• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2011

Objective: Classical markers of infection cannot differentiate reliably between inflammation and infection after neurosurgery. This study investigated the dynamics of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in patients who had elective spine surgeries without complications. Methods: Participants were 103 patients (47 women, 56 men) who underwent elective spinal surgery. Clinical variables relevant to the study included age, sex, medical history, body mass index (BMI), site and type of surgery, and surgery duration. Clinical and laboratory data were body temperature, white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT, all measured preoperatively and postoperatively on days 1, 3, and 5. Results: PCT concentrations remained at <0.25 ng/mL during the postoperative course except in 2 patients. PCT concentrations did not correlate with age, sex, DM, hypertension, BMI, operation time, operation site, or use of instrumentation. In contrast, CRP concentrations were significantly higher with older age, male, DM, hypertension, longer operation time, cervical operation, and use of instrumentation. Conclusion: PCT may be useful in the diagnosing neurosurgical patients with postoperative fever of unknown origin.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.10
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• pp.374-379
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• 2015

Purpose: Incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) is frequently associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment. Delayed diagnosis leads to increasing risk of coronary artery aneurysm. Anterior uveitis is an important ocular signs of KD. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in laboratory findings, including echocardiographic measurements, clinical characteristics such as fever duration and treatment responses between KD patients with and those without uveitis. Methods: We conducted a prospective study with 110 KD patients from January 2008 to June 2013. The study group (n=32, KD with uveitis) was compared with the control group (n=78, KD without uveitis). Laboratory data were obtained from each patient including complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), platelet count, and level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, serum total protein, albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP). Echocardiographic measurements and intravenous immunoglobulin responses were compared between the two groups. Results: The incidence of uveitis was 29.0%. Neutrophil counts and patient age were higher in the uveitis group than in the control group. ESR and CRP level were slightly increased in the uveitis group compared with the control group, but the difference between the two groups was not significant. No significant differences in coronary arterial complication and treatment responses were observed between the two groups. Conclusion: Uveitis is an important ocular sign in the diagnosis of incomplete KD. It is significantly associated with patient age and neutrophil count.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2009

Purpose: This study compared the frequency of postoperative infections in patients for a closed mandibular fracture with that without the postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Patients and Methods: 48 patients without any specific medical history were divided into two groups depending on whether or not antibiotics had been applied after the surgery. The 24 patients in group 1 received only a second-generation cephalosporin ($Cefotetan^{(R)}$) intravenously from admission to immediate after the surgery. Likewise, 24 patients in group 2 received 1.0g of $Cefotetan^{(R)}$ twice daily longer than the third day after surgery. The mean (SD) duration of antibiotics administration after surgery was 6.9 (${\pm}3.56$). The patients were evaluated after surgery for any postoperative infections according to the criteria: purulent drainage from a wound, spontaneous wound dehiscence accompanied by swelling, pain, and fever around the wound. Results: Postoperative infections were encountered in 2 out of 24 patients in group 1, who received antibiotic medication until shortly after surgery, and in 3 out of the 24 patients in group 2, in whom the medication was continued even after the surgery. There was no sig nificant difference in the incidence of postoperative infections between the two groups. Conclusion: From this study, postoperative use of antibiotics seems to be unnecessary with view of the little significance of the factors that could affect the wound infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2011

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most frequent nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU), with an incidence ranging from 8% to 38%. Patients who acquire VAP have higher mortality rates and longer ICU and hospital stays. Because there are other potential causes of fever, leukocytosis, and pulmonary infiltrates, clinical diagnosis of VAP is overly sensitive. The only alternative approach to the clinical diagnosis of VAP is the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS). Employing quantitative cultures of respiratory secretions in the diagnosis of VAP leads to less antibiotic use and probably to lower mortality. With respect to microbiologic diagnosis, however, it is not clear that the use of invasive sampling using bronchoscopy is associated with better outcomes. Delayed administration of antibiotic therapy is associated with an increased mortality, and inadequate antibiotic therapy is also associated with higher mortality. Therefore, prompt initiation of adequate antibiotic therapy is a cornerstone of the treatment of VAP. The initial antibiotic therapy should be based on the most common organisms in each hospital and the most likely pathogens for that specific patient. When final cultures and susceptibilities are available, de-escalation to less broad spectrum antibiotics should be done. Since clinical improvement usually takes 2 to 3 days, clinical responses to the initial empirical therapy should be evaluated by day 3. A short course of antibiotic therapy appears to be equivalent to a traditional course of more than 14 days, except when treating non-fermenting gram-negative organisms. If patients receive initially adequate antibiotic therapy, efforts should be made to shorten the duration of therapy to as short as 7 days, provided that the etiologic pathogen is not a non-fermenting gram-negative organism.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.126-129
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• 2001

