• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2011

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of ipsilateral reamputation after lower limb amputation in the patient with diabetic foot lesions. Materials and Methods: Between May 2005 and June 2009, 88 patients who underwent lower limb amputation were analyzed. Group 1 consisted of 73 patients who didn't have a ipsilateral reamputation after lower limb amputation and group 2 consisted of 15 patients who underwent reamputation. We compared several factors between two groups, such as age, gender, BMI, ABI, Wagner classification, wound culture, site of amputation, vascular surgery, the period of diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure. Results: Fifteen (17%) of 88 patients had a ipsilateral limb reamputation and 13 patients (87%) of them underwent reamputation within 6 months. When we compared the two groups, average age was 59.3 (range, 48-74 years); 62.9(range, 44-78 years). Age was significantly associated with reamputation rate (p=0.02) and no reamputation after initial amputation above ankle joint was found. Other factors did not show statistically difference between both groups. Conclusion: There were no significant difference between diabetic limb amputation and reamputation group in our concerned risk factors except age and amputation level. There should be careful consideration when determine level of amputation in diabetic foot lesions especially in elder patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.109-112
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• 2001

Hiccups, also known as singultus, are spasmodic involuntary contractions of respiratory muscles that shorten respiration. The characteristic sound is caused by rapid closure of the glottis. In oriental medicine, the mechanism of hiccups is "reversed flow of Ki". Hiccups have been associated with neoplasm, infections, seizures, diabetes. renal failure, alcohol ingestion, various drugs, and ischemic events of the myocardium or central nervous system. We present a case of chronic hiccups after cerebral infarction that was successfully treated using moxibustion therapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.538-544
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• 2009

Objective : Primary treatment of spinal metastasis has been external beam radiotherapy. Recent advance of technology enables radiosurgery to be extended to extracranial lesions. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness and safety of stereotactic radiosurgery using Cyberknife in spinal metastasis. Methods : From June, 2002 to December, 2007, 129 patients with 167 spinal metastases were treated with Cyberknife. Most of the patients (94%) presented with pain and nine patients suffered from motor deficits. Twelve patients were asymptomatic. Fifty-three patients (32%) had previous radiation therapy. Using Cyberknife, 16-39 Gy in 1-5 fractions were delivered to spinal metastatic lesions. Radiation dose was not different regarding the tumor pathology or tumor volume. Results : After six months follow-up, patient evaluation was possible in 108 lesions. Among them, significant pain relief was seen in 98 lesions (91%). Radiological data were obtained in 83 lesions. The mass size was decreased or stable in 75 lesions and increased in eight lesions. Radiological control failure cases were hepatocellular carcinoma (5 cases), lung cancer (1 case), breast cancer (1 case) and renal cell carcinoma (1 case). Treatment-related radiation injury was not detected. Conclusion : Cyberknife radiosurgery is clinically effective and safe for spinal metastases. It is true even in previously irradiated patients. Compared to conventional radiation therapy, Cyberknife shows higher pain control rate and its treatment process is more convenient for patients. Thus, it can be regarded as a primary treatment modality for spinal metastases.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.496-500
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• 2013

Objective : To evaluate the successful fusion rate in postmenopausal women with single-level anterior cervical discectomy and successful fusion (ACDF) and identify the significant factors related to bone successful fusion in pre- and postmenopausal women. Methods : From July 2004 to December 2010, 108 consecutive patients who underwent single-level ACDF were prospectively selected as candidates. Among these, the charts and radiological data of 39 women were reviewed retrospectively. These 39 women were divided into two groups : a premenopausal group (n=11) and a postmenopausal group (n=28). To evaluate the significant factors affecting the successful fusion rate, the following were analyzed : the presence of successful fusion, successful fusion type, age, operated level, bone mineral density, graft materials, stand-alone cage or plating with autologous iliac bone, subsidence, adjacent segment degeneration, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and renal disease. Results : The successful fusion rates of the pre- and postmenopausal groups were 90.9% and 89.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the successful fusion rate or successful fusion type between the two groups. In the postmenopausal group, three patients (10.8%) had successful fusion failure. In the postmenopausal group, age and subsidence significantly affected the successful fusion rate (p=0.016 and 0.011, respectively), and the incidence of subsidence in patients with a cage was higher than that in patients with a plate (p=0.030). Conclusion : Menopausal status did not significantly affect bone successful fusion in patients with single-level ACDF. However, in older women with single-level ACDF, the combination of use of a cage and subsidence may unfavorably affect successful fusion.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.1180-1187
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• 2007

