• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 1997

Introduction : The outcome and incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) could be variable related to the varied definitions used for ARDS by researchers. The purpose of the national survey was to define the risk factors of ARDS and investigate the prognostic indicies related to mortality of ARDS in Korea according to the definition of ARDS determined by the American-European Concensus Conference on 1992 year. Methods : A Multicenter registry of 48 University or University-affliated hospital and 18 general hospital s equipped with more than 400 patient's beds conducted over 13 months of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome using the same registry protocol. Results : 1. In the 12 months of the registry, 167 patients were enrolled at the 24 hospitals. 2. The mean age was 56.5 years (${\pm}17.2$ years) and there was a 1.9:1 ratio of males to females. 3. Sepsis was the most common risk factors (78.1%), followed by aspiration (16.6%), trauma (11.6%), and shock (8.5%). 4 The overall mortality rate was 71.9%. The mean duration was 11 days (${\pm}13.1$ days) from the diagnosis of ARDS to the death. Respiratory insufficiency appeared to be a major cause in 43.7% of the deaths followed by sepsis (36.1%), heart failure (7.6%) and hepatic failure (6.7%). 5. There were no significant differences in mortality based on sex or age. No significant difference in mortality in infectious versus noninfectious causes of ARDS was found. 6. There were significant differences in the pulse rate, platelet numbers, serum albumin and glucose levels, the amounts of 24 hour urine, arterial pH, $Pa0_2$, $PaCO_2$, $Sa0_2$, alveolar-arterial oxygen differences, $PaO_2/FIO_2$, and PEEP/$FI0_2$ between the survivors and the deaths on study days 1 through 6 of the first week after enrollment. 7. The survivors had significantly less organ failure and lower APACHE III scores at the time of diagnosis of ARDS (P<0.05). 8. The numbers of organ failure (odd ratio 1.95, 95% confidence intervals:1.05-3.61, P=0.03) and the score of APACHE III (odd ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval:1.01-2.50, P=0.04) appeared to be independent risk factors of the mortality in the patients with ARDS. Conclusions : The mortality was 71.9% of total 167 patients in this investigation using the definition of American-European Consensus Conference on 1992 year, and the respiratory insufficiency was the leading cause of the death. In addition, the numbers of organ failure and the score of APACHE III at the time of diagnosis of ARDS appeared to be independent risk factors of the mortality in the patients with ARDS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1105-1113
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• 1997

Background : Prone position improves oxygenation in some patients with ARDS. According to some authors, prone position can also improve the deteriorated hemodynamics induced by PEEP. But these respiratory and hemodynamic effects of prone position has not yet been fully established. Methods : Twentythree consequtive patients with ARDS(M : F= 11 : 12, $62.1{\pm}20.8yrs$) were the subjects for this study. ABGA, static compliance of the respiratory system, mean arterial pressure and pulse rate were obtained in supine position and at 5min, 0.5h and 2h of prone position. Positive respiratory response was defined as 20mmHg or more increase in $PaO_2/FIO_2$ within 2h of prone position. Early of late respiratory responses were defined if the positive response was observed within of after 3 day of ARDS onset, respectively. Positive hemodynamic response was defined as 10mmHg or more increase in mean arterial pressure at 5min of prone position. Results : Fifteen patients (65%) showed positive respiratory response. In the respiratory responders, $PaO_2$ was $69.8{\pm}17.6mmHg$ in supine position, $83.2{\pm}22.6mmHg$ in prone position 0.5h, $96.8{\pm}22.7mmHg$ in prone position 2h(p<0.001), and $PaO_2/FIO_2$ was $108{\pm}41mmHg$, $137{\pm}57mmHg$, $158{\pm}50mmHg$, respectively(p=0.001). Age, sex, cause of ARDS, supine $PaO_2$ and $PaO_2/FIO_2$ were not different between the respiratory responders and the nonresponders. The respiratory responders, however, showed higher mean arterial pressure than the nonresponders($91.1{\pm}13.1mmHg$ vs. $76.0{\pm}18.7mmHg$, p=0.035), and tendency of higher survival rate(9/15 vs. 2/8, p=0.074). Static compliance of the respiratory system was decreased in prone position 0.5h($28.4{\pm}7.9ml/cm$ $H_2O$ vs. $23.8{\pm}7.6ml/cm$ $H_2O$, p=0.007). The overall rate of early response(n=23) and late response(n=11) were similar(14/23 vs. 7/11, p>0.05). But patient without early response showed late response only in 25%(1/4), while patient with early response showed late response in 85.7%(6/7)(p=0.072). Five patients(22%) showed positive hemodynamic response, two of them being respiratory nonresponders. There were no differences in the baseline mean arterial pressure or the level of PEEP applied in supine between the hemodynamic responders and the hemodynamic nonresponders. Conclusions : Prone position either improved oxygenation or increased arterial pressure in significant proportion of patients with ARDS. And the respiratory response to prone position was thought to be determined in the early stage of ARDS.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2006