Childhood intussusception is usually idiopathic, and pathological lesions as the leading point are found in limited cases. Sixteen operative cases with leadpoints among 2,889 cases of childhood intussusecption treated at the surgical departments of the affiliated hospitals of Catholic University over 19 years are reviewed. The approximate incidence of pathological lesions as the leading point was 0.6%. The male to female ratio was 2:1. The mean age was 3.5 years. There was not an age preponderance. The symptoms were vomiting(63%), abdominal pain(38%), irritability(38%), bloody stools(25%), fever(25%) and abdominal mass(6%). The average duration of the symptoms was 2.4 days(1-10days). The most common lesion was Meckel's diverticulum, followed by malignant lymphomas, polyps, ectopic pancreas, and cecal duplication. An ileocolic type was most frequent, followed by ileoileocolic and ileoileal. Segmental resection or wedge resection of the ileum was done in 10 cases, ileocecectomy in 3, and right hemicolectomy in 3. Surgical reduction was done only in an ectopic pancreas, with no later recurrence. The average hospital stay was 10 days. Postoperative adhesive ileus occurred in two cases, and in one of them adhesiolysis was performed. One case of malignant lymphoma died at 28 days after surgery due to chemotherapy related complication.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 2016

Purpose: Febrile seizure, the most common type of pediatric convulsive disorder, is a benign seizure syndrome distinct from epilepsy. However, as epilepsy is also common during childhood, we aimed to identify the prognostic factors that can predict epilepsy in children with febrile seizures. Methods: The study comprised 249 children at the Korea University Ansan Hospital who presented with febrile seizures. The relationship between the subsequent occurrence of epilepsy and clinical factors including seizure and fever-related variables were analyzed by multivariate analysis. Results: Twenty-five patients (10.0%) had additional afebrile seizures later and were diagnosed with epilepsy. The subsequent occurrence of epilepsy in patients with a history of febrile seizures was associated with a seizure frequency of more than 10 times during the first 2 years after seizure onset (P<0.001). Factors that were associated with subsequent occurrence of epilepsy were developmental delay (P<0.001), preterm birth (P =0.001), multiple seizures during a febrile seizure attack (P =0.005), and epileptiform discharges on electroencephalography (EEG) (P =0.008). Other factors such as the age at onset of first seizure, seizure duration, and family history of epilepsy were not associated with subsequent occurrence of epilepsy in this study. Conclusion: Febrile seizures are common and mostly benign. However, careful observation is needed, particularly for prediction of subsequent epileptic episodes in patients with frequent febrile seizures with known risk factors, such as developmental delay, history of preterm birth, several attacks during a febrile episode, and epileptiform discharges on EEG.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.8
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• pp.328-334
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• 2016

