• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 2016

A 12-month-old boy was diagnosed with agenesis of the right lung. Mediastinal deviation progressed to the diseased side as the patient matured; therefore, tracheal distortion developed. As a result, tracheal compression developed between the vertebral body and aorta. The patient was repeatedly admitted to the hospital because of recurrent pulmonary infection and combined severe respiratory distress. Diaphragm translocation was performed to treat the patient. The postoperative course was favorable, and computed tomography scan findings and symptoms had improved at 1 year after surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2005

Penetrating chest trauma by stab injury may result in massive hemothorax from damage to single or multiple intrathoracic organs such as heart, aorta, internal mammary artery, intercostal artery or pulmonary parenchyme. Prognosis of massive hemothorax necessitating emergency thoracotomy is fatal especially so if there exists concomitant underlying compromise of cardiopulmonary function. A 56 year old man with destroyed left lung due to old pulmonary tuberculosis was stabbed in right parasternal lesion through third intercostal space. Intubation with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and closed thoracostomy were performed to resuscitate from cardiac asystole from hemorrhagic shock and acute respiratory distress. Midsternotomy was made to expose active bleeding foci in right mammary artery, subclavian vein, intercostal artery and anterior segment of right upper lung showing severe bullous change and pleural adhesion. Postoperative care included ventilator support, inotropic instillation and cautious, balance fluid therapy ; successful extubation was done on third postoperative day and patient was discharged on tenth postoperative day without any complication.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.94-96
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• 2019

Burns are one of the most extensive injuries of soft tissues as well as skin, occasionally resulting in extensive, deep wounds and death. Burn wounds can lead to severe physical and psychological distress because of excessive scarring and skin contractures. Treatment of burn wounds has always been a challenging problem and many different methods have been used to treat such injuries. We report here on treating a patient with a burn wound using 830-nm light emitting diode (LED) phototherapy combined with epidermal growth factor (EGF) solution. After five daily sessions of LED with EGF solution treatment, the patient demonstrated nearly complete improvement with no remarkable side effects. We suggest that LED phototherapy combined with EGF solution could be an effective and safe treatment option for treating burn wounds.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.457-463
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• 2023

A 13-year-old neutered male Pomeranian, weighting 3 kg, presented with respiratory distress and depression. Radiographic examination revealed calcified ring-like opacities in the main pulmonary artery, mimicking thoracic foreign bodies. Additionally, right heart and main pulmonary artery enlargement and notable lung infiltrations were also observed. Echocardiography showed coil shaped structures in the main pulmonary artery with increased echogenicity compared to other nearby heartworms, which is consistent with calcified Dirofilaria immitis (heartworms). The dog was diagnosed with caval syndrome, which is the advanced and severe manifestation of heartworm infection. This report presents a rare case of calcified heartworm infection observed during a radiological examination, which resemble foreign bodies. Therefore, chronic heartworm disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis when radiopaque ring-like opacities are observed in the pulmonary artery on thoracic radiographs.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2013

Purpose: Dysmenorrhea is a menstrual condition characterized by severe and frequent cramps and pain. Effective treatment methods for dysmenorrhea are not yet fully understood. This research compares the effects of pain killers and heated red bean pillows. Methods: Data were got on demographic data, menstrual cycle status, and activities of daily living (ADLs) limitations, dysmenorrhea severity and menstrual pain scores. Following a 10% drop-out rate, 44 young women satisfied the inclusion criteria. To prevent any bias, the experimental and control groups were selected from different campuses. We used two sizes of red bean pillows: $13{\times}11.5cm$, weighing 400g; and $15{\times}18cm$, weighing 220g. For analysis, we used IBM SPSS statistics 19.0. Results: Ninety-nine point seven percentage of total subjects reported moderate to severe dysmenorrhea and 63.6% reported as moderate to severe daily activities limitations. The mean pain score with visual analogue scale was $80.2{\pm}9.42$ of 100 and 86.4% used pain killers to alleviate menstrual discomfort in all the subjects. In both groups, all three variables showed significant improvement and the Moos's Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) scores changed significantly between menstrual and post-menstrual time point at within groups and not significantly different at premenstrual and menstrual time point at between groups. However, the MDQ score was significantly higher in experimental group than control group at post-menstruation time point and the degree of satisfaction was higher in the control group. Conclusion: This research shows that red-bean pillows on the abdomen are effective in assisting the ADL and diminishing pain severity. With regard to its safety the study indicates it can be a convenient and safe option for female students with menstrual discomfort in schoolas a non-pharmacological self-help.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.20-31
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• 2005

Objectives:This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of personality changes and emotional distress using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI), divided into mild (MTBI) and severe (STBI) groups according to the severity of injury. Methods:The subjects were consisted of 25 patients with MTBI, 25 patients with STBI, and 25 normal controls. They were interviewed with the PAI. The data were analyzed by ${\chi}^2$ test, analysis of variance and Tukey test. Results:The results were the followings. First, Negative Impression in validity scales was elevated above cutoff point(T score 70) in both MTBI and STBI groups. Second, the clinical scales of which scores elevated above the cutoff point were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Anxiety-Related Disorders, Depression, and Schizophrenia in the MTBI, and Somatic Complaints and Depression in the STBI. Third, the clinical subscales above the cutoff point were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Traumatic Stress, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, Physiological Depression, Thought Disorder, and Affective Instability in the MTBI, and Health Concerns, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, and Physiological Depression in the STBI. Fourth, Suicide Ideation in treatment scales was the only scale above the cutoff point in the MTBI and the others of the treatment and interpersonal scales in the MTBI and all of these scales of the STBI were not elevated above the cutoff point. Fifth, the scales of which scores showed significant difference between the MTBI and the STBI were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide Ideation, the subscales were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Physiological Depression, and Psychotic Experiences. Conclusion:These results suggest that the patients with MTBI had more somatic and anxiety symptoms, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation than the patients with STBI. These characteristics are generally consistent with clinical observation and findings from previous studies of the patients with TBI, and the PAI seems to be a beneficial adjunctive assessment tool for the evaluation of patients with traumatic brain injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.239-250
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• 2020

