• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.36-47
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• 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of skin application with Gelidium amansii extract on skin with deep second degree burns in mice. Methods: BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: normal (NOR) group; burn-elicited mice (CON) group, Silmazine-treated mice after burn elicitation (ST) group, and Gelidium amansii-extract treated mice after burn elicitation (GT) group. To examine the skin recovery effect after burn, changes of burn area, angiogenesis and histologic structure were analyzed. To measure effect of edema regulation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was analyzed. To estimate the skin regenerative & stable effect, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and substance P were analyzed. Results: 2 weeks later, 1. The size of burn area decreased in the GT and ST groups more than the CON group. 2. Alleviation of angiogenesis appeared in the GT and ST groups more than in the CON group. 3. Blood clot, epithelial cell hyperplasia, and inflammatory cell infiltration declined in the GT and ST groups more than in the CON group. 4. MMP-9, BrdU, and substance P positive reaction decreased in the GT and ST groups more than in the CON group 5. In the comparative study, the GT group was superior to the ST group. Conclusion: The skin application of Gelidium amansii extract could lessen skin damage by the medium of regulation MMP-9 activation. This skin stabilization was induced in mice with deep second degree burns.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2021

Background: Children with cleft lip and/or palate can be undernourished due to feeding difficulties after birth. A vicious cycle ensues where malnutrition and low body weight precludes the child from having the corrective surgery, in the absence of which the child fails to gain weight. This study aimed to identify the proportion of malnutrition, including the deficiency of major micronutrients, namely iron, folate and vitamin B12, in children with cleft lip and/or palate and thus help in finding out what nutritional interventions can improve the scenario for these children. Methods: All children less than 5 years with cleft lip and/or cleft palate attending our institute were included. On their first visit, following were recorded: demographic data, assessment of malnutrition, investigations: complete blood count and peripheral blood film examination; serum albumin, ferritin, iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels. Results: Eighty-one children with cleft lip and/or palate were included. Mean age was 25.37±21.49 months (range, 3-60 months). In 53% of children suffered from moderate to severe wasting, according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Iron deficiency state was found in 91.6% of children. In 35.80% of children had vitamin B12 deficiency and 23.45% had folate deficiency. No correlation was found between iron deficiency and the type of deformity. Conclusion: Iron deficiency state is almost universally present in children with cleft lip and palate. Thus, iron and folic acid supplementation should be given at first contact to improve iron reserve and hematological parameters for optimum and safe surgery.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.136-147
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze four cases of firefighter burns in various fire scenes and to find prevention measures to decrease firefighter injuries. Among the analysis reports prepared by the National Fire Research Institute of Korea from 2016 to 2020, four burn-related accidents are summarized and the main causes are conveyed. The four accidents include second-degree burns from using extinguishers during containment of fires; nine firefighters burned due to re-ignition in the LPG car repair shop; two firefighters injured with third-degree burns from using fire extinguishers during life-saving events in residential housing; and injuries from the radiant heat of the tank BLEVE near the factory fire. These cases are comprehensively investigated in their respective scenes and analyzed based on the fire site investigation reports from the fire department and related theoretical explanations of risk for each accident scene. In the third case study, some experimental research is conducted to evaluate the risk involved with the use of safety gloves. This is evaluated by reviewing Fire Tactics and Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) to determine improvements and recommendations for an efficient firefighting response. Results show that the main causes of burn accidents are the insufficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety gloves, and the failure to follow firefighting tactics or SOPs. Through the accident investigation and assessment, it is concluded that to reduce the frequency of burn accidents, the performance of firefighting equipment, SOPs, protection tactics, and safety policy systems require improvement.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.45-48
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• 2019

Allogenic keratinocyte application is widely used for treatment of second degree burns. However, there is no significant body of report on application of allogenic keratinocyte to third degree burns. A geriatric patient visited our burn center showing second to third-degree burn on dorsum of her left hand. Considering the surface area and wound depth, surgery was indicated but her medical condition and age made the surgery high risk for a long operation. Therefore, chemical escharolysis, serial bedside debridement, and cultured allogenic keratinocyte (Kaloderm^®, Tegoscience, Seoul, Korea) application was done. The wound was completely epithelialized after four rounds of Kaloderm^® application. For third-degree burns where definitive surgical reconstruction is precluded due to medical comorbidity of the patient, we investigated the possibility of allogenic keratinocyte treatment which may allow to avoid high-risk anesthesia and surgery.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.363-366
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• 2018

Background Camptodactyly refers to permanent flexion contracture at the proximal interphalangeal joint. Most cases are limited to fifth-finger involvement. Although common, the treatment of camptodactyly is controversial. Many published studies have emphasized conservative treatment, while others have described surgical procedures. The problem with this deformity is that it presents in several forms, which means that there is no single model for effective treatment. The aim of this paper is to present the difficulties encountered with this condition and the management thereof on an individual basis. Methods This is a case series of 14 patients (nine males, five females) who underwent surgical treatment. The results were classified using the method from Mayo Clinic as excellent, good, fair, and poor. Results Fourteen patients with 15 fingers underwent surgery, and the results achieved were as follows: excellent, 0; good, 1; fair, 6; poor, 8. The treatment of camptodactyly still remains controversial, and hence proper planning individualized to each patient is needed to achieve the maximal improvement with realistic goals. Conclusions Although we performed individualised surgery, our careful follow-up was not able to identify any method as superior over another with respect to gain in extension and loss of flexion. We therefore propose that the extensor mechanism should not be disturbed during surgery to treat camptodactyly cases.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2022

