• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.287-289
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• 2011

Thalamoperforating artery aneurysms are rarely reported in the literature. We report an extremely rare case of ruptured distal anterior thalamoperforating artery aneurysm which was treated by endovascular obliteration in a patient with occlusion of both the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) : A 72-year-old woman presented with severe headache and loss of consciousness. Initial level of consciousness at the time of admission was drowsy and the Glasgow Coma Scale score was 14. Brain computed tomography (CT) scan was performed which revealed intracerebral hemorrhage in right basal ganglia, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intraventricular hemorrhage. The location of the aneurysm was identified as within the globus pallidus on CT angiogram. Conventional cerebral angiogram demonstrated occlusion of both the ICAs just distal to the fetal type of posterior communicating artery and the aneurysm was arising from right anterior thalamoperforating artery (ATPA). A microcatheter was navigated into ATPA and the ATPA proximal to aneurysm was embolized with 20% glue. Post-procedural ICA angiogram demonstrated no contrast filling of the aneurysm sac. The patient was discharged without any neurologic deficit. Endovascular treatment of ATPA aneurysm is probably a more feasible and safe treatment modality than surgical clipping because of the deep seated location of aneurysm and the possibility of brain retraction injury during surgical operation.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제37권5호
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• pp.885-892
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• 2016

Few studies have reported the effects of traditional Korean medical (TKM) therapy in patients with traumatic brain hemorrhage. The patient was a 93-year-old female who was unconscious after a traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and was not a candidate for any surgical treatment because of her age. We treated her with acupuncture and herbal medicine. After 28 days of treatment, we observed an improvement in consciousness on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and in other symptoms (aphasia, weakness in both legs, and headache).

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.120-125
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify clinical outcome and characteristics of trauma patients via emergency medical services (EMS). Methods: Medical records of the trauma patients visiting the emergency department were retrospectively collected and analyzed from January 2015 to June 2016 in the single institution. Of 529 registered patients, 371 patients were transported by - were enrolled. The parameters including age, gender, injury mechanism, Glasgow coma scale on arrival, presence of shock (systemic blood pressure <90 mmHg) on arrival, time to arrival from accident to emergency room (ER), need for emergency procedures such as operation or angioembolization, need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, injury severity score (ISS), the trauma and injury severity score, revised trauma score (RTS), length of stay, and mortality rate were collected. The SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) was used for the data analysis. Results: Arrival time from the field to the ER was significantly shorter in EMS group. However, overall outcomes including mortalities, length of stay in the ICU and hospital were same between both groups. Age, ISS, RTS, and injury mechanisms were significantly different in both groups. ISS, RTS, and age showed significant influence on mortality statistically (p<0.05). Conclusions: The time to arrival of EMS was fast but had no effect on length of hospital stay, mortality rate. Further research that incorporates pre-hospital factors influence clinical outcomes should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of such a system in trauma care of Korea.

• 한국치위생학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.147-152
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral health and hygiene in the neurosurgical patients in intensive care unit(ICU). Methods: The subjects were 92 neurosurgical patients in intensive care unit(ICU) from March, 2011 to December, 2012. The oral examination consisted of number of residual teeth, DMFT index, clinical attachment loss, gingival index, plague index, and Candida species colony of tongue and saliva. Plaque was inoculated from tongue and saliva and incubated in 36.5C incubator for 48 hours using $Dentocult^{(R)}$ CA(Orion Diagnostica, Espoo, Finland). Glasgow coma scale(GCS) was measured to evaluate the consciousness of the patients on the basis of medical record. Results: Oral health was poor in clinical attachment loss and gingival index. Oral hygiene in neurosurgical patients in ICU was very poor due to high plaque index and Candida colonization of tongue and saliva. Plague index was closely related to Candida colonization of tongue and saliva(p<0.05). Conclusions: Oral health and hygiene of patients in neurosurgical ICU were very poor. More careful oral hygiene care is very important and necessary to enhance the oral health improvement of the neurosurgical patients in ICU.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.265-274
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors contributed to unplanned readmission to intensive care unit (ICU) and to investigate the prediction model of unplanned readmission. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records which included the data of 3,903 patients who had discharged from ICUs in a university hospital in Seoul from January 2011 to April 2012. Results: The unplanned readmission rate was 4.8% (n=186). The nine variables were significantly different between the unplanned readmission and no readmission groups: age, clinical department, length of stay at 1st ICU, operation, use of ventilator during 24 hours a day, APACHE II score at ICU admission and discharge, direct nursing care hours and Glasgow coma scale total score at 1st ICU discharge. The clinical department, length of stay at 1st ICU, operation and APACHE II score at ICU admission were the significant predictors of unplanned ICU readmission. The predictive model's area under the curve was .802 (p<.001). Conclusion: We identified the risk factors and the prediction model associated with unplanned ICU readmission. Better patient assessment tools and knowledge about risk factors could contribute to reduce unplanned ICU readmission rate and mortality.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.71-79
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• 2019

