• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2007

Purpose : Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a newly identified paramyxovirus that causes a variety of clinical syndromes in children, including upper and lower respiratory tract illnesses. hMPV is considered an ubiquitous virus causing respiratory tract diseases among children especially during late winter and spring seasons. We report clinical features of human metapneumovirus infection in Korean children. Methods : hMPV infection was diagnosed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in respiratory specimens obtained from patients with acute respiratory tract infections from October, 2004 to May, 2005. Medical records of all hMPV-positive patients were reviewed, retrospectively. Results : A total of 15 hMPV were identified from 443 nasopharyngeal aspirations by RT-PCR (3.4%). The range of age of the patients with hMPV infection was from 1 month to 62 months (median age, 31.5 months), with similar numbers of females (8/15) and males (7/15). Among hMPV-positive children, 53.3% (8/15) were aged less than 24 months. Fever, cough, rhinorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, tachypnea, and chest wall retractions were common findings. Most common clinical diagnosis was pneumonia (60%). Two of the 15 hMPV-positive patients were also positive for adenovirus. Fever persisted from 0 to 10 days (mean 4.9 days). The duration of hospitalization ranged from 4 to 7 days (mean 5.6 days). Conclusion : hMPV accounted for a small but significant proportion of respiratory tract infection in infants and children. Future development and application of diagnostic tools will determine the burden of disease caused by this newly discovered pathogen.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.269-276
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• 1988

Eight patients with intracranial tumors or arteriovenous malformation (AVM)s which were less than 3 cm in diameter were treated by a technique of stereotactic radiotherapy during the 4months period from July 1988 through October 1988 at the Division of Radiation Therapy, Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. The patients were diagnosed as AVMs in 3 cases, acoustic neurinoma, craniopharyngiom (recurrent), hemangioblastoma, pineocytoma, and pituitary microadenoma in each case. There are several important factors in this procedure, such as localization system, portal, field size, radiation dose, and perioperative supportive care. It is suggested that stereotactic radiotherapy may be peformed safely with a radiation dose of 12-30 Gy. So this nonivasive procedure can be used to treat unresectable intracranial tumors or AVMs. Of these, clinical symptoms had been regressed in AVMs in 2 cases at 3 months and 2 months after Stereotactic radiotherapy, one of whom was confirmed slightly regressed on the follow-up angiogram. And also craniopharyngioma and pineocytoma was minimally regressed on 3 month follow-up CT.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.258-266
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• 1998

Purpose : Cases of adenoviral penumonia with rapidly progressive clinical course were experienced. We reviewed these patients in viewpoint of clinical manifestation and adenoviral serotypes. Methods : Culture and indirect immunofluorescence for respiratory viruses including respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus was done with nasopharyngeal aspirates from patients who admitted due to respiratory infections in Fatima Hospital, Masan from Nov. 1996 to Jul. 1997. Cultured adenovirus was serotyped by both neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition test. Medical records were reviewed for 5 patients with respiratory failure from adenovirus was isolated and serotyped. Results : The total number of examined patients was 460 patients. We isolated respiratory viruses in 143(30.9%) patients. Adenovirus was isolated from 66 out of 143(46.2%) patients. During Jan 1997 to May 1997, five patients with ages of 18 days to 11 months who were infected by adenovirus and had high fever with dyspnea and required assisted mechanical ventilation. One patients discharged against doctor's advice then died. Two of four patients had complications of disseminated intravascular coagulation; two had bronchiolitis obliterans. Two isolates were serotype 7, and one was serotype 5, and two were untyped. Conclusion : Severe pneumonia caused by serotype 7 continued to occur in 1997 following the epidemic in 1996, and severe pneumonia may also be caused by serotype 5 and other serotypes.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2006

