• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 1999

Background : Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment are very important in the management of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) because of its high mortality. Bronchoscopy with a protected specimen brush (PSB) has been considered the standard method to isolate the causative organisms of VAP. However, this method burdens consumer economically to purchase a PSB. Another useful method for the diagnosis of VAP is quantitative cultures of aspirated specimens through bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), for which the infusion of more than 120 m1 of saline has been recommended for adequate sampling of a pulmonary segment. However, occasionally it leads to deterioration of the patient's condition. We studied the diagnostic efficacy of minibronchoalveolar lavage (miniBAL), which retrieves only 25 ml of BAL fluid, in the isolation of causative organisms of VAP. Methods: We included 38 consecutive patients (41 cases) suspected of having VAP on the basis of clinical evidence, who had received antibiotics before the bronchoscopy. The two diagnostic techniques of PSB and miniBAL, which were performed one after another at the same pulmonary segment, 'were compared prospectively. The cut-off values for quantitative cultures to define causative bacteria of VAP were more than $10^3$ colony-forming units (cfu)/ml for PSB and more than $10^4$ cfu/ml for BAL. Results: The amount of instilled normal saline required to retrieve 25 ml of BAL fluid was $93{\pm}32 ml$ (mean${\pm}$SD). The detection rate of causative agents was 46.3% (19/41) with PSB and 43.9% (18/41) with miniBAL. The concordance rate of PSB and miniBAL in the bacterial culture was 85.4% (35/41). Although arterial blood oxygen saturation dropped significantly (p<0.05) during ($92{\pm}10%$) and 10 min after ($95{\pm}3%$) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($97{\pm}3%$), all except 3 cases were within normal ranges. The significantly elevated heart rate during ($l25{\pm}24$/min, p<0.05) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($1l1{\pm}22$/min) recovered again in 10 min after ($111{\pm}26$/min) miniBAL. Transient hypotension was developed during the procedure in two cases. The procedure was stopped in one case due to atrial flutter. Conclusion: MiniBAL is a safe and effective technique to detect the causative organisms of VAP.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.238-249
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• 1998

Purpose: To localize and compare the neural basis of verbal and visual human working memory, we performed functional activation study using $H_2^{15}O$ PET. Materials and Methods: Repeated $H_2^{15}O$ PET scans with one control and three different activation tasks were performed on six right-handed normal volunteers. Each activation task was composed of 13 match-ing trials. On each trial, four targets, a fixation dot and a probe were presented sequentially and subject's task was to press a response button to indicate whether or not the probe was one of the previous targets. Short meaningful Korean words, simple drawings and monochromic pictures of human faces were used as matching objects for verbal or visual memory. All the images were spatially normalized and the differences between control and activation states were statistically analyzed using SPM96. Results: Statistical analysis of verbal memory activation with short words showed activation in the left Broca's area, promoter cortex, cerebellum and right cingulate gyrus. In verbal memory with simple drawings, activation was shown in the larger regions including where activated with short words and left superior temporal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, prefrontal cortex, anterior portion of right superior temporal gyrus and right infero-lateral frontal cortex. On the other hand, the visual memory task activated predominantly right-sided structures, especially inferior frontal cortex, supplementary motor cortex and superior parietal cortex. Conclusion: The results are consistent with the hypothesis of the laterality and dissociation of the verbal and visual working memory from the invasive electrophysiological studies and emphasize the pivotal role of frontal cortex and cingulate gyrus in working memory system.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.259-264
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• 1998

