Determinants of Follow-up Changes of Brachial Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Korean Women

BACKGROUND: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) correlates well with arterial distensibility and stiffness and is a useful approach for evaluating the severity of systemic arteriosclerosis in adults. In addition, measurement of brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) has been commonly reported as a simple, noninvasive, and practicable method. Arterial stiffness assessed by PWV could predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this study, we investigated the association between the changes of baPWV and cardiovascular risk factors in Korean women using data from follow-up evaluations. METHODS: The subjects were 626 women (age, 47.2 +/- 8.2) in whom we measured baPWV and cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and about one year later. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by baPWV and biological parameters were evaluated on the same day. We retrospectively analyzed the relationships between changes of baPWV and those other factors. All analyses were performed with SPSS ver. 20.0 and p-values < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: In correlation analysis, changes of baPWV were affected by changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Multiple regression analysis of relationship between changes of baPWV and other associated variables shows that improvement of baPWV was significantly positively associated with changes of SBP and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and worsening of baPWV was significantly negatively associated with changes of DBP, age, and SBP in sequence. CONCLUSIONS: In improvement of baPWV, decreases of SBP and HbA1c and in worsening of baPWV, increases of DBP, age, and SBP were significant factors in Korean women.

A Case of Hypothyroidism in Remission during Pregnancy

Hypothyroidism should be treated in pregnancy, because it has been associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy complications, as well as detrimental effects upon fetal neurocognitive development. The goal of L-thyroxine (LT4) treatment is to normalize maternal serum TSH values within the trimester-specific pregnancy reference range. 50% to 85% of hypothyroid women being treated with exogenous LT4 need to increase the dose during pregnancy. In this study, we report a case of a 29-year-old woman with hypothyroidism who had been in remission and discontinued LT4 treatment during her pregnancy. Three months after delivery she had a relapse of hypothyroidism and was retreated with LT4. Many factors can influence the gestational requirement for LT4, therefore maternal serum TSH should be monitored and the LT4 dose should be adjusted in pregnant patients with treated hypothyroidism.

Medication Status and Adherence of the Elderly under Home Care Nursing

PURPOSE: This study is a descriptive research intended to clarify the medication status of community-dwelling elders and to identify factors affecting their medication adherence. METHODS: Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews from 101 subjects who had taken prescribed drugs for at least 7 days sampled among elderly people using home care nursing at a general hospital in Seoul. RESULTS: According to the results of this study, medication adherence measured by pill counting was 88.3% and that measured by self-reporting was 94.6%. There were statistically significant differences in medication adherence according to major disease (p=.006), the number of admissions (p=.032), the number of drugs (p=.051), the frequency of medication (p=.026), and depression (r=-.205). In addition, depression was found to be a significant variable explaining the medication adherence with explanatory power 3.8% (p=.035). CONCLUSION: The presence of depression affected the elderly subjects' the medication adherence. Therefore, more concern and educational approaches are required to encourage elderly people to comply correctly with medication regimens particularly for elderly patients who have a malignant or long-lasting disease or who have to take multiple drugs or maintain a daily dosing frequency.

Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension, But Not Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Is a Risk Factor for Venous Thromboembolism in Pregnancy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the association of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 57,009 pregnancies during 2002-2008 at Cheil General Hospital, Kwandong University. The diagnosis of VTE {deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE)} was based on clot visualization via ultrasound or computed tomography. RESULTS: In total, 27 cases (PE, 20 cases) were detected. The incidence of VTE was 0.47 per 1,000 pregnancies. To determine risk factors associated with pregnancy-induced VTE, univariate analysis using a chi-square test was performed. Cesarean (C)-section, multiple pregnancy, PIH, placenta previa, and assisted reproduction technique (ART) were statistically significant compared to the controls (all, p=0.000). However, age, premature rupture of membrane, and GDM were not statistically related to VTE. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios for the risk factors. Placenta previa showed a 12.6-fold higher risk, while PIH had a 9.8-fold higher risk for the occurrence of VTE. C-section and ART procedures increased the risk of VTE by 4.2 times compared to that of the controls. CONCLUSION: Placenta previa and PIH were significant risk factors for VTE, whereas the known traditional risk factors of increased age and GDM were not found to be associated with VTE.

