• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2024

Background: This study examines the relationship between functional disability and work ability in workers affected by low back pain (LBP) through an analysis of correlations between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Work Ability Index (WAI). The role of personal and work factors on functional disability/work ability levels has also been studied. LBP is the most common musculoskeletal problem and a major disabling health problem worldwide. Its etiology is multifactorial. Multidisciplinary approaches may help reduce the burden of pain and disability and improve job continuity and reintegration at work. Methods: A cohort of 264 patients affected by LBP from an Italian outpatient clinic were included in a clinical diagnostic/therapeutic trial aiming at rehabilitation and return to work through an integrated investigation protocol. Data were collected during the first medical examination using anamnestic and clinical tools. The final sample is composed of 252 patients, 57.1% man, 44.0 % blue collars, 46.4% with the high school degree, 45.6% married. Results: WAI and ODI reported a negative and fair correlation (r = -0.454; p = .000). Workers with acute LBP symptoms have a higher probability of severe disability than those with chronic LBP symptoms. White collars without depressive symptoms reported higher work ability - even in chronic disability conditions-than those with depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The study found that ODI and WAI have a convergent validity and this suggests that the two tools measure capture distinctive aspects of disability related to personal, environmental, and occupational characteristics. The most important and modifiable prognostic factors found for ODI and WAI were depressive symptoms, workday absence, and intensity of back pain. The study also found a mild association between age and ODI. The study's findings highlight the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach to manage and prevent disability due to LBP.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2010

Background: Primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare. The most common type are benign myxomas, and these are almost completely curable with early surgery. Malignant tumors, however, such as sarcomas, are difficult to remove surgically, and their prognosis is known to be poor. In this study, data on patients who had undergone surgical treatment of cardiac tumor in the authors' hospital were collected and analyzed. Material and Method: The subjects included 28 patients who had undergone surgical treatment of cardiac tumor from August 1993 to December 2008. Their medical records were reviewed and retrospectively analyzed. Result: The patients were aged from 20 to 76 years (mean age: $54.2{\pm}15.6$), and 11 were male (39%) and 17 female (61%). Fifteen of them (54%) underwent emergency surgery to improve heart failure symptoms. The most common preoperative symptom was dyspnea (15 cases, 54%). Preoperative echocardiography was performed on all the patients. The average size of the tumor as measured during the operation was $7.0{\pm}6.9cm$ (the average length of the long axis was 2∼40 cm), and the sites of tumor attachment were the interatrial septum (18 cases, 64%), the left atrium (9 cases, 32%), the mitral valve annulus (2 cases, 7%), and the left ventricle (2 cases, 7%). The operation was performed with an incision through both atria in all the patients, and a complete excision was made in 25 cases (89%). According to the biopsy results, there were 4 cases of sarcoma (14%), 1 case of lipoma (4%), and 23 cases of myxoma (82%). The three cases in which the tumors were not completely excised were sarcomas. No operative deaths occurred after the operations. Outpatient follow-up was possible for 24 cases (86%), with a mean follow-up period of $46.8{\pm}42.7$ months. Late death occurred in 3 of the 24 patients; each of these patients had sarcomas. Of these patients, the first had undergone two repeat surgeries, the second had metastatic sites removed, and the last had only chemotherapy. The average recurrence time was $12.7{\pm}10.8$ months, and the average metastasis time was $20.5{\pm}16.8$ months. Conclusion: Most cardiac tumors are benign myxomas. In principle, they should be surgically treated because they can create risks such as embolism, and can be radically treated when surgically removed. In most cases, however, malignant sarcomas are already considerably advanced with severe infiltration into the neighboring tissues at the time of diagnosis. The surgical removal of malignant sarcomas is known to be difficult because of the advanced stage and degree of infiltration. We suggest that excision of the removable portion of the tumor sites to alleviate symptoms such as heart failure can improve quality of life.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.695-702
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• 2008

