• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.362-370
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• 2014

This study measured and analyzed the correlation coefficient between movements of thoracoabdominal tumors and external respiration in a free-breathing state, using cyberknife image guided radiotherapy(IGRT). This study subjects included a total of 30 patients with lung tumors(n=10), liver tumors(n=10) and pancreatic tumor(n=10) who underwent radiotherapy, and the movements of tumors were analyzed using converted log data of the tumor motion tracking system(MTS). In a free-breathing state, In relation to Peason's correlation coefficient between external respiration and lung tumors in the entire treatment process, the correlation coefficient was 0.646(p<0.05) in the cranio-caudal direction, 0.365(p<0.088) in the left and right direction and 0.196(p<0.115) in the antero-posterior direction. The correlation coefficient of liver tumors was 0.841(p<0.000) in the cranio-caudal direction, 0.346 (p<0.179) in the left and right direction and 0.691(p<0.001) in the antero-posterior direction. The correlation coefficient of Pancreatic tumors was 0.683(p<0.000) in the cranio-caudal direction, 0.397(p<0.006) in the left and right direction and 0.268(p<0.127) in the antero-posterior direction. In conclusion, the measurement findings of thoracoabdominal tumor movement using IGRT would be helpful in determining an accurate target volume. Moreover, the analysis of correlation between external respiration and movements of internal tumors would provide important information to correct movements of tumors for diverse radiotherapy techniques.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2000

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is known to be associated with the changes of autonomic nervous system (ANS). Nasal continuous positive airway pressure(nCPAP) treatment was found to correct abnormal ANS changes in OSAS but it remains to be further clarified. We aimed to assess the effects of nCPAP on ANS manifested on electrocardiogram, using spectrum analysis in the subjects with OSAS. Methods: Digital polysomnography was performed in 18 patients with OSAS(mean age $43.7{\pm}16.6$ years ; 17 males, 1 female ; mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI) $48.6{\pm}20.9$) for one baseline and another CPAP nights. From each night, 300 continuous beats of ECGs without artifact were chosen from both stage 2 sleep and REM sleep and they were used for power spectrum analysis. We compared between baseline and CPAP nights the heart rate variability including VLF(very low frequency power), LF (low frequency power), HF(high frequency power), R-R means, R-R variance, and LF/HF ratio, using Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: In all patients, nCPAP proved to be effective in relieving apneas and snoring. During nCPAP night compared with baseline night, decreases in VLF(p<0.05), LF(p<0.01), and R-R variance(p<0.05) were found in stage 2 sleep, and decreased LF(p<0.05) was found in REM sleep. No significant differences in each sleep stage were found in other variables between the two nights. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that OSAS increases the activity of sympathetic nervous system and nCPAP application effectively decreases the activity. And nCPAP does not appear to influence the parasympathetic nervous activity in OSAS.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.833-835
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• 2014

On this study, we have developed respiratory training system to improve stability of respiration, one of the most important factors of Respiratory Gated Radiation Therapy, RGRT. Respiratory training system that we developed was applied to personal respiratory cycle so that it could provide comfortable respiratory triggering to patients. To give sufficient time for practice, we used modular portable device to practice easily and to be undetered by time and place. We have intended to improve efficiency and accuracy by providing it to patients. We are now planning to conduct experiment of 10 peoples to find out stability, degree of durability betterment and regularity of respiration when patients are using respiratory training system. There are three kinds of breathing style. First is free breathing that Individual patients can breathe freely. Second is guide breathing that patients apply to personal respiration cycle through the guiding sight and hearing program. Third is prediction breathing that patients breathe after respiratory training without guiding sight and hearing program. By using these 3 data of respiration method, we have evaluated usability of respiratory training system by quantitatively analyzing respiration period, amplitude and area's variation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.284-289
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• 2007

