The Difference of Smoking Rates before and after Hospital Admission

BACKGROUND: The harmfulness of smoking is well known, but the smoking rate of adult males in Korea is still high. Therefore, we wanted to find out the factors related to smoking cessation among patients who had been admitted to hospital and to make an effective smoking cessation program. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients who had been admitted to the department of internal medicine or orthopedic surgery of an hospital from January 25, 2005 to June 15, 2005. We enrolled 104 male patients who were smokers and gave them telephone interviews. Among them, 74 patients answered (71.2%). RESULTS: Among the subjects, 10 patients quit smoking and 64 smoked continuously. Age, duration and amount of smoking, past experiences of smoking cessation were not significantly different between the two groups. The patients who were admitted to the department of internal medicine (P=0.047) and advised from doctors to quit smoking (P=0.010) showed a high smoking cessation rate. The patients who were advised by doctors showed a higher rate of planning for smoking cessation, even though they were still smoking (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: For smoking cessation in admission patient's, doctor's advice to quit smoking was important.

A Predictive Method for the Femoral Head Necrosis by the Observation of the Bleeding from the Cannulated Screw in Patients of the Femoral Neck Fractures / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the validity of using cannulated screws as a method for predicting avascular necrosis of the femoral head after a fixation of fractures in patients with femoral neck fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1999 and January 2001, 44 patients with a femoral neck fracture that had been fixed with cannulated screws were enrolled in this study. The follow up period was more than 25 months and the mean age of the patients was 51 years (range, 18 to 76 year). Blood drainage in the holes of the screw head was checked. There were 38 cases in the bleeding group, and 6 cases in the non-bleeding group. The development of head necrosis was evaluated using plain radiography. The validity of the relationship between the two groups and head necrosis was evaluated by the sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, and the negative predictive value. RESULTS: An avascular necrosis of the femoral head developed in 7 cases (16%). Only one of the 38 patients in the bleeding group developed head necrosis (2.6%). However, all those in the non-bleeding group developed head necrosis (100%). The sensitivity was 86%, the specificity was 100%, the positive predictive value was 100%, and the negative predictive value was 97%. CONCLUSION: Bleeding from holes in the cannulated screws is a simple and accurate perfusion assessment for predicting the development of an avascular necrosis of the femoral head after a femoral neck fracture.

Predicting Factors on Ankle Stability: Mortise Angle and Fibular Length / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of mortise angle and fibular length measured in radiologic findings in predicting the ankle stability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred cases fifty cases were randomly selected volunteers with normal ankle function and the other fifty cases were randomly selected patients whose ankle were treated in our hospital and who were followed for over 1 years with good results. A specific experimental fixture were made to get the even AP and lateral view and objective stress view. RESULTS: The mortise angle and fibular length was not statistically significant to the degree of talar tilt angle under valgus or varus stress and that of displacement under anterior or posterior stress. CONCLUSION: The mortise angle and fibular length was not the objective predicting factors on the ankle stability. Maintenance of constrained talus in dynamic status is most important factors in determining the ankle stability.