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an episodic, multi-system, autoimmune disease characterized by widespread inflammation of blood vessels and connective tissues and by the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), especially antibodies to native (double-stranded) DNA (dsDNA). Its clinical manifestations are extremely variable, and its natural history is unpredictable. Untreated, SLE is often progressive and has a significant fatality rate. The most widely used criteria for the classification of SLE are those of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), which were revised in 1982 and modified in 1997. The presence of four criteria have been diagnosed as a SLE. Rashes are common at onset and during active disease. The oral mucosa is the site of ulceration with SLE. Arthralgia and arthritis affect most children and these symptoms are short in duration and can be migratory. Lupus nephritis may be more frequent and of greater severity in children than in adults. The initial manifestation of nephritis is microscopic hematuria, followed by proteinuria. The most common neuropsychiatric symptoms are depression, psychosis(hallucination and paranoia) and headache. CNS disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Pericarditis is the most common cardiac manifestation. Libman-Sacks endocarditis is less common in children. The most frequently described pleuropulmonary manifestations are pleural effusions, pleuritis, pneunonitis and pulmonary hemorrhage. During the active phase ESR, CRP, gamma globulin, ferritin and anti-dsDNA are elevated. Antibodies to dsDNA occur in children with active nephritis. Antibodies to the extractable nuclear antigens (Sm, Ro/SS-A, La/SS-B) are strongly associated with SLE. Specific treatment should be individualized and based on the severity of the disease. Sepsis has replaced renal failure as the most common cause of death.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2013

Background: Heart transplantation in elderly patients has raised concerns because of co-morbidities and limited life expectancy in the era of donor shortage. We examined the outcomes after heart transplantation in elderly patients. Materials and Methods: From March 1994 to December 2011, 81 patients (male:female=64:17, $49.1{\pm}14.0$ years) underwent heart transplantation. The outcomes after heart transplantation in the younger patients (<60 years; group Y, n=60) were compared with those in the elderly patients (${\geq}60$ years; group O, n=21). The follow-up duration was $51.8{\pm}62.7$ months. Results: Early mortality (${\leq}30$ days) occurred in 5.0% (3/60) and 4.8% (1/21) of groups Y and O, respectively (p>0.999). There were no differences in overall survival between the two groups (p=0.201). Freedom from rejection was higher in group O than in group Y (p=0.026). Multivariable analysis revealed that age ${\geq}60$ years was not a significant risk factor for long-term survival; postoperative renal failure was the only significant risk factor for long-term survival (p=0.011). Conclusion: Early and mid-term results of heart transplantation in elderly patients were similar to those in younger patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.392-399
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• 2020

