• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3841-3850
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• 2012

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions of Malaysian tradition healers towards cancer and cancer prevention. Methodology: A total of 25 participants agreed to participate in this qualitative study during the period from $20^{th}$ July 2011 until $24^{th}$ of September 2011. The proposal of this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Management and Science University (MSU). Once the participant agreed to be interviewed, date, time and place of the interviews were determined. Consent form was obtained from participants before the interview began. Participants were briefed about the study and its purpose, and after asking their permissions, their replies were recorded. The data was organized into themes and analyzed manually. Results: Twenty-five Malaysian traditional healers participated in this qualitative study. The age of participants ranged between 26 to 78 years old. The majority were in the age group of 31-60 years old, male, Chinese, degree holders with a monthly income ranging from 1,000-5,000 Ringgit Malaysia (RM) and were married (56%, 80%, 48%, 52%, 68%, 84% respectively). The majority defined cancer as having high cholesterol or abscess accumulation. A few of them defined cancer as a type of cell growth. The majority mentioned that food and unhealthy lifestyles are the primary causes of cancer. Surprisingly some of them mentioned that cancer is caused by interference by ghosts. Regarding the diagnosis of cancer, the majority mentioned that they refer their patients to modern physicians' medical report when it comes to diagnosing or treating patients with cancer. The most common cancers that many patients came to seek treatment were breast cancers, followed by colon cancers, liver and lung cancers. Conclusions: Despite good knowledgeabout the causes of cancer among traditional healers, misconceptions still exist. Insufficient knowledge about the definition of cancer was noted among the traditional healers. This urges immediate action by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia to set up a strict regulation and regular monitoring of the traditional healers nationally. Traditional and Complementary Medicine may be integrated into the healthcare system and need to have sustained cooperation for the benefit of patients since about 80% of patients use traditional medicines.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.115-121
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• 2012

Purpose: Severe pancreaticoduodenal injuries are relatively uncommon, but may result in high morbidity and mortality, especially when management is not optimal, and determining the appropriate treatment is often difficult. The objective of this study was to review our experience and to evaluate the role of a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in treatment of pancreaticoduodenal injuries. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 16 patients who underwent an emergency PD at our hospital for severe pancreaticoduodenal injury from 1990 to 2011. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, mechanism and severity of the injury, associated injuries, postoperative complications and outcomes were reviewed. Results: The mean age of the 16 patients was $45{\pm}12years$ ($mean{\pm}standard$ deviation), and 15(93.8%) patients were male. All patients underwent an explorative laparotomy after a diagnosis using abdominal computed tomography. Almost all patients were classified as AAST grade higher than III. Thirteen(83.3%) of the 16 patients presented with blunt injuries; none presented with a penetrating injury. Only one(6.3%) patients had a combined major vascular injury. Fifteen patients underwent a standard Whipple's operation, and 1 patient underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Two of the 16 patients required an initial damage-control procedure; then, a PD was performed. The most common associated injured organs were the small bowel mesentery(12, 75%) and the liver(7, 43.8%). Complications were intraabdominal abscess(50%), delayed gastric emptying(37.5%), postoperative pancreatic fistula(31.5%), and postoperative hemorrhage (12.5%). No mortalities occurred after the PD. Conclusion: Although the postoperative morbidity rate is relatively higher, an emergency PD can be perform safely without mortality for severe pancreaticoduodenal injuries. Therefore, an emergency PD should be considered as a life-saving procedure applicable to patients with unreconstructable pancreaticoduodenal injuries, provided that is performed by an experienced hepatobiliary surgeon and the patient is hemodynamically stable.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.219-223