Background: The choice between a bioprosthetic and a mechanical valve is an important decision in cardiac valve surgery, and the durability of the tissue valve is a major decision factor. We retrospectively evaluated the midterm results of bioprosthetic valve replacement in the mitral position. Material and Method: The subjects were all patients who had undergone mitral bioprosthesis replacement between July 1989 and August 200.7. Among the 216 patients, there were 236 surgical cases. The mean age was $63{\pm}15$ years, and the male to female ratio was 1 : 3. We retrospectively analyzed hospital and outpatient records such that the total follow-up duration amounted to 760.2 patient-years, and the mean follow-up duration was $41.9{\pm}40.7$ months (range $0{\sim}212$ months). Result: Early death occurred in 18 patients (8.3%), and 13 of these underwent concomitant cardiac procedures. The survival rate after 5 years was $79.9{\pm}3.5%$, and the survival rate after 8 years was $65.5{\pm}5.5%$, while freedom from structural valve deterioration (SVD) was $96.2{\pm}2.2%$ at 5 years and $85.9{\pm}5.3%$ at 8 years. Freedom from reoperation was $90.6{\pm}1.7%$ at 5 years and $90.4{\pm}4.2%$ at 8 years, while freedom from reoperation for SVD was $98.1{\pm}1.2%$ at 5 years and $92.3{\pm}4.1%$ at 8 years. On multivariate analysis of preoperative risk factors, small valve size (between 25mm and 27mm) was a significant risk factor for reoperation, and low LV ejection fraction (<40%) was a significant risk factor for SVD and mortality. Conclusion: Survival and freedom from reoperation for SVD in mitral bioprosthesis replacement had acceptable midterm results, but freedom from SVD Was relatively low. In particular, since SVD increased sharply at the eighth postoperative year, frequent follow-up and echocardiograms around that time will be helpful for the early detection of SVD. It will be necessary to conduct further studies involving long-term follow-up and more patients.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of of intravenous iron sucrose ($Venoferrum^{(R)}$) for treating the perioperative anemic gastrectomy patients. Materials and Methods: From September 2006 to February 2007 at Seoul National University Hospital, the gastrectomy patients who displayed perioperative anemia (7.0 g/dl $\leq$ hemoglobin levels (Hb) < 11.0 g/dl) and who were admitted or visited the outpatient clinic of the Department of surgery, were divided into two groups. The preoperative (${\leq}\;2{\sim}3$ weeks before gastrectomy) or postoperative ($\geq$ 1 month after gastrectomy) patients without evidence of acute bleeding were included into Group 1. The immediate postoperative (< 1 month after gastrectomy) patients with stable vital signs were included into Group 2. The age, gender, diagnosis, Hb, hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum ferritin (SF), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum iron and reticulocyte counts (RC) were evaluated before and after intravenous iron sucrose administration. The adverse effects of drugs were investigated. Results: The number of patients of group 1 and group 2 was 79 and 46, respectively. In group 1, there was a statistically significant difference in the Hb, Hct, MCV, SF, RC and TIBC with each mean change of 1.3 g/dl, 4.1%, 3.1ft, 195 ng/ml, 0.2% and -86.4 ug/dl, respectively. In group 2, there was a statistically significant difference in the Hb, Hct, MCV, SF and RC with each mean change of 1.8 g/dl, 6.1%, 3.4fl, 260 ng/ml and 0.3%, respectively. Two patients (1.6%) suffered local thrombophlebitis as an adverse effect. Conclusion: Intravenous iron sucrose for the perioperative anemia of gastrectomy patients was efficacious in the short period without significant adverse effects.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 1999

This study was based on a series of 164 patients with zygomatic bone fracture treated at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1992 to December 1996. The male-to-female ratio was 7:1. Their ages ranged from 8 to 78 years, with a median age of 35.6 years. The age frequency was highest in the second decade (30.5%), and third decade (23.8%), fifth decade (16.5%) in orders. The monthly distrbution of incidence showed October to be the month in which the greatest percentage occured (14.0%). The major cause of zygomatic bone fracture was alleged traffic accidents (53.7%). The incidence of concomitant facial bone fractures was 69,5%, and maxilla fracture (52.4%) was most frequently combined. The admission route was through emergency room (72.3%) and through outpatient department (26.8%). The incidence of associated injuries was 37.2%. The intraoral approach was the major method of treatment in zygomatic bone fracture (57.1%). The most frequent type of zygoma fracture was class IV (33.5%), and class III (25.6%) was next in order of frequency. Complications were enophthalmos (7.3%), facial asymmetry (6.7%), paresthesia (6.1%), and diplopia (2.4%) These results suggest that correct diagnosis and treatment of severity of fracture, concomitant fracture, and associated injuries are necessary, and co-operative treatment with medical department should be performed to reduce postoperative complication.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2019

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurologic disorder with a prevalence 1/10,000-30,000. The cause of PWS is an abnormalities of chromosome 15q11.2-q13 which is an imprinting gene. Obesity and hyperphagia are characteristic features on a PWS adult. On the other hand, the birth weight, height and body mass index (BMI) of PWS infants are 15-20% lower than those of normal babies and there is a failure to thrive until 24-month-old. Most of PWS patients are treated under general anesthesia and conscious sedation. This case is a treatment of severe caries in a PWS 46 month-old child without general anesthesia and conscious sedation. He came to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Korea with a trauma history. He had a medical history with heart surgery and needed to take antibiotics prophylaxis. The luxated left upper primary tooth were removed and caries treatment were done as an outpatient without general anesthesia, conscious sedation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.663-668
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• 2010

