• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.546-554
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• 2005

We assessed the genetic relations and epidemiological links among bloodstream isolates of Candida albicans, which were obtained from a university hospital over a period of five years. The 54 bloodstream isolates from the 38 patients yielded 14 different karyotypes, 29 different patterns after digestion with SfiI (REAG-S), and 31 different patterns after digestion with BssHII (REAG-B) when analyzed using three different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing methods. In 11 patients with serial blood stream isolates, all strains from each patient had the same PFGE pattern. The dendrograms for all of the strains revealed that the distribution of similarity values ranged from 0.70 to 1.0 in the REAG-S patterns, and from 0.35 to 1.0 in the REAG-B patterns. Overall, the combination of the three different PFGE methods identified 31 distinct types, reflecting the results obtained using the REAG-B alone different. different Five PFGE types were shared among 22 isolates from 12 patients. These types of strains were more frequently associated with central venous catheter-related fungemia than the other 26 type strains $(92\%\;versus\;31\%;\;P<0.005)$. Of five PFGE types, four isolates were determined to be epidemiologically related: each of these types was primarily from two or three patients who had been hospitalized concurrently within the same intensive care unit. Our results suggest that the REAG-B constitutes perhaps the most useful PFGE method for investigating C. albicans candidemia and also shows that a relatively high proportion of C. albicans candidemia may be associated with exogenous acquisition of clonal strains.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2010

The year of 2009~2010 brought a number of concepts and new ideas were evaluated with promising results. However, some studies that challenged many beliefs. In acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), recent clinical studies took into consideration of pathophysiologic changes of respiratory system compliance. Meta-analysis of positive end-expiratory pressure trials showed survival benefit of high positive end-expiratory pressure in ARDS. Until now, prone positioning did not show survival benefit in patients with ARDS. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) based management improved survival in patients with severe ARDS. ECMO can be a management option in severe ARDS. Sedation is a standard practice in critically ill patients needing mechanical ventilation. However, Danish group reported less sedation of critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation was associated with an increase in days without ventilation. Although this single center study has some limitations, the overall results are promising. Use of maximal sterile barrier precautions (mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and large sterile drapes) with chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing reduced central venous catheter related infection. Selective oropharyngeal decontamination (application of topical antibiotics in the oropharynx) reduced the mortality rate of an intensive care unit (ICU) population. Normoglycemia in Intensive Care Evaluation and Survival Using Glucose Algorithm Regulation (NICE-SUGAR) trial reported intensive glucose control increased mortality among adults in the ICU. Some of the results of above papers are promising. However, some ideas may need for more frequent individual assessment and increase the workload of ICU staffs. Before implementation of new practice in ICU, we should take into consideration of individual hospital situation including human and material resources.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.261-269
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• 1995

Background; To explore the efficacy of aspartate as NAD regenerating agent for ethanol and acetaldehyde oxidation, we performed crossover challenge in two groups of volunteers by coadministration of various doses of aspartate, asparagine and ethanol. Methods; 18 healthy male volunteers were randomly divided into two groups. 6 volunteers of the first group were administered 5 gm monosodium aspartate(MSA), 5 gm asparagine or placebo with 100 ml of $40^{\circ}$ whiskey by the 3 way-crossover design, while 12 volunteers of the other group were administered placebo, 1, 2 or 5 bottles of $Aspar^(circledR)$ containing 1 gm of MSA per bottle with 100 ml of $40^{\circ}$ whiskey by the 4 way-crossover design. Ethanol(and acetaldehyde) concentrations in venous blood drawn at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8th hour after ethanol ingestion were analysed by gas chromatogaphy. Subjective symptoms, liver function tests and psychomotor function tests were also performed during the study periods. Result; Plasma concentration and AUC of acetaldehyde in asparagine and MSA trials on ethanol ingestion were significantly lower than those of placebo trial in the 1st group. Plasma ethanol concentration of 5 bottle $Aspar^(circledR)$ trial was significantly lower than that of placebo trial in the 2nd group. Improvement of subjective symptoms or psychomotor performance by the treatment was not statistically significant. Conclusion; Aspartate and asparagine may be prospective candidates for acceleration of ethanol metabolism and prevention of ethanol toxicity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.469-479
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• 1992

