• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.276-282
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• 2005

Objectives : To evaluate the predictive validity of three scoring systems; the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation(APACHE) III, simplified acute physiology score(SAPS) II, and mortality probability model(MPM) II systems in critically ill patients. Methods : A concurrent and retrospective study conducted by collecting data on consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU) including surgical, medical and coronary care unit between January 1, 2004, and March 31, 2004. Data were collected on 348 patients consecutively admitted to the ICU(aged 16 years or older, no transfer, ICU stay at least 8 hours). Three models were analyzed using logistic regression. Discrimination was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves, sensitivity, specificity, and correct classification rate. Calibration was assessed using the Lemeshow-Hosmer goodness of fit H-statistic. Results : For the APACHE III, SAPS II and MPM II systems, the area under the receiver operating characterist ic(ROC) curves were 0.981, 0.978, and 0.941 respectively. With a predicted risk of 0.5, the sensitivities for the APACHE III, SAPS II, and MPM II systems were 81.1, 79.2 and 71.7%, the specificities 98.3, 98.6, and 98.3%, and the correct classification rates 95.7, 95.7, and 94.3%, respectively. The SAPS II and APACHE III systems showed good calibrations(chi-squared H=2.5838 p=0.9577 for SAPS II, and chi-squared H=4.3761 p=0.8217 for APACHE III). Conclusions : The APACHE III and SAPS II systems have excellent powers of mortality prediction, and calibration, and can be useful tools for the quality assessment of intensive care units(ICUs).

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.897-906
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• 2016

Objectives: Periodontitis is multifactorial disease mainly caused by microbial community. Recently, some research has been conducted to find other possible risk factors including stress hormones related to periodontitis. Psychological stress can affect the periodontal health by a variety of biological mechanisms. This study compared the stress hormone levels in healthy subjects and patients with periodontal disease using saliva in order to investigate the association between periodontitis and stress. Methods: The human saliva was collected from 38 periodontally healthy individuals and 34 patients with chronic periodontitis under Institutional Review Board. Their age was 20-60 years ($40.3{\pm}10.45$). From these samples, determination of salivary levels of cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) performed by enzyme immunoassay kit (Salimetrics Europe, Suffolk, UK). The independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test for trend was applied using IBM SPSS statistics version 12.0 Program to analyze statistically significant differences. Results: Salivary cortisol levels of periodontitis patients were higher than those levels of healthy subjects (P < 0.001), while salivary DHEA levels of periodontitis patients were not significantly different (P = 0.431). Salivary cortisol/DHEA ratio of periodontitis patients was higher than those levels of healthy subjects (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the high levels of cortisol concentrations and cortisol/DHEA ratio in saliva of periodontitis patients than those of healthy subjects. Since cortisol levels and cortisol/DHEA ratio can be significant factors related to the severity of periodontal disease, our study would be helpful for early diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2018

Purpose: This study investigated predictive factors for severe neonatal thrombocytopenia, which greatly increases the need for intensive care and is associated with a high mortality rate in premature infants. Factors adopted for prompt identification of at-risk newborns include blood test results and birth history. This study analyzed the relationship between the presence of severe neonatal thrombocytopenia and the mortality rate. The causes of thrombocytopenia in premature infants were also examined. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 625 premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Chung-Ang University Medical Center. The neonates were classified into 3 groups according to the severity of thrombocytopenia: mild ($100{\times}10^9/L{\leq}platelet<150{\times}10^9/L$), moderate ($50{\times}10^9/L{\leq}platelet<100{\times}10^9/L$), or severe (platelet<$50{\times}10^9/L$). Analysis of blood samples obtained at the onset of thrombocytopenia included platelet count, white blood cell (WBC) count, hemoglobin level, hematocrit level, absolute neutrophil count, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level. Results: Of the 625 premature infants admitted to our NICU, 214 were detected with thrombocytopenia. The mortality rate in thrombocytopenic neonates was 18.2% (39/214), whereas a mortality rate of only 1.0% was observed in non-thrombocytopenic neonates. The major causes of thrombocytopenia were perinatal insufficiency and sepsis in premature infants. Severe thrombocytopenia was noted more frequently in premature infants with higher WBC counts and in those with a younger gestational age. Conclusion: Platelet count, WBC count, and gestational age are reliable predictors for severe neonatal thrombocytopenia. The major causes of thrombocytopenia were perinatal insufficiency and sepsis in premature infants.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 1991

