Evaluation of pneumonia management effectiveness associated withinternal medicine management changes in the emergency department:a retrospective cohort study using a historically controlled group

Objective@#In Korea, many hospitals have recently changed the process of internal medicine management in the emergencydepartment (ED) because of reduced manpower, raising concerns regarding the decreased quality of medicalcare. The process of medical management in the ED was streamlined to resolve the reduced manpower. Thus, this studycompared the pneumonia treatment effectiveness before and after the process changes. @*Methods@#This study included patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia in the ED and hospitalized from January2014 to December 2016. They were divided into two groups based on before and after the changes. The disease severity,management adequacy, and prognosis were compared using the initial quick sequential organ failure assessmentscore (qSOFA), systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria (SIRS), CURB-65 score, door-to-antibiotic time(DAT), length of stay (LOS), hospitalization period (HP), and in-hospital mortality, were collected retrospectively from themedical records. @*Results@#The qSOFA, SIRS, and CURB-65 scores did not differ between the two groups. The median (interquartilerange) DAT, LOS, and HP were reduced after the process changes: DAT (160.0 minutes [111.0-230.0] vs. 120.0 minutes[74.0-175.0], P<0.001), LOS (7.6 hours [4.8-15.8] vs. 4.7 hours [3.2-6.8], P<0.001), and HP (9.0 days [6.0-16.0] vs. 8.0days [5.0-15.0], P=0.011). On the other hand, the in-hospital mortality was similar in the two groups (14.1% vs. 11.2%,P=0.162). @*Conclusion@#The DAT, LOS, and HP decreased after the process changes, but the in-hospital mortality did not worsen.This shows that pneumonia management in the ED was not compromised, but rather improved, after the changes.

Tibial Schwannoma Mimicking a Popliteal Cyst / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Schwannoma is the most common benign tumor of peripheral nerves and usually appears on the trunk, head and neck, or extremities. A mass arising at popliteal fossa can be misdiagnosed as a popliteal cyst. We report on a rare case of a popliteal schwannoma mimicking a popliteal cyst in a 39-year-old female who showed a clinical presentation similar to that of a popliteal cyst. Diagnosis was delayed until ultrasonographic evaluation was performed due to its anatomical location, the same as that of a popliteal cyst. We describe the clinical significance and ultrasonographic findings of the schwannoma for initial differential diagnosis from a popliteal cyst.

The Surgical Outcome of Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis Using a Retrograde Intramedullary Nail / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis has been used as a treatment option for severe deformity including Charcot arthropathy, avascular necrosis of the talus, and severe osteoarthritis of the ankle and subtalar joint. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the result of the surgical outcome of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using a retrograde intramedullary nail. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using a retrograde intramedullary nail was performed by one surgeon in 36 cases. Clinical and radiological finding was evaluated using assessment of fusion time, 5th metatarsal-tibial angle, possibility of postoperative complication, visual analogue scale for pain and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. RESULTS: Union was achieved in 33 cases at an average of 23 weeks (11~29 weeks). There were 3 cases of nonunion and 1 case of reoperation. Nail-tibial angle tended to be larger in nonunion cases. AOFAS score showed significantly poor outcome at malalignment (> or =5degrees), negative value of 5th metatarsal-tibial angle. CONCLUSION: Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using a retrograde intramedullary nail is considered a useful treatment option for severe destruction and deformity involving ankle and subtalar joint.

Partial Left Ventriculectomy in the Pediatric Patient with Dilated Cardiomyopathy / 대한흉부외과학회지

Heart transplantation was planned for a 10-year old boy who had dilated cardiomyopathy with severe congestive heart failure and had been on dopamine for 1month. However, partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty were performed instead, because there was no donor heart of the adequate size and the symptoms were aggravated. The clinical symptoms were markedly improved after the surgery. Comparing the postoperative echocardiographic results with the preoperative results, there were remarkable changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction(preoperative LV EF 17% to postoperative 3 months 29%, 6 months 35%, 1 year 36%) and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(preoperative 72 mm to postoperative 3 months 59 mm, 6 months 61 mm, 1 year 61 mm). Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty reduced the cardiac loading in the dilated cardiomyopathy. Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty may be considered as one of the alternative surgical metho s to carry over until a heart transplantation can be performed, especially for children.

Comparision of Risk Factors in Lung Cancer Surgery of Above 70-Year Old Patients / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Early detection and surgical resection offer the most advantage out of all cures for lung cancer. Elderly patients may fail to benefit maximally from these interventions because of their general condition and residual lung function. To study the impact of age on stages, histology, symptoms, and treatments of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer, we undertook a retrospective review. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Two hundred eleven patients with non-small cell lung cancer were operated on at Samsung Seoul hospital between October 1994 and June 1997. Patients were arbitrarily arbitrarily by age less than 70 years(176 patients) and 70 years or more(35 patients), and their medical records were reviewed. RESULT: There were no differences in pathologic staging and diagnosis. But there were differences in surgical methods, complications, and mortality rates between the two groups. There were much more complications in the 70 years or more group(p=0.02). We chose less invasive surgical methods in the 70 years or more group. CONCLUSION: More complications were experienced in the 70 years or more group. Although thoracic operation imparts the greatest survival advantage, this benefit is diminished in elderly patients because of their high complications and mortality rate. We recommend serious consideration of surgical indications and operative methods.

Early Clinical Outcome and Doppler Echocardiographic Data after Cardiac Valve Replacement with the ATS prosthesis / 대한흉부외과학회지

This is a report on the clinical outcome and hemodynamic profile of the ATS(R) cardiac valve prosthesis, which is a recently introduced pyrolytic carbon bileaflet prosthesis. We retrospectively reviewed the early outcome of 100 consecutive patients who underwent isolated cardiac valve replacement with the ATS(R) prosthesis from October 1994 through June 1996 at our hospital. All patients were evaluated with Doppler echocardiography before discharge from the hospital. The mean age of the patients was 48.6 years(range: 2 to 74). A total of 124 prosthesis were implanted; 71 mitral, 46 aortic, and 7 tricuspid. The two most frequently used sizes were 27 mm(40.8%) and 29 mm(35.2%) in the mitral position, and 23 mm(30.4%) and 21 mm(28.3%) in the aortic position. There was no early or late death. The total follow-up period was 950 patient-months with 99% follow-up rate. Serious late morbidity occurred in three patients; reoperation in two patients for late rupture of Sinus of Valsava in one and for endocarditis with prosthetic dehiscence in the other, and intracranial hemorrhage due to hypertension in one patient. There has been no thromboembolic complication or structural valve deterioration. In the mitral position, the average values of peak and mean transprosthetic pressure gradients and valve area calculated from pressure half time were 6.9+/-2.8 mmHg, 2.6+/-1.5 mmHg, and 2.7+/-0.8 cm2 respectively. In the aortic position, the peak and mean pressure gradients were 26.4+/-15.9 mmHg and 14.2+/-7.9 mmHg. For the mitral prostheses larger than 25-mm size, there was no significant difference among prosthetic sizes in terms of transprosthetic gradients, whereas there was a significant negative correlation between the prosthesis size and the transprosthetic gradients for the aortic valves. The peak and mean pressure gradients were 52.2+/-17.6 mmHg and 26.9+/-7.4 mmHg across the 19-mm aortic prostheses, and 27.1+/-11.9 mmHg and 13.3+/-6.6 mmHg across the 21-mm size. Above results can lead to the conclusion that the early clinical outcome of the ATS valve prosthesis is quite satisfactory. And the hemodynamic characteristics are comparable, if not better, with other bileaflet prostheses.