• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 2003

Purpose: Recently, while the authors were experiencing that the epidemic period of rotaviral infection happened more in the early spring, we tried to find out how the outbreaks of rotaviral infection are changing in detail depending on the weather condition since it has something to do with the climate factors and PM10. Methods: Fourteen hundreds seventy nine patients who were proved to be positive to rotavirus were chosen among children less than 5 years old from January 1995 to June 2003. Among various climate factors, monthly average temperature, humidity, rainfall and PM10 were selected. Results: Rotaviral infection was most active in 2002 as 309 (20.9%) patients. It has been the spring that is the most active period of rotaviral infection since 2000. The temperature (RR=0.9423, CI=0.933424~0.951163), rainfall (RR=1.0024, CI=1.001523~1.003228) and PM10 (RR=1.0123, CI=1.009385~1.015248) were significantly associated with the monthly distribution of rotaviral infection. Conclusion: Through this study we determined that the epidemic period of rotaviral infection is changed to spring, which is different from the usual seasonal periods such as late fall or winter as reported in previous articles. As increased PM10 which could give serious influence to the human body, and changing pattern of climate factors such as monthly average temperature and rainfall have something to do with the rotaviral infection, we suppose that further study concerning this result is required in the aspects of epidemiology, biology and atmospheric science.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2010

Purpose: Infectious ileocecitis is an infection confined to the ileocecal area and one of the most common causes of pediatric abdominal pain. This study was performed to demonstrate the clinical features of infectious ileocecitis in children. Methods: The medical records and radiologic findings of 37 patients with ileocecitis diagnosed by ultrasonography and/or computed tomography, who were admitted to Pusan National University Hospital from January 2004 and July 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Viral gastroenteritis and secondary ileocecitis were excluded. Results: The mean age of the patients was 4.8${\pm}$3.4 years. One-half of the patients were preschool children. The chief complaint was abdominal pain (75.7%), diarrhea (10.8%), and vomiting (8.1%). Accompanying symptoms were fever (56.8%), vomiting (21.6%), and diarrhea (16.2%). The mean duration of abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting was 3.8${\pm}$2.1, 3.0${\pm}$1.9, 3.4${\pm}$1.9, and 2.4${\pm}$2.3 days, respectively. The frequency of diarrhea and vomiting was 5.8${\pm}$2.2 and 4.0${\pm}$2.8 per day, respectively. Diagnosis was made by abdominal ultrasonography in 22 patients (59.5%), abdominal CT in 2 patients (5.4%), and both modalities in 13 patients (35.1%). Besides the radiologic finding of thickening of the bowel wall, mesenteric lymphadenitis (59.5%), ascites (5.4%), and both mesenteric lymphadenitis and ascites (16.2%) were revealed. The mean duration of illness was 7.5${\pm}$5.0 days. There were no specific laboratory findings, and culture studies with stool or blood were negative. All of the patients recovered completely without specific treatment. Conclusion: Infectious ileocecitis has acute appendicitis-mimicking symptoms, but is self-limited within a few days, thus unnecessary treatment and work-up is avoided. However, distinguishing infectious ileocecitis from appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and mesenteric lymphadenitis is important.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2000

Purpose : The hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. It is ole of tile most common cause of acute renal failure in children but few reports are available in Korea. Thus we investigated the 23 patients diagnosed as HUS during last 14 years. Method : We retrospectively investigated the etiologic factor, clinical manifestations laboratory findings, treatment modalities, and final outcomes of the patients. Then patients were divided into two groups according to outcome, md comparison was performed. Group A(8) comprised patients who progressed to end-stage renal disease or expired. Group B(15) comprised patients who completely recovered after dialysis treatment. Result The number of patients aged less than 4 years were 17; between 5 and 10 were 4 and more than 10 were 2. The gende ratio was M:F=2 : 1. The etiologic factors were as follows: acute gastroenteritis in 14 patients including 4 bloody diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection in 7 patients, and 1 patient with herbal mediation. The overall mortality rate was 22$\%$: 2 patients died of US complications, 2 patients died of sepsis, and 1 patient died of pulmonary hemorrhage. Group A (Hb 4.8${\pm}$1.2 g/dL) showed lower value in hemoglobin than group B (Hb 6.3${\pm}$1.7 g/dL) during hospital stay (P< 0.05), And the time interval between tile disease onset and dialysis treatment was significantly longer in group A ($11.9{\pm}9.1\;days\;vs\;2.8{\pm}2.1\;days$) (P< 0.05). Conclusion : Overall mortality rate was 22$\%$. Low hemoglobin value and the prolonged time interval between the disease onset and dialysis treatment were related with poor prognosis. So early diagnosis and appropriate intensive care including dialysis treatment is essential to achieve better outcome in children.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.142-149
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• 2009

Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) compared with that of C-reactive protein (CRP) and the total white blood cell count (WBC) in predicting bacterial infections in febrile infants<6 months of age. Methods : A prospective study was performed with infants <6 months of age who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics with a fever of uncertain source between July and September 2008. Spinal taps were performed according to clinical symptoms and physical examination. Serum PCT levels were measured using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. Results : Seventy-one infants (mean age, 2.62 months) were studied. Twenty-six infants (36.6%) had urinary tract infections (UTIs), and 22 infants (31.0%) had viral meningitis. The remaining infants had acute pharyngitis (n=1), herpangina (n=1), upper respiratory tract infections (n=7), acute bronchiolitis (n=8), acute gastroenteritis (n=4), and bacteremia (n=2). The median WBC and CRP levels were significantly higher in infants with UTIs than in infants with viral meningitis. However, there were no differences in the median PCT levels between the groups (0.14 ng/mL vs. 0.11 ng/mL, P=0.419). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.792 (95% CI, 0.65-0.896) for WBC, 0.77 (95% CI, 0.626-0.879) for CRP, and 0.568 (95% CI, 0.417-0.710) for PCT. An elevated WBC count (>11,920/${\mu}L$) and an increased CRP level (>1.06mg/dL) were significant predictors of UTIs based on multiple logistic regression analysis. Conclusion : Serum PCT concentrations should be interpreted with caution in infants <6 months of age with a fever of uncertain source.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.911-920
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• 2016

Norovirus is the most common causative agent of acute gastroenteritis. This study was carried out to investigate molecular epidemiology of norovirus infections from outbreaks in Busan from 2012 to 2015. Total of 581 stool specimens were collected from diarrhea patients in outbreaks in Busan, 71 samples were resulted in positive to norovirus. The data were analyzed according to seasonality, patient, age and gender. Noroviruses were detected most frequently during the winter season from November (25.4%) to February (28.2%). The age group from teens was the most susceptible to norovirus infections. To obtain the molecular genetic information of norovirus, we performed sequencing analyses of the strains detected. Norovirus genotypes have been reported to show high genetic diversity. Four kinds of GI genotypes (GI-1, GI-2, GI-3, GI-5) and five kinds of GII genotypes (GII-1, GII-4, GII-5, GII-6, GII-17) were indentified in outbreaks in Busan. Other previous studies have shown that GII-4 is the most predominant circulating in Korea and worldwide. The most prevalent norovirus genotypes of each year were GII-6 in 2012, GII-6 in 2013, GII-4 in 2014 and GII-6 in 2015. Except for 2014, GII-6 genotype was the most prevalent and predominant in Busan. We described the epidemiological analysis of the noroviruses in outbreaks in Busan. The result of this study will contribute to update the epidemiological data and improve hygiene and public health via sustainable surveillance.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.158-165
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• 2002

