BACKGROUND: Postoperative admission to the surgical intensive care unit (S-ICU) is commonly planned to prevent and treat complications, unnecessary admission to the S-ICU increases medical costs and length of hospital stay. This study aimed evaluated outcome and the predictive factors for mortality in patients admitted to the S-ICU after abdominal surgery. METHODS: The 168 patients admitted to the S-ICU immediately after abdominal surgery were reviewed retrospectively from January to December 2011. RESULTS: The mortality rate of patients admitted to the S-ICU after abdominal surgery was 8.9% (15 of 168). Two preoperative factors (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m2 [p < 0.001] and serum albumin < 3.0 g/dL [p = 0.018]), two operative factors (the need for transfusion [p = 0.008] or vasopressors [p = 0.013] during surgery), and three postoperative variables (mechanical ventilation immediately following surgery [p < 0.001], sequential organ failure assessment [p = 0.001] and SAPS II [p = 0.001] score) were associated with mortality in univariate analysis. After adjusting for age, gender, and SAPS II by a Cox regression, which revealed that BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] 9.690, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.990-25.258) and the use of mechanical ventilation on admission to S-ICU (p < 0.001, HR 34.671, 95% CI 6.440-186.649) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: In patients in S-ICU after abdominal surgery, low BMI and postsurgical mechanical ventilation should be considered important predictors of mortality.
Abdomen* ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Ventilation

No abstract available.
Carcinosarcoma* ; Female ; Ovary*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe quality of life (QOL) in Korean school-age children by identifying dimensions and attributes of QOL from the child's point of view. METHOD: In-depth interviews with focus questions were used for the study. Twelve children, aged 10 to 13 years, were recruited from Seoul and rural areas. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed before content analysis. The data were analyzed for themes and attributes. The researchers read the data together and discussed their conclusions until a consensus was reached. RESULTS: Eight dimensions, 57 subdimensions and 101atttributes were identified for QOL in school-age children. The eight dimensions of QOL were physical, social, emotional, learning, leisure, family, self-value, and material aspects. CONCLUSION: The study results can be utilized in developing reliable instruments to measure quality of life specific to school-age children. It is proposed that a consistent and unified policy should be established by school, family, and community for the purpose of improving the QOL of school-age children.
Child* ; Consensus ; Humans ; Learning ; Leisure Activities ; Quality of Life* ; Seoul ; Child Health

Peroneal neuropathy presenting at birth is a rare disorder. Although neonatal mononeuropathies may be related to obstetrical complications, prenatal mechanisms should be also considered. We describe an infant who was born at term by cesarean section due to breech presentation with a unilateral footdrop. Lack of compound muscle action potential in the peroneal nerve and denervation potentials confined to the tibialis anterior and the extensor hallucis longus muscles in the electrophysiological studies on the fourth day of life strongly suggest an isolated peroneal neuropathy of intrauterine onset. Early and sequential electrodiagnostic studies will be important to provide better temporal and pathophysiologic definitions, the better timing of onset and prognosis for mononeuropathies presenting in newborn infants.
Action Potentials ; Breech Presentation ; Cesarean Section ; Denervation ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mononeuropathies ; Muscles ; Parturition ; Peroneal Nerve ; Peroneal Neuropathies* ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the absolute value of the root/crown ratio (R/C ratio) using panoramic radiographs (PRGs) in a healthy Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 99 patient radiographs (of 50 males and 49 females subjects; aged 16 to 24 years old) were examined, and 2,770 teeth were analyzed. Crown lengths and root lengths were measured with modified Lind's measurements using PACS tools by two examiners in two separate sessions two months apart. All data were analyzed using SPSS. The independent t-test was used to assess for gender differences, and the paired t-test was used to compare both arches with a significance level of P<.05. RESULTS: The mean R/C ratios varied from 1.29 to 1.89 (male: 1.28-1.84; females: 1.31-1.94). The highest R/C ratios were recorded for the mandibular canines (1.89), followed by the maxillary canines (1.79). The lowest R/C ratios were recorded for the maxillary second molars (1.31). In comparison with the maxillary teeth (1.29-1.78), the mandibular teeth yielded the higher R/C ratio (1.47-1.89), and this difference was significant in the females (P<.05). The difference between the genders was not statistically significant, except for the maxillary central incisors, mandibular canines and mandibular first premolars. CONCLUSION: These data may enhance the understanding of the clinical R/C ratio as a useful guideline for determining the status of teeth and the ethnic difference.
Bicuspid ; Crowns ; Female ; Humans ; Incisor ; Male ; Molar ; Tooth*

