• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2013

Background: We present our 12-year experience of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Materials and Methods: Between January 1999 and March 2011, 16 patients underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Eleven patients (69%) were classified as functional class III or IV based on the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Seven patients had a history of inferior vena cava filter insertion, and 5 patients showed coagulation disorders. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was performed during total circulatory arrest with deep hypothermia in 14 patients. Results: In-hospital mortality and late death occurred in 2 patients (12.5%) and 1 patient (6.3%), respectively. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was required in 4 patients who developed severe hypoxemia after surgery. Thirteen of the 14 survivors have been followed up for 54 months (range, 2 to 141 months). The pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and cardiothoracic ratio on chest radiography was significantly decreased after surgery ($76{\pm}26$ mmHg vs. $41{\pm}17$ mmHg, p=0.001; $55%{\pm}8%$ vs. $48%{\pm}3%$, p=0.003). Tricuspid regurgitation was reduced from $2.1{\pm}1.1$ to $0.7{\pm}0.6$ (p=0.007), and the NYHA functional class was also improved to I or II in 13 patients (81%). These symptomatic and hemodynamic improvements maintained during the late follow-up period. Conclusion: Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension shows good clinical outcomes with acceptable early and long term mortality.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2011

Background: Little data is available regarding hospitalized patients with nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP). This is unfortunate because there is an increasing number of elderly persons who are living in nursing homes in Korea. The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics and treatment responses of NHAP with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: Patients with pneumonia who were admitted from eight nursing homes or from their own homes were enrolled between May 2007 and April 2009. Their clinical characteristics and treatment responses were reviewed retrospectively, and differences between the two groups were analyzed. Results: Of 110 Patients with pneumonia, 66 (60%) were from nursing homes and their median age was 84. In the NHAP group, functional performance status was significantly poorer, classical symptoms of pneumonia were less severe, and multi-lobe involvement (on chest radiographs) was more frequent than in the CAP group. Patients with NHAP more frequently showed lymphocytopenia, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypoxemia, and elevated blood urea nitrogen on admission. The mean CURB-65 score was 2.2 in the NHAP group, higher than 1.7 in the CAP group (p=0.004), and multi-drug resistant pathogens were also highly identified in NHAP group (39% vs. 10%, p=0.036). The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was greater for the NHAP (12.6 days) than for the CAP group (6.6 days) (p<0.001). The mortality rate was 23% in NHAP group, which was significantly higher than 5% in the CAP group (p=0.014). Conclusion: NHAP should be more intensively investigated because of the higher frequency of multi-drug resistant pathogens and mortality than the CAP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.264-268
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• 2013

A 73-year-old, previously healthy man presented with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth and febrile sensation 3 hours after eating boiled wild mushrooms. After admission, he showed progressive severe respiratory distress, pancytopenia, azotemia, hypotension, hypoxemia and consolidation of the entire left lung on chest radiography. With a preliminary diagnosis of necrotizing pneumonia, he underwent left pneumonectomy in order to remove all necrotic lung tissue. Lung histology showed extensive hemorrhagic necrosis, massive inflammatory cell infiltration, prominent proliferation of young fibroblasts and the formation of an early-stage hyaline membrane along the alveolar wall. Despite aggressive treatment, including mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy and administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor and broad spectrum antibiotics, he died on hospitalization day 13. Subsequently, the mushroom was identified as Podostroma cornu-damae. This is the first case of a histological evidence of lung involvement by Podostroma cornu-damae poisoning in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.515-520
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• 2005

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) has been described as an idiopathic febrile illness with a duration of less than seven days with severe hypoxemia, pulmonary infiltrates, and no history of asthma. It has been reported that AEP is associated with smoking. Although the pathogenesis of smoking induced AEP is being actively studied, there is no direct histological evidence that smoking actually induces AEP. Recently, we encountered a case of AEP that may have been caused by smoking. We performed a cigarette smoking challenge test to verify that smoking was indeed the cause of AEP in this patient. Smoking induced an increase the proportion of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid without any respiratory symptoms or abnormal radiological findings. This result suggests that smoking was the cause of AEP in this patient.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2005

Nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$), which produced during the process of silage, metal etching, explosives, rocket fuels, welding, and by-product of burning of fossil fuels, is one of major components of air pollutant. Accidental exposure of high level of $NO_2$ produces cough, dyspnea, pulmonary edema which may be delayed $4\~12$ hours and, in $2\~6$weeks, bronchiolitis obliterans. We experienced a case of acute pulmonary injuny induced by industrial exposure to high level of $NO_2$ during repair of $NO_2$ pipeline in a refinery. A 55-year-old man experienced nausea and severe dyspnea in 6 hours after $NO_2$ inhalation. Initial blood gas examination revealed severe hypoxemia accompanying increased alveolar-arterial O2 difference. Radiological examination showed diffuse ground glass opacities in both lung fields. Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, including radiological study and pulmonary function test were improved with conservative treatment using inhaled oxygen and bronchodilator. and there was no evidence of bronchial fibrosis and bronchiolitis obliterance in chest high resolution computed tomography performed 6 weeks after exposure. Here, we report a case of $NO_2$ induced acute pulmonary injuny with a brief review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.289-293
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• 2015

