• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2003

An assist device was developed to identify the epidural space by continously monitoring the air-filled catheter pressure. The pressure signal appropriately amplified and filtered enabled to alarm the needle introduction into the epidural space by thresholding detection. Ten LEDs provided a visual change of catheter pressure before alarming for user convenience. Clinical trials were performed in 30 patients with 83% success rate at the first trial. When failed, the second trial was enough for successful anesthesia. The air volume introduced during each anesthesia was less than 1ml, causing side effects. Air filling of the catheter could also minimize infection possibility. Therefore, the present device guarantees safe anesthesia with user convenience.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2012

Septic arthritis of the elbow is a rare, but serious disorder in neonates. However, neonates often present with few systemic signs other than irritability or poor feeding. When the clinical findings are minimal or absent, joint aspiration gives us helpful information in making a diagnosis. Although many clinicians rely on its result, we experienced a case of early clotted joint effusion, which resulted negative joint aspiration in a neonate with septic elbow arthritis. Ultrasonography helped us to make an early decision to perform surgical intervention as showing different echogenicity of intracapsular portion from generally presented in septic effusion. Presenting case shows that ultrasonography can be an excellent second step examination of neonatal elbow presenting atypical clinical findings of septic arthritis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2001

Acute bilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema after pleurocentesis is a rare complication. In one case, bilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema after unilateral pleurocentensis in sarcoma was reported. Various hypotheses regarding the mechanism of reexpansion pulmonary edema include increased capillary permeability due to hypoxic injury, decreased surfactant production, altered pulmonary perfusion and mechanical stretching of the membranes. Ragozzino et al suggested that the mechanism leading to unilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema involves the opposite lung when there is significant contralateral lung compression. Here we report a case of bilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome after a unilateral pleurocentesis of a large pleural effusion with contralateral lung compression and increased interstitial lung marking underlying chronic liver disease.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2009

Purpose : Our aim is to reduce the rate of lumbar spinal tapping and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) in febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) infants less than 3 months of age. Methods : We reviewed the prevalence of UTI, sepsis, meningitis and UTI with bacterial meningitis in febrile infants less than 3 months of age during the period from Jan. 2001 to Jun. 2008. Renal ultrasonography, Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan or VCUG were performed in infants with UTI. Infants with UTI were divided into two groups according to the presence of abnormal findings of ultrasonography and DMSA renal scan : group 1-Infants in whom both ultrasonography and DMSA were normal, group 2-Infants in whom ultrasonography or DMSA were abnormal. Prevalence of VUR was compared between the two groups. We followed up the clinical course of patients who had VUR in group 1. Results : Among 1962 Infants, UTI, sepsis and bacterial meningitis were diagnosed in 620 (31.6%), 63 (3.2%), 8 (0.4%) respectively. Lumbar puncture was performed in 413 (66.6%) infants with UTI and we did not detect a case of bacterial meningitis in association. 348 infants with proven UTI were undergone ultrasonography, DMSA, VCUG. In group 1 with 110 infants (31.6%), the presence of VUR was 4 (3.6%). In group 2 with 238 infants (68.4%), the presence of VUR was 51 (21.4%). Abnormal findings of ultrasonography or DMSA renal scan were closely related with high grade VUR. Most of patients with VUR in group1 had good prognosis. Conclusion : Lumbar puncture and VCUG are invasive procedures. Therefore we should decide whether to perform lumbar puncture or VCUG in infants less than 3 months. of age with their first febrile UTI.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1120-1125
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• 2002

Purpose : Percutaneous cannulation of the central vein in children and infants may be technically difficult and can cause serious complications. There are many techniques to improve the success rate and to decrease the complications in central vein cannulation. This study was undertaken to determine whether audible Doppler guidance can help operators improve the results of central vein cannultion in pediatric ICU. Methods : A total of 46 central vein cannulations were performed using audible Doppler guidance technique. Using an 8-MHz Doppler ultrasound device(Pocket-Dop II. iMex. USA), the artery and the vein were identified by their characteristic Doppler sounds. Results : There was a total of 46 patients with 20 boys and 26 girls, respectively. The mean age was $3years{\pm}45months$(range : 1-156 months). The number of infants was 18 and the mean age was $6.3{\pm}3.8$ months(range : 1-12 months). The most common site of central vein cannulation was the right internal jugular vein(63%). The cannulation was successful in 44 out of 46 procedures(96%). The success rate at the first attempt was 59% with 48% in the patients who had the history of previous cannulation and 70% in the patients who did not, respectively. The success rate in infants was 94%(17 out of 18). The average access time was $5.2{\pm}8.3$ minutes in children contrary to $7.5{\pm}10.3$ minutes in infants. There were no serious complications, but six patients had complications including four hematoma, one arterial puncture, and one pneumothorax. Conclusion : This central vein cannulation using Doppler guidance may improve the success rate of central vein cannulation and decrease the development of serious complications in infants and children.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 1994

