• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.115-130
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• 2003

Reperfusion delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction leads to increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to measure the rates of reperfusion delay and to identify factors associated with reperfusion delay after arrival to hospitals. We included 360 patients who had acute myocardial infarction with ST-elevation or left bundle branch block on electrocardiogram and received reperfusion therapy from the three participating academic medical centers from 1997 to 2000. Through retrospective chart review, we collected data about time to reperfusion therapy, patient and hospital factors potentially associated with reperfusion delay. Factors independently associated with reperfusion delay were determined by logistic regression analysis. Median door­to­needle time was 60.0 minutes, and median door­to­balloon time was 102.5 minutes. According to recommendation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines, 226 out of 264(85.6％) of thrombolytic patients and 43 out of 96(44.8％) percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) patients experienced reperfusion delay. The significant factors associated with delay were type of reperfusion therapy, patient factors including hypertension and delayed symptom onset to presentation(>4 hours), and hospital factors including nocturnal presentation(6pm∼8am), weekend, and an individual hospital. A significant proportion of patients experienced reperfusion delay. The identified predictors of reperfusion delay may help design a hospital system to reduce the delay in reperfusion therapy

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.211-214
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• 2017

Outcomes of ventricular septal rupture (VSR) as a complication of acute myocardial infarction are extremely poor, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 45% in surgically treated patients and 90% in patients managed with medication. Delaying surgery for VSR is a strategy for reducing mortality. However, hemodynamic instability is the main problem with this strategy. In the present case, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was used to provide stable hemodynamic support before the delayed surgery. Awake ECMO was also used to avoiding the complications of sedatives and mechanical ventilation. Here, we describe a successful operation using awake ECMO as a bridge to surgery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.205-210
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• 2023

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) remains a devastating complication in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), however, there were no present reports that is associated with a ruptured spinal arteriovenous fistula (sAVF). We would like to present a rare case of DCI following embolization of a ruptured perimedullary sAVF. Initially, the patient clinical symptoms mimic a SAH caused by a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. Further evaluation revealed that the SAH was caused by a ruptured perimedullary sAVF and the patient's condition improved following the embolization procedure. Three days later, the patient developed an acute left-sided facial and motor weakness, which persisted until the patient was discharged on the day-15 onset. A magnetic resonance imaging and angiography is performed 1.5 years after discharge and revealed no signs of cerebral infarction and hemorrhage. In this paper, we reported DCI after embolization in a ruptured sAVF with SAH, supported by evidence from the current literature. We would like to also stress the importance of complete spinal and cerebral vessel imaging to reveal the underlying abnormalities and determine the most appropriate intervention.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.90-96
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• 2008

Objective: Delayed ischemic deficit or cerebral infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this study is to reassess the prognostic impact of intraoperative elements, including factors related to surgery and anesthesia, on the development of cerebral infarction in patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms. Methods: Variables related to surgery and anesthesia as well as predetermined factors were all evaluated via a retrospective study on 398 consecutive patients who underwent early microsurgery for ruptured cerebral aneurysms in the last 7 years. Patients were dichotomized as following; good clinical grade (Hunt-Hess grade I to III) and poor clinical grade (IV and V). The end-point events were cerebral infarctions and the clinical outcomes were measured at postoperative 6 months. Results: The occurrence of cerebral infarction was eminent when there was an intraoperative rupture, prolonged temporary clipping and retraction time, intraoperative hypotension, or decreased $O_2$ saturation, but there was no statistical significance between the two different clinical groups. Besides the Fisher Grade, multiple logistic regression analyses showed that temporary clipping time, hypotension, and low $O_2$ saturation had odds ratios of 1.574, 3.016, and 1.528, respectively. Cerebral infarction and outcome had a meaningful correlation (${\gamma}$=0.147, p=0.038). Conclusion: This study results indicate that early surgery for poor grade SAH patients carries a significant risk of ongoing ischemic complication due to the brain's vulnerability or accompanying cardio-pulmonary dysfunction. Thus, these patients should be approached very cautiously to overcome any anticipated intraoperative threat by concerted efforts with neuro-anesthesiologist in point to point manner.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.537-551
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was designed to identify meaningful themes related to the recognition of lifestyle risk factors and barriers in seeking treatment following an acute event of first-time acute myocardial infarction. Methods: A methodological mixed method of thematic content analysis and a quantitative analysis was used. The sample consisted of 120 male patients < 65 years of age who agreed to be in the study were interviewed using a semistructured during 2008-2009. Data were analyzed according to the procedure of thematic content analysis and the meaningful themes were coded into SPSS data for quantitative analysis. Results: Pre-hospital delay greater than three hours reported by 58.3% (n=70) of the sample and similarly 63.3% had no recognition about their symptoms as cardiac in origin. The mean number of risk factors was $3.9{\pm}1.8$ out of 11 when lifestyle and psychosocial factors were included. From the interview data among the 70 patients delayed greater than three hours, thirty-five themes categorized into 12 main themes influenced the delayed decision which was identified according to personal-cognitive, socio-cultural, and contextual factors. Conclusion: Health care providers should consider these themes in designing individual interventions to make lifestyle changes and to facilitate more prompt decisions to seek care.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the clinical significance of reverse redistribution(RR) phenomenon detected on delayed Tc-99m tetrofosmin myocardial single photon emission computed tomography(SPEG) in patients with acute myocardial infarction after revascularization. Materials and Methods: A Tc-99m tetrofrosmin myocardial SPECT was performed in 67 consecutive patients after revascularization for acute myocardial infarction. Myocardial SPECT imaging was performed for early imaging at 40 min and for delayed imaging at 180 min after reinjection at myocardial stress. Regional myocardial uptakes were scored by 4-point scoring in the left ventricular wall divided into 17 segments. Reverse redistribution was defined as an increase of more than 2 point in the activity score on the delayed image. Follow-up myocardial SPECT and coronary angiography(CAG) were performed 9 months later. Results: On myocardial SPECT performed following revascularization, RR was observed in 100 of all 319 segments(31%) and in 43 patients(64%). The abnormalities of perfusion and regional wall motion were more severe in the patients with RR compared to those without RR(p<0.05). On follow-up myocardial SPECT, the myocardial perfusion, regional wall motion, and myocardial thickness were significantly improved in the patients with RR(p<0.05) however, these changes were not significant in those without RR. There was no significant difference between the patients with RR and those without RR in the occurrence of restenosis on CAG. Conclusions: In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the regions showing the RR phenomenon on delayed Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT may reflect viable myocardium and indicate recovery of salvaged myocardium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.510-516
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• 2014