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally. Although its etiologic agent is discovered as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), there are many unsolved issues in COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The causes of different clinical phenotypes and incubation periods among individuals, species specificity, and cytokine storm with lymphopenia as well as the mechanism of damage to organ cells are unknown. It has been suggested that in viral pneumonia, virus itself is not a direct cause of acute lung injury; rather, aberrant immune reactions of the host to the insults from viral infection are responsible. According to its epidemiological and clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 may be a virus with low virulence in nature that has adapted to the human species. Current immunological concepts have limited ability to explain such unsolved issues, and a presumed immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 is presented under the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis. Every disease, including COVID-19, has etiological substances controlled by the host immune system according to size and biochemical properties. Patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 show more severe hypercytokinemia with corresponding lymphocytopenia than patients with mild pneumonia; thus, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids, has been considered. However, current guidelines recommend their use only for patients with advanced pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since the immunopathogenesis of pneumonia may be the same for all patients regardless of age or severity and the critical immune-mediated lung injury may begin in the early stage of the disease, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin, can help reduce morbidity and possibly mortality rates of older patients with underlying conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.598-602
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• 2010

Transient hyperammonemia in a newborn is an overwhelming disease manifested by hyperammonemic coma. The majority of affected newborns are premature and have mild respiratory syndrome. The diagnosis may be difficult to determine. This metabolic disorder is primarily characterized by severe hyperammonemia in the postnatal period, coma, absence of abnormal organic aciduria and normal activity of the enzymes of the urea cycle. Hyperammonemic coma may develop within 2-3 days of life, although its etiology is unknown. Laboratory studies reveal marked hyperammonemia (>$4,000{\mu}mol/L$). The degree of neurologic impairment and developmental delay in this disorder depends on the duration of hyperammonemic coma. Moreover, the infant may succumb to the disease if treatment is not started immediately and continued vigorously. Hyperammonemic coma as a medical emergency requires dialysis therapy. Here, we report a case of severe transient hyperammonemia in a preterm infant (35 week of gestation) presented with respiratory distress, seizure, and deep coma within 48 hours and required ventilatory assistance and marked elevated plasma ammonia levels. He survived with aggressive therapy including peritoneal dialysis, and was followed 2 years later without sequelae.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.171-177
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• 2014

Purpose: Eosinophilia is common in premature infants, and its incidence increases with a shorter gestation period. We investigated the clinical significance of eosinophilia in premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation. Methods: We analyzed the medical records of premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between January 2003 and September 2010. Eosinophilia was defined as an eosinophil percentage of >3% of the total leukocytes. Perinatal parameters and clinical parameters were also analyzed. Results: Of the 261 infants born at <34 weeks gestation, 22.4% demonstrated eosinophilia at birth. The eosinophil percentage peaked in the fourth postnatal week at 7.5%. The incidence of severe eosinophilia increased after birth up to the fourth postnatal week when 8.8% of all patients had severe eosinophilia. Severity of eosinophilia was positively correlated with a lower gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar score. Respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, nephrocalcinosis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and sepsis were associated with a higher eosinophil percentage. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia from the first postnatal week and the percentage was the highest in the fourth postnatal week, with the maximal difference being 4.1% (P<0.001). Conclusion: Eosinophilia is common in premature infants and reaches peak incidence and severity in the fourth postnatal week. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in bronchopulmonary dysplasia patients from the first postnatal week. Severe eosinophilia was significantly associated with the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia even after adjusting for other variables.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.84-88
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• 2018

A 33-year-old woman visited the emergency department presenting with fever and dyspnea. She was pregnant with gestational age of 31 weeks and 6 days. She had dysuria for 7 days, and fever and dyspnea for 1 day. The vital signs were as follows: blood pressure 110/70 mmHg, heart rate 118 beats/minute, respiratory rate 28/minute, body temperature $38.7^{\circ}C$, and oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry 84% during inhalation of 5 liters of oxygen by nasal prongs. Crackles were heard over both lung fields. There were no signs of uterine contractions. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography scan showed multiple consolidations and air bronchograms in both lungs. According to urinalysis, there was pyuria and microscopic hematuria. She was diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia and urinary tract infection (UTI) that progressed to severe sepsis and acute respiratory failure. We found extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in the blood culture and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the sputum culture. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit with administration of antibiotics and supplementation of high-flow oxygen. On hospital day 2, hypoxemia was aggravated. She underwent endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. After 3 hours, fetal distress was suspected. Under 100% fraction of inspired oxygen, her oxygen partial pressure was 87 mmHg in the arterial blood. She developed acute kidney injury and thrombocytopenia. We diagnosed her with multi-organ failure due to severe sepsis. After an emergent cesarean section, pneumonia, UTI, and other organ failures gradually recovered. The patient and baby were discharged soon thereafter.