Background: Electronic moxibustion has the advantage of temperature control and maintenance, and overcomes the limitations of the existing moxibustion process without the use of the combustion process. However, as the application of electronic moxibustion in clinical practice has increased, safety issues are emerging. Methods: Clinical cases of electronic moxibustion treatment for knee osteoarthritis where burns occurred were collected. In addition, adverse events reported in clinical studies using electronic moxibustion for patients with knee osteoarthritis were collected from studies retrieved from Korean and international databases. Results: There were 3 cases of superficial 2^nd degree burns retrospectively collected through chart reviews. Among the selected 5 studies for literature review, 2 studies reported adverse events which were burns milder than those reported in these 3 cases in this retrospective case review. Conclusion: Since the risk of superficial 2^nd degree burn was discovered in the cases reviewed, further research on safe electronic moxibustion treatment is required without compromising the effectiveness of moxibustion.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2022

Many commonly used household chemicals and medical eye drops look alike, resulting in a worldwide increase in incidences of accidents caused by confusion between similar-looking agents. In this case report, we present two patients who visited the emergency department following inadvertent instillation of tinea pedis treatment solution instead of eye drops. Both patients developed corneal chemical burns following the accidental application. Notably, the visual acuity and symptoms eventually recovered for both patients after hospitalization. However, complete recovery occurred only after several weeks. Both patients were relatively old and had been prescribed eye drops after previous ophthalmic surgery. Since the eye is a sensory organ that receives visual information, ocular injuries significantly affect the quality of life and social functioning of the patient. Incidences of accidental misidentification of eye drops are steadily increasing in South Korea; unfortunately, regulatory policies are unavailable to avoid such hazards. Therefore, physicians should be mindful of the potential risks associated with misidentification of everyday household products and must spend time educating patients when prescribing eye drops. Policy regulations are warranted for products with containers that resemble eye drop bottles. Such items need to be clearly labeled with additional warnings to prevent misidentification and accidental ocular instillation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.422-431
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• 2023

Background Posttraumatic lymphedema (PTL) is sparsely described in the literature. The aim of this study is to propose a comprehensive approach for prevention and treatment of PTL using lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) and lymphatic vessels free flap, reporting our experience in the management of early-stage lymphedema. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed between October 2017 and July 2022. Functional assessment with magnetic resonance lymphangiography and indocyanine green lymphography was performed. Patients with lymphedema and functional lymphatic channels were included. Cases with limited soft tissue damage were proposed for LVA, and those with acute or prior soft tissue damage needing skin reconstruction were proposed for superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator lymphatic vessels free flap (SCIP-LV) to treat or prevent lymphedema. Primary and secondary outcomes were limb volume reduction and quality of life (QoL) improvement, respectively. Follow-up was at least 1 year. Results Twenty-eight patients were operated using this approach during the study period. LVA were performed in 12 patients; mean reduction of excess volume (REV) was 58.82% and the improvement in QoL was 49.25%. SCIP-LV was performed in seven patients with no flap failure; mean REV was 58.77% and the improvement QoL was 50.9%. Nine patients with acute injury in lymphatic critical areas were reconstructed with SCIP-LV as a preventive approach and no lymphedema was detected. Conclusion Our comprehensive approach provides an organized way to treat patients with PTL, or at risk of developing it, to have satisfactory results and improve their QoL.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.34-37
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• 2019

Fires in operating rooms rarely occur. However, this type of disaster can complicate almost any surgical procedure. Fuel, heat and oxygen are related with fire outbreak. When ignition sources such as alcohol-based surgical preparation solutions are present, the risk of an operating room fire increases, and burns are more severe in such conditions. Many manufacturers recommend waiting at least three minutes after application to allow complete drying for reduce fire risk. There are a few studies regarding flame burns in the operation room, although most of these studies are related to preoperative skin preparation. However, alcohol containing solutions can be used occasionally for cleansing of the operation field after the surgery, therefore, the surgical team should pay attention to surgical fires, even if they have completed the operation successfully. We present our case of a post-operative flame burn and introduce some precautions that will reduce the risk of alcohol burns.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2018

Debridement is a crucial component of wound management. Recent technologies such as hydrosurgery (Versajet), ultrasound therapy (the MIST therapy device), or plasma-mediated bipolar radio-frequency ablation therapy (Coblation) seem to represent interesting alternatives for wound debridement. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe, evaluate, and compare these three recently developed methods for the management of chronic wounds. In January 2016, an electronic database search was conducted of MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Embase for articles concerning these three innovative methods for the management of chronic wounds. A total of 389 references were identified by our search strategy, and 15 articles were included. We extracted data regarding the number and age of patients, indications, operating time, number of procedures, costs, wound healing time, decrease in exudation, perioperative blood loss, bacterial load, and the occurrence of complications. The 15 articles included studies that involved 563 patients who underwent hydrosurgery (7 studies), ultrasound therapy (6 studies), or Coblation (2 studies). Six randomized controlled trials were included that compared the use of a scalpel or curette to hydrosurgery (2 studies) or ultrasound therapy (6 studies). Hydrosurgery, in addition to being a very precise and selective tool, allows significantly faster debridement. Ultrasound therapy provides a significant reduction of exudation, and improves the wound healing time. No comparative study dedicated to Coblation was identified. Despite the obvious clinical interest of the topic, our review of the current literature revealed a lack of prospective randomized studies comparing these devices with each other or with standard techniques, particularly for Coblation and hydrosurgery.