Background: Surgical treatment of empyema thoracis in patients with chronic kidney disease is challenging, and few studies in the literature have evaluated this issue. In this study, we aim to report the surgical outcomes of empyema and to analyze factors predicting perioperative mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: This retrospective study included data from 34 patients with chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 ㎡ for 3 or more months) who underwent surgery for empyema between 2012 and 2020. An analysis of demographic characteristics and perioperative variables, including complications, was carried out. Postoperative mortality was the primary outcome measure. Results: Patients' age ranged from 20 to 74 years with a 29-to-5 male-female ratio. The majority (n=19, 55.9%) of patients were in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring maintenance hemodialysis. The mean operative time was 304 minutes and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 562 mL. Postoperative morbidity was observed in 70.5% of patients (n=24). In the subgroup analysis, higher values for operative time, blood loss, intensive care unit stay, and complications were found in ESRD patients. The mortality rate was 38.2% (n=13). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, poor performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group >2) (p=0.03), ESRD (p=0.02), and late referral (>8 weeks) (p<0.001) significantly affected mortality. Conclusion: ESRD, late referral, and poor functional status were poor prognostic factors predicting postoperative mortality. The decision of surgery should be cautiously assessed given the very high risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality in these patients.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.397-402
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of probencid on the pharmacokinetics of oral pranoprofen in rats. Pranoprofen (5 mg/kg) was coadministered with 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg of probenecid orally. Coadministration of probenecid significantly altered the pharmacokinetics of pranoprofen at 10 and 20 mg/kg. Compared with the control group, probenecid significantly (p<0.05) increased the absorption rate constant $(K_{a})$, the peak concentrations $(C_{max})$ and accordingly the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of pranoprofen at the dose level of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg of probenecid. The relative bioavailability (RB%) of pranoprofen was 1.64- to 1.82- fold increased. Furthermore, 10 and 20 mg/kg probenecid induced the decreased elimination constants $(K_{el})$ and the prolonged half-lives $(t_{1/2})$ of pranoprofen with significance (p<0.05). Coadministration of 10 and 20 mg/kg of probenecid lowered the excreted amounts of pranoprofen in the urine by 21.3-22.5% compared to the control. Overall, probenecid enhanced the bioavailability of pranoprofen and decreased its elimination rate to a greater degree at higher dose. Based on the effect of probenecid on the pharmacokinetic behavior of pranoprofen, the dosage regimen of pranoprofen should be taken into consideration when pranoprofen is administered with probenecid in the clinical setting to the patients especially with peptic ulcer or renal failure.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.112-129
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• 1996

Background : A small number of high cost patients usually spend a larger proportion of scarce health resources. Aged, long-term care and readmitted patients usually belong to these high cost patient group. Among others, long length of stay and readmission can be reduced by checking its cause, and these are the areas needed most of quality improvement activity. Characteristics of high cost medical users between health insurance program and medical assistance program were reviewed. Methods : The inpatient claims of health insurance and medical assistance program were analyzed. Patients were divided by 6 groups; long-term, mid-term, short-term, readmitted, cancer and aged. We defined high cost patients as those who had spent one and half million won and over per 6 months. Characteristics of high cost patients for each group were reviewed. Results : medical assistance patients used much more resources than the insured members in the average hospital cost per case but less in daily hospital cost. The former had a longer length of stay and had much heavier diseases. Major diseases of both group were cancer, diseases of circulatory system and chronic degenerative diseases. Gallstone and schizophrenia were more in the insured program. However, pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma were more common among the medical assistance patients. Early readmission before 2 weeks were 28-30% of the total readmission. Readmission rate in the malignat neoplasm and renal failure were 80% and more. Q.A program should be installed to prevent unnecessary readmissions. Conclusion : Almost 30% of early readmissions and admissions due to complications and long length of stay should be reviewed carefully to keep cost down and to enhance the quality of hospital care.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2651-2654
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• 2014

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is still the primary cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and late diagnosis is a major obstacle to improving lung cancer outcomes. Recently, elevated preoperative or pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) detected in peripheral blood were identified as independent prognostic factors associated with poor survival with various cancers, including colon cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether MPV, NLR and PLR could be useful inflammatory markers to differentiate lung cancer patients from healthy controls. An investigation was also made of the relationship between these markers and other prognostic factors and histopathological subgroups. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively eighty-one lung cancer patients and 81 age-sexes matched healthy subjects included into the study. Patients with hypertension, hematological and renal disease, heart failure, chronic infection, hepatic disorder and other cancer were excluded from the study. The preoperative or pretreatment blood count data was obtained from the recorded computerized database. Results: NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the LC patients compared to the healthy subjects.( NLR: 4.42 vs 2.45 p=0.001, PLR: 245.1 vs 148.2 p=0.002) MPV values were similar in both groups (7.7 vs 7.8). No statistically significant relationship was determined between these markers (MPV, NLR and PLR) and histopathological subgroups and TNM stages. Conclusions: NLR and PLR can be useful biomarkers in LC patients before treatment. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.