PURPOSE: Children with acute colonic diverticulitis(ACD), can be misdiagnosed with acute appendicitis. METHODS: We reviewed 15 cases of ACD during five years, from January 1998 to June 2002 retro spectively. RESULTS: Most patients(80%) with ACD in children presented with right lower quadrant pain. The primary diagnosis on admission was mostly acute appendicitis(87%), and all ACD in children occurred in the right colon. Fourteen patients were managed by conservative treatment including antibiotics. A follow-up study was performed in 15 patients. There were symptomatic recurrences in two patients, but no significant complication was noted. The frequency of ACD was 11.7 per 1000 acute appendicitis. CONCLUSION: ACD in children can mostly be cured by conservative treatment. It is prudent to choose the management through the diagnostic work up, including abdominal sonography and computed tomography, because there was no significant difference of clinical findings between ACD and acute appendicitis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendicitis ; Child* ; Colon* ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulitis, Colonic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: This study was performed to characterize sepsis with thrombocytopenia in premature infants to determine if thrombocytopenia is a prognostic factor in sepsis in premature infants. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of sepsis in premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit(N=41) at the Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital from January 1999 to December 2002. The incidence, risk factors, symptoms, hematologic and bacteriologic findings were analyzed during episodes of sepsis. RESULTS: Of the 41 cases, 29(72%) were associated with thrombocytopenia. The ratio of male to female was 1.2 : 1. The vast majority(98%) were late-onset sepsis. The risk factors of the thrombocytopenic group were low birth weight and low gestational age. Major symptoms were poor activity (72%), apnea/tachypnea(52%), but were not significantly different between two groups. In the thrombocytopenic group(N=29), low total WBC count and high CRP level were discovered(P=0.03, P<0.01). The mean platelet count was 70.17(x103/mm3) at diagnosis of sepsis, and a mean platelet nadir was 43.10(x103/mm3). The severe thrombocytopenia(below 50x103/mm3) in the thrombocytopenic group was discovered in 69% and the duration of thrombocytopenia was about eight days. The majority of pathogens were gram-negative bacteria and candida. The thrombocytopenic group showed a pro longed length of stay and a high mortality rate. According to comparisons between the survived and expired groups, low birth weight, low gestational age, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were significantly correlated with mortality(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The sepsis with thrombocytopenia in premature infants showed late-onset sepsis and high morbidity and mortality, although differences were not significant statistically. Especially, low birth weight and low gestational aged infants should be cautiously treated and monitored.
Blood Platelets ; Candida ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Heart ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Neutropenia ; Platelet Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis* ; Thrombocytopenia*

In Korea, Clonorchis sinensis infection is still highly prevalent because case detection in the field is difficult and the detected cases used to be incompletely cured due to treatment failure. The present study tried to control clonorchiasis in an endemic village by repeated treatments with praziquantel every 6 months and to evaluate sonography as a diagnostic measure. By stool examinations, the egg positive rate in the endemic village was 22.7%, but it decreased to 19.6% at 6 months, 15.1% at 12 months. 12.2% at 18 months, 6.3% at 24 months, 11.4% at 30 months, and 6.3% at 42 months after the beginning of repeated praziquantel administration. The sonography showed 61 (49.6%) positive cases of 123 screened residents: among egg-positives the sonography positive rate was 52.2% and among egg-negatives it was still 49%. The rate among cured cases was 64.3% after 6 months, 50.0% after 12 months, 50.0% after 18 months, and 66.7% after 24 months. In a non-endemic village, 64 residents were found egg-negative by fecal examination, but 20 (31.3%) of them were positive by sonography. The present findings indicate that control of clonorchiasis in an endemic village by repeated praziquantel treatment for 42 months is still insufficient and sonography is of little value for diagnosis of clonorchiasis.
Animal ; Antiplatyhelmintic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Clonorchiasis/ultrasonography* ; Clonorchiasis/prevention & control ; Clonorchiasis/epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Praziquantel/administration & dosage* ; Prevalence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: Pigmented spindle cell tumor of the palpebral conjunctiva is very rare, and most of the tumors arise at extremities or trunk. To our best knowledge, no case has been repoted in Korea so far. We report one case of pigmented spindle cell nevus with literature review. METHODS: A 21 years-old male patient complaining of mass on the left upper palpebral conjunctiva underwent excisional biopsy with minimal touch technique. RESULTS: On histopathologic examination, the mass consisted of small, regular and spindle cells with pigmentation. And HMB-45 and CD-34 stains were negative, while S-100 stain was weakly positive. CONCLUSIONS: We report one case of pigmented spindle cell nevus as the first case in Korea.
Biopsy ; Coloring Agents ; Conjunctiva* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nevus, Spindle Cell* ; Pigmentation ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a syndrome characterized by inattention, impulsive disruptive behavior, impaired concentration, and motor restlessness. This study examined the relationships among electroencephalographic (EEG) findings, stimulant use, and seizure occurrence in children with ADHD. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 308 children with ADHD who visited the neuropsychiatric clinic of our hospital from January 2001 to December 2005. We retrospectively analyzed age distribution, etiology, abnormal EEG findings, and use of CNS stimulants. Among these children, brain waves was recorded in 84 patients. RESULTS: Eighty-four children (72 males, 85.7%, 9.3 years mean age; 12 females, 14.3%, 8.0 years mean age) with ADHD had electroencephalograms (EEGs) performed at our institute. Nineteen patients (22.6%) demonstrated epileptiform abnormalities, and 65 (77.4%) demonstrated normal EEGs. Stimulant therapy was applied to 59 of 84 patients (70.2%). Seizures occurred in 1 of 65 patients with a normal EEG (incidence, 1.5%) and 3 of 19 treated patients with epileptiform EEGs (incidence, 15.7%). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that patients with normal EEGs have minor risk for seizure. In contrast, patients with epileptiform EEGs have higher risk for seizure than patients with normal EEGs.
Age Distribution ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Brain ; Brain Waves ; Central Nervous System ; Central Nervous System Stimulants ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methylphenidate ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures