• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.876-884
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• 1997

Fourteen patients underwent orthotopic heart transplantation between March 1994 and May 1996 in Seoul National University Hospital. There were 9 male and 5 female patients, and the mean age was 40.8 $\pm$ 12.4 years ranged from 12 to 56 years. All patient were in NYHA Fc III or IV preoperatively. The underlying heart diseases were dilated cardiomyopathy in 11 and restrictive cardiomyopathy in 3. The mean age of donors was 24.9$\pm$ 10.2 years and the causes of the brain death were head trauma by traffic accidents in 8, subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2, 1 asphyxia, 1 fall down injury, 1 brain tumo , and 1 drowning, respectively The blood type was identical in 11, compatible in 2, and incompatible in 1 patient. The direct bicaval anastomosis technique was used in 11 cases, and standard right atrial anastomosis was done in the remaining 3 cases. The graft ischemic time was 158$\pm$44 minutes ranged 94 to 220 minutes. There were two hospital deaths(14.3%). The causes of deaths were 1 right ventricular failure followed by suspected cyclosporine induced hemolytic uremic syndrome and rejection, and 1 delayed massive bleeding, probably from rupture of the anastomotic pseudoaneurysm, respectively. The follow-up duration was 16$\pm$9 months(3 to 28 months). There was one late death(8.3%). All the other patients were in NYHA Fc I except one patient who was in hospital because of the acute rejection. The actuarial survival rates including hospital deaths were 93.7% at 1 month, 86.9% at 6 months, and 77$\pm$12% at 2 years. Conclusively, heart transplantation is the good strategy for the management of end stage heart disease with acceptable operative mortality and early follow-up results.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.77-80
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• 2007

Purpose: Purpura fulminans is a rare but rapidly progressive, serious, often life-threatening disorder in childhood, which is complicated with septic shock or disseminated intravascular coagulopathy during acute infection. It occurs first as acute-onset petechial rash, and spreads rapidly into full thickness skin and soft tissue necrosis. In the past, it had high mortality rate, up to 80%, but recently, survival rate has increased due to early diagnosis, and rapid advancement of critical care and antibiotics. From our experiences of PF management, we would like to review the pathophysiology and suggest the surgical treatment guideline about meningococcal induced purpura fulminans. Methods: Two cases of purpura fulminans over the last 3 years were reviewed retrospectively about reconstructive management. After they were treated resuscitative management initially by the critical intensive care, reconstructive surgery was performed by plastic surgeon as soon as the patients were vitally and mentally stable. Results: There were 6 procedures in case 1, and 3 procedures in case 2. The mean delayed period from admission with sepsis to the first surgical debridement was 24 days and 42 days, respectively. Total hospitalization period was 103 days and 69 days, respectively. All of them were treated with debridement and split thickness skin graft, but delayed debridement was superior to early one in the point of preserving much more tissues. Conclusion: From our experience, we suggest that conservative therapy to the wounds appears to be the best tool in the initial vitally unstable period in order to preserve as much tissues and functions as possible if no active inflammation and compartment syndrome are detective.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.10
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• pp.504-510
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• 2021

Population screening of newborns is an extremely important and informative diagnostic approach that allows early identification of babies who are predisposed to the development of a number of serious diseases. Some of these diseases are known and have effective treatment methods. Neonatal screening enables the early diagnosis and subsequent timely initiation of therapy. This helps to prevent serious complications and reduce the percentage of disability and deaths among newborns and young children. Primary immunodeficiency diseases and primary immunodeficiency syndrome (PIDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases and conditions based on impaired immune system function associated with developmental defects and characterized by various combinations of recurrent infections, development of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative syndromes (genetic defects in apoptosis, gene mutation Fas receptor or ligand), granulomatous process, and malignant neoplasms. Most of these diseases manifest in infancy and lead to serious illness, disability, and high mortality rates. Until recently, it was impossible to identify children with PIDS before the onset of the first clinical symptoms, which are usually accompanied by complications in the form of severe coinfections of a viral-bacterial-fungal etiology. Modern advances in medical laboratory technology have allowed the identification of children with severe PIDS, manifested by T- and/or B-cell lymphopenia and other disorders of the immune system. This review discusses the main existing strategies and directions used in PIDS screening programs for newborns, including approaches to screening based on excision of T-cell receptors and kappa-recombination excision circles, as well as the potential role and place of next-generation sequencing technology to increase the diagnostic accuracy of these diseases.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2021

Sepsis is a physiological response to a source of infection that triggers mechanisms that compromise organ function, leading to death if not treated early. Biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, speed, and accuracy that could differentiate sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) could bring about a revolution in sepsis treatment. Given the limitations and time required for microbial verification of pathogens, the accurate diagnosis of infection before employing antibiotic therapy is important and clinically necessary. Procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and proadrenomedullin (ProADM) are the common biomarkers used for diagnosis. The procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic treatment in patients with acute respiratory infections effectively reduces antibiotic exposure and side effects while improving survival rates. The evidence regarding sepsis screening in hospitalized patients is limited. Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare decision-makers should consider these findings and limitations when implementing screening tools, future research, or policy on sepsis recognition in hospitalized patients. The use of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis is promising, although such use should always be correlated with clinical evaluation. Biomarkers may also improve the prediction of mortality, especially in the early phase of sepsis, when the levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins are elevated.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.715-721
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• 1999