We have investigated adsorption and desorption properties of CO adsorption on silica supported Ru/Ni alloys at various Ru/Ni mole content ratio as well as CO partial pressures using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). For Ru-$SiO_{2}$ sample, four bands were observed at $2080.0cm^{-1}$, $2021.0{\sim}2030.7cm^{-1}$, $1778.9{\sim}1799.3cm^{-1}$, $1623.8cm^{-1}$ on adsorption and three bands were observed at $2138.7cm^{-1}$, $2069.3cm^{-1}$, $1988.3{\sim}2030.7cm^{-1}$ on vacumn desorption. For Ni-$SiO_{2}$ sample, four bands were observed at $2057.7cm^{-1}$, $2019.1{\sim}2040.3cm^{-1}$, $1862.9{\sim}1868.7cm^{-1}$, $1625.7cm^{-1}$ on adsorption and two bands were observed at $2009.5{\sim}2040.3cm^{-1}$, $1828.4{\sim}1868.7cm^{-1}$ on vacumn desorption. These absorption bands correspond with those of the previous reports approximately. For Ru/Ni(9/1, 8/2, 7/3, 6/4, 5/5; mole content ratio)-$SiO_{2}$ samples, three bands were observed at $2001.8{\sim}2057.7cm^{-1}$, $1812.8{\sim}1926.5cm^{-1}$, $1623.8{\sim}1625.7cm^{-1}$ on adsorption and three bands were observed at $2140.6cm^{-1}$, $2073.1cm^{-1}$, $1969.0{\sim}2057.7cm^{-1}$ on vacumn desorption. The spectrum pattern observed for Ru/Ni-$SiO_{2}$ sample at 9/1 Ru/Ni mole content ratio on CO adsorption and on vacumn desorption is almost like the spectrum pattern observed for Ru-$SiO_{2}$ sample. But the spectrum patterns observed for Ru/Ni-$SiO_{2}$ samples under 8/2 Ru/Ni mole content ratio on CO adsorption and vacumn desorption are almost like the pattern observed for $Ni-SiO_{2}$ sample. It may be suggested surfaces of alloy clusters on the Ru/Ni-$SiO_{2}$ samples contain more Ni components than the mole content ratio of the sample considering the above phenomena. With Ru/Ni-$SiO_{2}$ samples the absorption band shifts may be ascribed to variations of surface concentration, strain variation due to atomic size difference, variation of bonding energy and electronic densities, and changes of surface geometries according to surface concentration variation. Studies for CO adsorption on Ru/Ni alloy cluster surface by LEED and Auger spectroscopy, interation between Ru/Ni alloy cluster and $SiO_{2}$, and MO calculation for the system would be needed to look into the phenomena.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.766-772
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• 2000

Background : Pressure rise time (PRT) is the time in which the ventilator aclieves the set airway pressure in pressure-targeted modes, such as pressure control ventilation (PCV). With varying PRT, in principle, the peak inspiratory flow rate of the ventilator also varies. And if PRT is set to a shorter duration, the effective duration of target pressure level would be prolonged, which in turn would increase inspiratory tidal volume(Vti) and mean airway pressure (Pmean). We also postulated that the increase in Vti with shortening of PRT may relate inversely to the patients' basal airway resistance. Methods : In 13 paralyzed patients on PCV (pressure control 18$\pm$9.5 cm $H_2O$ $FIO_2\;0.6\pm0.3$, PEEP 5$\pm$3 cm $H_2O$, f 20/min, I : E1 : 2) with Servo 300 (Siemens-Elema, Solna, Sweden) from various causes of respiratory failure, PRT of 10 %, 5 % and 0 % were randomly applied. At 30 min of each PRT trial, peak inspiratory flow (PIF, L/sec), Vti (ml), Pmean (cm $H_2O$) and ABGA were determined. Results : At PRT 10%, 5%, and 0%, PIF were 0.69$\pm$0.13, 0.77$\pm$0.19, 0.83$\pm$0.22, respectively (p<0.001). Vti were 425$\pm$94, 439$\pm$101, 456$\pm$106, respectively (p<0.001), and Pmean were 11.2$\pm$3.7, 12.0$\pm$3.7, 12.5$\pm$3.8, respectively (p<0.001). pH were 7.40$\pm$0.08, 7.40$\pm$0.92, 7.41$\pm$0.96, respectively (p=0.00) ; $PaCO_2$ (mm Hg) were 47.4$\pm$15.8, 47.2 $\pm$15.7, 44.6$\pm$16.2, respectively (p=0.004) ; $PAO_2-PaO_2$ (mm Hg) were 220$\pm$98, 224$\pm$95, 227$\pm$94, respectively (p=0.004) ; and $V_n/V_T$ as determined by ($PaCO_2-P_E-CO_2$)/$PaCO_2$ were 0.67$\pm$0.07, 0.67$\pm$0.08, 0.66$\pm$0.08, respectively (p=0.007). The correlation between airway resistance and change of Vti from PRT 10% to 0% were r= -0.243 (p=0.498). Conclusion : Shortening of pressure rise timee during PCV was associated with increased tidal volume, increased mean airway pressure and lower $PaCO_2$.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-151
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• 1996

