Purpose: Firefighting duties range from field roles such as suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services (EMS) to various administrative tasks. Despite these differences, they face uniform fitness standards in Korea. This study seeks to define distinct fitness needs for each duty and provide data for customized standards. Methods: One hundred seventy-six Korean male firefighters participated, categorized into suppression (n=76), rescue (n=22), administrative (n=27), and EMS (n=51) roles. All underwent maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) tests for aerobic capacity, with body composition measured using bioelectrical impedance and height recorded with a stadiometer. Results: The VO2 max (mL/kg/min) among Korean male firefighters varied across different job duties: suppression (39.96±5.84), rescue (44.84±4.85), administration (40.27±7.01), and EMS (40.51±6.75). Rescue had the highest VO2 max, which was significantly higher (p=0.013). The body mass index (BMI, kg/m2 ) values were as follows: suppression (25.07±2.55), rescue (24.95±1.71), EMS (24.33±3.21), and administration (25.10±2.48). There was no statistically significant difference in BMI values (p=0.464). Conclusion This study evaluated the VO2 max and BMI of South Korean male firefighters according to their job duties. It found that 54.5% did not meet the recommended VO2 max standard of 42 mL/kg/min for their activities, and 77.5% had a BMI indicating overweight or higher. However, it is important to note that not every firefighting duty requires high fitness levels. The key is ensuring firefighters possess the fitness necessary for their specific roles to maintain safety and efficiency. The study aims to provide data for creating fitness management guidelines tailored to the diverse duties of firefighters.

Background/Aims: Despite proper use of pharmaceuticals, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can lead to problems related to patient safety. We analyzed the characteristics of ADRs, particularly serious adverse events (SAEs), in a single tertiary medical institution. Methods: Spontaneous ADR report data collected from 2010 to 2019 in Seoul National University Hospital were assessed. Causality was evaluated according to the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. Age, sex, onset, severity, seriousness, and system organ class (SOC) of ADRs and SAEs were analyzed. Results: During the study period, a total of 49,955 individual case safety reports were assessed as possible, probable, or certain. Although the number of gastrointestinal ADR reports was high (25.9%), severe cases were uncommon (2.6%). By contrast, the number of hematologic disorders was low (6.6%) but 39.2% of them were severe. Among ADRs, 10.2% were assessed as SAEs, the proportion of which was high at extreme ages and in males. Body as a whole-general disorders were the most frequently reported SOC for SAEs, followed by skin and appendage disorders. Antineoplastic agents and antibiotics were the most common causative agents of SAEs and ADRs. Anaphylactic reaction was the most frequent SAE (6.5%). Conclusions The proportion of SAE differs according to SOC and drug. Attention should be paid to SAEs in children and older adults because the rate of SAEs is significantly higher at extreme ages.

Background/Aims: Despite proper use of pharmaceuticals, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can lead to problems related to patient safety. We analyzed the characteristics of ADRs, particularly serious adverse events (SAEs), in a single tertiary medical institution. Methods: Spontaneous ADR report data collected from 2010 to 2019 in Seoul National University Hospital were assessed. Causality was evaluated according to the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. Age, sex, onset, severity, seriousness, and system organ class (SOC) of ADRs and SAEs were analyzed. Results: During the study period, a total of 49,955 individual case safety reports were assessed as possible, probable, or certain. Although the number of gastrointestinal ADR reports was high (25.9%), severe cases were uncommon (2.6%). By contrast, the number of hematologic disorders was low (6.6%) but 39.2% of them were severe. Among ADRs, 10.2% were assessed as SAEs, the proportion of which was high at extreme ages and in males. Body as a whole-general disorders were the most frequently reported SOC for SAEs, followed by skin and appendage disorders. Antineoplastic agents and antibiotics were the most common causative agents of SAEs and ADRs. Anaphylactic reaction was the most frequent SAE (6.5%). Conclusions The proportion of SAE differs according to SOC and drug. Attention should be paid to SAEs in children and older adults because the rate of SAEs is significantly higher at extreme ages.

PURPOSE: Although upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) is one of the most common causes of chronic cough, there are few reports on the effects of intranasal steroids (INS) on improvement of cough in patients with chronic cough caused by UACS. Here, we observed improvement in cough depending on prescribed medications, including INS, in patients with chronic cough caused exclusively by UACS in the clinical setting. METHODS: Patients with chronic cough caused exclusively by UACS were selected by the retrospective review of medical records. Durations and kinds of prescribed medications, nasal and postnasal drip symptoms, and results of paranasal sinus series at first visit were evaluated. According to the improvement of cough at the second visit, the patients were divided into the improved and unimproved groups. Odds ratios of each medication in the improved group were analyzed by logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, smoking history, duration of treatment, prescriptions of medications, presence of nasal and postnasal drip symptoms, and results of paranasal sinus series. RESULTS: A total of 122 patients with chronic cough caused exclusively by UACS were comprised of 38 patients in the improved group and 84 patients in the unimproved group. INS were prescribed to 45 patients, and the number of patients with INS prescription were significantly higher in the unimproved group than that in not-improved group (55.3% vs. 28.6%, P=0.008). The odds ratio of INS prescription was significantly higher in the improved group (odds ratio, 4.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-22.3; P=0.046). CONCLUSION: INS could improve cough symptom in patients with UACS. These results warrant further evaluation.
Administration, Intranasal ; Cough* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Odds Ratio ; Prescriptions ; Retrospective Studies ; Sinusitis ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Steroids*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk factors for ventriculostomy-associated infections (VAI) and to examine the differences among VAI according to the venue of catheter placement in our institute. Materials and METHODS: During a four-year period, 114 patients of the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) who received an external ventricular drainage (EVD), were retrospectively studied. The use of prophylactic systemic antibiotics was not included in the evaluation of the risk factors for VAI, because this was applied to all patients in our trial. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-five catheters were placed, in 114 patients, among whom 7.9% developed ventriculitis. The risk of VAI was not significantly associated with age, intial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, indication for the catheter, craniotomy, duration of catheter, DM, hypertension and repeated catheter insertion. Furthermore, EVD catheterization in non-operating places was not associated with a trend toward higher VAI as well. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for an increased incidence of VAI were not observed in our trials. In our study, the risk of VAI was not associated with the venue of catheter placement. These findings suggest that EVD catheter insertion in non-operating places may be a safe procedure without the risk of VAI.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Craniotomy ; Drainage* ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Ventriculostomy