Background:The number of old patients receiving coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) is increasing. With the more recent advances in operative techniques, the age at which CABG is indicated has also increased. This study evaluated the risk factors associated with the hospital mortality and the morbidity following CABG in elderly patients. Material and Method: Between March 1991 and June 1998, we retrospectively reviewed 45 consecutive patients aged 65 years or older who underwent CABG. We compared the data with the results of 179 patients under the age 65 years operated during the same period. Result: Mean age was 68${\pm}$1.41 years(range 65 to 74 years). Emergency surgery was required in 4, and elective surgery in 41 patients. The mean number of distal anastomosis per patient was 3.62 ${\pm}$0.81 and mean aortic cross-cramp time was 69.84${\pm}$18.5 minutes. Thirty patients had Canadian class III or IV preoperatively, but 43 patients had class I or II postoperatively. The left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly from 54.23${\pm}$10.62% preoperatively to 58.14${\pm}$9.88% postoperatively(p<0.05). Postoperative complication was pneumonia in 2 patients, acute renal failure in 2 patients, sternal wound infection in 1 patient, and postoperative myocardial infarction in 1 patient. There were two postoperative deaths. The causes of deaths were low output syndrome in one patient, and sepsis due to pneumonia in the other patient. The hospital mortality was higher in the elderly group(4.4 versus 2.86%) but was not statistically significant(p>0.05). Incremental risk factors for hospital deaths in the elderly were emergent operation, preoperative PTCA, postoperative use of IABP and postoperative ARF(p<0.05). The duration of hospital stay after operation was significantly longer for the elderly group than the younger group(19.27${\pm}$12.51 vs 15.55${\pm}$6.99 days; p＜ 0.05). Follow-up was complete for 34 of the hospital survivors and ranged from 1 to 73 months(mean: 23.58${\pm}$19.56 months). There was no late mortality of cardiac origin. Conclusion: Age is an important factor in selecting optimal management for elderly patients with coronary compromise, but age alone should not dictate the choice of therapy. Coronary artery bypass surgery in the elderly is associated with acceptable early mortality and excellent long-term results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.477-484
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• 2001

Background: Initial symptoms for esophageal perforation have not been clarified, but when there is no early diagnosis and proper treatment to follow immediately after the diagnosis, it is fatal for the patients. Therefore, this study attempted to discover the factors that influence the prognosis of esophageal perforation to contribute to the improvement of the treatment result. Material and Method: The subjects of this study are 32 patients who came to the hospital with esophageal perforation from October, 1984 to June, 2000. This study examined the items for clinical observation such as patients' sex, age, cause of the perforation, perforation site, the time spent until the beginning of the treatment, symptoms caused by the perforation and its complication, and treatment methods. This study tried to find out the relationship between the survival of patients and each item. Result: There were 24 male and 8 female patients and their mean age was 49.7+16.4. For the causes of perforation, there were 14 cases(43%) of iatrogenic perforation, which ranked first, caused by the medical instrument operation and surgical damage. As for the perforation sites, thoracic esophagus was the most common site(26 cases of 81.2%) and chest pain was the most frequent symptom. The complication caused by esophageal perforation showed the highest cases in the order of mediastinitis, empyema, sepsis and peritonitis. After the treatment, there were 23 cases of survival and 9 cases of mortality. The total mortality rate was 28.1% and the main causes of mortality were sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). As for the treatment, 8 cases(25.0%) treated the perforation successfully using conservative treatment only. As for the surgical treatment, there were 5 cases(15.6%) of cervical drainage, 7 cases (21.8%) of primary repair and 12 cases(37.5%) of esophageal reconstruction after performing an exclusion-diversion. There were 18 cases(56.2%) of complete treatment of esophageal perforation at its initial treatment and in 14 cases(43.8%) of treatment failure at its initial treatment, patients were completely cured in the next treatment stage or died during the treatment. The cases of perforation in thoracic esophagus, complication into severe mediastinitis or sepsis and the cases of failure at initial treatment showed a statistically significant mortality rate (p<0.05).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1067-1072
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• 2003