Background: To define the clinical features of patients with lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancer through a review of the histopathology, clinical features and follow-up results. Methods: Patients with lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancer who were diagnosed in Young dong Severance Hospital from 1992 to 2005, were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical data, radiologic findings, pathologic findings, treatment modalities were evaluated. Result: There was a total of 20 patients with aerodigestive tract cancer who were diagnosed with lung cancer over a 13 years period. The mean age was $58.45{\pm}15.09$ years and 19 cases were male. There were 14 smokers with an average pack year of 46 years. Twelve patients had aerodigestive tract cancer and later developed lung cancer, and 5 lung cancer patients were later diagnosed with aerodigestive tract cancer. Conclusion: These results suggest that cancers of the aerodigestive tract and lung can arise as either dependent or independent events and most aerodigestive tract cancer patients who developed lung cancer are not treated properly. Therefore, regular low dose chest CT with close suspicion is needed to properly manage upper aerodigestive tract cancer patients.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2011

Objective: OSAS (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome) is a common disorder and its consequences are often serious. It is important to detect the disorder early in the course for proper treatment. This study is to grasp the snoring clinic visitors' knowledge level of OSAS. Method: One hundred and seventy-nine visitors at the of snoring clinic of Seoul National University Hospital were surveyed by questionnaire about reasons of visit and knowledge of treatment methods of snoring and OSAS, diagnostic method, OSAS-related symptoms, and complications. Results: Most of the respondents (89.4%) "have already heard about OSAS" and the major sources of information was the mass media (58.1%) such as television and radio. More than half (60.3%) were aware that snoring is closely related to OSAS. More than half (59.8%) recognized that a nocturnal polysomnograpy was necessary for proper diagnosis. Two thirds (67%) of the respondents noted surgery as a treatment for snoring. More than half (55.9%) answered that they would follow the doctor's advice on the treatment choice. Only 12.3% of respondents "have heard about nCPAP". No one chose nCPAP (nasal continuous positive airway pressure) as a treatment for either snoring or OSAS. About one third (34.6%) of the respondents were aware that OSAS is related to hypertension. Only 12.8% noted that OSAS is related to diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Visitors at the snoring clinic were found to have substantially limited knowledge of health risks and proper treatments of OSAS. We suggest that it is crucially important to educate patients and offer easy-to-understand information on snoring and OSAS. We predict that provision of educaiton and information to patients and general public will faciliate the diagnosis and treatment of snoring and OSAS and reduce the related disorders such as hypertension, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1204-1212
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• 2002

Purpose : Early surfactant therapy with either gentle ventilation, high-frequency ventilation or aggressive weaning of mechanical ventilation are principles for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome(RDS). We studied to determine the accessibility of noninvasive nasal continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) rather than mechanical ventilation by invasive intubation after early surfactant therapy. Methods : The study group consisted of 14 infants who were born and diagnosed with moderate respiratory distress syndrome and received early surfactant therapy with nasal CPAP of PEEP 5-6 cm $H_2O$ within two hours after birth in the Fatima neonatal intensive care unit for two years from January 1999 to August 2001. The control group consisted of 15 infants who were diagnosed with the disease and could be weaned from mechanical ventilator within five days after birth during the same period. Results : The characteristics, the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in the two groups at birth showed no significant difference. Neither did the interim analysis of laboratory data in two groups. Of 14 infants in the study group who received nasal CPAP after early surfactant therapy, only two infants showed weaning failure with this therapy. In the response cases, duration of CPAP was five days and mean airway pressure was $5.4{\pm}0.5cm$ $H_2O$. Two had the complication of CPAP with abdominal distension. Final complications and outcomes in the two groups showed no signifcant difference(P>0.05). Conclusion : The clinical courses in the two groups showed no significant difference. Therefore, we suggest that early surfactant therapy with noninvasive nasal CPAP is a simple and safe method rather than aggressive weaning after invasive mechanical ventilation in moderate respiratory distress syndrome.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2014