Background: To decide the optimal antibiotics and application of chest tube, examination of pleural fluid is fundamental in the management of empyema. Some criteria for drainage of pleural fluid have been recommended but some controversies have been suggested. Recently, newer radiologic methods including ultrasound and computed tomography scanning, have been applied to the diagnosis and management of pleural effusions. We undertook a retrospective analysis of 30 patients with pleural effusion who had CT scans of the chest in order to apply the criteria of Light et al retrospectively to patients with loculation and to correlate the radiologic appearance of pleural effusions with pleural fluid chemistry. Method: We analyzed the records of 30 out of 147 patients with pleural effusion undergoing chest CT scans. Results: 1) Six of the pleural fluid cultures yielded gram negative organisms and three anaerobic bacterias and one Staphylococcus aureus and one non-hemolytic Streptococci. No organism was cultured in ninteen cases(63.0%). 2) The reasons for taking chest CT scans were to rule out malignancy or parenchymal lung disease(46.7%), poor response to antibiotics(40.0%), hard to aspirate pleural fluid(10.0%) and to decide the site for chest tube insertion(3.3%). 3) There was no significant correlations between ATS stages and loculation but there was a tendency to loculate in stage III. 4) There was a significant inverse relationship between the level of pH and loculation(p<0.05) but there appeared to be no relationship between pleural fluid, LDH, glucose, protein, loculation and pleural thickening. 5) In 12 out of 30, therapeutic measures were changed according to the chest CT scan findings. Conclusion: We were unable to identify any correlations between the plerual fluid chemistry, ATS stages and loculations except pH, and we suggest that tube thoracotomy should be individualized according to the clinical judgement and serial observation. All patients with empyema do not need a chest CT scan but a CT scan can provide determination of loculation, guiding and assessing therapy which should decrease morbidity and hospital stay.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.733-739
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• 2000

Background : Pleural eosinophilia is rare and commonly considered to be an indicator of good prognosis. The diagnostic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions remains controversial despite a century of observation and discussion. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of eosinophilia in 446 consecutive samples of pleural fluid, to review the cause of eosinophilic pleural effusion and to determine whether the presence of eosinophils increases the likehood of benign conditions. Method : A retrospective analysis was performed upon patients that underwent first thoracentesis due to pleural effusion between January 1999 and December 1999. Results : Eosinophilic pleural effusions were identified in 24 of the 446 patients (5.4%). Malignancy, parapneumonic effusion and tuberculosis were determined the major causes of pleural effusion (80.6%). Malignancy was diagnosed as frequently in eosinophilic effusions as in non-eosinophilic effusions (54.2% vs 50.5%, p=0.725). No difference was found in the prevalence of eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic effusion according to the etiology. The mean blood eosinophil ratio in patients with eosinophilic pleural effusion was 5.4% and no significant correlation existed between the blood and pleural eosinophilic count. Conclusion : Pleural eosinophilia is not helpful for differentiating benign and malignant etiology and is not related with bood eosinophilia or repeated tapping.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 1986

We have determined the sequence of $tRNA^{Arg}$ of A. nidulans partially by enzymatic rapid RNA sequencing technique. The sequence was 5'GGCCGGCUGGCCCAAXUGGCAAGGXUCUGAXUACGAAXCAGGAGAUUGCACXXXXXGAGCXXUXXGUCGGUCACCA3' The cloverleaf structure was made from above data. As a result, the anticodon sequence was identified as ACG. This result was confirmed with charging test. The complete sequence was proposed by supplementing the DNA sequence to and by assigning the position of minor bases to this RNA sequence.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.41-43
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• 2015

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.160-164
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• 1998

We report a case of epidural hematoma occuring after bloody tap during epi-dural catheter for cancer pain control in thrombocytopenic patient. Two hours after epidurl puncture, patient experienced severe back pain and numbness of both legs. Following day, patient complained of motor paralysis and urinary difficulty. Diagnosis utilizing magnetic reasonance imaging, showed epidural hematoma extending from $T_{11}$ to $T_{12}$. Thrombocytopenia prevented surgical intervention. Therefore we restored conservative therapy with packed red cell, platelet concentration, steroid and hemostatic, which provided complete neurologic recovery, spontaneously over several days without surgical intervention.