• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.253-263
• /
• 2018

Purpose: With increasing life expectancy, the presence of comorbidities has become a major concern in elderly patients who require surgery. However, little is known about the impact of different comorbidities on the outcomes of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). In this study, we investigated the impact of comorbidities on postoperative complications in patients undergoing LTG for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 303 consecutive patients who underwent LTG for gastric carcinoma between 2005 and 2016. The associations between each comorbidity and postoperative complications were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 189 patients (62.4%) had one or more comorbidities. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (37.0%), followed by diabetes mellitus (17.8%), chronic viral hepatitis (2.6%), liver cirrhosis (2.6%), and pulmonary (27.1%), ischemic heart (3.3%), and cerebrovascular diseases (2.3%). The overall postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 20.1% and 1.0%, respectively. Patients with pulmonary disease significantly showed higher complication rates than those without comorbidities (32.9% vs. 14.9%, respectively, P=0.003); patient with other comorbidities showed no significant difference in the incidence of LTG-related complications. During univariate and multivariate analyses, pulmonary disease was found to be an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.64), along with old age and intraoperative bleeding. Conclusions: Among the various comorbidities investigated, patients with pulmonary disease had a significantly higher risk of postoperative complications after LTG. Proper perioperative care for optimizing pulmonary function may be required for patients with pulmonary disease.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.117-122
• /
• 2006

Background and Objectives : Thyroid carcinoma is the sixth commonest cancer in Korea and the papillary carcinoma is the most common type(88%) of the malignant thyroid tumors. Bulky DNA adducts formed by the carcinogens are repaired by DNA repair process, but failure to repair this DNA damage can cause mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes resulting in tumor formation. The xeroderma pigmentosum group C(XPC) gene is essential for this repair procedure and the XPC-PolyAT(PAT) polymorphisms may alter DNA repair capacity(DRC) and genetic susceptibility to cancer. Subjects and Methods : In a case-control study of 113 Korean patients with pathologically diagnosed thyroid papillary carcinoma and 65 control subjects, we investigated the association between the three XPC-PAT gene polymorphisms and thyroid papillary cancer susceptibility. Results : The frequency of the variant XPC-PAT allele was lower in the cases(0.349) than in the controls (0.423), but the difference was not significant(p=0.140). Using logistic regression adjusting for age and sex, risk for thyroid papillary cancer was not increased in the XPC-PAT-/+ and XPC-PAT+/+ compared to XPCPAT-/-(adjusted overall odds ratio[95% confidence intervals;95%CI]=0.52[0.26-1.03] and 0.62 [0.22-1.75], respectively; trend test, p=0.167). Conclusion : There are no relationship between the XPC-PAT polymorphism and the risk of thyroid papillary carcinoma in Korean population. Based on our results, XPC-PAT polymorphism do not modulate genetic susceptibility to thyroid papillary cancer.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.194-200
• /
• 2015

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) result in significant patient morbidity following immediate tissue expander breast reconstruction (ITEBR). This study determined a single institution's 30-day SSI rate and benchmarked it against that among national institutions participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Methods Women who underwent ITEBR with/without acellular dermal matrix (ADM) were identified using the ACS-NSQIP database between 2005 and 2011. Patient characteristics associated with the 30-day SSI rate were determined, and differences in rates between our institution and the national database were assessed. Results 12,163 patients underwent ITEBR, including 263 at our institution. SSIs occurred in 416 (3.4%) patients nationwide excluding our institution, with lower rates observed at our institution (1.9%). Nationwide, SSIs were significantly more common in ITEBR patients with ADM (4.5%) compared to non-ADM patients (3.2%, P=0.005), and this trend was observed at our institution (2.1% vs. 1.6%, P=1.00). A multivariable analysis of all institutions identified age ${\geq}50$ years (odds ratio [OR], 1.4; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.7), body mass index ${\geq}30kg/m^2$ vs. < $25kg/m^2$ (OR, 3.4; CI, 2.6-4.5), and operative time >4.25 hours (OR, 1.9; CI, 1.5-2.4) as risk factors for SSIs. Our institutional SSI rate was lower than the nationwide rate (OR, 0.4; CI, 0.2-1.1), although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.07). Conclusions The 30-day SSI rate at our institution in patients who underwent ITEBR was lower than the nation. SSIs occurred more frequently in procedures involving ADM both nationally and at our institution.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.872-885
• /
• 2007

