Comparison of Injuries Related with All-Terrian Vehicles (ATVs) and Motorcycles (MCs)

PURPOSE: All-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries have increased since the introduction of ATVs to Korea. The purpose of this study is to compare patients with ATV-related injuries (PATV) to patients with motorcycle (MC)-related injuries (PMC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of PATV and PMC who visited an emergency center in 2008. The cases of PMC were 164, and those of PATV were 52. RESULTS: While PMC are seen evenly in the first half year and the second half year, PATV are seen mainly the first half year (from March to June: 73%). For PMC the most frequent injury mechanism was collision with another vehicle, while for PATV, it was side overturn/roll over. The injury severity score (ISS), the revised trauma score (RTS), the trauma score and the injury severity score (TRISS) were 5.6+/-5.6, 7.7+/-0.7, 5.0+/-2.1 for PMC and 7.1+/-7.5, 7.7+/-1.1, 5.5+/-1.5 for PATV, respectively. The most common injury sites were the lower extremities for PMC and the face for PATV. The rates of admission, surgery and the length of hospital stay were similar between PMC and PATV. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the risk of ATV accidents is similar to that of MC accidents. We recommend that the same safety standards and regulations that are applied to MCs should be used for ATVs. Safe and enjoyable paths have to be sought for drivers of ATVs.

Clinical Study of Patients with All-Terrain Vehicle-related Injuries in a General Hospital

PURPOSE: Recently, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries have increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the ATV injuries in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the patients who visited Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital emergency center with ATVrelated injuries, from 2004 January to 2008 December. The injury severity was evaluated according to the injury severity score (ISS), the revised trauma score (RTS), and the yrauma score and the injury severity score (TRISS). RESULTS: From 2004 to 2008, a total of 78 cases, 28 male and 50 female, of ATV-related injuries were reviewed. The annual incidence had increased 22.5-fold from 2004(2 cases) to 2008(45 cases). The age ranged from 8 to 68 years (median, 24 years). The most frequently injured site was the lower extremity(48.7%). The primary mechanism of injury was roll-over(35.9%), the next was falling down (33.3%). Eighty-two percent(82%) of accidents occurred on paved roads when ATVs are legislated for off-road use only. The average ISS was 6.8. In cases including both the driver and the passenger, the ISS of passengers was higher than that of drivers(7.4 vs. 4.7). Fifty percent (50%) of patients required an operation. The rate of admission was 62.8%. The average length of hospital stay was 25 days. Eighty-one percent (81%) of patients had no previous experience of operating an ATV. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of patients did not receive any formal training before operating an ATVs. CONCLUSION: Both the incidence and severity of ATV-related injuries are increasing in Korea. There is a lack of regulation enforcement and public awareness of the dangers of ATV use. The wearing of appropriate safety equipment and sufficient education about driving skills can reduce the ATVrelated injuries.

Bone mineral density changes after 4 years of hormone replacement therapy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the various effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on bone mineral density (BMD) for 4 years in postmenopausal women and to compare the characteristics of non-responders to HRT. METHODS: A total of 100 postmenopausal women have been treated with HRT or estrogen replacement therapy for 4 years. Spinal BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The mean age and menopausal age of the study subjects was 53.3+/-3.6 and 4.7+/-4.0 years. According to the baseline BMD, 32 and 9 women were osteopenic and osteoporotic. Compared with the baseline value, the lumbar BMD increased significantly after one and two years of HRT, but after three years the rate of increment has slowed. However, the change of BMD has significantly increased again after four years of HRT (3.98%, 5.36%, 5.41%, 6.16%, in each year, respectively). Women with baseline osteopenia and osteoporotis gained significantly more BMD after 1 year of HRT than women with baseline normal BMD (p=0.02). There were no significant differences of BMD changes among the 3 treatment regimens (continuous combined, cyclic combined, and estrogen only). After 1 year of HRT, 14 non-responders were indentified who had reduced BMD (-1.7+/-1.6%) compared with baseline BMD whereas 86 responders had increased BMD (4.9+/-4.1%). In the non-responder, BMD increased in two year of HRT but decreased in the three and four year of HRT while BMD increased in the two, three and four year of HRT in responders. After 4 years of HRT, 17 nonresponders (-3.0%+/-1.8%) and 83 responders (8.2+/-7.1%) were indentified. There was no significant difference in age, year since menopause, body mass index and baseline BMD between non-responders and responders. However, non-responders loose their BMD after 1 and 4 year of HRT. CONCLUSION: After HRT, the BMD increased not only first and second year but also fourth year of treatment. The BMD changes did not different according to the treatment regimens. The lower the women's baseline BMD, the greater the BMD increase after HRT. After four years of HRT, 17% of women lose their BMD compared to baseline BMD. The BMD changes in the first year of HRT may be an important predictive factor for the long-term BMD response to HRT in postmenopausal women.

The Sex Ratio of Offspring in Pregnancies Complicated with Hyperemesis Gravidarum / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVES: There are a few studies reporting difference in sex ratio at birth in pregnancies complicated with hyperemesis gravidarum but it has not been reported in domestic journals yet. The purpose of this study is to evaluate difference of sex ratio in hyperemesis gravidarum patients compared to normal pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 111 women who were diagnosed as hyperemesis gravidarum and had delivered babies in Hanyang University Hospital between Jan. 1995 to Dec. 2000. The control group was 1995 women who had no obstetric problems including hyperemesis gravidarum during the pregnancy and had delivered baby at term. We compared the sex ratio of infant and the characteristics of these two groups. The study group was divided into two subgroups depending on the severity of disease, mild group and severe group, and difference of sex ratio in these group were also compared. We analyzed the data using student T-test and chi-square test and p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Compared to sex ratio(female:male) of control group(44.8:55.2), hyperemesis gravidarum showed the sex ratio of 58.6:41.4(p=0.005). There was no further difference of sex ratio between two subgroups of hyperemesis gravidarum according to severity of disease. CONCLUSION: In pregnancies complicated with hyperemesis gravidarum the sex ratio of female was significantly high. The studies based on more variables and larger population would produce more accurate results.