• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2010

Background : Clinical practice guidelines are an increasingly familiar part of clinical practice. Moreover, rigorously developed evidence based guidelines has been widely used. However, in Korea, some of published documents as clinical practice guidelines have shown considerable disparity in structure, contents and quality. This is mainly because there is no consensus on the definition and quality standard of clinical practice guidelines. The purpose of this study was to draw consensus on the definition and the quality standard about clinical practice guidelines. Method : We developed a questionnaire about the definition of clinical practice guidelines with inclusion criteria(23 items) and the quality standard(30 items). We selected 9 experts who had prior experience in developing and implementing guidelines. Rating methods for appropriateness of items were adopted from the RAND method. Consensus was drawn in three rounds. Results : Of the 47 items agreed, 40 items were determined to be appropriate. Clinical practice guidelines were defined as "scientifically and systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patients on making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances." Narrative reviews, systematic reviews or health technology assessment without recommendations, translation of foreign guidelines, guidelines for patients only and training manuals were not considered as clinical practice guidelines. For the quality standard of clinical practice guidelines, 27 items were deemed necessary. Conclusions : The consensus on the definition with inclusion criteria and the quality standard of clinical practice guidelines carries an important meaning as the first attempt to draw a general agreement in our society. The unique achievement of the consensus reflects the current status of clinical practice guidelines that there has been a high tendency to adapt foreign guidelines. We hope efforts of this kind will continue to bring improvement in clinical practice guidelines.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.612-617
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• 2012

Background Packing after closed reduction of a nasal bone fracture causes inconvenient nasal obstruction in patients. We packed the superior meatus with Vaseline gauze to support the nasal bone, and packed the middle nasal meatus with a Doyle Combo Splint consisting of an airway tube, a silastic sheet, and an expandable sponge to reduce the inconvenience. In addition, we aimed to objectively identify whether this method not only enables nasal respiration but also sufficiently supports the reduced nasal bone. Methods Nasal ventilation was measured via spirometry 1 day before surgery and compared to 1 day after surgery. To compare support of the reduced nasal bone by the 2 methods, 2 plastic surgeons assessed the displacementon X-rays taken after the surgery and after removing the packing. The extent of nasal obstruction, dry mouth, sleep disturbance, headache, and swallowing difficulty were compared with visual analog scales (VAS) on a pre-discharge survey. Results In the experimental group, the nasal respiration volume 1 day after surgery remained at $71.3%{\pm}6.84%$ on average compared to 1 day prior to surgery. Support of the reduced bone in the experimental group ($2.80{\pm}0.4$) was not significantly different from the control group ($2.88{\pm}0.33$). The VAS scores for all survey items were lower in the experimental group than in the control group, where a lower score indicated a lower level of inconvenience. Conclusions The nasal cavity packing described here maintained objective measures of nasal respiration and supported the reduced bone similar to conventional methods. Maintaining nasal respiration reduced the inconvenience to patients, which demonstrates that this packing method is useful.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2014

Background For early breast cancer patients, skin-sparing mastectomy or nipple-sparing mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy has become the mainstream treatment for immediate breast reconstruction in possible cases. However, a few cases of skin necrosis caused by methylene blue dye (MBD) used for sentinel lymph node localization have been reported. Methods Immediate breast reconstruction using a silicone implant was performed on 35 breasts of 34 patients after mastectomy. For sentinel lymph node localization, 1% MBD (3 mL) was injected into the subareolar area. The operation site was inspected in the postoperative evaluation. Results Six cases of immediate breast reconstruction using implants were complicated by methylene blue dye. One case of local infection was improved by conservative treatment. In two cases, partial necrosis and wound dehiscence of the incision areas were observed; thus, debridement and closure were performed. Of the three cases of wide skin necrosis, two cases underwent removal of the dead tissue and implants, followed by primary closure. In the other case, the breast implant was salvaged using latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap reconstruction. Conclusions The complications were caused by MBD toxicity, which aggravated blood disturbance and skin tension after implant insertion. When planning immediate breast reconstruction using silicone implants, complications of MBD should be discussed in detail prior to surgery, and appropriate management in the event of complications is required.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.502-506
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• 2000