Objective : Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in Korea. This study was done to evaluate the association of complete blood count (CBC) with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Methods : In 217-case patients with ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke and 146 healthy control subjects without stroke, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, or ischemic heart disease and 160 controls without ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke, we tested and compared white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct) and platelet. These data were statically analyzed by general linear models and binary logistic regression analysis to get each adjusted odds ratio. Results :The level of WBC was significantly higher in all cases. The level of RBC, Hct and Hgb was significantly lower in patients of ischemic stroke. The level of platelet was significantly higher in patients of ischemic stroke. Conclusion : These results suggest high WBC may be a risk factor of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke and low RBC, low Hct, low Hgb and high platelet may be risk factors of ischemic stroke in Koreans.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.12
• /
• pp.4815-4821
• /
• 2014

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between respiratory health of Malaysian adolescents with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and smoke-free legislation (SFL) implementation. Materials and Methods: A total of 898 students from 21 schools across comprehensive- and partial-SFL states were recruited. SHS exposures and respiratory symptoms were assessed via questionnaire. Prenatal and postnatal SHS exposure information was obtained from parental-completed questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was: 11.9% ever wheeze, 5.6% current wheeze, 22.3% exercise-induced wheeze, 12.4% nocturnal cough, and 13.1% self-reported asthma. SHS exposure was most frequently reported in restaurants. Hierarchical logistic regression indicates living in a comprehensive-SFL state was not associated with a lower risk of reporting asthma symptoms. SHS exposure in public transport was linked to increased risk for wheeze (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 16.6; 95%confidence interval (CI), 2.69-101.7) and current wheezing (AOR 24.6; 95%CI, 3.53-171.8). Conclusions: Adolescents continue to be exposed to SHS in a range of public venues in both comprehensive- and partial-SFL states. Respiratory symptoms are common among those reporting SHS exposure on public transportation. Non-compliance with SFL appears to be frequent in many venues across Malaysia and enforcement should be given priority in order to reduce exposure.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.81-87
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease in elderly patients and is usually treated by burr-hole drainage. However, the optimal surgical technique for treating CSDH has not been determined. In this study, we analyzed outcomes and recurrence rates after burr-hole drainage with or without irrigation in patients with CSDH. Methods: Eighty-two CSDH patients treated with burr-hole drainage at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital from March 2015 to June 2016 were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into three groups based on the surgical technique performed as follows: single burr-hole drainage without irrigation (group A, n=47), single burr-hole drainage with irrigation (group B, n=14), or double burr-hole drainage with irrigation (group C, n=21). These three groups were compared with respect to clinical and radiological factors and the recurrence rate, and independent factors predicting recurrence were sought. Results: After burr-hole drainage, CSDH recurred in 15 (18.3%) of the 82 patients, and six patients (7.3%) required reoperation. More specifically, recurrence was observed in 12 patients (25.5%) in group A, one (7.1%) in group B, and two (9.5%) in group C. The number of burr-holes did not significantly affect recurrence (odds ratio [OR]=0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60-2.38), but irrigation had a significant effect (OR=0.20; 95% CI: 0.04-0.97). Conclusions: This study shows that irrigation during burr-hole surgery in CSDH patients significantly reduced the risk of recurrence, regardless of the number of burr-holes used. We therefore recommend the use of active irrigation during burr-hole drainage surgery in CSDH patients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.133-141
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between awareness of nutrition labeling and menstrual cycle irregularity in women from a nationally representative sample of the Korean population. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using hierarchical multi-variable logistic regression analysis models. A total of 4,324 women aged 19~54 years from the 2010~2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participated in the study. The participants were classified into three groups based on self-report responses to a questionnaire about their awareness of nutrition labels: Reading, Not-Reading, and Not-Knowing Groups. Results: The Reading, Not-Reading, and Not-Knowing Groups comprised 46.4%, 44.9%, and 8.7% of the participants, respectively, and 53.6% of the participants had never used nutrition labels. In the Not-Knowing Group, irregular menstrual cycles for more than 3 months were significantly more common than women with irregular menstrual cycles for up to 3 months and women with regular menstrual cycles. Women in the Not-Knowing Group were more likely to exhibit menstrual cycle irregularity (adjusted odds ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.10~2.41) compared to women in the Reading Group after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, exercise regularity, stress, depression, suicidal ideation, metabolic syndrome, age at menarche, parity, and use of oral contraceptives. Conclusion: No awareness of nutrition labeling appears to be associated with a higher prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularity in a nationally representative group of Korean women.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.78 no.3
• /
• pp.190-195
• /
• 2015