Purpose: Recent developments in minimally invasive techniques have the potential to reduce surgical morbidity, promote patient recovery, accelerate surgical procedures, and thus improve cost-effectiveness in case management. In this study, we compared the treatment efficacy and results of supraorbital keyhole approach (SOKA) with those of conventional unilateral frontal craniotomy (CUFC) for traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (TICH) in the frontal lobe. Methods: We analyzed the data of 38 patients who underwent CUFC (n=30) and SOKA (n=8) and retrospectively reviewed their medical records and radiological findings. Furthermore, we tried to identify the best surgical method for such lesions by including patients who underwent burr hole aspiration and drainage (BHAD) (n=9) under local anesthesia due to various circumstances. Results: The difference in the initial Glasgow coma scale score, operative time, and length of hospitalization between the CUFC and SOKA were statistically significant. All radiological features between the two groups including associated skull fracture, amount of pre- and postoperative hematoma, percentage of complete hematoma removal, pre- and postoperative midline shifting of the hematoma, and development of postoperative delayed hematoma were not statistically significant. Our experience of 46 patients with TICH in the frontal lobe with any of the three different surgical methods including BHAD enabled us to obtain valuable findings. Conclusions: Although it is difficult to insist that one particular approach is more useful than the other, we are confident that SOKA will have more advantages over CUFC in carefully selected patients with frontal TICH depending on the surgical experience of a neurosurgeon.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.270-278
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze the results of surgical treatment of patients with brain and torso injury for 5 years in a single regional trauma center. Methods: We analyzed multiple trauma patients who underwent brain surgery and torso surgery for chest or abdominal injury simultaneously or sequentially among all 14,175 trauma patients who visited Dankook University Hospital Regional Trauma Center from January 2015 to December 2019. Results: A total of 25 patients underwent brain surgery and chest or abdominal surgery, with an average age of 55.4 years, 17 men and eight women. As a result of surgical treatment, there were 14 patients who underwent the surgery on the same day (resuscitative surgery), of which five patients underwent surgery simultaneously, four patients underwent brain surgery first, and one patient underwent chest surgery first, four patients underwent abdominal surgery first. Among the 25 treated patients, the 10 patients died, which the cause of death was five severe brain injuries and four hemorrhagic shocks. Conclusions: In multiple damaged patients require both torso surgery and head surgery, poor prognosis was associated with low initial Glasgow Coma Scale and high Injury Severity Score. On the other hand, patients had good prognosis when blood pressure was maintained and operation for traumatic brain injury was performed first. At the same time, patients who had operation on head and torso simultaneously had extremely low survival rates. This may be associated with secondary brain injury due to low perfusion pressure or continuous hypotension and the traumatic coagulopathy caused by massive bleeding.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.304-306
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• 2021