The dose distributions within the real volumes of tumor targets and critical organs during internal target volume-based intensity-modulated radiation therapy (ITV-IMRT) for liver cancer were recalculated by applying the effects of actual respiratory organ motion, and the dosimetric features were analyzed through comparison with gating IMRT (Gate-IMRT) plan results. The ITV was created using MIM software, and a moving phantom was used to simulate respiratory motion. The doses were recalculated with a 3 dose-volume histogram (3DVH) program based on the per-field data measured with a MapCHECK2 2-dimensional diode detector array. Although a sufficient prescription dose covered the PTV during ITV-IMRT delivery, the dose homogeneity in the PTV was inferior to that with the Gate-IMRT plan. We confirmed that there were higher doses to the organs-at-risk (OARs) with ITV-IMRT, as expected when using an enlarged field, but the increased dose to the spinal cord was not significant and the increased doses to the liver and kidney could be considered as minor when the reinforced constraints were applied during IMRT plan optimization. Because the Gate-IMRT method also has disadvantages such as unsuspected dosimetric variations when applying the gating system and an increased treatment time, it is better to perform a prior analysis of the patient's respiratory condition and the importance and fulfillment of the IMRT plan dose constraints in order to select an optimal IMRT method with which to correct the respiratory organ motional effect.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.217-222
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• 2005

Purpose: To develop the respiration simulating phantom with thermocouple for evaluating 4D radiotherapy such as gated radiotherapy breathing control radiotherapy and dynamic tumor tracking radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: The respiration monitoring mask(ReMM) with thermocouple was developed to monitor the patient's irregular respiration. The signal from ReMM controls the simulating phantom as organ motion of patients in real-time. The organ and the phantom motion were compared with its respiratory curves to evaluate the simulating phantom. ReMM was used to measure patients' respiration, and the movement of simulating phantom was measured by using $RPM^{(R)}$. The fluoroscope was used to monitor the patient's diaphragm motion. relative to the organ motion, respectively. The standard deviation of discrepancy between the respiratory curve and the organ motion was 8.52% of motion range. Conclusion: Patients felt comfortable with ReMM. The relationship between the signal from ReMM and the organ motion shows strong correlation. The phantom simulates the organ motion in real-time according to the respiratory signal from the ReMM. It is expected that the simulating phantom with ReMM could be used to verify the 4D radiotherapy.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.85-89
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• 2014

Pleural metastasis from breast cancer is a common manifestation. While pleural effusion is the most frequent finding, it is relatively rare for pleural nodularity and plaque that do not accompany pleural effusion. We report a patient with a rapidly growing huge pleural mass without pleural effusion caused by breast cancer. The patient was treated for severe dyspnea caused by the pleural mass. Along with the case report, we performed a systematic review of management of dyspnea in terminal cancer patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1073-1079
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• 2003

Purpose : Recently there has been a decrease in ventilator care rate and duration of very low birth weight infants(VLBWI) in Fatima Hospital. The aims of this study were to survey the frequency and duration of ventilation in VLBWI and to develop a non-invasive neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) policy. Methods : We performed a retrospective study of 284 newborn of infants less than 1,500 gm admitted to NICU and discharged from January 1998 to December 2001. Patients were intubated or applied continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) via nasal prong immediately after presenting signs of respiratory distress. We analyzed epidemiologic data to study the changes in ventilator care rate, duration and outcome of ventilator care groups. Results : Of 284 newborn infants, 146 required invasive management, such as endotracheal intubation and assisted ventilation. The characteristics, the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in ventilator care groups at birth showed no significant differences. The annual proportion of infants requiring assisted ventilation decreased according to increasing gestational age. The median duration of ventilation decreased markedly from 6.0 days in 1998 to 2.7 days in 2001. Final complications and outcomes in ventilator care groups showed no significant differences. Conclusion : Our study shows a significant reduction in the invasiveness of the treatment of VLBW infants, which was not associated with an increased mortality or morbidity. A non-invasive strategy for the VLBW infant with minimal to moderate respiratory distress after birth in NICU is better than immediate invasive management. Non-invasive nasal CPAP is a simpler and safer method than invasive assisted ventilation.