Purpose: We designed this retrospective study to establish the incidence of diagnosic delay in children diagnosed with acute appendicitis and to identify associated factors with delayed diagnosis and its impact on the clinical course. Methods: All cases of children under 15 years of age who underwent appendectomy from 1996 to 2001 at Gangneung Asan Hospital were reviewed. We reviewed signs and symptoms, type of health professional first contacted, the advice given by the health professional and a history of appendicitis in first degree relatives. Diagnostic period is the time elapsed between first complaints and definitive diagnosis. Delay was defined as diagnostic period exceeded the 48 hours. Postoperative course and complications were also reviewed. Results: Incidence of diagnostic delay differed by whether diarrhea and fecalith on X-ray were present. Also children whose parents were advised to observe them at home were more likely to have a diagnostic delay. In almost half of the cases in delayed group, initial diagnosis was not acute appendicitis but gastroenteritis. The perforation rate in non-delayed group was 22%, whereas 87% in delayed group. The delayed group showed a higher number of postoperative complication and a longer hospitalization period. Conclusions: Diarrhea with abdominal pain and fever in children should not be dismissed as gastroenteritis, respiratory infections or other common disorders. Our study suggests that physicians have a responsibility to prevent diagnostic delay and resultant perforation of acute appendicitis in children by having a high index of suspicion about acute appendicitis.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2009

Purpose : We evaluated the clinical features of Norovirus gastroenteritis compared with Rotavirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children. Methods : We detected causative agents in 3,261 samples of children hospitalized with gastroenteritis symptoms at a single center of pediatrics between 2005 and 2006. Among 266 and 303 samples which tested positive for Norovirus and Rotavirus, we selected 73 and 182 samples of children with relatively pure gastroenteritis symptoms and retrospectively analyzed the corresponding medical records. Results : The male-to-female ratio of the Norovirus (+) and Rotavirus (+) groupswas 1.43:1 and 1.56:1 both groups were predominantly in males. The mean age of the Norovirus (+) and Rotavirus (+) groups was 36.7 and 24.4 months, respectively the children in the former group were older than the children in the latter group. The incidence in the Norovirus (+) group was more concentrated in the winter. The symptoms in the Norovirus (+), in decreasing order, included vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. The duration of vomiting, diarrhea, and fever was 2.1, 1.2, and 1.2 days. The maximum number of episodes of vomiting and diarrhea per day was 3.5 and 4.5, respectively. The severity score was 10.16. The symptoms inthe Rotavirus (+) group, in decreasing order, included diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. The duration of diarrhea, vomiting, and fever was 2.2, 4.3, and 2.2 days, respectively. The maximum number of episodes of vomiting and diarrhea per day was 3.3 and 6.5, respectively. The severity score was 11.9. The severity in the Norovirus (+) group was somewhat lower than the Rotavirus (+) group. The younger the child, the more severe the symptoms in the Norovirus (+) group. There was no difference between mono-and co-infection in severity and between the two groups regarding the hematologic findings. Conclusion : Based on the findings reported herein, additional studies about prophylaxis, as well as the epidemiology and clinical features of pediatric Norovirus gastroenteritis, are required.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2009

Purpose : Febrile convulsions are classified into simple or complex types, the latter being characterized by increased risk of recurrence and progression to epilepsy. This study aimed to delineate the clinical characteristics of complex febrile convulsions. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2006, 550 children were diagnosed with febrile convulsions at the Department of Pediatrics, Ilsan Paik Hospital. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions, and clinical findings of complex febrile convulsions were clarified. Results : Our subjects comprised a male-to-female ratio of 1.64:1; the age range was from 8 months to 8 years. Simple febrile convulsions comprised 432 cases, i.e., 4 times as many as complex febrile convulsions (118 cases). The causes of febrile illness included acute pharyngotonsillitis (357 cases, 64.9%), pneumonia (55 cases, 10.0%), acute gastroenteritis (37 cases, 6.7%), and otitis media (20 cases, 3.6%). We did not find any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsions, and cause of febrile illness. Regarding subtypes of complex febrile convulsions, repeated convulsions were the most frequent (72.0%), followed by prolonged convulsions (16.9%) and focal convulsions (5.1%). Conclusion : We have reported here the clinical features of complex febrile convulsions. Although the results did not show any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsion, and cause of febrile illness, further studies are essential to delineate complex febrile convulsions.