• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.15-25
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• 2018

Purpose: To compare the Appropriateness of abdominal CT to abdominal radiography as an imaging modality in terms of the diagnostic value, medical costs and decision making times for patients presented to the emergency department with nontraumatic abdominal pain. Methods: This study used the records of 530 cases presented to the emergency department(ED) with nontraumatic abdominal pain from February to March 2012. Imaging modalities were categorized into abdominal radiography and CT (radiography first or CT first) or radiography alone or CT alone. The diagnostic value, total medical costs and effect on decision making time of the each imaging modalities were compared. Especially, in retrospective review, to evaluate the predictability of the abdominal radiography, alit was assumed that all the 530 cases performed that exam as initial imaging. Results: Among 530 cases, 255 cases underwent abdominal radiography only, 28 cases underwent abdominal CT only and the remnant 247 cases underwent abdominal CT with plain abdominal radiography. The diagnostic value was higher in the cases with abdominal CT (268/275, 97.5%) than in the cases with plain abdominal radiography (19/255, 7.5%).The number of cases predicted by abdominal radiography only as initial imaging were 39/530 (7.4%). In cases where the patients performed the abdominal CT as the first imaging modality thereby omitting the abdominal radiography, the total diagnostic imaging fee was lower than in cases with plain abdominal radiography first followed by the abdominal CT (277,140 vs. 284,226(mean, Korean Won)). Although diagnostic value of the plain abdominal radiography as first imaging modality was lower than the abdominal CT, Decision making time, average duration of hospital stay was longer and the total medical costs was higher than abdominal CT. Conclusion: As an imaging modality in the ED for patients with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain, plain abdominal radiography is an avoidable procedure when viewed in terms of the diagnostic value and total medical costs and decision making times comparing with abdominal CT.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2011

Plain X-ray radiographs are the first line of investigation taken in the diagnosis of abdominal pathology and are considered an important diagnostic tool to provide guidelines for further imaging studies and comprehensive therapeutic management. Although most abdominal pathology demonstrates non-specific radiologic findings, the plain abdominal radiography is very useful in specific diseases, including certain gastrointestinal anomalies. This review provides image findings of normal plain abdominal radiography and some common abdominal pathology in infants and children.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the success rate of air reduction as the primary treatment of intussusception and whether the success of air reduction could be predicted by plain x-ray. The authors reviewed the medical records of 54 consecutive patients diagnosed with intussusception from Jan 2005 to Dec 2007 at the Department of Surgery, Masan Samsung Hospital. The natures of symptoms and findings of plain abdominal radiography performed in the emergency department (ED) were reviewed. Air reduction failed more frequently (26.3 %) in patients who visited ED more than 24 hours after symptom onset (p=0.009). The mean duration of symptom for operated patients was longer than air reduction group (p=0.01). Also, 3/4 of patients having localized distension of small bowel in the left upper quadrant abdomen had unsuccessful air reduction (p=0.002). In conclusion, the time interval from symptom onset to arrival at ED and localized distension of small bowel in the left upper quadrant abdomen significantly increased the failure rate of air reduction.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to emphasize the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis of acute abdominal pain with simple radiography by reporting a case of gastrointestinal perforation. Methods: We closely observed the diagnosis and progress of acute abdominal pain after biliary stent and reviewed the outline of gastrointestinal perforation. Results: Patient diagnosed with urethral cancer metastasis to lung and peritoneum was treated with complex Korean medicinal treatments to deal with anorexia, abdominal pain, jaundice and oliguria. During hospitalization, the patient's acute abdominal pain after biliary stent was diagnosed with gastrointestinal perforation by using plain chest and abdominal radiography. Conclusion: Using simple radiography to find out the emergency diseases such as perforation in acute abdominal pain is important clinically.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 2016

A 1.83 kg, 9-year-old, spayed female Yorkshire Terrier was referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Konkuk University for evaluation of an intra-abdominal mass with a week history of vomiting and diarrhea. On physical examination, survey radiography, abdominal ultrasonography, and computed tomography, a huge firm mass was identified in the mid-caudal abdomen. Surgical exploration of the abdominal cavity was performed to remove the mass. The encapsulated mass adhered to the mesentery, tail of the spleen, small intestine, omentum, and right lobe of the pancreas was removed using blunt dissection with dry gauze and cotton swabs. Macroscopic and histopathological examination revealed that the mass was foreign-body granuloma consistent with gauze fiber. Plain abdominal radiography demonstrated no remarkable findings 8 months post-operatively. There was no evidence of vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, difficulty breathing, and cyanosis on exertion 13 months post-operatively.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.227-230
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• 2020

A 8-year-old spayed female Korean short-haired cat was presented with respiratory distress. CBC, serum chemistry analysis, plain radiography, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed. Besides hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) suspected by the thoracic radiograph, a tubular, tortuous soft tissue structure was detected at the region of the left retroperitoneal cavity on the abdominal radiograph. On the abdominal ultrasonography, a shunt vessel is identified caudo-lateral to the left kidney region. These findings are consistent with spleno-systemic shunts in cats. Furthermore, portal hypertension and diffuse hepatic lesion were also identified. Although the cause of a shunt vessel is not easy to diagnose, it is important to include spleno-systemic shunt into differential diagnosis list, when convoluted, tubular soft tissue opacity is seen on the digital radiography (DR). This report will allow clinicians to raise awareness of complications of portosystemic shunt (PSS) and better treat PSS suspected feline patients when the advanced modalities such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are not available.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2007

