• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.734-740
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• 2003

Increasing interest in the use of arterial conduits is based on the better patency of left internal thoracic artery (LITA) than that of saphenous vein (SV) graft and radial artery (RA) is emerging as one of them. We compared the early result of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using UTA and RA (RA group) with CABG using UTA and SV only (SV group). Material and Method: We compared the early operative results of 45 cases in RA group with 45 cases in SV group selected from 165 cases who had CABG between January 2000 and December 2002. The two groups had similar profiles of age, sex, NYHA functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction and coronary angiographic anatomy. We analysed each group on the preoperative risk factors and operative results. Result: There were no statically signigicant difference between groups in operative mortality and each morbidities (stroke, IABP insertion, perioperative MI), respectively. However, the overall incidence of mortality and morbidities was lower in RA group compared to SV group (p < 0.05). RA group (2.93$\pm$0.62 days) had shorter duration of ICU stay than SV group (3.55$\pm$0.95 days) (p<0.001). The patency on postoperative coronary angiography at 7∼14 days after operation in RA group patients were 100% of LITA and RA and 94.9% of SV. Conclusion: We had better early operative results in RA group compared with SV group.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2020

Purpose: This study evaluated the clinical results of surgical treatment with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis for treating displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus in comparison with conventional lateral extensile approach plate osteosynthesis. Materials and Methods: Of 79 cases of Sanders type II or III calcaneus fractures, 15 cases treated with the minimally invasive calcaneal plate (group M) and 64 cases treated with lateral extensile approach calcaneal plate (group E) were identified. After successful propensity score matching considering age, sex, diabetes mellitus history, and Sanders type (1:3 ratio), 15 cases (group M) and 45 cases (group E) were matched and the demographic, radiologic, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: The median time of surgery from injury was 2.0 days in group M and 6.0 days in group E (p=0.014). At the six months follow-up, group M showed results comparable with those of group E in radiographic outcomes. In the clinical outcomes, group M showed better postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores than did group E (p=0.001, p=0.008). A greater range of subtalar motion was achieved at the six months follow-up in group M (inversion 20.0° vs. 10.0°, p=0.002; eversion 10.0° vs. 5.0°, p=0.025). Although there were no significant differences in complications between the two groups (1 [6.7%] vs. 7 [15.6%], group M vs. group E; p=0.661), there was only one sural nerve injury and no wound dehiscence and deep infection in group M. Conclusion: Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis showed superior clinical outcomes compared with that of the conventional lateral extensile approach plate osteosynthesis in Sanders type II or III calcaneus fractures. We suggest applying minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis in Sanders type II or III calcaneus fractures.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4469-4475
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• 2016

Indonesia is a developing country, in most of which the infection rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) have been reported to be high. However, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Indonesia has been unexpectedly reported to be low. The purpose of our study was to confirm whether the prevalence of H. pylori infection is low among healthy inhabitants in Northern Jakarta by 13C-urea breath test (UBT), and to examine the association of their lifestyle/environmental factors with H. pylori infection and to identify potential routes of transmission. We recruited a total of 196 subjects from a low-income community in Northern Jakarta, Indonesia. Of them, 193 subjects who completed a questionnaire about their lifestyle/environment and had UBT were included in this study. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for sex and age with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression model. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 15.0%. There was difference in H. pylori infection rates among Buginese (40.0%), Betawi (9.1%), Sundanese (3.7%), and Batak (9.1%). After multivariate analysis, the ORs of intake of soybean milk, cucumber more than one time a week, infrequent hand washing before meals, and alcohol consumption were 0.10 (95%CI: 0.01-0.97), 6.61 (95%CI: 1.87-23.3), 4.10 (95%CI: 1.15-14.6), and 61.9 for former drinkers (95%CI: 1.67-2300.8), respectively. Buginese (OR=7.84; 95%CI: 1.82-33.8) and Batak ethnic groups (OR=20.1; 95%CI: 1.90-213.2) were infected more frequently, compared with Javanese. The H. pylori infection rate in this study was low, as reported previously. After we scrutinized the factors, Buginese and Batak ethnic groups eat food using fingers more frequently than Javanese, Betawi, and Sundanese. In addition, infrequent hand wash practice before meal increased the risk. Our study indicated that person-person transmission was possible in this low prevalence area. The low infection rates of H. pylori among those of Javanese, Betawi, and Sundanese ethnicity could be partly due to sanitary practice.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.251-257
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• 2001