Purpose: Although a significant number of reports on new therapeutic options for refractory Kawasaki disease (KD) such as steroid, infliximab, or repeated intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) are available, their effectiveness in reducing the prevalence of coronary artery lesions (CAL) remains controversial. This study aimed to define the clinical characteristics of patients with refractory KD and to assess the effects of adjuvant therapy on patient outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 38 refractory KD patients from January 2012 to March 2015. We divided these patients into 2 groups: group 1 received more than 3 IVIG administration+steroid therapy, (n=7, 18.4%), and group 2 patients were unresponsive to initial IVIG and required steroid therapy or second IVIG (n=31, 81.6%). We compared the clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and echocardiographic findings between the groups and examined the clinical utility of additional therapies in both groups. Results: A significant difference was found in the total duration of fever between the groups ($13.0{\pm}4.04days$ in group 1 vs. $8.87{\pm}2.30days$ in group 2; P=0.035). At the end of the follow-up, all cases in group 1 showed suppressed CAL. In group 2, coronary artery aneurysm occurred in 2 patients (6.4%). All the patients treated with intravenous corticosteroids without additional IVIG developed CALs including coronary artery aneurysms. Conclusion: No statistical difference was found in the development of CAL between the groups. Prospective, randomized, clinical studies are needed to elucidate the effects of adjunctive therapy in refractory KD patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.182-188
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the source of infection and mode of transmission of shigellosis, which occurred sporadically among residents and students in a subcounty of Cheongwon county, Chungbuk province, Korea, from June 4 to July 3 2003. Methods: 692 subjects completed a questionnaire and provided a swab for microbiological examinations,and 7 environmental specimens were examined for bacterial organisms. PFGE (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) and fingerprinting were performed to find the genetic relationship among the temporally associated sporadic isolates. Results: A total of 29 patients had symptoms consistent with the case definition, with 13 confirmed and 16 suspected cases. The frequency of diarrhea was 6 times or more a day (80.8%), with a duration of 1 to 4 days (88.5%) in most cases. The most common symptoms accompanying the diarrhea were fever (80.9%) followed by abdominal pain (76.9%), headache (65.4%), chill (61.5%), vomiting (46.2%) and tenesmus (15.4%). The epidemic curve was characteristic of a person-to-person transmission. The PFGE and fingerprinting demonstrated identical or similar DNA patterns among the 3 Shigella sonnei isolates (A51, A53 and A61 types) found in this outbreak. Conclusion: A genetically identical strain of S. sonnei was estimated to be the cause of this outbreak, and the mode of transmission was most likely person-to-person.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2000

Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine the abnormal liver function complicated with Kawasaki disease (KD) and to analyze its clinical characteristics and complications. Methods: Ninty eight cases were diagnosed as having KD, among which thirty four cases had abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (>30 IU/L). These abnormal ALT cases were evaluated in terms of age and sex distribution, major symptoms, complications, laboratory and histopathologic findings. Results: Male to female ratio was 2.4:1 and most patients (91.2%) were under 5 years of age. Cervical lymphadenopathy was observed in 3 cases (8.8%); and recurred cases were two (5.8%). Average fever duration was 8 days; average length of hospitalization was 9 days; and average recovery period was 13 days. Immediately after admission, positive CRP was observed in 31 cases (91.2%), leukocytosis (> $10,000/mm^3$) in 26 cases (76.0%), thrombocytosis (> $450,000/mm^3$) in 7 cases (20.6%), and anemia (<10 gm/dl) in 7 cases (20.6%), respectively. GB hydrops or cholecystitis were noted in 3 cases (8.8%), abnormal ECG finding in 1 case (2.9%), coronary dilatation or aneurysm in 2 cases (5.9%). Liver biopsy was done in four cases and revealed mild infiltration of lymphocytes on the portal area and mild bile duct proliferations. Conclusion: The abnormal liver function was noted in 34.7% of KD patients, and subsided all within one month. But the liver function test should be checked closely in patients of the abnormal liver function test complicated with KD despite of its good prognosis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.206-210
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• 2007

This study observed the frequency of post-surgical infection according to post-surgical application of antibiotics in order to evaluate the benefits of the use of antibiotics after the orthognathic surgery. 349 patients without any specific medical history were divided into two groups depending on whether or not antibiotics had been applied after the surgery. The mean(SD) age of the 349 patients was 22.7(${\pm}4.25$) with a male-female ratio of 168:181. 226 patients received only 1.0g of a third-generation cephalosporin(Cefpiramide) intravenously 30 minutes prior to the surgery. Likewise, 123 patients received 1.0g of Cefpiramide 30 minutes prior to the surgery and twice daily longer than the third day after surgery. The mean(SD) duration of administration was 4.75(${\pm}0.89$) day. The patients were evaluated after surgery for any postoperative infections according to the criteria: purulent drainage from a wound, spontaneous wound dehiscence accompanied by swelling, pain, and fever around the wound. However, 14 patients of 226 patients received antibiotics only prior to the surgery developed postoperative infection, 2 patients of 123 patients received antibiotics longer than postoperative 3 days developed postoperative infection. Postoperative infection frequency showed no significant difference between the two groups(p=0.094). Also, bi-maxillary operation and mandibular operation alone, showed no significant difference in the frequency of post-surgical infection when antibiotics had been continuously used after the surgery. From this study, postoperative use of antibiotics seems to be unnecessary with view of the little significance of the factors that could affect the wound infection.