After cardiac surgery, it has been recognized that various complications were associated with injured humoral and cellular immunity by cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB). Especially, in postoperative pulmonary dysfunction, transpulmonary leukostasis followed complement activation and inflammatory responses are major pathogen. Some studies have showed that pretreated-corticosteroids before CPB protected postoperative pulmonary dysfunction. Corticosteroids may inhibit complement and leukocyte activation. On based previous studies, present investigator determined changes of leukocyte counts and transpulmonary leukostasis during cardiac surgery and postoperative periods. For the evaluation of postoperative pulmonary function and edema, $PaO_2$ and chest X-ray were compared between pre-CPB and post-CPB. Fever and other parameters were also observed postoperatively. The aim of this study was to define for the prophylactic effects of corticosteroid(Solu-Medrol: 30mg/kg) on all the researched parameters. This study was prospectively designed with randomized-blind fashion for 50 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. According to the purpose of study, all patients were divided into placebo and steroid group. : Placebo group was 25 patients received normal saline(not corticosteroid), and steroid group was 25patients received corticosteroid(Solu-Medrol: 30mg/kg) before initiation of CPB. The results of study were summarized as follows. 1. Total peripheral leukocyte counts decreased significantly at 5 minutes of CPB in all patients(P<0.01), and began to increase progressively at later periods of CPB with neutrophilia. The significant rise remained at postoperative 7th day(P<0.05). 2. During partial CPB, transpulmonary leukostasis occurred in placebo group(P<0.001), whereas it was prevented in steroid group. 3. In both groups, peripheral lymphocyte counts were stable during CPB, but began to reduce at time of intensive care unit(ICU) and the lymphocytopenia remained until postoperative 3rd day. The lymphocyte counts recovered on postoperative 7th day. 4. In both groups, peripheral counts of monocyte were relatively stable in the early peroid of CPB, and increased gradually in the later periods of CPB. This significant monocytosis remained throughout postoperlative periods(P<0.05). 5. The mean value of postoperative $paO)_2$ was lower than that of pre-CPB in placebo group(P=0.01) but didn't significant in steroid group(P=0.90). In the incidence of pulmonary edema signs and fever, placebo group was higher than steroid group(P=0.001, p=0.01, respectively). However mechanical respiratory supporting and care periods at intensive care unit were not significant difference between two groups(P>.0.05).With the above results, the investigator concluded that leukocyte activation and pulmonary sequestration were caused by cardiac surgery with CPB and demonstrated that high dose corticosteroid will provide prophylactic effect for pulmonary leukostasis and higher neutrophilia. These effects may ameliorate postoperative pulmonary dysfunction and contribute to postoperative less morbidity. However, further study should be performed because postoperative lymphocytopenia continued for 3 days in both groups, which may suspected damage or suppression of cell-mediated immunity with used corticosteroid.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2009

Background: Despite the benefits of home oxygen therapy in patients suffering chronic respiratory failure, previous reports in Korea revealed lower compliance to oxygen therapy and a shorter time for oxygen use than expected. However, these papers were published before oxygen therapy was covered by the national insurance system. Therefore, this study examined whether there were some changes in compliance, using time and other clinical features of home oxygen therapy after insurance coverage. Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of patients prescribed home oxygen therapy in our hospital from November 1, 2006 to September 31, 2008. The patients were interviewed either in person or by telephone to obtain information related to oxygen therapy. Results: During study period, a total 105 patients started home oxygen therapy. The mean age was 69 and 60 (57%) were male. The mean oxygen partial pressure in the arterial blood was 54.5 mmHg and oxygen saturation was 86.3%. Primary diseases that caused hypoxemia were COPD (n=64), lung cancer (n=14), Tb destroyed lung (n=12) and others. After oxygen therapy, more than 50% of patients experienced relief of their subjective dyspnea. The mean daily use of oxygen was 9.8${\pm}$7.3 hours and oxygen was not used during activity outside of their home (mean time, 5.4${\pm}$3.7 hours). Twenty four patients (36%) stopped using oxygen voluntarily 7${\pm}$4.7 months after being prescribed oxygen and showed a less severe pulmonary and right heart function. The causes of stopping were subjective symptom relief (n=11), inconvenience (n=6) and others (7). Conclusion: The prescription of home oxygen has increased since national insurance started to cover home oxygen therapy. However, the mean time for using oxygen is still shorter than expected. During activity of outside their home, patients could not use oxygen due to the absence of portable oxygen. Overall, continuous education to change the misunderstandings about oxygen therapy, more economic support from national insurance and coverage for portable oxygen are needed to extend the oxygen use time and maintain oxygen usage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 1997