Purpose : We investigated whether there had been any change in the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Korea before and after introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(PCV7). Methods : Between September 2001 and August 2006, clinical isolates were collected from patients with pneumococcal infection in Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. We analyzed trends in serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance before and after the introduction of PCV7. Results : There were 363 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens; 143 before and 220 after PCV7 introduction. The predominant serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6B, 6A, 3, 9V, 14, 11A, 4, 29, and 18C; 152 isolates(41.9%) belonged to types included in PCV7. The proportion of clinical isolates that were nonsusceptible to penicillin increased from 58.8% in 2001 to 83.6% in 2006(P=0.046). There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7. In children younger than age 2 years, the proportion of clinical isolates that were vaccine serotypes was higher than in persons older than age 15 years (59.3% vs 37.8%, P=0.004). Conclusions : There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7, therefore more universal pneumococcal immunization program is recommended especially for children younger than age 2 years.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2011

Purpose : Pneumococcus is one of the most important causes of invasive infection through the childhood period. In January 2008, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) published revised penicillin breakpoints for Streptococcus pneumoniae and penicillin susceptibility rates of S. pneumoniae increased in Korea. This study was performed to determine the probability of oral amoxicillin for the empirical treatment achieving bactericidal exposure against pneumococcus using pharmacodynamics model. Methods : Twenty-three isolates of pneumococci were subjected to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ${\beta}$-lactams and macrolide. For the ${\beta}$-lactams, exposure of fT >MIC (time that free drug concentrations remain above the MIC) for 50% of the administration interval have determined the probability of target attainment (PTA), and regimens that had a PTA >90% were considered optimal. An analysis was performed by applying MIC of 23 isolates to a 5000-patient Monte Carlo simulation model. Results : Among 23 isolates from healthy children, 7 (30.4%) isolates were MIC ${\leq}$1.0 ${\mu}g$/mL and 19 (82.6%) were MIC ${\leq}$2 ${\mu}g$/mL for amoxicillin. Amoxicillin 40 mg/kg/day achieved PTA >90% at MIC ${\leq}$1.0 ${\mu}g$/mL but PTA decreased to 52% at MIC 2 ${\mu}g$/mL, whereas amoxicillin 90 mg/kg/day can predict 97% of PTA at MIC 2 ${\mu}g$/mL. Overall, oral amoxicillin 90 mg/ kg/day for the empirical treatment against pneumococcus can expect more successful response in Korean children. Conclusion : Considering the resistantce pattern of pneumococci in Korean children, we estimate that oral amoxicillin 90 mg/kg/day will provide a pharmacodynamic advantage for the empirical treatment against pneumococcus. And low dose amoxicillin or macrolide are expected to have higher chance of treatment failure than high dose oral amoxicillin.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2003

I. Purpose The dose distribution in normal tissues and target lesions is very important in the treatment planning. To make the uniform dose distribution in target lesions, many methods has been used. Especially in the head and neck, the dose inhomogeneity at the skin surface should be corrected. Conventional methods have a limitation in delivering the enough doses to the planning target volume (PTV) with minimized dose to the parotid gland and spinal cord. In this study, we investigated the feasibility and the practical QA methods of the forward IMRT. II. Material and Methods The treatment plan of the forward IMRT with the partial block technique using the dynamic multi-leaf collimator (dMLC) for the patients with the nasopharyngeal cancer was verified using the dose volume histogram (DVH). The films and pinpoint chamber were used for the accurate dose verification. III. Results As a result of verifying the DVH for the 2-D treatment plan with the forward IMRT, the dose to the both parotid gland and spinal cord were reduced. So the forward IMRT could save the normal tissues and optimize the treatment. Forward IMRT can use the 3-D treatment planning system and easily assure the quality, so it is easily accessible comparing with inverse IMRT IV. Conclusion The forward IMRT could make the uniform dose in the PTV while maintaining under the tolerance dose in the normal tissues comparing with the 2-D treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.472-482
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• 2003