Analyses of Cervical Lymph Node Metastases from Papillary Thyroid Cancer

PURPOSE: The management of cervical lymph node metastases from papillary thyroid cancer ranges from selective removal to a radical neck dissection. A clear understanding of the metastases of nodes at potential risk improves the quality of life (QOL) of patients, and through correct surgical methods, based on previous studies; it has been found that lymph node metastasis correlated with a high risk of recurrence. The purpose of our study was to improve the QOL of patients through an appropriate surgical method at the time of the initial operation, which decreases the risk and incidence of reoperation, by reviewing the relationship of multiple variables with cervical lymph node metastases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 123 consecutive patients with papillary thyroid cancer, who underwent a total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection between January 2000 and December 2001. We analysed the relationship between the metastatic pattern, age, sex, tumor location and tumor size, degree of invasion, multicentricity, duration and postoperative complications, in the patients with cervical lymph node metastases. RESULTS: Of the multiple variables, age, sex and capsular invasion were found to significantly correlate with lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION: In patients presenting with capsular invasion, modified radical neck dissections are recommended for palpable cervical lymph nodes, for the prevention of recurrence and reoperation, even when the statistics indicate significance in male patients, or those of a young age, although, further studies with a larger population are required.

The effect of early loading on the direct bone-to-implant surface contact of the orthodontic osseointegrated titanium implant / 대한치과교정학회지

The orthodontic osseointegrated titanium implant, a kind of intraoral skeletal anchorage can be an alternative to tooth-borne anchorage, in case that the conventional tooth-borne anchorage is not available or the anchorage is critical. This study was conducted to elucidate the effect of early loading on the osseointegration of the orthodontic titanium implant and the healing process of the impaired bone at the site of implant after removing it. In two adult beagle dogs 24 osseointegrated titanium implants were inserted into the alveolar bone, with 12 implants placed in each dog. In dog1, 6 out of 12 implants were loaded with 200-300gm of force immediately after placing, and the remaining 6 implants were not loaded for 4weeks. In dog2, all 12 implants had healing period of 4weeks, and then were loaded with 200-300gm of force for another 4weeks. Following an observation period of 4 and 8 weeks, the animals were sacrificed. Then the implants and the surrounding bone of dog1 and dog2 were removed, respectively. Undecalcified sections along the long axis of implant were made and the degree of osseointegration was examined under the light microscope. The results were as follows. 1. In the histologic features of tissues around implants anchored in dog1, there was no difference between immediately loaded implants and unloaded implants. Immature woven bone was ingrowing into the thread spaces from the original compacta and in direct contact with the implant surface in part. 2. The premature loading just after 4weeks healing period did not halt the progress of the osseointegration between bone and implant surface. The woven bone around the implants was maturing into the lamellar bone which resembled the structure of the original compacta at the end of 8weeks observation period. 3. Most implants with the inflammed surrounding mucosa were lost or mobile. The mobile implants were encapsulated by fibrous connective tissue which separated the implant surface from the bone. 4. The impaired bone at the site of the implant failed to anchor was showing recovery without inflammatory reaction 2weeks after removing, with the immaure woven bone lined by active osteoblasts and osteoid. Based on the results of this study, the integration of this orthodontic implant seemed to be impaired by the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the implant rather than by early loading on implant, and increased with time lapsed after placing the implant. The use of implant described in this report can be recommended as an orthodontic anchorage unit immediately after insertion under the careful control of orthodontic force applied and plaque.

The study of the changes in skeletal maturity according to the time passed from menarche / 대한치과교정학회지

The 123 left hand-wrist radiographs and menarcheal ages attained by direct questioning to patients or her mothers are used, in order to exploit the relationship between the bone maturity and the menarcheal age of girls in adolescence. The results were as follows: 1. The mean age at menarche was 12.31+/-0.99. 2. The onset of menarche occurred at SNIT 7 and SNII 8 (73.33%). The onset of menarche was correlated with skeletal age rather than chronological age. 3. There was statistically significant difference among the time passed from menarche according to skeletal maturity level. 4. The distal epiphyseal union of radius began at about 20 months after menarche. 5. In comparision of the time intervals from menarche to radial epiphyseal fusion among early, average, and late menarcheal age groups, late group had lesser time interval than other two groups.

A Case of Prolonged Paresis following GaIIamine on Reoperation Patient / 대한마취과학회지

The authors have experience of a case of prolonged paresis following administration of galamine triethiodide to a patient undergoing reoperation. The muscular weakness continued for 20 hours, necessitating artificial ventilation intermittently. It was reversed by neostigmine.

Anesthetic experiences with two cases of congenital esophageal fistula atresia with tracheo-esophageal fistula / 대한마취과학회지

The authors have experienced two cases of general anesthesia for patients of congenital esophageal atresia with tracheo-esophageal fistula. Of great importance in anesthetic management is preventing pulmonary complications before or during operation as well as post-operation. Survival rates mostly depend upon the early diagnosis and abscence of pulmonary complications which are the most common cause of high death rates. Meticulous care of the patients to keep on airway, clearing of bronchial secreations, maintaining normal body temperature and humidity are very important in management of anesthesia. To avoid gastric distension, careful inflation of the lungs during opened chest has been recommended. Also intermittent positive pressure ventilation during the repair may be required.