• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2016

Purpose: In patients with altered mentality caused by drugs or unknown causes, ammonia is checked to facilitate differential diagnosis or diagnose hepatic coma. This helps early prevention and treatment of brain damage due to hyperammonemia. This study was conducted to evaluate clinical characteristics of intoxicated adult patients with hyperammonemia. Methods: We evaluated 95 patients with hyperammonemia among intoxicated patients above the age of 15 who visited our ED from January 2013 to December 2015. We analyzed the demographic characteristics and type of poisoning substance, reason for ingestion, toxicological characteristics such as elapsed time from ingestion to hospital visit, lab, clinical progression and complications. Data were evaluated using the student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables, and Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test for frequency analysis of categorical variables. Results: When compared to healthy individuals, patients with hyperammonemia showed statistical significance on their SOFA score (p=0.016) and poison severity score (p<0.001). Additionally, patients with hyperammonemia showed significantly different initial serum AST level (p=0.012) and maximum serum AST level during the hospital stay (p=0.026) when compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, individuals with sustained hyperammonemia compared to transient hyperammonemia showed clinically significant SOFA scores (p<0.001), poison severity scores (p=0.007), mortality rates in the ICU (p=0.021), as well as different duration of hospital stay (p=0.037), serum creatinine level (p=0.002), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.025), and serum myoglobin (p=0.015). Conclusion: Most poisoning-induced hyperammonemia cases were transient and recovered without special treatment. Therefore, hyperammonemia is almost non-specific among poisoning patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1230-1234
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• 2003

Purpose : The aim of this study is to evaluate the value of lung biopsies for the management of children with lung disease. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 19 lung biopsies done at Asan Medical Center, Seoul between 1993 and 2001. Data gathered included demographic information, underlying conditions, diagnosis before biopsy, final diagnosis, change in therapy, morbidity and mortality. Results : Nineteen patients underwent lung biopsy. Among them, 13 patients were male and six patients were female; the median age was 3.6 years(0.8 to 8.6 years). Twelve patients underwent open lung biopsies and seven patients had thoracoscopic biopsies. The overall diagnosis rate was 95 %. The most common diagnosis was interstitial lung disease(12 patients, 64%) and infection was detected in four patients(21%). The biopsy-proven bronchiolitis obliterance was confirmed in two of seven patients suspected by CT findings. Specific treatment was changed after biopsy in 16 patients (85%). The morbidity & overall mortality rates of the patients were 5%(one patient) and 21%(four patients) respectively. Only one complication was seen : empyema. The causes of death were acute respiratory distress syndrome(one patient), respiratory failure(two patients), and septicemia(one patient). Conclusion : The lung biopsy is a safe procedure and it contributes to more accurate diagnosis and proper management of pediatric lung diseases. We recommend lung biopsies should be considered more positively in the diagnosis of pediatric lung diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.9-23
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• 1968

A survey was conducted by the staff of the College of Medicine and School of Public Health, Seoul National University in cooperation with Seoul Special City from 1 December 1967 through 28 February 1968, on such events as delivery, death, abortion and pregnancy. The survey directed to a total population of 47,811 residing in 9,157 households led us to the following findings: 1. Two year averages of crude birth rate, crude death rate and natural increase rate were 30.1, 5.6 and 24.5, respectively. 2. Of all deliveries, home and hospital deliveries constituted 61.1 per cent and 35.5 per cent, respectively. 3. Deliveries other than hospital deliveries were found to be attended more often by mother-in-laws (26.5 per cent) than by doctors or midwives(23.4 per cent). 4. About 51 per cent of all women having experiences in pregnancy during the last two years had an experience of consulting a doctor at least one time throughout whole period of pregnancy. 5. In most cases scissors were used to cut umbilical cords, of which 71.0 per cent were not sterilized and only 20.3 per cent sterilized. 6. In many cases placenta was incinerated(48.2 per cent) and on many other occasions it was thrown away into water(28.3 per cent). 7. Cement bags(37.4 per cent), gauze and absorbent cotton(29.8 per cent) were found to be most frequently used to receive new-born babies. 8. In 1966 8. 8 per cent of the women had at least one abortion induced and in 1967 the percentage was 9.2 per cent. 9. Nearly all(95.8 per cent) of the induced abortions reportedly were done at doctor's clinics. 10. Of all the abortions induced 65.3 per cent were done by specialists in obstetrics, 30.3 per cent by general practitioners and 2.7 per cent by midwives. 11. Those who experienced spontaneous abortions were 1.9 per cent of all women both in 1966 and 1967. 12. About 9.2 per cent of women investigated were found to be currently pregnant. 13. Age specific death rate turned out to be highest among those under 1 year of age. 14. Ten major causes of death in their order of frequency were: 15. Places of death can be classified into homes(75.3 per cent) and hospitals(13.2 per cent). 16. Method of disposing of corpses comprised burials(54.2 per cent) and cremations(44.6 per cent). 17. Infant, neonatal and hebdomadal mortality rates have been computed at 32.2, 18.9 and 13.7, respectively. 18. Infants were found to have died either at homes(81.5 per cent) or at hospitals(18.5 per cent). 19. Birth registrations had been done for about 18.5 per cent of the dead infants.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.152-159
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• 2007

Purpose: Recently, the use of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer has been on the increase and the procedure has been quickly adopted by clincians. However, there are few reports regarding the safety and risk of this type of surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the morbidity and to verify the safety of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 376 patients that had undergone laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer between April 2004 and December 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. The clinicopathological characteristics, operative complications, and factors related to complications were evaluated. Results: The overall operative morbidity and mortality rates were 10.6% and 0%, intraoperative morbidity was 1.1% (4 of 376 patients) and post operative morbidity was 9.6% (36 of 376 patients). Most complications required no surgery except for an intestinal obstruction in two cases. Multivariate analysis of risk factors related to operative morbidity determined that age was an independent factor associated with morbidity (P=0.021). Conclusion: The complication rate of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy is low and most complications can be managed by conservative methods rather than with surgery. There were no specific predicting factors for complications except old age. Laparoscopy is a technically feasible and acceptable surgical modality for early gastric cancer.