Recent studies have demonstrated that cerebral desaturation during rewarming period of CPB was associated with postoperative neurologic dysfunction. The prevention of cerebral desaturation during CPB may reduce the incidences of neurologic and neuropsychological complications. The present study was prospectively undertaken to compare the clinical effects between two strategies (hypercapnic CPB and high flow CPB) to prevent cerebral desaturation for establishing a proper CPB technique. Material and Method: Thirty-six adult patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were randomized into either hypercapnic (Pa$CO_2$ 45~50mmHg, n＝18) or high flow group (flow rate 2.75 L/ $m^2$/min and Pa$CO_2$ 35~40mmHg, n＝18) during rewarming period of CPB. In each patient, middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity ( $V_{MCA}$), cerebral arteriovenous oxygen content difference (C(a-v) $O_2$), modified cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (MCMR $O_2$), cerebral oxygen transport rate ( $T_{E}$ $O_2$), incidence of cerebral desaturation (internal jugular bulb blood oxygen saturation $\leq$ 50%), increased rate of S-100 $\beta$ concentration, and arterial and internal jugular bulb blood gas were measured during the five phases of the operation; Pre-CPB, CPB-10 min (steady-state CPB, nasopharyngeal temperature 29~3$0^{\circ}C$), Rewarm-1 (rewarming phase, nasopharyngeal temperature 33$^{\circ}C$), Rewarm-2 (nasopharyngeal temperature 37$^{\circ}C$), and CPB-off. Incidence of postoperative delirium and duration were assessed in all patients. All variables were compared between the two groups. Result: $V_{MCA}$ (157.88$\pm$10.87 vs 120.00$\pm$6.18%, p＝0.006), internal jugular bulb $O_2$ saturation (68.01$\pm$2.75 vs 61.28$\pm$2.87%, p＝0.03) and $O_2$ tension (41.01$\pm$2.25 vs 32.02$\pm$ 1,67 mmHg, p＝0.03), and $T_{E}$ $O_2$(110.84$\pm$7.41 vs 81.15$\pm$8.11%, p＝0.003) at rewarming periods were higher in the hypercapnic group than in the high flow group. C(a-v) $O_2$ (4.0$\pm$0.30 vs 4.84$\pm$0.38 mg/dL, p＝0.04), COE (0.36$\pm$0.03 vs 0.42$\pm$0.03, p＝0.04), increased rate of S- 100$\beta$ (391.67$\pm$23.40 vs 940.0$\pm$17.02%, p＝0.003), and incidence of cerebral desaturation (2 vs 4 patients, p＝0.04) at rewarming periods, and duration of postoperative delirium (18 vs 34 hr, p＝0.02) were low in the hypercapnic group compared to the high flow group. Conclusion: These results indicate that hypercapnic CPB may provide relatively diminished cerebral injury and beneficial effects for cerebral metabolism relatively compared to high flow CPB.low CPB.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 2004

Purpose : Retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses are often distinguishable from other head and neck abscesses on clinical grounds, but these infections can combine and the presentations are similar to one another. Because of the advances of antibiotic therapy, the frequency of the diseases decreased considerably, but recently the incidence of neck abscesses has increased. We sought to describe the clinical presentation of patients with deep neck abscess, and implications on management. Methods : For 10 year periods, 94 cases of charts were reviewed retrospectively, who were diagnosed as neck abscesses aged below 16 years old(between January 1993 to August 2003) in 4 hospitals. Deep neck abscesses were diagnosed by surgical pus drainage, neck CT (homogenous, hypodense area with ring enhancement) and neck sono findings. Results : The annual incidence of deep neck abscess has been increased since 2000. The median age of the patients was 4 years(range, 26 days~15 years); 63% of the patients were younger than 5 years. Abscesses in the submandibular space(34%) were most common, followed by peritonsillar space(29.7%), retropharyngeal space(11.7%), combined(10.8%), parotid space(7.4%) and parapharyngeal space(6.4%). Fever(73.4%), sore throat(37.2%), decreased oral intake(34%) and neck pain(27.7%) were the most common symptoms. In 6 children(6.4%), there was refusal to move neck, in 6(6.4%) headache, and in 4(4.3%) torticollis. Respiratory distress was observed in only 1 patient(2.1%) and stridor in 1 other(2.1%). The most common physical examinations were neck swelling/mass(67%), pharyngitis(46.8%), tonsillitis(36.2 %), and cervical lymphadenopathy(28.7%). Neck stiffness was observed in 4 patients(4.3%). Total 35 organisms were isolated in 33 patients. The most common organisms cultured by patients' blood or pus were S. aureus(34%) and S. pyogenes(28.6%). Most organisms were gram positive, and had sensitivities in vancomycin(96.4%), cefotaxime(88.9%), cephalothin (86.4%), trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole(83.3%), and clindamycin(77.8%). 77 patients(81.9%) underwent surgery plus antibiotics; 17 patients(18.1%) were treated with antibiotics only. There is no significant differences between two groups. In duration of admission, fever after admission, and antibiotic treatment. Conclusion : The incidence of deep neck abscess has increased recently and the major symptoms have been changed. The incidence of respiratory distress or stridor is decreasing, while the incidence of abnormal head and neck symptoms and signs like headache, neck stiffness, refusal to move neck, or torticollis are increasing. Gram positive organisms are predominant, S. aureus is the most common followed by S. pyogenes. 1st generation cephalosporin has high sensitivity on gram positive organisms. Treatment with surgery plus antibiotics dose not significantly decrease total duration of antibiotic treatment or admission compared to treatment with antibiotics alone.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

