• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2009

Purpose : This study aimed to test whether rotavirus-associated necrotizing enterocolitis (RV+NEC) produced different clinical findings or outcomes from those of non-rotavirus necrotizing enterocolitis (RV-NEC). Methods : Eight patients from the RV+NEC group and 22 patients from the RV-NEC group diagnosed with modified Bell stage II or higher NEC were selected for this study. Fecal specimens from all infants were tested for rotavirus infection using a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Clinical, radiographic, and clinical outcome data were analyzed retrospectively. Results : RV+NEC infants had a significantly higher birth weight and were born at a significantly higher gestational age ($33.5{\pm}3.3$ weeks vs. $29.3{\pm}4.4$ weeks; P=0.01). There were no differences in the occurrence of thrombocytopenia, mural gas, and pneumoperitoneum between the 2 groups. However, portal vein gas was more common in the RV+NEC group (88% vs. 9%; P<0.01). Neither the incidence of Bell stage III (or higher) NEC nor surgical intervention differed between the two groups. The number of complications and mortality rates were also similar. Conclusion : Rotavirus-associated NEC occurs in infants with a higher birth weight and those born at a greater gestational age. However, the severity of the condition and the resulting outcomes did not differ from those for infants affected by non-rotavirus NEC.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.665-671
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• 2007

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and outcome in newborns undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods : Eighty two neonates underwent heart surgery for congenital heart defect at Kyungpook National University Hospital between March 2000 and February 2006. Patient characteristics (sex, age, diagnosis), pre-operative conditions, operation type, postoperative complications and mortality were reviewed retrospectively. Results : In 82 patients, 41 (50%) were male. The mean age and weight at operation were 12 days and 3.2 kg, respectively. The common cardiac anomalies were complete transposition of the great arteries (TGA), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, and single ventricle variants. Fifty seven operations were performed with cardiopulmonary bypass and corrective surgery was done on 54 patients. Arterial switch operation and modified Blalock-Taussig shunt were most frequently performed as corrective and palliative operations, respectively. The early hospital mortality rate was 7%; the late mortality was 3.9%. Complications were acute renal insufficiency, delayed sternal closure, wound infection, arrhythmia, and brain hemorrhage. Conclusion : During the last 6 years, the outcomes of cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects in neonates improved by progress in perioperative, anaesthetic, surgical, and postoperative care.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2007

Biliary atresia (BA) is an uncommon neonatal surgical disease that has a fatal outcome if not properly treated. The survival rates of the patients with native liver after Kasai's operation in countries outside Japan are not so good. We reviewed the results of 22 cases of biliary atresia treated in Kosin University Hospital between October 1987 and March 2001. There were 13 males and 9 females aged from 21 to 106 days (mean 52 days). There were 3 cases of Type I (13.6%), and 3 of Type II (13.6%), and 16 Type III (72.7%). The operative methods were resection of the common bile duct remnant and cyst followed by Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in 3 cases for Type I BA; Kasai I in 15 cases, Kasai II in 1 case, and Ueda's operation in 3 cases for Types II and III BA. There was no death within the first 30 days after operation. We were able to follow 21 of the 22 patients (95.4%) for more than 5 years. The actual 5 year survival rate (YSR) was 40.9%. One Type I case received a living-related liver transplantation at 6 years of age because of the multiple intrahepatic stones and liver cirrhosis. Five YSR after biliostomy group (Kasai II and Ueda op.) was 75 % (3/4) while that of Kasai I was 20% (3/15). One case had no bile duct in the resected fibrotic plaque on microscopic review and died 8 months after Kasai I operation, would have been a strong candidate for early liver transplantation. From the above result, our conclusions are as follows; (1) early liver transplantation should be considered for cases of no bile duct after pathologic examination of the resected specimen, (2) measures to prevent postoperative cholangitis and prevention of postoperative liver cirrhosis are needed, (3) liver transplantation program should be available for failed cases.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.161-169
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• 2018