Objectives: We report on a patient who showed mild bradykinesia due to injury of the corticofugal tract (CFT) from the secondary motor area following direct head trauma, which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Case summary: A 58-year-old male patient underwent conservative management for subarachnoid hemorrhages caused by direct head trauma resulting from a fall from six-meter height at the department of neurosurgery of a local hospital. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3. He developed mildly slow movements following the head trauma and visited the rehabilitation department of a university hospital at ten weeks after the fall. The patient exhibited mild bradykinesia during walking and arm movements with mild weakness in all four extremities (G/G^-). Results: On ten-week DTT, narrowing of the right CFT from the supplementary motor area (SMA-CFT), and partial tearing of the left SMA-CFT, left CFTs from the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC-CFT) and both corticospinal tracts (CSTs) at the subcortical white matter were observed. Conclusion: This case demonstrated abnormalities in both CSTs (partial tearing at the subcortical white matter and narrowing), both SMA-CFTs (narrowing and partial tearing) and left dPMC-CFT. We believe our findings suggest the necessity of assessment of the CFTs from the secondary motor area for patients with unexplained bradykinesia following direct head trauma.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.332-335
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• 2022

We report on changes in the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) concurrent with the recovery of impaired consciousness following rehabilitation and cranioplasty in a patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI), which were demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). A 34-year-old male patient was diagnosed with a traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage after falling from a height of approximately 7 m and underwent a right frontoparietotemporal decompressive craniectomy and hematoma removal. At 5 months after onset, when starting rehabilitation, the patient showed impaired consciousness, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 4. Comprehensive rehabilitative therapy was provided until 14 months after onset, and his GCS score improved to 8. Cranioplasty was performed using auto-bone at 14 months after onset. One month after cranioplasty, his GCS score improved to 12. On the 15-month DTT, the deviated lower dorsal ARAS was restored on both sides, and the right side had become thicker. The right lower ventral ARAS was reconstructed, and increased neural connectivity of the upper ARAS was detected in both the prefrontal cortices. Thus, changes in the ARAS were demonstrated in a patient with TBI during recovery of consciousness following rehabilitation and cranioplasty.

• 대한응급의학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.509-518
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• 2018

Objective: The evidence that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is more effective for improving the acute neuropsychological status (ANS) of carbon monoxide poisoning than normobaric oxygen (NBO) therapy is not convincing. This is because the levels of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) do not correlate with the clinical severity of carbon monoxide poisoning and there is no universally accepted severity scale of carbon monoxide poisoning. This paper suggests a new scale for the clinical and neurological severity of carbon monoxide poisoning, called the ANS, and assesses the effect of HBO therapy for each level of ANS compared to NBO therapy. Methods: A total of 217 patients who had been hospitalized because of carbon monoxide poisoning from January 2009 to July 2013 were studied. ANS was suggested as a new severity scale of carbon monoxide poisoning considered in the Glasgow Coma Scale, acute neuro-psychologic signs and symptoms, or cardiac ischemia on the initial medical contact. HBO therapy is indicated in those who have a loss of consciousness, seizure, coma, abnormal findings on a neurological examination, pregnancy, persistent cardiac ischemia, level of COHb >25%, or severe metabolic acidosis (pH <7.2). The end point is the day of discharge, and recovery is defined as a normal neuro-psychological status without any sequelae. Results: The levels of troponin T and creatinine increased significantly with increasing ANS score. In the moderate to severe group (ANS 2 and 3), the recovery rate was significantly higher when treated with HBO therapy than with NBO therapy (P=0.030). On the other hand, the development of delayed neuro-psychological sequelae (DNS) did not correlate with any level of ANS, type of oxygen therapy, or recovery on discharge. Conclusion: In the moderate to severe poisoned group, HBO therapy is more effective for improving the ANS from carbon monoxide poisoning than NBO therapy. On the other hand, the development of DNS of HBO therapy is no more preventable than with NBO therapy. Although the level of ANS is low, the patient needs to be provided with sufficient information and a follow-up visit is recommended for any abnormal symptoms because the ANS does not correlate with the development and degree of DNS.