Purpose: The role of plain, abdominal radiography in childhood constipation has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and reliability of scoring systems assessing a fecal load on plain, abdominal radiographs in children with functional constipation. Methods: Plain, abdominal radiographs from 38 constipated children and 39 control children were examined by four independent inspectors, pediatric residents. Four inspectors independently scored the radiographs according to three different scoring systems Barr, Blethyn, and Leech. No clinical information about the patients was available to the inspectors. Each abdominal radiograph was evaluated on two separate occasions, one week apart. Kappa coefficients were calculated as indicators of inter-and intra-inspector variability, coefficients <0.20, 0.21~0.40, 0.40~0.60, 0.61~0.80 and 0.81~1.00 were considered to indicate poor, fair, moderate, good, and very good agreement, respectively. Results: The Leech score showed the highest reproducibility: the inter-inspector agreement was uniformly very good on two separate occasions (${\kappa}$ values of 0.88, 0.91, 0.92, 0.86 in the first time and 0.81, 0.88, 0.89, 0.84 in the second time). Agreement using the Barr score was good (${\kappa}$ values of 0.66, 0.67, 0.69, 0.66 in the first time and 0.68, 0.65, 0.71, 0.68 in the second time). However, agreement for the Blethyn score was the lowest of the three scoring systems. The Leech scoring system had the highest sensitivity and specificity compared to the Barr scoring system for the diagnosis of functional constipation by plain, abdominal radiographs. Conclusion: The Leech score appeared to be a more accurate and reliable method because of its high sensitivity and specificity for evaluating the fecal load on plain, abdominal radiographs in children with functional constipation. Therefore, the Leech scoring system was found to be the most useful for assessment for the degree of constipation on plain, abdominal radiographs in children.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.238-243
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• 2021

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a rare neural tube defect that affects the terminal spinal segment, manifesting as neurological deficits and structural anomalies in the lower body. We report a case of a 31-month-old boy presenting with constipation who had long been considered to have functional constipation but was finally confirmed to have CRS. Small, flat buttocks with bilateral buttock dimples and a short intergluteal cleft were identified on close examination. Plain radiographs of the abdomen, retrospectively reviewed, revealed the absence of the distal sacrum and the coccyx. During the 5-year follow-up period, we could find his long-term clinical course showing bowel and bladder dysfunction without progressive neurologic deficits. We present this case to highlight the fact that a precise physical examination, along with a close evaluation of plain radiographs encompassing the sacrum, is necessary with a strong suspicion of spinal dysraphism when confronting a child with chronic constipation despite the absence of neurologic deficits or gross structural anomalies.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.155-159
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of posture changes(Anteroposterior projection, Posteroanterior projection) in the plain abdominal examination on breast dose and to examine its clinical usefulness. This study was used a human body phantom and a glass dosimeter. Glass dosimeters were directly inserted from the center and outside of medial and lateral. In this study, the deep dose was measured in the right breast and the surface dose in the left breast. During the abdominal examination, the central X-ray incident point was perpendicularly incident to the image receptor 5 cm above the iliac crest. The exposure parameters were 82 kVp, 320 mA, 50 ms, x-ray field size 14×17 inch The distance between the center X-ray and the detector was fixed at 110 cm, and only the top two AEC chambers were used. As a result of this study, the medial and lateral side doses of the right breast were 535.73±30.68 μGy and 414.46±33.52 μGy for erect AP, and 145.80±18.52 μGy and 148.76±12.92 μGy in erect PA. The superficial breast dose was 754.00±68.36 μGy on the medial side and 674.06±45.58 μGy on the lateral side in the erect AP, 70.66±7.98 μGy on the medial side, and 86.46±15.35 μGy on the lateral side in the erect PA. There was a statistically significant difference in the difference between the mean values of the medial and lateral side doses in the deep and superficial areas of the breast according to the postural change (p <0.01). As a result of this study, If the abdominal radiography was examined in the PA position, the dose reduction effect was 72.78% on the medial side, 64.10% on the lateral side of the deep breast, 90.62% on the medial side, and 87.17% on the lateral side of the superficial breast compared to the AP position.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 1997

We carried out a prospective study of the effectiveness of a diagnostic strategy in thirty consecutively seen patients who had skeletal metastasis. The diagnostic strategy consisted of the recording of a medical history, physical examination, routine laboratory analysis, plain radiography of the involved bone and chest, whole-body technetium-99m-phosphonate bone scintigraphy, abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, fiberbronchoscopy and fibergastroscopy. After this evaluation, a biopsy of the most accessible osseous lesion was done in twenty four patients. On the basis of the our diagnostic strategy, we were able to identify the primary site of the malignant tumor in nineteen patients(63%). The laboratory values were non-specific in all patients. The history and physical examination revealed the occult primary site of the malignant tumor in one patient(3.3%) who had carcinoma of the breast. Plain radiographs of the chest established the diagnosis of carcinoma of the lung in three patients(9.9%). Computed tomography of the chest identified an additional three primary carcinoma of the lung(9.9%). Fiberbronchoscopy identified an additional one primary carcinoma of the lung(3.3%). Abdominal ultrasound established the diagnosis in three patients(9.9%). Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis established the diagnosis in four patients(13.2%). Fibergastroscopy established the diagnosis in two patients(6.6%). Examination of the biopsy tissue established the diagnosis in one patient(3.3%). So we recommend to perform plain radiographs of chest, abdominal ultrasound, chest C-T, abdomino-pelvic C-T, fiber-bronchoscopy, fibergastroscopy sequentially.