The Boguk cobalt mine is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Sedimentary Basin. Major ore minerals including cobalt-bearing minerals (loellingite, cobaltite, and glaucodot) and Co-bearing arsenopyrite occur together with base-metal sulfides (pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, etc.) and minor amounts of oxides (magnetite and hematite) within fracture-filling $quartz{\pm}actinolite{\pm}carbonate$ veins. These veins are developed within an epicrustal micrographic granite stock which intrudes the Konchonri Formation (mainly of shale). Radiometric date of the granite (85.98 Ma) indicates a Late Cretaceous age for granite emplacement and associated cobalt mineralization. The vein mineralogy is relatively complex and changes with time: cobalt-bearing minerals with actinolite, carbonates, and quartz gangues (stages I and II) ${\rightarrow}$ base-metal sulfides, gold, and Fe oxides with quartz gangues (stage III) ${\rightarrow}$ barren carbonates (stages IV and V). The common occurrence of high-temperature minerals (cobalt-bearing minerals, molybdenite and actinolite) with low-temperature minerals (base-metal sulfides, gold and carbonates) in veins indicates a xenothermal condition of the hydrothermal mineralization. High enrichment of Co in the granite (avg. 50.90 ppm) indicates the magmatic hydrothermal derivation of cobalt from this cooling granite stock, whereas higher amounts of Cu and Zn in the Konchonri Formation shale suggest their derivations largely from shale. The decrease in temperature of hydrothermal fluids with a concomitant increase in fugacity of oxygen with time (for cobalt deposition in stages I and II, $T=560^{\circ}C-390^{\circ}C$ and log $fO_2=$ >-32.7 to -30.7 atm at $350^{\circ}C$; for base-metal sulfide deposition in stage III, $T=380^{\circ}-345^{\circ}C$ and log $fO_2={\geq}-30.7$ atm at $350^{\circ}C$) indicates a transition of the hydrothermal system from a magmatic-water domination toward a less-evolved meteoric-water domination. Sulfur isotope data of stage II sulfide minerals evidence that early, Co-bearing hydrothermal fluids derived originally from an igneous source with a ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}S}$ value near 3 to 5‰. The remarkable increase in ${\delta}^{34}S_{H2S}$ values of hydrothermal fluids with time from cobalt deposition in stage II (3-5‰) to base-metal sulfide deposition in stage III (up to about 20‰) also indicates the change of the hydrothermal system toward the meteoric water domination, which resulted in the leaching-out and concentration of isotopically heavier sulfur (sedimentary sulfates), base metals (Cu, Zn, etc.) and gold from surrounding sedimentary rocks during the huge, meteoric water circulation. We suggest that without the formation of the later, meteoric water circulation extensively through surrounding sedimentary rocks the Boguk cobalt deposits would be simple veins only with actinolite + quartz + cobalt-bearing minerals. Furthermore, the formation of the meteoric water circulation after the culmination of a magmatic hydrothermal system resulted in the common occurrence of high-temperature minerals with later, lower-temperature minerals, resulting in a xenothermal feature of the mineralization.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 1986

Carbon monoxide(CO) poisoning has been one of the major environmental problems because of the tissue hypoxia, especially brain tissue hypoxia, due to the great affinity of CO with hemoglobin. Inhalation of the pure oxygen$(0_2)$ under the high atmospheric pressure has been considered as the best treatment of CO poisoning by the supply of $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues with dissolved from in plasma and also by the rapid elimination of CO from the carboxyhemoglobin(HbCO). Hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$ was rapidly decomposed to water and $0_2$ under the presence of catalase in the blood, but the intravenous administration of $H_2O_2$ is hazardous because of the formation of methemoglobin and air embolism. However, it was reported that the enema of $H_2O_2$ solution below 0.75% could be continuously supplied $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues without the hazards mentioned above. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the recovery of the acute CO poisoning. Rabbits weighting about 2.0 kg were exposed to If CO gas mixture with room air for 30 minutes. After the acute CO poisoning, 30 rabbits were divided into three groups relating to the recovery period. The first group T·as exposed to the room air and the second group w·as inhalated with 100% $0_2$ under 1 atmospheric pressure. The third group was administered 10 ml of 0.5H $H_2O_2$ solution per kg weight by enema immediately after CO poisoning and exposed to the room air during the recovery period. The arterial blood was sampled before and after CO poisoning ana in 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes of the recovery period. The blood pH, $Pco_2\;and\;Po_2$ were measured anaerobically with a Blood Gas Analyzer and the saturation percentage of HbCO was measured by the Spectrophotometric method. The effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the recovery from the acute CO poisoning was observed and compared with the room air group and the 100% $0_2$ inhalation group. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows: The pH of arterial blood was significantly decreased after CO poisoning and until the first 15 minutes of the recovery period in all groups. Thereafter, it was slowly increased to the level of the before CO poisoning, but the recovery of pH of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was more delayed than that of the other groups during the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was significantly decreased after CO poisoning in all groups. Boring the recovery Period, $Paco_2$ of the room air group was completely recovered to the level of the before CO Poisoning, but that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the $H_2O_2$ enema group was not recovered until the 90 minutes of the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was slightly decreased after CO poisoning. During the recovery Period, it was markedly increased in the first 15 minutes and maintained the level above that before CO Poisoning in all groups. Furthermore $Paco_2$ of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was 102 to 107 mmHg and it was about 10 mmHg higher than that of the room air group during the recovery period. The saturation percentage of HbCO was increased up to the range of 54 to 72 percents after CO poisoning and in general it was generally diminished during the recovery period. However in the $H_2O_2$ enema group the diminution of the saturation percentage of HbCO was generally faster than that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the room air group, and its diminution in the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group was also slightly faster than that of the room air group at the relatively later time of the recovery period. In conclusion, the enema of 0.5% $H_2O_2$ solution is seems to facilitate the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the blood and increase $Paco_2$ simultaneously during the recovery period of the acute CO poisoning.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.103-115
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• 2000

The formation of brown-colored precipitates is one of the serious problems frequently encountered in the development and supply of groundwater in Korea, because by it the water exceeds the drinking water standard in terms of color. taste. turbidity and dissolved iron concentration and of often results in scaling problem within the water supplying system. In groundwaters from the Pajoo area, brown precipitates are typically formed in a few hours after pumping-out. In this paper we examine the process of the brown precipitates' formation using the equilibrium thermodynamic and kinetic approaches, in order to understand the origin and geochemical pathway of the generation of turbidity in groundwater. The results of this study are used to suggest not only the proper pumping technique to minimize the formation of precipitates but also the optimal design of water treatment methods to improve the water quality. The bed-rock groundwater in the Pajoo area belongs to the Ca-$HCO_3$type that was evolved through water/rock (gneiss) interaction. Based on SEM-EDS and XRD analyses, the precipitates are identified as an amorphous, Fe-bearing oxides or hydroxides. By the use of multi-step filtration with pore sizes of 6, 4, 1, 0.45 and 0.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$, the precipitates mostly fall in the colloidal size (1 to 0.45 $\mu\textrm{m}$) but are concentrated (about 81%) in the range of 1 to 6 $\mu\textrm{m}$in teams of mass (weight) distribution. Large amounts of dissolved iron were possibly originated from dissolution of clinochlore in cataclasite which contains high amounts of Fe (up to 3 wt.