion of GH secretion exceeding the range of regulation by SST.
Acromegaly/*diagnosis/*pathology ; Adenoma/drug therapy/*pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/therapeutic use ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Human Growth Hormone/*blood/secretion ; Humans ; Insulin/blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Octreotide/therapeutic use ; Pituitary Neoplasms/drug therapy/*pathology

The objective of this study was to compare early child care center teachers' attitudes for meal and snack guidance between Sweden and Korea. Participants were 251 early child care center teachers (Sweden: 134, Korea: 117) working in Goetebory, Sweden, and Seoul, Korea. The survey was conducted from December in 2003 to February in 2004. SPSS programme was used for statistical analysis. Sixty five point eight percent of the Korean early child care center teachers provided a certain amount of foods for children. But 20.9% of Swedish provided a certain amount of foods for children, 79.1% of them provided the amount a child wanted. Sixty one point seven percent of Korean teachers allowed a child leave foods on the plate, but 95.5% of Swedish teachers asked a child eat all food on the plate. When a child didn't want to eat, 61.1% of the Korean teachers fed him/her, but 11.0% of the Swedish teachers did. Only 42.4% of the Swedish teachers allowed a children eat sweets, but 92.9% of Korean did. The Swedish teachers' perception for food guidance were eating by child himself/herself > washing hands before eating > having appropriate table manner > eating as talking with friends > not playing during the meal time, while the Korean teachers' was taking various food > having appropriate table manner > eating by child himself/herself, not playing during the meal time > washing hands before eating. The Swedish teachers thought 'eating as talking with friends' and 'eating by child himself/herself' is important, where as the Korean's did 'eating without making noise', 'not playing during the mealtime' in the eating behavior. For 'brushing teeth after meal' the Swedish teachers' score (1.5) was lower than the Korean (4.2). The results is necessary to improve meal and snack guidance for Korean early child care center teachers' education.
Child ; Child Care* ; Child* ; Eating ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Friends ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea* ; Meals* ; Seoul ; Snacks* ; Sweden* ; Tooth

PURPOSE: Previous studies have outlined mechanisms by which Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumonia) infection may promote allergic lung inflammation and airway remodeling, and increasing evidence from human studies suggests that atypical bacterial infections contribute to asthma exacerbation, chronic asthma, and disease severity with changes in cytokine expression. The present study evaluated changes in serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-5 in atopic children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. METHODS: We recruited a total of 72 children with pneumonia. The patients were divided into 4 groups: atopic children with M. pneumonia pneumonia (group I, n=24), non-atopic children with M. pneumonia pneumonia (group II, n=23), atopic children with viral pneumonia (group III, n=13), and non-atopic children with viral pneumonia (group IV, n=12). Serum levels of IL-5, IL-13, VEGF, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured at admission and at recovery using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Serum levels of VEGF and IL-5 were elevated in group I compared with the other groups at both admission phase and clinical recovery phase. In group I, serum levels of VEGF and IL-5 were higher at recovery phase than at admission phase (VEGF: 1,102.2+/-569.4 vs. 874.9+/-589.9 pg/mL, respectively; IL-5: 150.5+/-63.9 vs. 120.2+/-46.7 pg/mL, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The serum levels of VEGF and IL-5 were more increased in atopic children with M. pneumonia pneumonia than in the other groups. In this group, the serum levels of VEGF and IL-5 were more increased at recovery phase than at admission phase. The results of this study suggest that increases in VEGF and IL-5 may contribute to the development of hypersensitivity during M. pneumonia infection. These cytokines may act through their respective pro-inflammatory pathways to aggravate the allergic status and induce airway hypersensitivity during M. pneumonia pneumonia in atopic children.
Airway Remodeling ; Asthma ; Bacterial Infections ; Child ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-5 ; Interleukins ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Pneumonia, Viral ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A