Background: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon disorder with few cases reported. It usually occurs in young males and has benign self-limiting course without any apparent concomitant factor. It is seen after intrathoracic pressure changes leading to alveolar rupture. The clinical experiences of two medical centers were reviewed to aid in optimal management. Material and Method: Retrospective review between March 2003 and August 2010 with spontaneous pneumomediastinum patients was performed. Result: 24 patients were identified with a diagnosis of spontaneous pneumomediastinum. These 24 patients were comprised of 18 men and 6 women with mean age 18.9 years (range 10 ~ 33). The major initial complaints were chest pain (79.2%), throat pain (62.5%), and subcutaneous emphysema (41.7%). The triggering events were exercise (16.7%), coughing (12.5%) and vomiting (12.5%). No apparent triggering event was noted in 54.2% of patients. In all cases, chest radiograph and computed tomography was done. Diagnostic computed tomography was required in 25%. White blood cell counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) were checked, and their initial mean values were $9,790{\pm}3,240/{\mu}L$ Land $1.31{\pm}1.71mg/dL$, final mean values were $5,440{\pm}1,665/{\mu}L$ Land $0.72{\pm}0.73mg/dL$, respectively. 23 patients were admitted (average $5.0{\pm}1.8$) and the symptoms were self-limiting in all cases without complications. Conclusion: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a benign condition with mild inflammatory signs that often presents with chest or throat pain. Secondary causes must be ruled out to avoid an unfavorable outcome with less invasive study. Because of very rare complications and recurrence, outpatient basis and shortened hospitalization may be feasible.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.876-881
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• 2002

Acute aortic dissection associated with high mortality rate has an extremely poor prognosis if early diagnosis and treatment are not received. Recently, with advanced computed tomography and echocardiography, diagnostic rate is higher and early operation is possible. Therefore preoperative medical therapy at ER(emergency room) lowered the mortality rate. This study was done to analyze the results with preoperative management at ER and operations, retrospectively. Material and Method: A series of 42 patients treated surgically for acute aortic dissections from 1991 to 2001 were included in this study. There were 18 males and 24 females. Mean age was 51.1 years. The admission course through emergency and outpatient department(OPD) was 34 and 8 respectively. Result: 26 patients underwent ascending aorta replacement-7 combined aortic valve replacements, 7 patients underwent descending aorta replacements and 9 patients received Bentall's operation. At emergency department, 20 patients received antihypertensive drugs and $\beta$-receptor blockers and 6 patients died. 22 patients did not receive antihypertensive and $\beta$-receptor block drugs and 10 patients died. There were 16(38%) overall deaths. Conclusion: Early diagnosis at ER or OPD is essential for acute aortic dissection, and it is important to select the most appropriate noninvasive interventions as possible. Therefore, preoperative drug therapy at ER is suggested according the patient conditions.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1004-1008
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• 1998

We report a case of heart-lung transplantation in a 32 year-old female with Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to patent ductus arteriosus. She has been suffered from congestive heart failure since June 1996 and repeatedly treated at Intensive Care Unit with intravenous inotropic support since July 1997. Preoperative echocardiography showed a patent ductus arteriosus with right to left shunt, severe regurgitation of tricuspid valve and estimated right ventricular systolic pressure of 100mmHg. The brain-dead donor was an 18 year-old male with head trauma from traffic accident 3 days ago. Heart-lung block procurement was performed at another general hospital and was transported to the Seoul National University Hospital by ambulance. Total ischemic time of the transplanted heart and lung were 249 minutes and 270 minutes, respectively. The immunosuppressive therapy was commenced preoperatively with cyclosporine and azathioprine. Corticosteroid was not used until postoperative 3 weeks in order to avoid infection and delayed healing at the tracheal anastomotic site. The patient was discharged at 31st postoperative day, and has been regularly followed up at outpatient clinic without specific complication. The follow-up bronchoscopy, performed 2 weeks and 4 months after surgery, revealed no evidence of cellular rejection.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of local steroid injection for infraspinatus under ultrasonographic guidance in patients with posterior shoulder pain during horizontal adduction test. Materials and Methods: Twenty one cases of patients, from May 2013 to May 2014, showed positive horizontal adduction test were retrospectively analyzed. We performed ultrasonography-guided infraspinatus injection using steroid to these patients in the outpatient clinics. We evalulated results for visual analogue score (VAS) for pain, UCLA score for these patients before injection, following 3 months and 6 months after injection. Results: After ultrasonography-guided infraspinatus injection using steroid, there were clinically significant improvements in VAS and UCLA score at 3 month's follow-up period (p<0.05). But there were no significant differences in VAS and UCLA score between 3 months and 6 months (p>0.05). Fourteen of 21 (67%) cases showed much improved and improved satisfaction. Respectively, seven of 21 (33%) cases showed not improved and aggravation satisfaction. Conclusion: Ultrasonography-guided infraspinatus injection using steroid is an effective treatment method for the patients with exacerbated posterior shoulder pain during horizontal adduction test.