%). The calculation of saturation index (using a computer code PHREEQC), as well as the examination of pH-Eh stability relations, also indicate that the final precipitates are Fe-oxy-hydroxide that is formed by the change of water chemistry (mainly, oxidation) due to the exposure to oxygen during the pumping-out of Fe(II)-bearing, reduced groundwater. After pumping-out, the groundwater shows the progressive decreases of pH, DO and alkalinity with elapsed time. However, turbidity increases and then decreases with time. The decrease of dissolved Fe concentration as a function of elapsed time after pumping-out is expressed as a regression equation Fe(II)=10.l exp(-0.0009t). The oxidation reaction due to the influx of free oxygen during the pumping and storage of groundwater results in the formation of brown precipitates, which is dependent on time, $Po_2$and pH. In order to obtain drinkable water quality, therefore, the precipitates should be removed by filtering after the stepwise storage and aeration in tanks with sufficient volume for sufficient time. Particle size distribution data also suggest that step-wise filtration would be cost-effective. To minimize the scaling within wells, the continued (if possible) pumping within the optimum pumping rate is recommended because this technique will be most effective for minimizing the mixing between deep Fe(II)-rich water and shallow $O_2$-rich water. The simultaneous pumping of shallow $O_2$-rich water in different wells is also recommended.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.555-568
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• 1995

Background: It is most physiologic to measure the diffusing capacity of the lung by using oxygen, but it is so difficult to measure partial pressure of oxygen in the capillary blood of the lung that in clinical practice it is measured by using carbon monoxide, and single-breath diffusing capacity method is used most widely. However, since the process of withholding the breath for 10 seconds after inspiration to the total lung capacity is very hard to practice for patients who suffer from cough, dyspnea, etc, the intra-breath lung diffusing capacity method which requires a single exhalation of low-flow rate without such process was devised. In this study, we want to know whether or not there is any significant difference in the diffusing capacity of the lung measured by the single-breath and intra-breath methods, and if any, which factors have any influence. Methods: We chose randomly 73 persons without regarding specific disease, and after conducting 3 times the flow-volume curve test, we selected forced vital capacity(FVC), percent of predicted forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume within 1 second($FEV_1$), percent of forced expiratory volume within 1 second, the ratio of forced expiratory volume within 1 second against forced vital capacity($FEV_1$/FVC) in test which the sum of FVC and $FEV_1$ is biggest. We measured the diffusing capacity of the lung 3 times in each of the single-breath and intra-breath methods at intervals of 5 minutes, and we evaluated which factors have any influence on the difference of the diffusing capacity of the lung between two methods[the mean values(ml/min/mmHg) of difference between two diffusing capacity measured by two methods] by means of the linear regression method, and obtained the following results: Results: 1) Intra-test reproducibility in the single-breath and intra-breath methods was excellent. 2) There was in general a good correlation between the diffusing capacity of the lung measured by a single-breath method and that measured by the intra-breath method, but there was a significant difference between values measured by both methods($1.01{\pm}0.35ml/min/mmHg$, p<0.01) 3) The difference between the diffusing capacity of the lung measured by both methods was not correlated to FVC, but was correlated to $FEV_1$, percent of $FEV_1$, $FEV_1$/FVC and the gradient of methane concentration which is an indicator of distribution of ventilation, and it was found as a result of the multiple regression test, that the effect of $FEV_1$/FVC was most strong(r=-0.4725, p<0.01) 4) In a graphic view of the difference of diffusing capacity measured by single-breath and intra-breath method and $FEV_1$/FVC, it was found that the former was divided into two groups in section where $FEV_1$/FVC is 50~60%, and that there was no significant difference between two methods in the section where $FEV_1$/FVC is equal or more than 60% ($0.05{\pm}0.24ml/min/mmHg$, p>0.1), but there was significant difference in the section, less than 60%($-4.5{\pm}0.34ml/min/mmHg$, p<0.01). 5. The diffusing capacity of the lung measured by the single-breath and intra-breath method was the same in value($24.3{\pm}0.68ml/min/mmHg$) within the normal range(2%/L) of the methane gas gradient, and there was no difference depending on the measuring method, but if the methane concentration gradients exceed 2%/L, the diffusing capacity of the lung measured by single-breath method became $15.0{\pm}0.44ml/min/mmHg$, and that measured by intra-breath method, $11.9{\pm}0.51ml/min/mmHg$, and there was a significant difference between them(p<0.01). Conclusion: Therefore, in case where $FEV_1$/FVC was less than 60%, the diffusing capacity of the lung measured by intra-breath method represented significantly lower value than that by single-breath method, and it was presumed to be caused largely by a defect of ventilation-distribution, but the possibility could not be excluded that the diffusing capacity of the lung might be overestimated in the single-breath method, or the actual reduction of the diffusing capacity of the lung appeared more sensitively in the intra-breath method.