Background: Anticoagulant therapy can be required during pregnancy with prosthetic heart valves. Warfarin and heparin provide real protection against thromboembolic phenomena, but they also carry serious risks for the fetus and the mother. In an attempt to identify the best treatment for pregnant women with cardiac valve prostheses who are receiving anticoagulant, we studied 19 pregnancies, the warfarin was discontinued and heparin was administered every 12 hours by subcutaneous injection in doses adjusted to keep the midinterval aPTT in the therapeutic range(at least 2-2.5 control) from the conception to the 12th week of gestation and oral antiocagulant was then administered until the middle of the third trimester in the therapeutic range(at least 2 INR), and heparin therapy was restared until delivery. Also in order to avoid an anticoagulant effect during delivery, it has been our practice to instruct women to either discontinue their heparin injections with the onset of labur or to stop heparin injections 12 hours prior to the elective induction of labour. Result: The outcome of 19 pregnancies managed with above protocol was spontaneous abortion in 3 cases, voluntary termination in 2 cases, premature delivery at 35 weeks in 1 case and delivery at full-term in 14 cases. There was no maternal morbidity and moratality and fetopathy. Conclusion: We conclude that in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, warfarin provide effective protection against thromboembolism, Oral antiocagulant therapy should be avoided in 2 weeks before delivery because of the risk of serious perinatal bleeding caused by the trauma of delivery to the anticoagulated fetus. However, the substitution of heparin at first trimester and 2 weeks before delivery reduce the incidence of complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2017

Background: Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has emerged as an alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for ventricular volumetry. However, the clinical use of cardiac CT requires external validation. Methods: Both cardiac CT and MRI were performed prior to pulmonary valve implantation (PVI) in 11 patients (median age, 19 years) who had undergone total correction of tetralogy of Fallot during infancy. The simplified contouring method (MRI) and semiautomatic 3-dimensional region-growing method (CT) were used to measure ventricular volumes. Results: All volumetric indices measured by CT and MRI generally correlated well with each other, except for the left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LV-ESVI), which showed the following correlations with the other indices: the right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RV-EDVI) (r=0.88, p<0.001), the right ventricular end-systolic volume index (RV-ESVI) (r=0.84, p=0.001), the left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LV-EDVI) (r=0.90, p=0.001), and the LV-ESVI (r=0.55, p=0.079). While the EDVIs measured by CT were significantly larger than those measured by MRI (median RV-EDVI: $197mL/m^2$ vs. $175mL/m^2$, p=0.008; median LV-EDVI: $94mL/m^2$ vs. $92mL/m^2$, p=0.026), no significant differences were found for the RV-ESVI or LV-ESVI. Conclusion: The EDVIs measured by cardiac CT were greater than those measured by MRI, whereas the ESVIs measured by CT and MRI were comparable. The volumetric characteristics of these 2 diagnostic modalities should be taken into account when indications for late PVI after tetralogy of Fallot repair are assessed.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.92-96
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• 2017

Background: All nasal bone fractures have the potential for worsening of olfactory function. However, few studies have studied the olfactory outcomes following reduction of nasal bone fractures. This study evaluates posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction in patients with nasal bone fracture before and after closed reduction. Methods: A prospective study was conducted for all patients presenting with nasal bone fracture (n=97). Each patient consenting to the study underwent the Korean version of Sniffin' Sticks test (KVSS II) before operation and at 6 month after closed reduction. The nasal fractures were divided according to the nasal bone fracture classification by Haug and Prather (Types I-IV). The olfactory scores were compared across fracture types and between preoperative and postoperative settings. Results: Olfactory dysfunction was frequent after nasal fracture (45/97, 46.4%). Our olfactory assessment using the KVSS II test revealed that fracture reduction was not associated with improvements in the mean test score in Type I or Type II fractures. More specifically, the mean posttraumatic Threshold, discrimination and identification score decreased from 28.8 points prior to operation to 23.1 point at 6 months for Type II fracture with septal fracture. Conclusion: Our study has revealed two alarming trends regarding post-nasal fracture olfactory dysfunction. First, our study demonstrated that almost half (46.4%) of nasal fracture patients experience posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction. Second, closed reduction of these fractures does not lead to improvements olfaction at 6 months, which suggest that olfactory dysfunction is probably due to factors other than the fracture itself. The association should be further explored between injuries that lead to nasal fracture and the mechanism behind posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.235-244
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• 2018