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• 1989

Inflammation scan using radiolabelled leukocytes has high sensitivity and specificity. Several methods for labelling leukocytes have been evaluated using P-32 diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP-32), H-3 thymidine, Cr-51 chromate, Ga-67 citrate and Tc-99m-sulfur colloid. In-111-oxine has proved so far to be the most reliable agent for labelling leukocytes. In-111-oxine is, however, expensive, not easily available when needed, and its radiation dose to leukocytes is relatively high. Moreover, resolution of the resultant image is relatively poor. Tc-99m is still the agent of choice because of, as compared with the indium, its favorable physical characteristics, lower cost and availability. Now the technique for labelling the leukocytes with technetium is successfully obtained using the lipophilic HAPAO with higher efficiency for granulocytes than for other cells. With this technique it is possible to label leukocytes in plasma to improve the viability of the leukocytes. Inflammation scan using Tc-99m-HMPAO has been evaluated in several laboratories, and difference in methods for separation and labelling accounts for difference in efficiency, viability and biodistribution of the labelled leukocytes. We performed inflammation scan using leukocytes labelled with Tc-99m-HMPAO in three dogs 24 hours after inoculation of live E. Coli and A. Aureus in their right abdominal wall. We separated mixed leukocytes by simple sedimentation using 6% hetastarch (HES) and labelled the leukocytes with Tc-99m-HMPAO in 20% cell free plama diluted with phosphate buffer solution(Fig. 1). Uptake was high in the liver and spleen but is was minimal in the lungs on whole body scan. Kidneys and intestine showed minimal activity although it was high in the urinary bladder(Fig. 2). Uptake of labelled leukocytes in the inflammation site was do(mite on 2 hour-postinjection scan and abscess was clearly delineated on 24 hour-delayed scan with high target-to-nontarget ratio(Fig. 3, 4). Inflammation scan using mixed leukocytes labelled with Tc-99m-HMPAO is very sensitive and specific in early detection of inflammation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.547-552
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential acute toxicity of amitraz by a single subcutaneous dose in beagle dogs. The test chemical was administered subcutaneously to male beagle dogs at dose levels of 0, 2, 10, or 50 mg/kg. Mortalities, clinical findings, and body weight changes were monitored for the 14-day period following the administration. At the end of 14-day observation period, hematology, serum biochemistry, and gross postmortem examinations were examined. A single dog in the 50 mg/kg group was found dead on day 3 after treatment and the other two dogs in the group were sacrificed because of the severe clinical signs on day 7 after treatment. Treatment related clinical signs, including anorexia, edema, mass and abscess formation in the injection sites, depression, vomiting, lacrimation, decreased locomotor activity, ataxia, recumbency, paresis in the limbs, and/or moribundity were observed in all treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner. Decreased or suppressed body weight gain was also observed dose-dependently in all treated groups. In autopsy, dead animals in the 50 mg/kg group showed muscular hemorrhage and inflammation in the injection sites and congestion in the liver and kidney. The terminal sacrificed animals in the 10 mg/kg group also exhibited muscular hemorrhage and inflammation in the injection sites. Whereas, no treatment related effects on hematology and serum biochemistry were observed on day 14 after treatment at any dose tested. On the basis of the results, it was concluded that a single subcutaneous injection of amitraz to beagle dogs resulted in increased incidence of abnormal clinical signs and death, decreased body weight, and increased incidence of abnormal gross findings. In the experimental conditions, the $LD_{50}$value of amitraz was 22.3 mg/kg (95% confidence limit not specified) and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be below 2 mg/kg for male dogs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.62-74
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• 1998

