No abstract available.
Humans*

No abstract available.
Information Management* ; Occupational Health*

BACKGROUND: Various molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA hybridization have been introduced to diagnose the hepatitis B more accurately. Recently, Hybrid Capture Assay (HCA) was developed, which uses the signal amplification solution hybridization capture assay with chemiluminescent detector. So we evaluated the sensitivity and clinical utility of the HCA and PCRs for the detection of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) and compared these results with serologic markers. METHODS: We analysed the 50 samples from the hepatitis B patients using enzyme immunoassay, HCA and nested PCRs with two different primer sets. The primers of PCR I and PCR II were targeted to pol and core region respectively. RESULTS: In 18 cases, HBV DNA were detected by HCA in which the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 55.6%, and 88.9%, respectively. And in 32 cases in which HBV DNA by HCA was negative, the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 6.2% and 31.3%, respectively. In 44 cases which were positive for HBsAg, the positive rates for HBV DNA were 38.6% by HCA, 27.3% by PCR I, and 56.8% by PCR II. In cases positive for HBeAg, the positive rates were 93.3% by HCA, 60.0% by PCR I and 80.0% by PCR II. In cases positive for anti-HBe and negative for HBeAg, the positive rates were 10.3% by HCA, 10.3% by PCR I, and 44.8% by PCR II. CONCLUSIONS: Both HCA and PCR compensated each other yet as to the accurate investigation of the viral replication in patients with hepatitis B and the sensitivity was better in HBV PCR with primers to core region than to pol region.
DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

No abstract available.

Kimura's disease is a benign, uncommon, chronic inflammatory condition that usually presents with painless subcutaneous nodules or plaques. Head and neck are the most frequently involved sites in Kimura's disease. Mandible is the most commonly involved, followed by neck, cheek, scalp and forehead. Other possible sites are oral cavity, inguinal area and extremities, but there have been no reports involving the nose, especially the one that looks like a rhinophyma. We describe a case of Kimura's disease presenting like a rhinophyma.
Cheek ; Extremities ; Forehead ; Head ; Mandible ; Mouth ; Neck ; Nose ; Rhinophyma ; Scalp

Tuberculosis of the esophagus is rare. We experienced four patients with esophageal tuberculosis proven by esophagoscopic biopsy or surgical specimens. Case 1 was a patient with primary esophageal tabereulosis, case 2 was a patient with teberculous esophagobronchial fistula and case 3,4 were patients with esoyhageal perforation due to tuberculous traetion diverticulum of the esophagus. The clinical, radiological and esapbagoscopic findings may be nonspecific in diagnosis of esophageal tuberculosis. Therefore early diagnosis should be rested on a high index of suapieion and a cautious attention.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulum ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophagus* ; Fistula ; Humans ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Niemann-Pick Disease, Type A*

A rare case of uterine lipoleiomyoma is reported with presentation of computed tomography, histomorphologic and immunohistochemical findings. This tumor is predominantly lipomatous with an admixture of smooth muscle fiber and hyalinized fibrous tissue. Immunohistochemical study revealed a positive reaction of S-100 protein in fat cells and desmin in smooth muscle fibers. Its histogenesis also has been discussed.

BACKGROUND: Critical care physician staffing is a crucial element of the intensive care unit (ICU) organization, and is associated with better outcomes in ICUs. Adult ICUs in Korea have been suffering from inadequate full-time intensivists and nurses because of insufficient reimbursement rates (<50% of the original critical care cost) from the National Health Insurance System. Recently, full-time intensivists have been introduced as a prerequisite for adult ICUs of tertiary hospitals in Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of intensivist staffing among critical care program directors regarding the barriers and solutions when implementing an intensivist model of critical care in Korea. METHODS: An email survey of critical care program directors in designated teaching hospitals for critical care subspecialty training by the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine was performed. The survey domains included vision, culture, resources, barriers, and potential solutions to implementing intensivist physician staffing (IPS). RESULTS: Forty-two critical care program directors were surveyed. A total of 28 directors (66.7%) responded to email queries. Of these, 27 directors (96.4%) agreed that IPS would improve the quality of care in the ICU, although half of them reported a negative perception of relevant clinical colleagues for the role of full-time intensivists and poor resources for IPS in their hospitals. Increased financial burden due to hiring full-time intensivists and concerns regarding exclusion from the management of their critically ill patients in the ICU, together with loss of income for primary attending physicians were stated by the respondents to be major barriers to implementing IPS. Financial incentives for the required cost from the health insurance system and enhancement of medical law relevant to critical care were regarded as solutions to these issues. CONCLUSIONS: Critical care program directors believe that intensivist-led critical care can improve the outcome of ICUs. They indicated the financial burden due to IPS and underestimation of a full-time intensivist's role to be major barriers. The program directors agreed that a partnership between hospital leaders and the Ministry of Health and Welfare was needed to overcome these barriers.
Adult* ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Electronic Mail ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Intensive Care Units ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Motivation ; National Health Programs ; Personnel Staffing and Scheduling ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Survival Rate*