Background: Although organizing pneumonia (OP) responds well to corticosteroid therapy, relapse is common during dose reduction or follow-up. Predictors of relapse in OP patients remain to be established. The aim of the present study was to identify factors related to relapse in OP patients. Methods: This study was retrospectively performed in a tertiary referral center. Of 66 OP patients who were improved with or without treatment, 20 (30%) experienced relapse. The clinical and radiologic parameters in the relapse patient group (n=20) were compared to that in the non-relapse group (n=46). Results: Multivariate analysis demonstrated that percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC), $PaO_2/FiO_2$, and serum protein level were significant predictors of relapse in OP patients (odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-0.97; p=0.018; OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.04; p=0.042; and OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.87; p=0.039, respectively). Conclusion: This study shows that FVC, $PaO_2/FiO_2$ and serum protein level at presentation can significantly predict relapse in OP patients.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.379-389
• /
• 2016

Purpose: A longitudinal study was conducted to explore flora colonization and oral glucose high-risk newborns during the first 7 days after birth. Methods: Oral secretions of hospitalized newborns were obtained for microbial cultures and glucose test at days 1-7 after birth. Results: Among the total 112 newborns, 40% were girls and 73% were premature. Mean gestational age was $34.4{\pm}3.2$ weeks and weight was $2,266{\pm}697.5$ grams. The most common flora included Streptococcus (28.2%), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 10.9%), Staphylococcus (6.0%) and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus (CNS, 4.0%). The average oral glucose level was $29.2{\pm}23.0mg/dL{\sim}58.2{\pm}39.5mg/dL$. Newborns with higher oral glucose than serum (crude odds ratio [ORc] =1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.03-2.97), phototherapy (ORc=3.30; 95% CI=2.29-4.76) and prone position (ORc= 2.04; 95% CI=1.13-3.69) were more likely to be colonized. Having oral tubes (ORc=0.42; 95% CI=0.29-0.59), parental nutrition (ORc=0.21; 95% CI=0.13-0.32) and antibiotics (ORc=0.51; 95% CI=0.36-0.73) had protective effects. For oral glucose statistical significances existed on time effect among newborns with Streptococcus (F=9.78, p=.024), MRSA (F=7.60, p=.037) or CNS (F=11.15, p=.019) and interaction between time and colonization among newborns with all of four flora (F=2.73, p=.029) or colonization with only Staphylococcus (F=2.91, p=.034). Conclusion: High-risk newborns develop flora colonization at an early period of life. Their clinical features were associated with types and time of oral flora colonization. They need close monitoring and multifaceted intervention to improve oral environment and infection control.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.37-47
• /
• 2014

Falls are common after stroke and most frequently related to loss of balance while walking. Consequently, preventing falls is one of the goals of acute, rehabilitative, and chronic stroke care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of falls and to determine how well the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) could distinguish between fallers and non-fallers among stroke patients during inpatient rehabilitation. One hundred and fifteen participants with at least 3 months post-stroke and able to walk at least 3 m with or without a mono cane participated in this study. Fifty-four (47%) participants reported falling, and 15 (27.8%) had a recurrent fall. Logistic regression analysis for predicting falls showed that left hemiplegia [odds ratio (OR)=4.68] and fear of falling (OR=5.99) were strong risk factors for falls. Fallers performed worse than non-fallers on the FES, TUG, and BBS (p<.05, p<.01, respectively). In the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the TUG demonstrated the best discriminating ability among the three assessment tools. The cut-off score was 22 seconds on the TUG for discriminating fallers from non-fallers (sensitivity=88.9%, specificity=45.9%) and 27 seconds for discriminating recurrent fallers from single fallers and non-fallers (sensitivity=71.4%, specificity=40.2%). Results suggest that there is a need for providing fall prevention and injury minimization programs for stroke patients who record over 22 seconds on the TUG.