In feedlot cattle the abrupt change of diet from roughage to a large quantity of grain for the purpose to improve production often results in increased occurrence of rumen acidosis or acute carbohydrate encouragement enterotoxemia, bloats diarrhea liver abscess and laminitis or robot disease. The common management practice to control these problem is to increase the amount of concentrates in the diet in a stepwise manner until the animals are adapted to a high-grain ration. However this practice requires at least about 3 weeks adaptation period and specially prepared adaptation rations which contain various amount of concentrates. Present experiment was undertaken in order to findout the more simple and rapid adaptation method of cattle to a high grain ration. Nineteen Korean calves aging from four to six month were fed artifical hay (Youngchoun Chuk-Hyup, Korea) which contains 10% of concentrates or alfalfa and rye grass hays for two months and randomly alloted to three experimental groups and two control groups. The experimental group-1 was inoculated by stomach tube for two days with li500 ml/day of ruminal fluid fished from Korean beef cattle that had been previously adapted to a high-energy ration. The experimental group-2 was inoculated by trocalization for two days with the same ruminal fluid. The experimental group-3 was inoculated by trocalization with 1,500 ml/day of bacterial culture which contained 2$\times $10$^{9}$/m1 of Gram-negative bacteria derived from adapted luminal fluid. The two control groups were treated with normal saline solution by the same methods. All animals were fed high-energy ration that contained 80% of grain ad libitum for 30-74 days beginning on the third of the treatment. The effect of the inoculation on the adaptation was observed clinicopathologically with the following results; All of the experimental calves inoculated with the ruminal fluid or Gram-negative bacterial culture derived from adapted cattle did not show any signs of rumen acidosis or other related diseases, while most of the control calves did show diarrhea and bloat and a calf laminitis. The average daily weight gain and feed efficiency of experimental calves were slightly improved compared with control calves. Following the feeding of high-grain rational the pH of the ruminal fluid was lowered in both the experimental and control groups. However severe acidosis with the pH of below 5.0 was observed in only a control group-2. The protozoal number in ruminal fluid was markedly decreased during the high-grain feeding in both the experimental and control calves. However the decrease was mere severe in control calves compared with the experimental calves. The activation of the protozoa were completely disappeared within nine hours at the refrigerator temperature (4"C). No significant differences in heamatological and blood chemical values between the experimental and control calves were recognized. However in one control calf which showed clinically laminitis marked elevations of serum glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase activities and a decrease of serum glucose level were observed. From these results it would be concluded the intraruminal transplantation of unadapted calves with the adapted ruminal fluid from cattle previously adapted to a high-energy ration prevents disease problem associated with high-grain feeding and improve weight gain and feed efficiency.ency.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.239-250
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• 2023

Disease monitoring was conducted to investigate the recent disease occurrence in Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica). Between May 2021 and March 2022, an investigation was conducted on eels from seven farms experiencing mortality. JEECV (Japanese eel endothelial cells-infecting virus) was detected in all examined farms, each exhibiting co-infections with 1 or 2 bacteria, including Edwardsiella anguillarum, E. piscisida, Aeromonas sp., Citrobacter freundii, Lactococcus garviae, or Vibrio sp. From March 2022 to October 2023, monthly periodic inspections were carried out at a farm in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do, for a total of 22 times. JEECV was detected in 10 out of 22 times, even when mortality was not recorded. Bacteria such as E. anguillarum, C. freundii, Aeromonas sp., and Vibrio sp. were isolated, but consistent clinical signs of liver abscess and hemorrhagic lesions were only recognized in fish infected with E. anguillarum. Other bacteria were often isolated from apparently healthy fish. In conclusion, mortality in eel farms frequently occurs due to co-infections of JEECV with bacteria rather than JEECV alone. Therefore, to reduce eel mortality, it is crucial to decrease co-infections, with a particular emphasis of JEECV and E. anguillarum.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.271-288