Background: Acute cerebral infarction is a major risk factor for postoperative neurologic complications in cardiac surgery. However, the outcomes associated with acute silent cerebral infarction (ASCI) have not been not well established. Few studies have reported the postoperative outcomes of these patients in light of preoperative Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). We studied the postoperative neurologic outcomes of patients with preoperative ASCI detected by DWI. Methods: We retrospectively studied 32 patients with preoperative ASCI detected by DWI. None of the patients had preoperative neurologic symptoms. The mean age at operation was $68.8{\pm}9.5$ years. Five patients had previous histories of stroke. Four patients had been diagnosed with infective endocarditis. Single cerebral infarct lesions were detected in 16 patients, double lesions in 13, and multiple lesions (>5) in three. The median size of the infarct lesions was 4 mm (range, 2 to 25 mm). The operations of three of the 32 patients were delayed pending follow-up DWI studies. Results: There were two in-hospital mortalities. Neurologic complications also occurred in two patients. One patient developed extensive cerebral infarction unrelated to preoperative infarct lesions. One patient showed sustained delirium over one week but recovered completely without any neurologic deficits. In two patients, postoperative DWI confirmed that no significant changes had occurred in the lesions. Conclusion: Patients with preoperative ASCI showed excellent postoperative neurologic outcomes. Preoperative ASCI was not a risk factor for postoperative neurologic deterioration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1291-1296
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• 2002

Blood circulation of brain is divided into two major categories; anterior one from carotid artery and posterior one from vertebrobasilar artery. In stroke patients, it is important to diagnose which is involved, because there is many difference in the aspects of clinical menifestations and prognosis, especially in the acute stage. In some cases of vertebrobasilar infarction, such as Wallenberg's syndrome, charicteristic cranial nerve signs, eye movement disorders and cerebellar signs are appeared. And in Dejerine's syndrome, only pure motor or sensory defecits can be appeared without any brainstem signs. So It shoud be differenciated by Brain MRI from those of the cerebral hemisphere lesions. And in the cases that nausea, vomitting and dysphagia are the first menifestations, it is frequently misdiagnosed as internal medical disease, causing appropriate treatment delayed. In this case report, we are to describe the clinical menifestations and progresses of two cases of brainstem infarctions, review previously published case reports about them and compare them to our cases. The first is Dejerine's syndrome i.e. medial medullary infarction, the second is Wallenberg's syndrome i.e. lateral medullary infarction. Simultaneously we are to investigate the oriental medical approach in the bran stem infarctions.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2018

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is well known for detecting the presence of hemorrhagic transformation, microbleeds and the susceptibility of vessel signs in acute ischemic stroke. But in some cases, it can provide the tissue perfusion state as well. We describe a case of a patient with hyperacute ischemic infarction that had a slightly hypodense, patchy lesion at the left thalamus on the initial SWI, with a left proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion on a magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and delayed time-to-peak on an MR perfusion performed two hours after symptom onset. No obvious abnormal signals at any intensity were found on the initial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). On a follow-up MR image (MRI), an acute ischemic infarction was seen on DWI, which is the same location as the lesion on SWI. The hypointensity on the initial SWI reflects the susceptibility artifact caused by an increased deoxyhemoglobin in the affected tissue and vessels, which reflects the hypoperfusion state due to decreasing arterial flow. It precedes the signal change on DWI that reflects a cytotoxic edema. This case highlights that, in some hyperacute stages of ischemic stroke, hypointensity on an SWI may be a finding before the hyperintensity is seen on a DWI.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 1999

Vasoconstriction of intracerebral arteries is the leading cause of delayed cerebral infarction and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Transcranial Doppler studies show and increase in the flow velocities of basal cerebral arteries, which usually start around day 4 following a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and peaking by days 7 to 14. Angiographic studies confirm the presence of at least some degree of MCA vasospasm when the flow velocities are higher than 100 cm/sec. Mean velocities in the 120 to 200 cm/sec range correspond to 25 to 50% luminal narrowing. MCA and ACA vsospasm is detected with around 90% specificity. Sensitivity is 80% and 50% respectively. A 200cm/sec threshold and rapid flow velocity increase exceeding 50 cm/sec on consecutive days, has been associated with subsequent infarction. Transcranial Doppler is also used to monitor the effects of endovascular treatment of vasospasm. Flow velocities decrease following successful angioplasty or papaverine infusion. Overall, transcranial Doppler studies are considered to have acceptable accuracy for the evaluation of vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, with limitations that have to be taken into consideration in the clinical setting.