Purpose: We assessed the influence of antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) on the inhospital outcomes of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) infants. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with singletons born at $23^{+0}$ to $33^{+6}weeks$ of gestation at Seoul National University Hospital from 2007 to 2014. We compared clinical outcomes between infants who received ACS 2 to 7 days before birth (complete ACS), at <2 or >7 days (incomplete ACS), and those who did not receive ACS in IUGR and AGA infants. Multivariate logistic regression using Firth's penalized likelihood was performed. Results: 304 neonates with 91 IUGR neonates were eligible. Among AGA neonates, mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02 to 0.78), hypotension within 7 postnatal days (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.64), and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death (aOR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.77) were lower in complete ACS group after adjusting for pregnancy induced hypertension and uncontrolled preterm labor. Mortality (aOR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.78), hypotension (aOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.70), and severe BPD or death (aOR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.92) were also lower in the incomplete ACS group. Among IUGR infants, after adjusting for birth weight and 5-minute Apgar score, inhaled nitric oxide use within 14 postnatal days was lower in both complete ACS (aOR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.67) and incomplete ACS (aOR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.37) groups. Conclusion: ACS was not effective in reducing morbidities in IUGR preterm infants.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.939-945
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to report outcome of fetal infants with birth weight below 500 g known as lower limit of viability and to evaluate treatment characteristics and short-term morbidity of their survivors. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of all fetal infants with birth weight below 500 g who were delivered at Samsung Medical Center(SMC), or transferred to neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) of SMC within 24 hrs after birth between 1994 and 2004. Data for all interventions and morbidity outcome were analyzed for infants who were admitted to the NICU and were compared between NICU survivors and deaths. Results : Among 53 infants with birth weights of 400 to 499 g who were born in SMC during the study period, 8(15.1%) infants were admitted to the NICU and one was transferred to NICU from other hospital. Overall, 4(44%) of 9 survived and were discharged from the NICU. The smallest infant who survived weighed 439 grams. The least gestational age was $23^{+3}$ among the survivors. Compared with NICU deaths, NICU survivors had larger gestational age($24^{+2}{\pm}1^{+3}$ vs. $25^{+4}{\pm}2^{+3}$) and birth weight($424{\pm}17$ vs. $453{\pm}19$)(P<0.05). Median survival duration of NICU deaths was 15 days. None of NICU survivors had severe IVH, but 3(75%) had laser therapy for retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respectively. Conclusion : Fetal infants with birth weight below 500 g known as lower limit of viability survived successfully. Study for their long-term follow-up will be needed to define our limit of viability and indication for their active resuscitation.

• 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.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.952-958
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• 2006

Purpose : The survival rate of infants weighing less than 1,000 g at birth(extremely low birth weight infants, ELBWI) has increased due to recent advances in perinatal and neonatal intensive care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival rates of ELBWI born at Seoul National University Hospital during the last six years. Methods : A total of 99 infants were divided into three groups(period I: 2000 to 2001, period II: 2002 to 2003, period III : 2004 to 2005) based on date of birth. We compared the survival rate of ELBWI over the three periods, using CRIB II score for adjustment for clinical severity. Results : Overall survival rate of ELBWI was 74.7 percent. The survival rate of ELBWI increased over the three periods(period I: 60.7 percent, period II : 73.3 percent, period III : 85.3 percent). The threshold of viability(defined as survival of at least 50 percent of infants) was 25 weeks of gestation and 600 g at birth. The birth weight-specific survival rates increased considerably over the three periods for infants <750 g at birth(period I: 10 percent, period II: 46.2 percent, period III : 70.6 percent). The survival rates of ELBWI over the three periods increased much remarkably after adjustment for clinical severity by CRIB II score. Conclusion : In our institution, survival rates of ELBWI during the last six years continued to improve, particularly for infants weighing <750 g at birth. This increase in survival rates was not associated with the clinical severity of ELBWI.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.85-100
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• 1986

