PURPOSE: Asthma is an important worldwide pediatric public health problem and rapidly increasing prevalence has been reported. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is known to be an important aggravation factor of asthma. The aim of this study was to determine whether ETS exposure is associated with exacerbations of asthma, and therefore to define the possibility of improving illness by cessation of smoking. METHODS: One hundred one (101) asthmatic children who visited and followed up at Korea university hospital pediatric allergy clinic were enrolled. Their chart was reviewed retrospectively and their family members were also interviewed. RESULTS: Sixty nine patients were exposed to ETS and thirty two patients were not exposed. Among exposed group (n=69), fourteen patients were no longer exposed due to cessation of smoking. The difference in the number of hospital admissions between exposed group and non-exposed was statistically significant (P=0.002). But the difference in the number of emergency room visits and PFT value (FEV1, PEFR, FEF25-75%) between the two groups was statistically insignificant. Statistical relationship between the duration of ETS and number of hospital admissions was significant (Pearson Correlation Coefficient=0.243, P=0.015). Comparing current smoking group and smoking cessation group, differences in out-patient clinic follow up period, number of hospital admissions, and number of emergency room visits between the two groups were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: We found that ETS exposure is associated with exacerbations of asthma. Possibility of improving illness by reduction of ETS exposure indicates the significance of education for cessation of smoking.
Asthma* ; Child ; Education ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke* ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Tobacco*

OBJECTIVE: Although anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the standard treatment for degenerative cervical disc disease, concerns regarding adjacent level degeneration and loss of motion have suggested that arthroplasty may be a better alternative. We have compared clinical and radiological results in patients with cervical disc herniations treated with arthroplasty and ACDF. METHODS: We evaluated 53 patients treated for cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy, 21 of whom underwent arthroplasty and 32 of whom underwent ACDF. Clinical results included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for upper extremity radiculopathy, neck disability index (NDI), duration of hospital stay and convalescence time. All patients were assessed radiologically by measuring cervical lordosis, segmental lordosis and segmental range-of-movement (ROM) of operated and adjacent disc levels. RESULTS: Mean hospital stay (5.62 vs. 6.26 days, p<0.05) and interval between surgery and return to work (1.10 vs. 2.92 weeks, p<0.05) were significantly shorter in the arthroplasty than in the fusion group. Mean NDI and extremity VAS score improved after 12 months in both groups. Although it was not significant, segmental ROM of adjacent levels was higher in the fusion group than in the arthroplasty group. And, segmental motion of operated levels in arthroplasty group maintained more than preoperative value at last follow up. CONCLUSION: Although clinical results were similar in the two groups, postoperative recovery was significantly shorter in the arthroplasty group. Although it was not significant, ROM of adjacent segments was less in the arthroplasty group. Motion of operated levels in arthroplasty group was preserved at last follow up.
Animals ; Arthroplasty ; Convalescence ; Diskectomy ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lordosis ; Neck ; Radiculopathy ; Return to Work ; Upper Extremity

We investigated the pulpal response to direct pulp capping in rat molar teeth using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium hydroxide (CH). A palatal cavity was prepared in rat maxillary molar teeth. Either MTA or CH was placed on the exposed pulp and all cavities were restored with composite. Rats were sacrificed for histological evaluation after 12 hours and at 2, 7, 14 and 21 days. In both the MTA and CH groups, reparative dentin formation was clearly observed on histology after 14 days. The MTA-capped pulps were found to be mostly free from inflammation, and hard tissue of a tubular consistent barrier was observed. In contrast, in CH-capped teeth, excessive formation of reparative dentin toward residual pulp was evident. The pulpal cell response beneath the reparative dentin layer was examined by immunofluorescence using antibodies against DSP. After 2 days, a few DSP immunopositive cells, most of which showed a cuboidal shape, appeared beneath the predentin layer. At 7 days, DSP-immunopositive cells with columnar odontoblast-like cells were seen beneath the newly formed hard tissues. At 14 and 21 days, DSP was more abundant in the vicinity of the odontoblastic process along the dentinal tubules than in the mineralized reparative dentin. The CH group showed strong expression patterns in terms of DSP immunoreactivity. Our results thus indicate that MTA may be a more effective pulp capping material as it induces the differentiation of odontoblast-like cells and the formation of reparative dentin without the loss of residual pulp functions.
Aluminum Compounds ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Calcium ; Calcium Compounds ; Calcium Hydroxide ; Dental Pulp Capping ; Dentin ; Drug Combinations ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Glutamates ; Guanine ; Hydroxides ; Inflammation ; Molar ; Odontoblasts ; Oxides ; Pemetrexed ; Rats ; Silicates ; Tooth