Searching for the clinical effects of colloid solutions that used to increasing the oncotic pressure of priming solutions at the cardiopulmonary bypass, 29 patients [who were diagnosised as simple VSD around 10kg of body weight and scheduled to be operated from June 1990 to December 1990 at Sejong General Hospital] were divided randomly and prospectively to the two groups: A group [15] was received 4gm% albumin as addition to the priming solutions and B Group [14] the same amount of Ringer`s lactated solution. 34 clinical parameters [Body weight, sex, age, body surface area, Qp/Qs, pulmonary arterial pressure, cardiopulmonary bypass time, anesthetic time, intraoperatively infused crystalloid and colloid amount, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum sodium concentration, serum osmolarity, urine osmolarity, urine specific gravity, serum concentration, serum osmolarity, urine osmolarity, urine specific gravity, serum protein, serum albumin concentration, urine output, central venous pressure, postoperatively infused colloid amount, immedediate post-operative peak inspiratory pressure, cardiac index, blood pressure and pump flow during cardiopulmonary bypass, inotro-pic assist, diuretics, extubation period, total drain amount, duration of ICU] were measured and compaired between the two groups. There were no differences of preoperative and operative clinical parameters. And postoper-atively, practically there were no nearly differences at the clinical outcomes between the two groups, but some parameters [cardiac index, PIP, BP and pumpflow during CPB, etc] contributed to being preferable to the Group A at certain times [P<0.05]. Conclusively, it might be thought that the priming solution of cardiopulmonary bypass added by colloid solution had some beneficial effects on the patients, especially younger and associated with complex anomaly to be expected taken longer time of cardiopulmonary bypass, and more studies about the neonatal and complex anomaly cases were needed in that points.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.132-138
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• 2000

Background: Inhaled nitric oxide therapy causes selective pulmonary vasodilation in congenital heart diseases with pulmonary hypertension. However discontinuation of inhaled nitric oxide therapy may be complicated by abrupt life-threatening rebound pulmonary hypertension(RPH) The purpose of this study was to prevent by comparing group I(without RPH n=13) and group II(with RPH n=6) to determine the risk factors involved inthe development of the RPH. Material and Method: Between Januarty 6, 1998 and April 14, 1999. we studied 19 consecutive children who were treated with inhaled nitric oxide for clinically significant pulmonary hypertension after an open heart surgery for congenital heart disease. the ratio of males and females was 12:7 ranging in age from 10 days to 6040 days(16 years) To identify the effects of nitric oxide between two groups we measured heart rate mean and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure mean and systolic systemic arterial pressure central venous pressure pH paO2/FiO2 and O2 saturation before and after the initiation and just before the withdrawal of the inhaled nitric oxide. result: In 6 of 19 patients(32%) withdrawal of inhaled nitric oxide caused RPH. In the two groups inhaled nitrix oxide decreased in pulmonary arterial pressure(PAP) without decreasing the systemic arterial pressure(SAP) and increased PaO2/FiO2 Compared with patients who had no RPH(group I) patients who had RPH(group II) were older in age (1204$\pm$1688 versus 546$\pm$1654 days p<0.05) received less nitric oxide therapy(34$\pm$18 versus 67$\pm$46 hours p<0.05) has shorter weaning process(5$\pm$3 versus 15一13 hours p<0.05) and received lowerconcentration of initial nitric oxide supply(11$\pm$8 versus 17$\pm$8 ppm p>0.05) and lower concentration just before the withdrawal nitric oxide(4.2$\pm$2.6 versus 5.6$\pm$2.6 ppm, p>0.05) Conclusion : We speculate that older age shorter of nitric oxide therapy shorter weaning process are the risk factors of RPH.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1401-1404
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• 1996