Acute phase patients who are unconscious and are suffering from cerebral infarction, cranial nerve disorders, or cerebral apoplexy are susceptible to aspiration pneumonia due to dysphagia. In these cases, a nasogastric tube is inserted to supply nutrients. Although bedside screening tests are administered during recovery after rehabilitation, clinical examinations may not be able to ascertain asymptomatic aspiration. Therefore, a video fluoroscopy swallowing study (VFSS) was performed in 10 patients with dysphagia after rehabilitation therapy; these patients had nasogastric tubes inserted, and a rehabilitation specialist assessed the degree of swallowing based on the patients' diet and posture. If aspiration or swallowing difficulties were observed, dysphagia rehabilitation therapy was administered. The patients were reassessed approximately 30-50 days after administration of therapy, based on the patients' condition. If aspiration is not observed, the nasogastric tube was removed. A functional dysphagia scale was used to analyze the VFSS images, and the scores were statistically calculated. The mean score of patients with nasogastric tubes was $49.79{\pm}9.431$, thereby indicating aspiration risk, whereas the group without nasogastric tubes showed a mean score of $11.20{\pm}1.932$, which indicated low risk of aspiration. These results demonstrated that a significantly low score was associated with nasogastric tube removal. Mann-Whitney's test was performed to assess the significance of both the groups, and the results were statistically significant with a P value <0.001. In conclusion, VFSS can effectively assess the movements and structural abnormalities in the oral cavity, pharynx, and esophagus. It can also be used to determine the aspiration status and ascertain the appropriate diet or swallowing posture for the patient. Therefore, VFSS can potentially be used as a reliable standard test to assess swallowing in order to determine nasogastric tube removal.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 1990

The growth and developmental pattern of H. continua was observed after experimental infection of their metacercariae to chicks. The recovery rate of worms from the chicks at 1 to 28 days post-infection(PI) was 12.8% in average. The rate remained fairly high for early 4 days of infection but decreased thereafter rapidly till 28 days PI. Most of the nukes, 91.9%, were recovered from the ileum of the chicks. In metacercariae, genital organs such as the ovary, testes, seminal vesicle, seminal receptacle and genital sucker were recognizable. At one day PI Mehlis'gland appeared, and at 2 days follicular vitellaria were observed. At 3 days PI, eggs were formed in the uterine tubule and increased in number as the worm grew old. The worms reached $2,990{\;}{\mu\textrm{m}}$ in length and $525{\;}{\mu\textrm{m}}$ in width at 28 days PI. Genital organs developed rapidly in early stages of infection but slowly thereafter to 28 days Pl, whereas non-genital organs developed steadily through the infection period. It was proved by this experiment that chicks should be a moderately suitable final host of H. continua.