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• 2002

Authors investigated the pathogenesis and treatment of dennatosurgical diseases in the ImJeungJiNamUiAn(臨證指南醫案). 1. The symptoms and diseases of dermatosurgery were as follows; 1) BanSaJinRa(반사진라) : eczema, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus, pityriasis rosea, hives, dermographism, angioedema, cholinergic urticaria, urticaria pigmentosa, acne, milium, syringoma, keratosis pilaris, discoid lupus erythematosus, hypersensitivity vasculitis, drug eruption, polymorphic light eruption, rheumatic fever, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis(Still's disease), acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis(Sweet's syndrome), Paget's disease, folliculitis, viral exanthems, molluscum contagiosum, tinea, tinea versicolor, lymphoma, lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, granuloma annulare, cherry angioma 2) ChangYang(瘡瘍) : acute stage eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, stasis ulcer, intertrigo, xerosis, psoriasis, lichen planus, ichthyosis, pityriasis rosea, rosacea, acne, keratosis pilaris, dyshidrosis, dermatitis herpetiformis, herpes gestationis, bullae in diabetics, pemphigus, lupus erythematosus, fixed drug eruption, erythema multiforme, toxic epidermal necrolysis, toxic shock syndrome, staphylococcal scaled skin syndrome, scarlet fever, folliculitis, impetigo, pyoderma gangrenosum, tinea, candidiasis, scabies, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, chicken pox, Kawasaki syndrome, lipoma, goiter, thyroid nodule, thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, benign breast disorder, breast carcinoma, hepatic abscess, appendicitis, hemorrhoid 3) Yeok(疫) : scarlet fever, chicken pox, measles, rubella, exanthem subitum, erythema infectiosum, Epstein-Barr virus infection, cytomegalovirus infection, hand-foot-mouth disease, Kawasaki disease 4) Han(汗) : hyperhidrosis 2. The pathogenesis and treatment of dermatosurgery were as follows; 1) When the pathogenesis of BalSa(발사), BalJin(發疹), BalLa(발라) and HangJong(項腫) are wind-warm(風溫), exogenous cold with endogenous heat(外寒內熱), wind-damp(風濕), the treatment of evaporation(解表) with Menthae Herba(薄荷), Arctii Fructus(牛蒡子), Forsythiae Fructus(連翹) Mori Cortex(桑白皮), Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus(貝母), Armeniaoae Amarum Semen(杏仁), Ephedrae Herba(麻黃), Cinnamomi Ramulus(桂枝), Curcumae Longae Rhizoma(薑黃), etc can be applied. 2) When the pathogenesis of BuYang(부양), ChangI(瘡痍) and ChangJilGaeSeon(瘡疾疥癬) are wind-heat(風熱), blood fever with wind transformation(血熱風動), wind-damp(風濕), the treatment of wind-dispelling(疏風) with Arctii Fructus(牛蒡子), Schizonepetae Herba(荊芥), Ledebouriellae Radix(防風), Dictamni Radicis Cortex(白鮮皮), Bombyx Batrytioatus(白？?), etc can be applied. 3) When the pathogenesis of SaHuHaeSu(사후해수), SaJin(사진), BalJin(發疹), EunJin(은진) and BuYang(부양) are wind-heat(風熱), exogenous cold with endogenous heat(外寒內熱), exogenous warm pathogen with endogenous damp-heat(溫邪外感 濕熱內蘊), warm pathogen's penetration(溫邪內陷), insidious heat's penetration of pericardium(伏熱入包絡), the treatment of Ki-cooling(淸氣) with TongSeongHwan(通聖丸), Praeparatum(豆？), Phyllostachys Folium(竹葉), Mori Cortex(桑白皮), Tetrapanacis Medulla(通草), etc can be applied. 4) When the pathogenesis of JeokBan(적반), BalLa(발라), GuChang(久瘡), GyeolHaek(結核), DamHaek(痰核), Yeong(？), YuJu(流注), Breast Diseases(乳房疾患) and DoHan(盜汗) are stagnancy's injury of Ki and blood(鬱傷氣血), gallbladder fire with stomach damp(膽火胃濕), deficiency of Yin in stomach with Kwolum's check (胃陰虛 厥陰乘), heat's penetration of blood collaterals with disharmony of liver and stomach(熱入血絡 肝胃不和), insidious pathogen in Kwolum(邪伏厥陰), the treatment of mediation(和解) with Prunellae Spica(夏枯草), Chrysanthemi Flos(菊花), Mori Folium (桑葉), Bupleuri Radix(柴胡), Coptidis Rhizoma(黃連), Scutellariae Radix(黃芩), Gardeniae Fructus(梔子), Cyperi Rhizoma(香附子), Toosendan Fructus(川？子), Curcumae Radix(鬱金), Moutan Cortex(牧丹皮), Paeoniae Radix Rubra(赤芍藥), Unoariae Ramulus Et Uncus(釣鉤藤), Cinnamorni Ramulus(桂枝), Paeoniae Radix Alba(白芍藥), Polygoni Multiflori Radix (何首烏), Cannabis Fructus (胡麻子), Ostreae Concha(牡蠣), Zizyphi Spinosae Semen(酸棗仁), Pinelliae Rhizoma(半夏), Poria(백복령). etc can be applied. 5) When the pathogenesis of BanJin(반진), BalLa(발라), ChangI(瘡痍), NamgChang(膿瘡). ChangJilGaeSeon(瘡疾疥癬), ChangYang(瘡瘍), SeoYang(署瘍), NongYang(膿瘍) and GweYang(潰瘍) are wind-damp(風濕), summer heat-damp(暑濕), damp-warm(濕溫), downward flow of damp-heat(濕熱下垂), damp-heat with phlegm transformation(濕熱化痰), gallbladder fire with stomach damp(膽火胃濕), overdose of cold herbs(寒凉之樂 過服), the treatment of damp-resolving(化濕) with Pinelliae Rhizoma(半夏), armeniacae Amarum Semen(杏仁), Arecae Pericarpium(大腹皮), Poria(백복령), Coicis Semen(薏苡仁), Talcum(滑石), Glauberitum(寒水石), Dioscoreae Tokoro Rhizoma(？？), Alismatis Rhizoma(澤瀉), Phellodendri Cortex(黃柏), Phaseoli Radiati Semen(？