A 38-year-old male was admitted with symptoms of upper respiratory infection. Despite medical treatment, his symptoms of dyspnea and anxiety became aggravated, and bilateral lung infiltration was noted on radiological imaging studies. His hypoxemia failed to improve even after the application of endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilator care, and we therefore decided to initiate venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) for additional pulmonary support. On his twentieth day of hospitalization, hypotension and desaturation (arterial saturated oxygen <85%) developed, and right ventricular failure was confirmed by two-dimensional echocardiography. Therefore, we changed from VV ECMO to venoarteriovenous (VAV) ECMO, and the patient ultimately recovered. In this case, right ventricular dysfunction and volume overloading were induced by long-term VV ECMO therapy, and we successfully treated these conditions by changing to VAV ECMO.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1508-1515
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• 1992

Between 1975 and 1992, forty five patients with trachea stenosis received tracheoplasty for relief of obstruction. The causes of airway problem are brain contusion[19 cases, 40%], cerebrovascular disease[3 cases, 7%], drug intoxication[8 cases, 18%], psychotic problem[2 cases, 4%], trachea tumor[3 cases, 7%], adult respiratory distress syndrome[9 cases, 20%] and direct trauma[1 case, 2%]. Direct causes of trachea stenosis were complications of tracheostomy[36 cases, 80%], complications of nasotracheal intubation[5 cases, 11%], tumor[3 cases, 6%] and trauma[1 case, 2%]. Thirty one patients underwent the sleeve resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Five patients performed a wedge resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Forteen patients received the Montgomery T-tube for relief of airway obstruction. Four patients have done simple excision of granulation tissue. Two, subglottic stenosis patients were received Rethi procedure[anterior division of cricoid cartilage, wedge partial resection of lower thyroid cartilage and Montgomery T-tube molding] and the other subglottic stenosis patient underwent permanent trachea fenestration. Including cervical flexion in all patients postoperatively, additional surgical techniques for obtain tension-free anastomosis were hyoid bone release technique in two cases, and hilar mobilization, division of inferior pulmonary ligament and mobilization of pulmonary vessel at the pericardium were performed in one case. Cervical approach was used in 39 cases, cervicomediastinal in 12 cases and transthoracic in one case. Complications of tracheoplasty were formation of granulation tissue at the anastomosis site[3 cases], restenosis[9 cases], trachea-innominate artery fistula[2 cases], wound infection[2 cases], separation of anastomosis[2 cases], air leakage[3 cases], injury to a recurrent laryngeal nerve[temporary 8 cases, permanent 2 cases] and hypoxemia[1 case]. Surgical mortality for resection with primary reconstruction was 6.7%, with one death due to postoperative respiratory failure and two deaths due to tracheo-innominate artery fistula.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2018

A 6-year-old boy with underlying hemolytic anemia of unknown etiology, atopic dermatitis, and recurrent urticaria visited our hospital because of acute respiratory failure induced by influenza A. Despite mechanical ventilation after endotracheal intubation along with inhalation of nitric oxide, respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia persisted. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) insertion was performed to provide respiratory support. After performing flexible bronchoscopy, we found that thick mucus plugs were obstructing the right bronchus intermedius and the upper lobe orifice. After bronchial washing and removal of the plugs, we were able to wean the patient off VV ECMO and transfer him to the general ward. He was discharged without any neurologic or pulmonary sequelae.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.328-333
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• 2008

Desquamative interstitial pneumonia is an uncommon form of interstitial lung diseases and it has a good prognosis compared with other types of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. A 69-year old man was admitted to our hospital because of a 3-month history of dyspnea. The patient presented with hypoxemia. High-resolution computerized tomography of the patient showed ground glass opacity and traction bronchiectasis with subpleural early honeycombing on the both lung fields. The pathologic findings of the video-assisted thoracoscopy lung biopsy were compatible with desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and irregularly distributed interstitial fibrosis and inflammation were observed at the peripheral parenchyme. Oral predinsolone was started; his symptoms and chest x-ray were improved, and so he stopped taking the prednisolone. Ten months later, the desquamative interstitial pneumonia recurred. We report here on a case of recurrent desquamative interstitial pneumonia with fibrotic lung disease.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1979.05a
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• pp.8.2-8
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• 1979

Acute obstruction of the upper airway from trachea, a foreign body or Iaryngospasm may lead to death in a few minutes. The immediate restoration of an adequate airway in these patients may be lifesaving. Spontaneous respiration by means of a needle inserted into the trachea was studied in 21 rabbits using 16, 18, and 20 gauge extrcatheters. The results are as follows; 1) Airway resistance was markedly increased in all experimental animals. consequently tidal volume was also significantly decreased, but this seems to be compensatory by increased of respiratory frequency in l6G group. 2) Blood gas analysis revealed adequate pulmonary ventilation through the constricted airway (about 1/3 of normal sized trachea) during 60 minutes. In the other hand, hypercarbia, hypoxemia, and metabolic acidosis were developed in the group with severe constriction of the upper airway (about 1/4-1/6 of normal sized trachea). 3) The further study is postulated to confirm the the possibility of application of needle trcheostomy in man, but the rabbits were tolerable to the constricted airway with a small sized needle (l6G) into the trachea for 60 minutes.