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a no saline, a 2 ml and a 5 ml saline instillation prior to endotracheal suctioning on oxygen saturation in patients with pneumonia. The subjects in this study were 16 pneumonic patients with a tracheotomy tube, who had been admitted to the neuro-surgical intensive care unit at a university hospital in Seoul Korea. All three (0, 2 and 5 ml) saline instillation methods were applied to the 16 patients. The methods were randomly assigned to each patient. Each of the instillation methods was applied in a four-step sequence: 1) recording the level of oxygen saturation (baseline levels), 2) instilling normal saline, 3) supplying oxygen and suctioning, and 4) recording the level of oxygen saturation. The oxygen saturation was evaluated using pulse oximetry. The recovery times for oxygen saturation to return to baseline levels following suctioning were, just after suctioning, 45seconds after suctioning and in excess of 5 minutes with 0, 2 and 5 ml saline instillations, respectively. Instillation of normal saline before suctioning could have an adverse effect on oxygen saturation, and should be used carefully as a routine intervention in patients who have pneumonia.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Human ; Instillation, Drug ; Intubation, Intratracheal/*nursing ; Male ; Middle Age ; Oxygen/metabolism ; Pneumonia/*nursing ; Sodium Chloride/*administration & dosage ; Suction/*nursing ; Tracheotomy

PURPOSE: Recently, vitamin D insufficiency has increased and has been correlated to growth and puberty in children. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of subclinical vitamin D insufficiency and its influence on school-aged children in Korea. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 397 children aged 7 to 15 years who had been tested for 25-OH vitamin D3 among the outpatients of the Department of Pediatrics in Eulji General Hospital from March 2007 to February 2011. Data for age, sex, comorbidities, serum 25-OH vitamin D3, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and sunlight exposure time were collected before and after 3 months of vitamin D administration, retrospectively. RESULTS: Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 343 (86%) of the subjects. In the vitamin D insufficient group, chronological age was 8.96+/-1.72 years, mean height (z-score [z]) was 0.51+/-1.26, mean BMI (z) was 0.81+/-2.20, and bone age was 10.26+/-1.75 years. In the vitamin D sufficient group, chronological age was 9.61+/-1.77 years, mean height (z) was-0.66+/-0.98, mean BMI (z) was-0.01+/-1.16, and bone age was 9.44+/-2.12 years. A paired t-test showed that three months after vitamin D administration, the mean 25-OH vitamin D3 level in the insufficient group increased to 24.38 +/-10.03 ng/mL and mean BMI (z) decreased to 0.67+/-1.06. CONCLUSION: In Korean school-aged children, vitamin D insufficiency were relatively higher and may be closely related with higher BMI. Insufficient rise of the level of vitamin D after supplementation suggest the new supplementation guidelines, especially for Korean children.
Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Child* ; Cholecalciferol ; Comorbidity ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Pediatrics ; Prevalence ; Puberty ; Retrospective Studies ; Sunlight ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) remains a major complication from cavernous nerve injury during radical prostatectomy. Recently, stem cell treatment for ED has been widely reported. This study was conducted to investigate the availability, differentiation into functional cells, and potential of human muscle-derived stem cells (hMDSCs) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) for ED treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the neural differentiation of hMDSCs and hADSCs. Human muscle and adipose tissues were digested with collagenase, followed by filtering and centrifugation. For neural induction, isolated hMDSCs and hADSCs were incubated in neurobasal media containing forskolin, laminin, basic-fibroblast growth factor, and epidermal growth factor for 5 days. Following neural induction, hMDSCs and hADSCs were differentiated into neural cells, including neurons and glia, in vitro. RESULTS: In neural differentiated hMDSCs (d-hMDSCs) and differentiated hADSCs (d-hADSCs), neural stem cell marker (nestin) showed a significant decrease by immunocytochemistry, and neuronal marker (beta-tubulin III) and glial marker (GFAP) showed a significant increase, compared with primary hMDSCs and hADSCs. Real-time chain reaction analysis and Western blotting demonstrated significantly elevated levels of mRNA and protein of beta-tubulin III and GFAP in d-hADSCs compared with d-hMDSCs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that hMDSCs and hADSCs can be induced to undergo phenotypic and molecular changes consistent with neurons. The neural differentiation capacity of hADSCs was better than that of hMDSCs.
Adipose Tissue ; Blotting, Western ; Caves ; Cell Differentiation ; Centrifugation ; Collagenases ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Forskolin ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Laminin ; Male ; Muscles ; Neural Stem Cells ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Prostatectomy ; RNA, Messenger ; Stem Cells ; Tubulin