Purpose : This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative radiotherapy in maxillary sinus cancer. Materials and Methods : A retrospective analysis was done for 42 patients with maxillary sinus cancer who were treated with radiation with or without surgery from April 1986 to September 1996. There were 27 male and 15 female patients. Patients' age ranged from 24 to 75 years (median 56 years). Stage distribution showed 2 in T2, 19 in T3, and 21 in T4 lesions The histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 38, undifferentiated carcinoma in 1, transitional cell carcinoma in 1, and adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2 patients. All patients were treated with radiation initially with a dosage range of 50.4-70.2 Gy (median 70.2 Gy) before further evaluation of remnant disease. Eleven patients were given induction chemotherapy (2cycles of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) concurrently with radiotherapy. Six to eight weeks after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy computerized tomography (CT) of paranasal sinus was taken to evaluate remnant disease. If the CT finding showed remnant disease, a Caldwell-Luc procedure was done to get the specimen of suspicious lesions. A radical maxillectomy was done if the specimen was proven to contain malignancy. In contrast periodic follow-up examination was done without any radical surgery if the tissue showed only granulation tissue. Follow-up period ranged from 3 to 92 months with a median 16 months. Results : Nine (21.4$\%$) patients showed complete response (CR) and 33 patients (78.6$\%$) showed persistent disease (PER) to initial radiotherapy. Among the 9 CR patients, 7 patients had no evidence of disease (NED), 1 patient had local failure, and 1 patient had regional failure. Among 33 PER patients, salvage total maxillectomy was done in 10 patients, and the surgery was not feasible or refused in 23 patients. Following the salvage radical surgery, 2 patients were NED and 8 patients were PER status. Overall and disease- free survival rate at 5 years was 23.1$\%$ and 16.7$\%$, respectively. The only factors associated with the overall survival rate was the response to radiotherapy (P<0.01). Conclusion : The only factors associated with the overall survival rate was the response to radiotherapy. We could omit a radical mutilating surgery by preoperative irradiation in 7 of 42 patients (21.4$\%$) so as to preserve their facial integrity.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 1977

The authors examined fresh-water gammarid materials which were collected from streams in 20 localities of South Korea during the period from 1965 to 1977. As the results of the observation, the authors have concluded as follows: 1. These fresh-water gammarids belong to Gammarus pulex-group and are distributed widely in mountain-streams of mainland and surrounding islands of South Korea. 2. The present specimens are different from the subspecies, G. pulex koreanus Ueno, 1940 which was described originally from North Korea. In the latter, the pulmose setae of third uropod are limited only to the outer margin of both rami. The peduncle and flagellum of second antenna are fringed with a few short setae and the flagellum is provided with calceoli. In the former, both margins of inner ramus and outer margin of outer ramus of third uropod are fringed with long pulmose setae. The peduncle and flagellum of second antenna have abundant relatively long setase and the flagellum is not provided with calceoli. 3. The present specimens are different from the subspecies, G. pulex sobaegensis Ueno, 1966 which was described originally from South Korea. The latter dwells in cave, while the former dwells in mountain-stream. In the former, the arrangements of pulmose setae of third uropod and the setation of second antenna are similar to those of the latter. But they are quite different from each other in several characters such as shape of upper lip, shape of fifth article of second gnathopod and numbers of incisions on front distal margins of coxal plates 1-3. The former has spines on surface of coxal plates 1-3, but the latter has not. In females, the former has four pairs of marsupial plates, while the latter has three pairs. 4. The present materials show local variations. Therefore, they could be divided into 3 local groups. The first group (specimens from Mt. Odae and Mt. Sogeumgang) has pulmose setae on the both margins of both rami of third uropod and second article of outer ramus is relatively long. In general, this group has setae sparsely on the both rami and especially a few setae on the outer margin of outer ramus. The second group, which are widely distributed in South Korea, has pulmose setae on the both margins of inner ramus and on the outer margin of outer ramus of third uropod. In the third group (specimens from Mt. Soyo), the pulmose setation of third uropod is similar to that of the first group, but the second article of outer ramus is very small.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.272-277
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• 2001