Backgrounds : Gamma band oscillatory activity is considered to be related to cognitive functions and illustrates that the concept of event-related oscillations bridges the gap between single neurons and neural assemblies. An event-related gamma oscillation is the time-locked responses of specific frequency, and can be identified by computing the amplitude frequency characteristics of the averaged event-related potentials(ERPs) after stimulation. Objectives : We purposed to present experimental paradigm to investigate ${\gamma}$-band oscillation activities from the recording of ERPs by using auditory oddball paradigm and investigate the difference of ${\gamma}$-band activity between schizophrenia and normal controls. Methods : The ERPs resulting from auditory stimuli with oddball paradigm in a group of schizophrenics(n=11), and also a group of age-, sex-, and handedness matched normal controls, were recorded by 128 channel EEG. The ${\gamma}$-band oscillatory activities were calculated by using time-frequency wavelet decomposition of the signal between 20 and 80Hz. The ${\gamma}$-band oscillatory activities of both groups were compared by t-test. Results : The ${\gamma}$-band oscillatory of the leads Fz, Cz, and Pz of both groups were represented well in the time-frequency maps. Significant increases of the ${\gamma}$-band activity in normal controls compared with schizophrenics were observed around 160 msec, 350 msec, and 800 msec after stimulation. Conclusions : Our results suggested that the increment in ${\gamma}$-band oscillatory activity during cognitive operations and decreased ${\gamma}$-band activity in schizophrenics may be associated with the cognitive dysfunctions and the pathophysiology of the schizophrenia.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.230-241
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• 2018

Purpose: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for gastric cancer patients have shown improved outcomes in Asia. However, data on gastric cancer ERAS (GCERAS) programs in the United States are sparse. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes before and after implementation of an GC-ERAS protocol at a National Comprehensive Cancer Center in the United States. Materials and Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients surgically treated for gastric cancer with curative intent from January 2012 to October 2016 and compared the GC-ERAS group (November 1, 2015-October 1, 2016) with the historical control (HC) group (January 1, 2012-October 31, 2015). Propensity score matching was used to adjust for age, sex, number of comorbidities, body mass index, stage of disease, and distal versus total gastrectomy. Results: Of a total of 95 identified patients, matching analysis resulted in 20 and 40 patients in the GC-ERAS and HC groups, respectively. Lower rates of nasogastric tube (35% vs. 100%, P<0.001) and intraabdominal drain placement (25% vs. 85%, P<0.001), faster advancement of diet (P<0.001), and shorter length of hospital stay (5.5 vs. 7.8 days, P=0.01) were observed in the GC-ERAS group than in the HC group. The GC-ERAS group showed a trend toward increased use of minimally invasive surgery (P=0.06). There were similar complication and 30-day readmission rates between the two groups (P=0.57 and P=0.66, respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of a GC-ERAS protocol significantly improved perioperative outcomes in a western cancer center. This finding warrants further prospective investigation.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.527-533
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• 2020

Purpose: This study compared the effects of a buprenorphine transdermal patch (BTDP) on the chest and knee for pain control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Materials and Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted from August 2018 to August 2019 on 231 patients who underwent TKA. Two hundred cases were selected considering age, sex, and body mass index. Before and after applying the BTDP, the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), adverse effects and compliance were measured. All measurements in the chest application group (group A=100) and knee application group (group B=100) were compared. Results: NRS was similar in rest between the groups treated with BTDP, but at two days and three days afternoon, five, six, and seven days postoperatively in group B, the NRS was significantly lower than that of group A. The adverse effects of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal system after applying BTDP were significantly lower in group B than in group A. No significant differences in adverse effects of the cardiovascular system and skin were observed between the two groups. Regarding the maintenance of BTDP, group B was significantly higher than group A. Conclusion: The direct application of BTDP after TKA to painful knee joints showed excellent results in early postoperative pain control and can be a useful method for increasing patient compliance by reducing the frequency of adverse effects.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2024