Central venous line insertion is an essential procedure in a cardiac operation. For this, percuteneous Insertion is usually done in the internal jugular vein or the subclavian vein. However, this method can create such complications as pneumothorax and hemothorax, and repeated failure in inserting the cathet r, especially in infant and child patients, can waste excessive time. Consequently, in our hospital, catheterization of the innominate vein was done after the completion of sternotomy in the cardiac operation of infant and child patients weighing under 1 Okg. During operation, the catheter was placed in the left atrium through the foramen ovate or pulmonary artery to be used for pressure monitoring. When the patient's hemodynamic became stabilized, the catheter was withdrawn to either the right atrium or superior vena casa to be used as the channel for fluid replacement or drug administration. In our hospital, this procedure has been used in 96 cases since 1989. No complications such as pneumothorax and hemothorax occilrred, and neither bleeding after the removal of the catheter was seen.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.59-74
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate new nurses' needs for intravenous infusion therapy training by analyzing the current training status. Methods: This study examined the needs for intravenous infusion therapy training with 159 new nurses. The measurement tool consisted of 93 items developed based on intravenous therapy-related studies, and was evaluated on a 4-point Likert scale. For data analysis, SPSS/WIN 25.0 was used, and frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, paired t-test, were performed. Results: The demand for intravenous therapy education was analyzed using a questionnaire composed of 8 areas, 16 sub-areas, and 93 items. According to the findings, post-ward placement intravenous therapy education(83.7%) is conducted more often than in preliminary education (72.2%). The demand for intravenous infusion therapy education did not differ significantly in preliminary and post-ward placement education (t=-.89, p=.376). While therapy skills were preferred in preliminary education, there were high demands for education content related to blood transfusion, central venous catheter, and drug use in continuing education. As for preferred teaching methods, lecture (38.2%) and simulation (26.7%) were most answered for preliminary education, while a range of methods were preferred for continuing education including lecture (31.1%), clinical practice (20.6%), preceptor training (19.8%), simulation (16.8%), and self-study (11.6%). Conclusion: For efficient training, it is required to provide different education contents and methods for each stage.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2021

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at a high risk of stroke-related morbidity, mortality, and bleeding. However, the overall risk/benefit of anticoagulant therapy among patients with CKD remains unclear. Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were comprehensively searched until July 31, 2020, to investigate the safety and efficacy of apixaban in patients with stage 4 or 5 CKD, as compared with warfarin. The primary outcome was an incidence of major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included composite bleeding (major, clinically relevant, and minor bleeding), venous thromboembolism (VTE), stroke, and death. Results: In total, seven studies consisting of 10,816 patients were included. Compared with warfarin, apixaban was associated with a reduced risk of major bleeding (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.41-0.58). In terms of composite bleeding, apixaban tended to pose a significantly lower risk than warfarin (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.37-0.71). There was no difference between apixaban and warfarin with respect to the risk of stroke or death (stroke: OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.49-3.12; death: OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.45-1.18). Conclusion: Among patients with stage 4 or 5 CKD, the use of apixaban was associated with a lower risk of bleeding compared to warfarin and was also found to pose no excess risk of thromboembolic events.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.846-860
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• 2022

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital, thoracic, and vascular anomaly. Although PLSVCs generally do not have a hemodynamic effect, several types of PLSVC and some cardiac anomalies may manifest with clinical symptoms. The presence of PLSVC can render catheterization via left subclavian access difficult when placing a pacemaker or central venous catheter. As such, recognizing a PLSVC that is typically incidentally discovered can prevent complications such as vascular injury. Differentiating vessels found in a similar location as PLSVC is necessary when performing thoracic vascular procedures. This pictorial essay explains the multi-detector CT findings of a PLSVC, and provides a summary of other blood vessels that require differentiation during thoracic vascular procedures.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.444-453
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• 2023

Objective: Meningeal lymphatic vessels are predominantly located in the parasagittal dural space (PSD); these vessels drain interstitial fluids out of the brain and contribute to the glymphatic system. We aimed to investigate the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in assessing the dynamic changes in the meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD. Materials and Methods: Eighteen participants (26-71 years; male:female, 10:8), without neurological or psychiatric diseases, were prospectively enrolled and underwent DCE-MRI. Three regions of interests (ROIs) were placed on the PSD, superior sagittal sinus (SSS), and cortical vein. Early and delayed enhancement patterns and six kinetic curve-derived parameters were obtained and compared between the three ROIs. Moreover, the participants were grouped into the young (< 65 years; n = 9) or older (≥ 65 years; n = 9) groups. Enhancement patterns and kinetic curve-derived parameters in the PSD were compared between the two groups. Results: The PSD showed different enhancement patterns than the SSS and cortical veins (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) in the early and delayed phases. The PSD showed slow early enhancement and a delayed wash-out pattern. The six kinetic curve-derived parameters of PSD was significantly different than that of the SSS and cortical vein. The PSD washout rate of older participants was significantly lower (median, 0.09; interquartile range [IQR], 0.01-0.15) than that of younger participants (median, 0.32; IQR, 0.07-0.45) (P = 0.040). Conclusion: This study shows that the dynamic changes of meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD can be assessed with DCE-MRI, and the results are different from those of the venous structures. Our finding that delayed wash-out was more pronounced in the PSD of older participants suggests that aging may disturb the meningeal lymphatic drainage.