To evaluate the clinical and pathogenetic roles of TSH receptor antibodies in autoimmune thyroid diseases, TBII were measured by TSH-radioreceptor assay methods in 352 patients with Graves' disease, 108 patients with other thyroid diseases and 69 normal persons. The normal range of TBII activity was less than 15%. The frequencies of detectable TBII in 169 patients with untreated Graves' disease, 31 patients with hyperthyroidism under treatment and 70 patients with euthyrodism under treatment were 92.4%, 87.1% and 54.3% respectively. However 12 (21.8%) out of 55 patients who have been in remission more than one year after discontinuation of antithyroid drugs treatment had detectable TBII activities in their sera. In 196 patients with untreated Graves' disease, the frequency of TBII increased by increasing size of goiter and the frequency of proptosis was significantly high in patients whose TBII activities were more than 60%. TBII activities were roughly correlated with total $T_3,\;T_4$ and free $T_4$ index but low $\gamma^2$ value(less than 0.1). In 67 patients with Graves' disease who were positive TBII before antithyroid drugs treatment, TBII activities began to decrease from the third months and it was converted to negative in 35.8% of patients at 12 months after treatment. There were no significant differences of the declining and disappearing rates of TBII activities between high dose and conventional dose groups. TBII activities were significantly increased initially (2-4 months) and then began to decrease from 5-9 months after $^{131}I$ treatment. There were two groups, one whose TBII activities decreased gradually and the other did not change untill 12 months after subtotal thyroidectomy. Although preoperative clinical and laboratory findings of both groups were not different, TBII activities of non-decreasing group were significantly higher than those of decreasing group$(74.6{\pm}18.6%\;vs\;39.2{\pm}15.2%;\;P<0.01)$. Thirty three(55.9%) out of 59 patients with Graves' disease relapsed within 1 year after discontinuation of antithyroid drugs. The positive rate of TBII at the end of antithyroid drug treatment in relapse group(n=33) was significantly higher than those in remission group (n=26) (63.6% vs 23.1%; P < 0.05). The mean value of TBII activities at the end of antithyroid drug treatment in relapse group was significantly elevated $(29.7{\pm}21.4%\;vs\;14.7{\pm}11.1%,\;P<0.05)$. Positive predictive value of TBII for relapse was 77.8%, which was not different from those of TRH nonresponsiveness(78.6%). The frequencies of detectable TBII in 68 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 10 patients with painless thyroiditis and 5 patients subacute thyroiditis were 14.7%, 20% and 0%, respectively. However in 25 patients with primary nongoitrous myxedema, 11 patients(44%) showed TBII activities in their sera. 9 out of 11 patients who had TBII activities in their sera showed high TBII activities(more than 70% binding inhibition) and their IgG concentrations showing 50% binding inhibition of $^{125}I-bTSH$ to the TSH receptor were ranges of 0.1-2.6 mg/dl. One patient who had high titer of TBII in her serum delivered a hypothyroid baby due to transplacental transfer of maternal TBII. These findings suggested that 1) TSH receptor antibodies are closely related to a pathogenetic factor of Graves' hyperthyroidism and of some patients with primary non-goitrous myxedema, 2) measurement of TSH receptor antibodies is helpful in evaluating the clinical outcome of patients with Graves' disease during antithyroid drug treatment and in predicting the neonatal transient hypothyroidism of baby delivered from primary myxedema patients. 3) there are 2 or more different types of TSH receptor antibodies in autoimmune thyroid diseases including one which stimulates thyroid by binding to the TSH receptor and another which blocks adenylate cyclase stimulation by TSH.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2006

Purpose : The aim of this study was to analyze the results and contributing factors of catch-up growth in very low birth weight infants(VLBWI) at the corrected age of 2 years. In addition, we looked for a relationship between the catch-up growth and the development by the bayley scales of infant development II(BSID II). Methods : A retrospective analysis by evaluating medical records was done for the 76 VLBWI whose follow-up was possible up to a corrected age of 2 years, out of the 114 who had been treated in the neonatal intensive care unit during the January of 2000 to December of 2001 at Samsung Cheil Hospital. Based on the Standard Korean Infant's Growth Curve, the catch-up growth group was defined over the 10th percentile of weight at 2 years as the corrected age and the failed catch-up growth group was defined under the 10th percentile. We investigated the clinical factors and courses of each group and compared the scores of the BSID II. Results : The catch-up growth group of the VLBWI was 51 infants and the failed catch-up growth group was 25 infants. In comparison with maternal clinical factors, use of antenatal steroids was significantly higher in the catch-up growth group. In comparisn with clinical factors and courses of VLBWI, two clinical factors were significantly different between the two groups : birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR). Numbers of delayed development were increased in the failed catch-up growth group but statistically significant differences could not be observed. Conclusion : The catch-up growth of the VLBWI was affected by the use of antenatal steroids, birth weight and IUGR. No significant differences regarding neurodevelopmental outcome were observed between the catch-up and failed catch-up growth groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.10
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• pp.1096-1101
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• 2005

Purpose : Recently, early surfactant replacement and tidal volume based gentle ventilation has been a fundamental treatment of respiratory distress syndrome(RDS). The aims of this study were to survey the changes in ventilator care duration and rate of complication in RDS groups. Methods : We performed a retrospective study of 255 newborn infants less than 1,500 g admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) and discharged from January 1999 to December 2003. 141 of 255 newborn infants were RDS groups that required invasive management, such as endotracheal intubation, surfactant replacement and assisted ventilation. We analyzed epidemiologic data to study the changes in ventilator care duration and outcome of RDS groups. Results : Of 141 RDS groups, 135 were mild to moderate RDS groups and only 6 were severe RDS groups. 24(17.8%) of 135 mild to moderate RDS groups and 3(50%) of 6 severe RDS groups were antenatal no use of maternal dexamethasone. 127(90.1%) of 141 RDS groups underwent replacement of surfactant during 3 hours after birth. 121(85.9%) weaned within 48 hours. Conclusion : Our study shows a decreased frequency of severe RDS by a antenatal use of maternal dexamethasone and decreased duration of ventilator care by early surfactant replacement and gentle ventilation.