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to identify where and how adolescents acquire cigarettes and how many were asked for identification while purchasing cigarettes. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2003; participants were 2,200 students in middle and high schools, aged from 13 to 18 years old(males 1,098; females 1,102) in Ansan, Korea. The questionnaire assured them of anonymity, and self-administered in school. The data was analyzed with chi- square test for trends. RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking was about 20 percent among respondents, was higher in males than in females, and in older students than in younger students(P<0.001). The most frequent source of cigarettes was purchased from a store(36.3 percent). About 29.2 percent of the students borrowed from friends or family members. By sex, the main sources of cigarettes were purchase from a store and borrowing. Younger students were borrowed more cigarettes; older students purchased more cigarettes from stores. Only 48.8 percent were asked for proof of age during their purchase. Of those asked for proof of age, about 73.3 percent answered that this made it difficult to buy cigarettes(P< 0.001), and they thought that it was more difficult when asked for a photo ID than simply being asked their age(P=0.019). CONCLUSION: So far, there has been no systemic prevention of adolescents' smoking. It is difficult for minors to purchase cigarettes if asked for proof of age, but most minors go to stores to purchase cigarettes. Therefore, prevention efforts should include educating retailers not to sell cigarettes to minors and enforcing existing laws requiring youth to provide proof of age when attempting to buy cigarettes.
Adolescent ; Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Female ; Friends ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of the low temperature atmospheric plasma device with needle tip designed for easy approach to the oral cavity and root canal against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. The antibacterial activities evaluated by measuring clear zone of agar plate smeared with each bacteria after plasma treatment. To quantify antibacterial effects, dilution plate method was used. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for observation of changes in bacterial morphology. As treatment time of plasma increased, the clear zone was enlarged. The death rate was more than 99%. The SEM results showed that the globular shape of bacteria was distorted. These results suggest that needle tip plasma could be an innovative device for prevention of dental caries, and treatment of apical infection and soft tissue diseases.
Agar ; Bacteria ; Candida albicans ; Dental Caries ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Needles ; Plasma* ; Streptococcus mutans

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to prove the significance of the oligohydramnios in the intrauterine growth restriction. METHODS: Eighty two patients were identified to have intrauterine growth restriction with oligohydramnios (Group of IUGR+Oligihydramnios) and fifty six patients were identified to have intrauterine growth restriction without oligohydramnios (Group of IUGR) on ultrasound examination from January 1st, 2005 to December 31st, 2007 at St. Vincent Hospital of Catholic University of Korea. Perinatal outcomes were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were not shown between two groups in the maternal characteristics and fetal clinical features except amniotic fluid index and the duration between diagnosis and delivery. The incidence of hyperbilirubinemia and complications in the urogenital system were significantly increased in the group of IUGR+ Oligihydramnios. The other complications were not shown significant difference between two groups. CONCLUSION: Oligohydramnios may not seem to be significant predictor of adverse neonatal outcome of IUGR except the development of hyperbilirubinemia and urogenital complications.
Amniotic Fluid ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Incidence ; Korea ; Oligohydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Urogenital System

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe sexual behavior and understand the correlation between knowledge and attitude of contraception and provide preliminary data to develop a sex education program. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 400 university students. Data was collected from November 14 to 20,2005 by using structured questionnaires. RESULT: The percent of subjects that experienced sexual intercourse was 32%. The respondents' score of knowledge of contraception was a mean score of 15.33 on a scale of 20 and there were significant differences in major departments, existence or nonexistence of sexual intercourse and sexual knowledge. The respondents' score of attitude of contraception was a mean score of 40.98 on a scale of 60 and there were significant differences in sex. There was no significant correlation between knowledge and attitude of contraception. CONCLUSION: A sex education program that uses practical knowledge and attitude of contraception to prevent conception should be developed rather than the present sex education that only attaches schoolbook knowledge.
Adult ; *Attitude ; *Contraception Behavior ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; Sex Education ; *Sexual Behavior ; Students/*psychology ; Universities