Purpose : Non-accidental intracranial hemorrhage in children is not low in incidence and results in high mortality and serious sequelae. So, the authors have researched the distribution of sex and age, causes, symptoms and signs, hemorrhagic types, mortality rate and sequelae of the patients hospitalized with non-accidental intracranial hemorrhage at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. Methods : The medical records of twenty patients, aged 15 or younger, and excluding neonatal patients, were analyzed retrospectively. The patients in this study were admitted with non-accidental intracranial hemorrhage from January 1999 to June 2002. Results : Of the twenty cases, the ratio of male to female was 1 : 0.8. The patients aged one or less and between 11 and 15 were discovered to be the most frequent cases. Shaken baby syndrome and arteriovenous malformation were found to be the most frequent causes. Seizure was most frequently found to be a symptom and a sign. Hemorrhagic type was classified into subdural hemorrhage eight, intracerebral hemorrhage five. There were three mortal cases. Twelve surviving patients, excluding five not-followed ones, were reclassified into six cases of complete recovery and six of sequalae. Conclusion : Non-accidental intracranial hemorrhage in children is not low in incidence, with a high mortality rate and a high incidence of serious sequelae after survival. Consequently, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are required. In addition, appropriate rehabilitation after treatment is needed because the high survival rate due to advanced medical treatment results in an increasing number of neurologic sequelae.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2014

Purpose: Streptococcus pyogenes is an important cause of invasive diseases in children. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of invasive infections due to S. pyogenes in children in Korea. Methods: A retrospective study of children under 18 years of age with invasive infections due to S. pyogenes at Seoul National University Children's Hospital between March 1992 and December 2012, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between March 2003 and December 2012 was conducted. Demographic factors, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment, mortality and morbidity of all patients were reviewed. Results: A total of 30 among 36 cases identified as invasive disease due to S. pyogenes were available for review. There was a predominance for male subjects (male:female=2.75:1). The median age was 50 months (range 12 days to 15 years) and 53.3% were under 5 years of age. Skin and soft tissue infections (9/30, 30.0%), bacteremia without identified focus (4/30, 13.3%) and bone and joint infections (6/30, 20.0%) were the most frequent clinical presentations. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (3/30, 10.0%) pulmonary, abdomen and central nervous system infections (2/30, 6.7%) were also seen. There was a peak in number of patients in year 2012 (9/30, 30.0%). There were no cases of mortality. Erythromycin and clindamycin resistance rates were low by 3.8% and 7.5%, respectively. Conclusion: We studied the clinical presentations of invasive infections due to S. pyogenes during the past 20 years in Korean children. The findings of this study help us understand the characteristics of the disease, enhancing early recognition and prompting adequate antibiotic therapy which is important in reducing morbidity and mortality.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.429-438
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• 2003

Background : The mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) is >40-50%. Although some prospective trials have failed to demonstrate a survival benefit of steroids in the early stages of ARDS, there are some reports showing some success with steroids in the later stages. This study observed the changes in the physiologic parameters with time in late ARDS patients who were treated with steroids. Methods : The medical charts of 28 intensive care unit patients(male:female=24:4; mean age 64 years), who had been diagnosed with refractory late ARDS ($PaO_2/FIO_2$ <200) and were treated with corticosteroids from December 1999 to July 2002, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: the weaned group(n=14), which included the patients who had been successfully weaned from a ventilator after corticosteroid therapy, and the failed group(n=14), which included the patients who had failed weaning. The physiologic parameters included the $PaO_2/FIO_2$ ratio, the positive end-expiratory pressure(PEEP) level, the $PaCO_2$, compliance, the sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA) score, the acute physiologic and the chronic health evaluation(APACHE) II score, and the Murray Lung Injury Score(LIS) in the two groups were compared from the day of mechanical ventilation(Dmv) to 7 days after the corticosteroid therapy. Results : There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics and the physiologic parameters between the two groups prior to the corticosteroid therapy except for the SOFA score at Dmv(weaned group : $6.6{\pm}2.5$ vs failed group : $8.8{\pm}2.9$, p=0.047). However, within 7 days after corticosteroid therapy, there was significant improvement in the $PaO_2/FIO_2$ ratio, the PEEP level, the $PaCO_2$, the SOFA score, the APACHE II score, and the LIS of the weaned group compared to the failed group. Conclusions : During corticosteroid therapy in late ARDS, the continuation of corticosteroid therapy should be determined carefully in patients who do not show improvement in their physiologic parameters by day 7.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.486-492
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• 1997

We r viewed a policy of primary surgical closure of large ventricular septal defects in small infants. Sixty-three infants met criteria for inclusion in the study, and were divided into two groups based on age: group 1 infants aged less than 5 months(n = 31), and group 2 infants aged 5 months or more(n = 32). Both groups had similar variation in ventricular septal defect location(paramembranous versus muscular), and showed no significant difference in left to right shunt and in ratio of systemic and pulmonary vascualr resistance. Three early deaths(9.7%) occurred in group 1, but no death(0%) in group 2. The causes of death were preoperative cardiac arrest and cerebral injury followed by postoperative respiratory insufficiency in two patients, and preoperative tracheomalacia followed by laryngeal edema and respiratory arrest in one Two patients in group 1 showed postoperative low cardiac output syndrome(6.5% in group 1 versus 0% in group 2). There was no late death during the follow-up per od in both groups. No surviving patients had postoperative patch leakage, or required a second operation. These results indicate that primary surgical closure of large ventricular septal defects, if logical perioperative care is accompanied, can be saefly performed in small infants aged less than 5 months with low postoperative mortality or morbidity rates.