OBJECT: We designed this study to bring the outcome and the outcome predictors of Hunt-Hess grade III patients to light, and to be aid in determining treatment protocol of such a intermediate group. METHODS: All patients with non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage who visited our hospital between January 1998 and December 2004, were reviewed. We selected 72 Hunt-Hess grade III aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients for detailed review. 54 operations and 10 endovacular procedures were performed. The outcome of the patients were evaluated with Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Through univariate and multivariate analysis, several clinical and operative factors were evaluated to determine the significance for the outcome. RESULT: Overall 58 patients were in good outcome group (GOS 4 or 5). overall 6-month mortality was 5.6%. Age, presence of intracerabral hemorrhage(ICH) on the initial computed tomography (CT) scan, and vasospasm were independently important in determining outcome. CONCLUSION: In the Hunt-Hess grade III aneurysmal SAH patient, age, presence of ICH on intial CT scan vasospasm have independent statistical significance to the outcome. More aggressive treatment of vasospasm can improve the outcome.
Aneurysm* ; Clinical Protocols ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Humans ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: For the treatment of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, stereotactic catheter drainage of hematoma has been widely used as a less invasive and effective therapeutic modality. However stereotactic catheter drainage method occasionally can not be available. Here, we introduce C-arm fluoroscopic guided catheter drainage of hematoma as an alternative method. The authors compared the two methods and report the result with review of the literatures. METHODS: A total of 62 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent catheter drainage between February 1996 and December 1999 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the method of catheter insertion. The two groups were compared with respect to pre- and post-operative changes of hematoma volume and neurological deficit, hematoma drainage rate, duration of catheter placement, complication, and short term prognosis. RESULTS: The pre-operative hematoma volume was slightly large in the C-arm fluoroscopic guided method group. But post-operative hematoma volume, pre- and post-operative neurological deficit, hematoma drainage rate, duration of catheter placement, post-operative complication and short term prognosis were not different statistically between the two groups. The preparation time for operation was short in C-arm fluoroscopic guided group. CONCLUSION: C-arm fluoroscopic guided catheter drainage of intracerebral hematoma can be an alternative to the stereotactic guided method in the urgent situation or when the stereotactic system is not available
Catheters* ; Drainage* ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive ; Prognosis

We report a case of spontaneous intracranial epidural hematoma following the intraoperative course of a patient who had undergone surgical removal of a thoracolumbar schwannoma in olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy. To our knowledge there is no reported case in which the thoracolumbar schwannoma removal was followed by such a complication. Mechanical events leading to this complication are unclear. Abnormal results of a neurological examination in the early postoperative period should suggest this possibility.
Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial* ; Humans ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurologic Examination ; Olivopontocerebellar Atrophies ; Postoperative Period

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the normal figure of intracranial and intraspinal cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) dynamics, we report the results of the various parameters of cine phase contrast(PC) magnetic resonance(MR) CSF flow images throughout the whole neuraxis. METHODS: The MR images were obtained with 1.5T unit using the cine PC sequence with cardiac gating and gradient echo imaging in 10 normal persons(mean age, 30.4 years). The temporal velocity information from the anterior and posterior cervical pericord subarachnoid spaces, third and fourth ventricles, aqueduct, and lumbar cistern were plotted as wave forms. The wave forms were analyzed for configurations, amplitude parameters, and temporal parameters. The statistical significance of each parameter was examined with paired t-test. RESULTS: The actual flow of CSF were clearly visible with cine MR images. Throughout the whole neuraxis, the distinct reproducible configuration features were not obtained at ventricular or lumbar cistern, but at aqueduct and cervical pericord spaces. The temporal parameters were more important than the amplitude parameters. CONCLUSION: In this study, the authors demonstrated normal CSF dynamics and obtained further precision by plotting the temporal velocity information from the images as a waveform. This important basic information may be useful for understanding altered physiology in disease states such as syringomyelia and hydrocephalus.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Fourth Ventricle ; Hydrocephalus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Physiology ; Subarachnoid Space ; Syringomyelia

No abstract available.
Head Injuries, Penetrating*