Background: Among the various pain-related diseases that can be encountered at the clinic, there is a neuropathic pain that is difficult to treat. Numerous methods have been proposed to treat neuropathic pain, such as taking medication, nerve block with lidocaine, or neurolysis with alcohol or phenol. Recently, a method of perineural injection using dextrose instead of lidocaine was proposed. This study was designed to compare the effects of perineural injection therapy (PIT) with buffered 5% dextrose or 0.5% lidocaine on neuropathic pain. Methods: The data were collected from the database of pain clinic from August 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2022 without any personal information. The inclusion criteria were patients diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), trigeminal neuralgia (TN), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), or peripheral neuropathy (PN), and patients who had undergone PIT with buffered 5% dextrose (Dextrose group) or 0.5% lidocaine (Lidocaine group) for pain control. The data of patients, namely sex, age, and pain score (numerical rating scale, NRS) were collected before PIT. The data of NRS, side effects, and satisfaction grade (excellent, good, fair, or poor) were collected one week after each of the four PIT, and two weeks after the last PIT. Results: Overall, 112 subjects were enrolled. The Dextrose group included 89 and Lidocaine group included 23 patients. Because the number of patients in the Lidocaine group was too small to allow statistical analysis, the trend in Lidocaine group was just observed in each disease. There were no significant side effects except for a few bruise cases on the site of injection in all groups. The NRS in most Dextrose groups except CRPS were reduced significantly; however, the Lidocaine group showed a trend of pain reduction only in PHN. The Dextrose group except CRPS showed increased satisfaction two weeks after the final PIT. Conclusion: From the results, it is suggested that PIT with buffered 5% dextrose may have a good effect for neuropathic pain without any side effect except for patients with CRPS. This may offer a window into a new tool that practitioners can employ in their quest to help patients with neuropathic pain.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 1995

A comparison was made regarding the extent of anger between 50 hypertensives and 50 normotensives, using anger scale. In addition, correlation was investigated between the extent of anger and biological variables such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein(HDL) and triglyceride in each of both the groups. The two groups were matched to each other regarding age, sex, the level of education and body mass index(BMI). The hypertensives scored significantly higher than normotensives in anger suppression, whereas normotensives scored significantly higher than hypertensives in anger expression. In hypertensives, scores of anger suppression and anger expression did not significantly correlate with blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, HDL and triglyceride, respectively. In normotensives, however, scores of anger suppression correlated positively with systolic blood pressure. Male hypertensives scored significantly higher than female hypertensives regarding anger expression, whereas male normotensives scored significantly higher than female normotensives regarding anger expression and anger total subscale, respectively. These results suggest that hypertensives suppressed more anger than normotensives, and that anger suppression in normotensives was more likely to increase blood pressure, supporting the previous reports that suppressed anger may be related to hypertension.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.497-505
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of private health insurance subscribers and non-subscribers as they relate to severely ill patients, and to identify the factors of participation. The study was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2015, and data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 23.0. The subjects were 417 patients with severe disease (cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease) over 19 years of age. Crossover analysis was employed to identify differences between the state of private health insurance participation, while binary logistic regression analysis was used to confirm the factors affecting private health insurance subscription. Analysis of the effects of the subjects on the private health insurance participation rate revealed that the social and demographic characteristics were higher in younger individuals regardless of sex, residence, or marital status. Moreover, higher household income, regardless of the education level, was associated with a higher participation rate of health insurance target individuals compared to medical benefit target individuals. The private health insurance participation rate was low and the explaining power was 51.7%, regardless of subjective health awareness and walking practice. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve the living environment and support local governmental programs for the elderly, low income households, socially vulnerable groups with limited activities and groups with limited health behavior. It is also necessary to consider various health policies, such as providing government health education or programs to prevent severe illness.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.372-379
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• 2023

Background: Laundry workers are known to be exposed to organic solvents in various works including dry cleaning. Long-term exposure to organic solvents may cause adverse health effects among laundry workers. Objectives: To investigate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain among laundry workers. Methods: The subjects were total 267 laundry workers who participated in the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Responses to exposure to 'inhalation of vapor from organic solvent' was categorized into two (non-exposed: rarely or absolutely not exposed during working hours; exposed: ≥1/4 working hours) or three (non-exposed; low exposure: 1/4 of the working hours; high exposure: ≥1/2 working hours) groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months among laundry workers. Odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for experience of the symptom of headache or eyestrain with adjustment for age, sex, education, workplace size (by the number of workers), working hours per week, and current working period (year). Results: The proportions of exposure groups, i.e., non-exposed, low exposure, and high exposure, were 80.4%, 11.1%, and 8.5%, respectively. The proportion of those who had symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months was 18.7%. There was a significant association between exposure to organic solvents and experience of headache or eyestrain (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.4~7.4). And, the proportion of those who experienced symptom of headache or eyestrain tended to increase significantly as the level of exposure to organic solvents increased (P_trend=0.002). Conclusions: Our results suggest that exposure to organic solvents are associated with symptom of headache or eystrain among laundry workers in Korea. However, further studies with more relevant design is needed to replicate the association.