豆皮), Bombycis Excrementum(?沙), Bombyx Batryticatus(白？?), Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix(防己), etc can be applied. 6) When the pathogenesis of ChangPo(瘡泡), hepatic abscess(肝癰) and appendicitis(腸癰) are food poisoning(食物中毒), Ki obstruction & blood stasis in the interior(기비혈어재과), damp-heat stagnation with six Bu organs suspension(濕熱結聚 六腑不通), the treatment of purgation(通下) with DaeHwangMokDanPiTang(大黃牧丹皮湯), Manitis Squama(穿山甲), Curcumae Radix(鬱金), Curcumae Longae Rhizoma(薑黃), Tetrapanacis Medulla(通草), etc can be applied. 7) When the pathogenesis of JeokBan(적반), BanJin(반진), EunJin(은진). BuYang(부양), ChangI(瘡痍), ChangPo(瘡泡), GuChang(久瘡), NongYang(膿瘍), GweYang(潰瘍), Jeong(정), Jeol(癤), YeokRyeo(疫？) and YeokRyeolpDan(疫？入？) are wind-heat stagnation(風熱久未解), blood fever in Yangmyong(陽明血熱), blood fever with transformation(血熱風動), heat's penetration of blood collaterals(熱入血絡). fever in blood(血分有熱), insidious heat in triple energizer(三焦伏熱), pathogen's penetration of pericardium(心包受邪), deficiency of Yong(營虛), epidemic pathogen(感受穢濁), the treatment of Yong & blood-cooling(淸營凉血) with SeoGakJiHwangTang(犀角地黃湯), Scrophulariae Radix(玄參), Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix(丹參), Angelicae Gigantis Radix(當歸), Polygoni Multiflori Radix(何首烏), Cannabis Fructus(胡麻子), Biotae Semen(柏子仁), Liriopis Tuber(麥門冬), Phaseoli Semen(赤豆皮), Forsythiae Fructus(連翹), SaJin(사진), YangDok(瘍毒) and YeokRyeoIpDan(역려입단) are insidious heat's penetration of pericardium(伏熱入包絡), damp-warm's penetration of blood collaterals(濕溫入血絡), epidemic pathogen's penetration of pericardium(심포감수역려), the treatment of resuscitation(開竅) with JiBoDan(至寶丹), UHwangHwan(牛黃丸), Forsythiae Fructus(連翹), Curcumae Radix(鬱金), Tetrapanacis Medulla(通草), Acori Graminei Rhizoma(石菖蒲), etc can be applied. 9) When the pathogenesis of SaHuSinTong(사후신통), SaHuYeolBuJi(사후열부지), ChangI(瘡痍), YangSon(瘍損) and DoHan(盜汗) are deficiency of Yin in Yangmyong stomach(陽明胃陰虛), deficiency of Yin(陰虛), the treatment of Yin-replenishing(滋陰) with MaekMunDongTang(麥門冬湯), GyeongOkGo(瓊玉膏), Schizandrae Fructus(五味子), Adenophorae Radix(沙參), Lycii Radicis Cortex (地骨皮), Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma(玉竹), Dindrobii Herba(石斛), Paeoniae Radix Alba(白芍藥), Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (女貞子), etc can be applied. 10) When the pathogenesis of RuYang(漏瘍) is endogenous wind in Yang collaterals(陽絡內風), the treatment of endogenous wind-calming(息風) with Mume Fructus(烏梅), Paeoniae Radix Alba (白芍藥), etc be applied. 11) When the pathogenesis of GuChang(久瘡), GweYang(潰瘍), RuYang(漏瘍), ChiChang(痔瘡), JaHan(自汗) and OSimHan(五心汗) are consumption of stomach(胃損), consumption of Ki & blood(氣血耗盡), overexertion of heart vitality(勞傷心神), deficiency of Yong(營虛), deficiency of Wi(衛虛), deficiency of Yang(陽虛), the treatment of Yang-restoring & exhaustion-arresting(回陽固脫) with RijungTang(理中湯), jinMuTang(眞武湯), SaengMaekSaGunjaTang(生脈四君子湯), Astragali Radix (황기), Ledebouriellae Radix(防風), Cinnamomi Ramulus(桂枝), Angelicae Gigantis Radix(當歸), Ostreae Concha(牡蠣), Zanthoxyli Fructus(川椒), Cuscutae Semen(兎絲子), etc can be applied.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 1999

Backgrounds : The advent of penicillin has led to the marked reduction in the mortality from pneumococcal bacteremia, however, the mortality is still relatively high in this post-antibiotic era. Actually the prevalence of infection due to penicillin-resistant penumococci is increasing worldwide, and it is especially high in Korea due to irrelevant use of antibiotics. So, the high mortality of pneumococcal sepsis might be related to the emergence of penicillin-resistant strains, however, many other antibiotics, which eradicate pneumococci effectively, are available in these days. This has led us to suspect the role of penicillin-resistance in the high mortality rate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of penicillin resistance on the mortality of patients with penumococcal bacte remia. Methods: The study population consisted of 50 adult patients with penumococcal bacteremia who were admitted between Jan, 1990 and July, 1997. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Most of the patients (96%) had underlying diseases. The most common local disease associated with pneumococcal bacteremia was pneumonia (42%), which was followed by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (14%), cholangitis (10%), meningitis (8%), liver abscess (4%), pharyngotonsillitis (4%), sinusitis (2%) and cellulitis (2%). While the overall case-fatality rate in this study was 24%, it was higher when peumococcal bacteremia was associated with pneumonia (42%) or meningitis (50%). The rate of penicillin resistance was 40%, which was increased rapidly from 1991. The rate of penicillin resistance was significantly higher in patients with the history of recent antibiotics use and hospitalization within 3 months respectively. The clinical manifestations, that is, age, severity of underlying diseases, nosocomial infection, associated local diseases, and the presence of shock or acute renal failure were not statistically different between the patients with penicillin-resistant and -sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. The mortality of patients infected with penicillin-resistant pneumococci was not statistically different from those with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. Conclusion: Penicillin resistance is not associated with high mortality in adult patients with pneumococcal bacteremia. As the overall mortality is high, active penumococcal vaccination is recommended in patients with high risk of infection.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.74-81
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• 2007

Purpose: Routine pancreatico-splenectomy with total gastrectomy should no longer be considered as the standard surgical procedure for gastric cancer because of the lack of proven surgical benefit for survival. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinicopathologic factors and the survival of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer and they had undergone combined pancreatico-splenectomy with a curative intent. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 118 patients who had undergone total gastrectomy with distal pancreatico-splenectomy from 1990 to 2001. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 90 patients who were free from cancer invasion (group I), and 28 patients with histologically proven cancer invasion into the pancreas (group II). The various clinicopathologic factors that were presumed to influence survival and the survival rates were analyzed. Results: The rate of pathological pancreatic invasion was 23.7%. The tumor stage, depth of invasion, pancreas invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymph node ratio, curability and the hepatic and peritoneal metastasis were statistically significance on univariate analysis. Among these factors, the tumor stage, lymph node ratio and curability were found to be independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis. The 5-years survival rates were 36.2% for group I and 13.9% for group II. The morbidity rate was 22.1%, and this included pancreatic fistula (5.1%), intra-abdominal abscess (4.2%) and bleeding (4.2%). The overall mortality rate was 0.8%. Conclusion: Combined distal pancreatico-splenectomy with total gastrectomy with a curative intent was selectively indicated for those patients with visible tumor invasion to the pancreas, a difficult complete lymph node dissection around the distal pancreas and spleen, and no evidence of liver metastasis or peritoneal dissemination.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2005

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a percutaneously placed self-expanding metallic stent for the relief of biliary obstruction in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: From November 2001 to December 2004, 48 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were prospectively studied. After percutaneous placement of bilateral selfexpanding, uncovered metallic stents, follow-up evaluation was carried out until July 2005. Results: There were 4 cases of Bismuth type II, 21 cases of Bismuth type IIIa, 8 cases of Bismuth type IIIb and 15 cases of Bismuth type IV. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. All patients had satisfactory biliary drainage, resulting in one week drainage rate of 72.8% and final drainage rate of 91.1%. There were 12 cases (21.3%) of abdominal pain requiring analgesics and 1 case (7.1%) of cholangitis; both were successfully managed with conservative treatments. Late complications occurred in four patient (8.3%), including two patients with cholangitis, one patient with liver abscess, and one patient with biloma; all were appropriately managed by percutaneous drainage. The average length and median durations of stent patency and median survival time were 303 days (range, 60~815) and 338 days (range, 60~1175), respectively. Conclusion: Placement of a percutaneous metallic stent is an effective and safe method for palliation of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.