Dipyridamole thallium imaging is one of the most widely accepted means of evaluating patients with suspected or known coronay artery disease. The results of thallium imaging help diagnose coronary artery disesse (CAD), determine the hemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis, evaluate viability of myocardium, assess the outcome of therapeutic interventions and stratify patients according to their risk for luther cardiac events. An increased lung thallium uptake and transient LV dilation has been reported as poor prognostic indicator and associated with extensive and severe coronary artery disease. We quantitated lung/heart uptake ratio (l/HUR) and transient left ventricular dilation ratio in 44 patients and 17 controls undertaking dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy. The results are as follows: 1) The lung/heart uptake ratio was high in patients with CAD and which became higher according to increasing number of diseased vessel. The L/HUR of patients with low LVEF (<35%) was lower than those with normal LVEF. 2) Transient left ventricular dilation ratio of CAD patients had no close relation between numbers of diseased vessels and was not higher than normals. But transient left ventricular dilation ratio of patients with myocardial infartion was higher than normals. We concluded that lung/heart uptake ratio seems to be sensitive marker for severity of CAD and myocardial function, but transient left ventricular dilation ratio alone is not sufficient to be a marker for severe and extensive CAD.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.441-449
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• 2017

Citrus canker is an important bacterial disease of citrus in several regions of the world. Strains of Xanthomonas citri type-A (Xc-A) group are the primary pathogen where citrus canker occurs. After Xc-A entered the Northeast of Argentina in 1974, the disease spread rapidly from 1977 to 1980 and then slowed down and remained moving at slow pace until 1990 when it became endemic. Citrus canker was detected in Northwest Argentina in 2002. This paper presents the main steps in the fight of the disease and the management strategies that have been used to control citrus canker at this time. We think the process might be usefull to other countries with the same situation. Results from more than 40 years of research in Northeast (NE) Argentina indicate that we are at the limit of favorable environment for the disease. The severity of citrus canker is greatly affected by the environment and El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon which causes cyclic fluctuations on the disease intensity in the NE region. Weather-based logistic regression models adjusted to quantify disease levels in field conditions showed that the environmental effect was strongly modulated by the distance from a windbreak. Production of healthy fruits in citrus canker endemic areas is possible knowing the dynamics of the disease. A voluntary Integrated Plan to Reduce the Risk of Canker has been in place since 1994 and it allows growers to export unsymptomatic, uninfested fresh fruit to countries which are free of the disease and require healthy, pathogen free fruits. The experience from Argentina can be replicated in other countries after appropriate trials.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.222-228
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• 2001

The frequency and severity of intestinal tuberculosis are decreased due to socioeconomic development, pasteurization of milk and more effective anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. But in recent year, HIV-infected patients are known to be at high risk of developing tuberculosis. The pathogenesis of intestinal tuberculosis is dependent on a immune state and nutritional status of the patient, the tuberculosis amount of sputum and tuberculosis toxicity. The diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis is usually difficult because of non-specific clinical features and radiological signs. Chronic diarrhea in intestinal tuberculosis is able to produce a malnutrition, marasmus, kwashiorkor or the combined form. The treatment is anti-tuberculous chemotherapy for 12~24 months, but operation should be considered to intestinal perforation, obstruction, fistula formation and massive bleeding. The study about kwashiorkor in intestinal tuberculosis is rare in recent years, we should remind that tuberculosis is still prevalent disease in Korea. We report a ten year-old boy with ileocecal tuberculosis who presented with kwashiorkor, severe malnutrition with review of literature.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2011

Purpose: During August 2010, a natural gas fuel cylinder on a bus exploded in downtown Seoul, injuring 20 citizens. This kind of blast injury has never been reported in Korea before. Thus, the goal of this study was to review the clinical features of these victims to help physicians manage similar cases and to understand the risk factors associated with blast injuries in everyday life. Methods: Twenty (20) victims who visited nearby emergency departments, and 3 peoples left hospital without care. Seventeen (17) victims were included in this study, and the following factors were investigated: age, sex, type of hospital, diagnosis of injury, injury mechanism, position of victim (in-bus/out of bus), classification of injury severity with START (simple triage and rapid treatment), and classification of injury according to the mechanism of the blast injury. Results: The victims included 8 males (47%), 9 females (53%). The mean age was $37.5{\pm}12$. Thirteen (13) victims were transferred to two tertiary hospitals, and 4 were transferred to two secondary hospitals. The types of injury were 3 fractures, 2 ligaments injuries, 6 contusions, 4 abrasions, and 3 open wounds (one of them was combined fracture). According to START classification, 17 victims were 1 immediate, 11 minor, 5 delayed, and no death. Classifications according to the mechanism of the blast injury were 1 primary injury, 6 secondary injuries (2 of them combined other mechanism), 3 tertiary injuries and 9 quaternary injuries. Conclusion: Trauma care physicians should be familiar with not only the specific types of injuries from blast accidents, but also the potential accidents that may occur in public facilities.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2018