Background: Patients with intellectual disability (ID) often require general anesthesia during oral procedures. Anesthetic depth monitoring in these patients can be difficult due to their already altered mental state prior to anesthesia. In this study, the utility of electroencephalographic indexes to reflect anesthetic depth was evaluated in pediatric patients with ID. Methods: Seventeen patients (mean age, $9.6{\pm}2.9years$) scheduled for dental procedures were enrolled in this study. After anesthesia induction with propofol or sevoflurane, a bilateral sensor was placed on the patient's forehead and the bispectral index (BIS) was recorded. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane, which was adjusted according to the clinical signs by an anesthesiologist blinded to the BIS value. The index performance was accessed by correlation (with the end-tidal sevoflurane [EtSevo] concentration) and prediction probability (with a clinical scale of anesthesia). The asymmetry of the electroencephalogram between the left and right sides was also analyzed. Results: The BIS had good correlation and prediction probabilities (above 0.5) in the majority of patients; however, BIS was not correlated with EtSevo or the clinical scale of anesthesia in patients with Lennox-Gastaut, West syndrome, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. BIS showed better correlations than SEF95 and TP. No significant differences were observed between the left- and right-side indexes. Conclusion: BIS may be able to reflect sevoflurane anesthetic depth in patients with some types of ID; however, more research is required to better define the neurological conditions and/or degrees of disability that may allow anesthesiologists to use the BIS.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.323-333
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• 2016

Background: Ovarian cancer remains a major worldwide health care issue due to the lack of satisfactory diagnostic methods for early detection of the disease. Prior studies on the role of serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in detecting ovarian cancer presented conflicting results. New tools to improve the accuracy of identifying malignancy are urgently needed. We here aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of tissue CA125 and HE4 gene expression in comparison to serum CA125 and HE4 in discriminating benign from malignant pelvic masses. Materials and Methods: One-hundred Egyptian women were enrolled in this study, including 60 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and 20 benign ovarian tumor patients, as well as 20 apparently healthy women. Preoperative serum levels of CA125 and HE4 were measured by immunoassays. Tissue expression levels of genes encoding CA125 and HE4 were determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The diagnostic performance of CA125 and HE4, measured either as mRNA or protein levels, was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: The serum CA125+HE4 combination and serum HE4, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.935 and 0.932, respectively, performed significantly better than serum CA125 (AUC=0.592; P<0.001). Tissue CA125 and HE4 (AUC=1) performed significantly better than serum CA125 (P<0.001), serum HE4 (P=0.016) and the serum CA125+HE4 combination (P=0.018). Conclusions: Measurement of tissue CA125 and HE4 gene expression not only improves discriminatory performance, but also broadens the range of differential diagnostic possibilities in distinguishing EOC from benign ovarian tumors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.5037-5041
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• 2015

Background: An hCG regression curve has been used to predict the natural history and response to chemotherapy in gestational trophoblastic disease. We constructed hCG regression curves in high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) treated with EMA/CO and identified an optimal hCG level to detect EMA/CO resistance in GTN. Materials and Methods: Eighty-one women with GTN treated with EMA/CO were classified as primary high-risk GTN (n = 65) and single agent-resistance GTN (n = 16). The hCG levels prior to each course of chemotherapy were plotted in the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles to construct the hCG regression curves. Diagnostic performance was evaluated for an optimal cut-off value. Results: The median hCG levels were 264,482 mIU/mL mIU/mL and 495.5 mIU/mL mIU/mL for primary high-risk GTN and single agent-resistance GTN, respectively. The 50th percentile of the hCG level in primary high-risk GTN and single agent-resistance turned to normal before the 4th and the 2nd course of chemotherapy, respectively. The 90th percentile of the hCG level in primary high-risk GTN and single agent-resistance turned to normal before the 9th and the 2nd course of chemotherapy, respectively. The hCG level of ${\geq}118.6mIU/mL$ mIU/mL at the 5thcourse of EMA/CO predicted the EMA/CO resistance in primary high-risk GTN patients with a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 100%. Conclusion: EMA/CO resistance in primary high-risk GTN can be predicted by using an hCG regression curve in combination with the cut-off value of 118.6 mIU/mL at the 5thcourse of chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6135-6140
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• 2015

Background: The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) for differentiating biliary tract cancer (BTC) from benign biliary tract diseases in Asians. Materials and Methods: We systematically searched Embase and PubMed prior to December 2014. Eight studies conducted in Asians met our predetermined inclusion criteria. Results: Our meta-analysis results showed that ADC values in BTC tissues were significantly lower than in benign biliary tract tissues (SMD = -1.54, 95%CI: -1.75~-1.33, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis based on the MRI machine type showed that the ADC values were consistent, accurate and reliable in the diagnosis of BTC when comparing cancer tissue vs. benign tissue under the Siemens 1.5 T/3.0 T, Philips 1.5 T/3.0 T, GE 1.5 T, and Toshiba 1.5 T types, respectively (all P<0.05). Further, ADC values were still consistent and accurate in the differential diagnosis of BTC under the b value of 800 and $1000s/mm^2$ (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings supported potential clinical applications of DWI ADC values in differentiating BTC from benign biliary tract diseases in Asians.