Objective : Polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) is often used to reconstruct the spine after total corpectomy, but the exothermic curing of liquid PMMA poses a risk of thermal injury to the spinal cord. The purposes of this study are to analyze the heat blocking effect of pre-polymerized PMMA sheet in the corpectomy model and to establish the minimal thickness of PMMA sheet to protect the spinal cord from the thermal injury during PMMA cementation of vertebral body. Materials & Methods : An experimental fixture was fabricated with dimensions similar to those of a T12 corpectomy defect. Sixty milliliters of liquid PMMA were poured into the fixture, and temperature recordings were obtained at the center of the curing PMMA mass and on the undersurface(representing the spinal cord surface) of a prepolymerized PMMA sheet of variable thickness(group 1 : 0mm, group 2 : 5mm, or group 3 : 8mm). Six replicates were tested for each barrier thickness group. Results : Consistent temperatures($106.8{\pm}3.9^{\circ}C$) at center of the curing PMMA mass in eighteen experiments confirmed the reproducibility of the experimental fixture. Peak temperatures on the spinal cord surface were $47.3^{\circ}C$ in group 2, and $43.3^{\circ}C$ in group 3, compared with $60.0^{\circ}C$ in group 1(p<0.00005). So pre-polymerized PMMA provided statistically significant protection from heat transfer. The difference of peak temperature between theoretical and experimental value was less than 1%, while the predicted time was within 35% of experimental values. The data from the theoretical model indicate that a 10mm barrier of PMMA should protect the spinal cord from temperatures greater than $39^{\circ}C$(the threshold for thermal injury in the spinal cord). Conclusion : These results suggest that pre-polymerized PMMA sheet of 10mm thickness may protect the spinal cord from the thermal injury during PMMA reconstruction of vertebral body.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1389-1396
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• 2002

Purpose : This study was done to analyze the changes in the clinical conditions and the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Methods : We report a retrospective clinical analysis of 39 patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis from Jan. 1992 to Aug. 2001. The age and sex distribution, family and birth history, clinical symptoms, the ultrasonographic and the operative sizes of pyloric canals were compared. Results : The body weight was below the 3 percentile at admission in eight cases(20.5%). "Olive like mass" in right upper quadrant was palpated during physical examination in 23 cases(59%) and gastric peristaltic wave observed in six cases(15%). The ultrasonographic measurements showed that the pyloric muscle thickness to be $4.95{\pm}0.99mm$($mean{\pm}SD$), pyloric diameter $14.42{\pm}2.64mm$, and pyloric length $20.17{\pm}3.92mm$. Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy was employed in all cases. The operative measurements of the pyloric muscle thickness was $5.11{\pm}1.01mm$, pyloric diameter $15.01{\pm}2.47mm$, and pyloric length $22.32{\pm}3.43mm$. Conclusion : There was no significant difference between the ultrasonographic and operative measurements. Currently, the hypertrophic pyloric stenosis patients showed lesser clinical hallmarks of the disease. The earlier diagnosis using imaging studies before development of significant metabolic abnormalities is becoming an important factor that change the future outcomes of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 2008

Background: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a serious disease originating in odontogenic or oropharyngeal infection with high mortality despite adequate antibiotics and aggressive surgery. We analyzed results of treatment for DNM. Material and Method: We studied 8 cases diagnosed as DNM from 1998 to 2007. All patients received emergent surgical drainage and debridement with broad spectrum antibiotics just after diagnosis. Antibiotics were changed after bacterial susceptibility testing. The surgical approach included 2 cases of cervicotomy, 6 cases of cervicotomy, and a thoracotomy. Result: The interval between symptom onset and hospitalization was $4.6{\pm}1.8$ days ($1{\sim}9$ day). DNM originated in 4 cases of odontogenic infection (50%), 2 cases of oropharyngeal infection (25%), and 2 cases of unknown origin (25%). Causative organisms were found in 6 cases; Streptococcus in 4 cases, Staphylococcus in 1 case, and Klebsiella in 1 case. The Endo DNM classification was type I (2 cases), IIA (3 cases), and IIB (3 cases). The incidence of thoracotomy was 75%. The surgical mortality rate was 25% (2/8). The cause of death was multiple organ failure caused by septic shock. All mortality cases received only cervicotomy and aggravated infections after initial drainage. Conclusion: Early diagnosis, immediate surgical drainage, and adequate antibiotics, including covered anaerobes, are required. Thoracotomy should be performed with cervicotomy even for localized DNM.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.287-296
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• 2003