Purpose: To determine the relationship between vaginal reflux (VR) and urinary tract infection (UTI) in female children aged <36 months. Methods: A single center retrospective study was performed for 191 girls aged <36 months, with a diagnosis of febrile UTI, who underwent a voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) for assessment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) at Sanggye Paik Hospital. Fifty-one girls, who underwent VCUG for assessment of congenital hydronephrosis or renal pelvis dilatation, without a UTI, formed the control group. The correlation between the presence and grade of VR and UTI was evaluated. Results: The prevalence rate of VR was higher in the UTI (42.9%) than control (13.7%) group (P<0.05), with a higher VR severity grade in the UTI (mean, 0.64) than control (mean, 0.18) group (P<0.05). On subanalysis with age-matching (UTI group: n=126, age, $5.28{\pm}2.13months$; control group: n=22, age, $4.79{\pm}2.40months$; P=0.33), both VR prevalence (43.65% vs. 18.18%, P<0.05) and grade (0.65 vs. 0.22, P<0.05) remained higher in the UTI than control group. Presence and higher grade of VR were associated with UTI recurrence (P<0.05). VR was correlated to urosepsis (P<0.05). The renal defect rate of patients with VR (VR [+]/VUR [+]) was not different from that of patients without VR (74% vs. 52%, P=0.143) in the VUR group; however, it was higher than that of VR (+)/VUR (-) patients (74% vs. 32%, P=0.001). If a child with VR (+)/VUR (+) is exposed to a UTI, the risk of renal defect increases. Conclusion: Occurrence of VR is associated with UTI recurrence and urosepsis in pediatric female patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.232-239
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• 1992

Acute renal failure is a well known serious complication following open heart surgery and is associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality rate. From 1984 to 1990, 33 patients who had acute renal failure following cardiopulmonary bypass received renal replacement therapy. PD[Peritonial dialysis] was employed in 11 patients and CAVH[continous arteriovenous hemofiltration] was employed in 22 patients. Their age ranged from 3 months to 64 years[mean 25.5$\pm$7.8 years]. The disease entities included congenital cardiac anomaly in 18, valvular heart disease in 15 and aorta disease in 2 cases. Low cardiac output was thought as a primary cause of ARF except two redo valve cases who showed severe Aemolysis k depressed renal function preoperatively. Mean serum BUN and creatinine level at the onset renal replacement therapy were 65$\pm$8 mg/dl and 3.5$\pm$0.4 mg/dl respectively, declining only after reaching peak level 7&10 days following the onset of therapy. Overall hospital mortality was 72.7%[24/33]; 81%[9/11] in PD group and 68.2% [15/22] in CAVH group respectively. The primary cause of death was low cardiac output & hemodynamic depression in all the cases. The fatal complications included multiorgan failure in 7, disseminated intravascular coagulation and sepsis in 6, neurologic damage in 4 and mediastinitis in 3 cases. No measurable differences were observed between CAVH and PD group upon consequence of acute renal failure and disease per se. The age at operation, BUN/Cr level at the onset of bypass and highest BUN/Cr level and the consequence of low output status were regarded as important risk factors, determining outcome of ARF and success of renal replacement therapy. Thus, we concluded that althoght the prognosis is largely determined by severity of low cardiac output status and other organ complication, early institution of renal replacement therapy with other intensive supportive measures could improve salvage rate in established ARF patients following CPB.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.325-331
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• 2020

Background: We evaluated the association between tricuspid annular dilatation and the development of moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Additionally, we determined the optimal tricuspid annular dilatation threshold to use as an indicator for tricuspid annuloplasty in patients with less-than-moderate functional TR (FTR). Methods: Between August 2007 and December 2014, 227 patients with less-than-moderate TR underwent mitral valve surgery without a tricuspid valve (TV) procedure. The TV annular diameter was measured via transthoracic echocardiography. The TV annular index (TVAI) was calculated as the TV annular diameter divided by the body surface area. The mean duration of echocardiographic follow-up was 42.0 months (interquartile range, 9.3-66.6 months). Results: Eight patients (3.5%) developed moderate or severe TR. The rate of freedom from development of moderate or severe TR at 5 years was 96.2%. TV annular diameter, left atrial diameter, preoperative atrial fibrillation, and TVAI were found to be associated with the development of moderate or severe TR in the univariate analysis. A cut-off TVAI value of 19.8 mm/㎡ was found to predict the development of moderate or severe TR, and a significant difference was observed in the development of TR of this severity based on this cut-off (p<0.001). Conclusion: The progression of TR was not infrequent in patients with untreated lessthan-moderate FTR. An aggressive treatment approach can be helpful to prevent the progression of FTR for patients with risk factors, especially TVAI greater than 19.8 mm/㎡.