Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2004
Relationships between high-resolution computed tomography, lung function and bacteriology in stable bronchiectasis.
To determine the relationship between high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings, lung function, and bacteriology in bronchiectasis, we conducted a retrospective study of 49 Korean patients with stable bronchiectasis. To quantify the extent and severity of bronchiectasis, we used a CT scoring system consisting of bronchial dilatation, bronchial wall thickening, the number of bronchiectatic segments, the number of bulla, and the number of emphysema segments. The presence of air-fluid levels and lung consolidation were also evaluated. ⋯ Twenty-one patients of 49 patients showed a positive sputum culture including 15 cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The CT score was the most important predictor of lung function. The presence of air-fluid levels predicted bacterial colonization.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2004
The changes in the mortality rates of low birth weight infant and very low birth weight infant in Korea over the past 40 years.
Total 36 reports on the mortality rates (MRs) of low birth weight infants (LBWI) and very LBWI (VLBWI) in Korea from the 1967 through 2001 were analyzed. We compared the changes in the MR by 5 and 10-yr interval. The MRs observed by 5-yr intervals from the early 1960s through the 1990s have drastically decreased. ⋯ In every 10-yr period, the MRs of LBWI have decreased from 23.4% in 1960, to 17.0% in 1970, to 14.2% in 1980, and to 8.1% in 1990. The MRs of VLBWI also have decreased from 66.2% in 1960, to 56.7% in 1970, to 50.8% in 1980, to 32.9% in 1990, and to 11.7% in 2000. The MR of LBWI and VLBWI has gone down remarkably due to improvements in neonatology in Korea as shown above.