Background : Drowning represents the third most common cause of all accidental deaths worldwide. Although few studies of submersion injury were done in Korea, the subjects were mainly pediatric patients. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical feature of submersion injury in adults. Methods : The medical records of 31 patients with submersion injury who were >15 years of age and admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital from July 1990 to March 2003 were retrospectively examined. Results : The most common age-group, cause, and site of submersion accidents in adults were 15-24 years of age, inability to swim, and river followed by more than 65 years of age, drinking, and public bath respectively. The initial chest radiographics showed bilaterally and centrally predominant distribution of pulmonary edema at lung base in about 90% of patients with pulmonary edema represented by submersion injury but at only upper lung zone in 10%. Eventually, 25 patients (80.6%) survived without any neurologic deficit and 2 patients (6.5%) with significant neurologic deficit, and 4 patients (12.9%) died. Age, arterial gas oxygenation, and mental status among baseline variables showed significant difference for prognosis. Conclusions : More than 65 year of age, drinking, and occurrence in public bath were relatively important in submersion injury of adults, and the successful survival of 80.6% of patients suggests that cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be intensively done in even adults.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2009

Purpose: We wanted to evaluate the surgical results of early mobilization after rigid fixation of small coronoid fracture using the tension band technique Materials and Methods: Eight cases of coronoid fracture were fixed with the tension band technique and using K-wire and wire through the medial approach. All the cases were Regan-Morrey type 2. According to O'Driscoll, they were classified as 5 cases of the tip type (subtype 2) and 3 cases of the anteromedial type (1 case of subtype 2, and 2 case of subtype 3). The associated collateral ligament injuries (6 cases) and radial head/neck fractures (4 cases) were managed simultaneously. After immobilization for 5~7 days, active ROM exercise with a fitted hinge brace started and continued till postoperative 6 weeks. The patients were assessed for pain, ROM and functional disability using the Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) at an average of 11 months (range: 6~28 months). The ulnar nerve symptoms were also investigated. Results: We observed solid union in all the coronoid fractures without hardware failure. An average of 2.2 wires (range: 2~4) were used. The mean extension was $3^{\circ}$(range: $0^{\circ}\sim25^{\circ}$), the mean flexion was $137^{\circ}$(range: $130^{\circ}\sim140^{\circ}$), the mean pronation was $69^{\circ}$(range: $45^{\circ}\sim90^{\circ}$) and the mean supination was $78^{\circ}$(range: $45^{\circ}\sim90^{\circ}$). The mean MEPS was 96 (range: 65~100). Ulnar nerve symptoms occurred at postoperative one day and persisted in one patient with the terrible triad of taking radial head excision and residual medial instability. Conclusion: The tension band technique uses easily obtained, economic K-wires and the wire was strong enough to permit early elbow ROM exercise and the technique might improve the elbow function. It was especially useful for fixation of multiple small fragments.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.754-762
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• 2001

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of arterial switch operation for transposition of great arteries, serial echocardiographic studies were performed in 8 patients who underwent the surgery between 1989 and 1998 at Dept. of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital in Daegu City, Korea. Material and Method: Follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 11 years(average of 4.1 years). Body weight ranged from 2.6kg to 4.8kg, with average of 3.6kg. 5 of 8 patients were preoperatively diagnosed as TGA+VSD, and 3 as TGA+IVS. LV function was evaluated by the measurement of LV shortening fraction, LVSTI, and LVEF. RVSTI was also measured. Postoperative function of valve and growth of great vessels were analyzed by the measurement of PSPGV, valvular regurgitation, LA/AO ratio, root dimension of aorta and pulmonary artery, comparing with the age matched controls, respectively. Result: LVEF had an average of 65.0+9.03% which is tended to increase serially. LVAOPG had an average of 15.9mmHg. RVPAPG, 27.5mmHg. From the measurement of aortic root dimension of 6 patients at end-systole, aortic root growth was assumed to increase more than the mean value of normal growth. PA root dimension at end-systole showed a similar growth progress when compared with age matched normal controls. Postoperative pulmonic valve regurgitation was noted in 5 of total 8 patients, in which 1 patient who showed grade 2 and 4 showed below grade 1. AR, in 6 patients and all grade 1 Except 1 patient, all the valvular regurgitations were below grade 1, which was presumed to be clinically insignificant.