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Biomedical subjects

K T Chen

Publications and source records attributed to K T Chen.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Epidemiologic analysis of 845 cases of pedestrian traffic injuries].

BACKGROUND: Pedestrian-vehicle collision is a serious public health problem today in Taiwan, but this issue of pedestrian safety has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of pedestrian injury after involvement in a collision. METHODS: An epidemiologic study on 845 traffic accident consecutive victims, managed at Tri-Service General Hospital in 1990, was performed. They were interviewed with a brief questionnaire about demographic data and types of accident including injured site, Injury Severity Score (ISS) and outcome; the latter was obtained by review of medical records and by a telephone survey performed four months after discharge. RESULTS: Results showed a common distribution of injuries for all age groups. Of the 845 patients, 487 were male and 358 were female (sex ratio = 1.4:1). The majority of injuries (84.8%) occurred for pedestrians who were walking on the side of, or crossing, the road. Four hundred and ninety-six victims (58.7%) were treated in the Emergency Department only, while 342 patients (40.5%) were further admitted as inpatients; the remaining 34 patients (4.0%) died in the Emergency Department (0.8%), or as inpatients (3.2%). The study showed fatality rates according to age as follows: 0.5% age 1 to 19, 1.8% age 20 to 39, 4.6% age 40 to 59, 7.5% age 60 or older, with the elderly having the highest pedestrian death rate. Elder pedestrians who were struck by motor vehicles also had the highest fatality rate of all pedestrian injury victims. The percentage of pedestrian injuries is fairly constant from month to month. For time of day, 12 noon and 3 to 5 pm were associated with the most injuries for age 0-19 youths; 4 pm and 10 pm for age 20-59 adults; 8 am and 7 pm for age 60 or older. There was a significant difference of mean ISS between the nonsurvivors (27.8) and the survivors (4.6) (p < 0.01). When nonsurvivors were compared with survivors, among the aged (> 60), high Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) of head, and high ISS were most common among nonsurvivors (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: That pedestrians are the least protected participants in traffic. Situations is reflected by a considerable fatality rate among pedestrians. Data from this study should be useful for designing, implementing, and evaluating a targeted pedestrian safety program in Taiwan.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1994

Submucous cleft palate.

Submucous cleft palate (SMCP) is a subgroup of cleft palate which is often unawared by general practitioners. The diagnostic triad of (1) bifid uvula, (2) translucent zone in soft palate and (3) bony notch in the posterior edge of the hard palate can be variable in their severity among each patient. Some patients with SMCP will have speech problems with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and/or articulation errors. Patients will also have middle ear effusion as in an overt cleft palate. Surgical treatment is indicated in the presence of VPI or recurrent otitis media. There are controversies on the timing and type of surgical intervention. This study was the first part of an ongoing study on SMCP. It was a retrospective review of the SMCP patients treated before June 1988 to compare the results among different age groups and surgical procedures. It was found that neither age nor type of surgery was a determinant for a satisfactory correction of VPI. Unless the patient had recurrent otitis media, surgery should not be performed before having a thorough speech evaluation including perceptual assessment and instrumental assessment. The type of surgery should be decided according to the findings from the instrumental assessment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Cytology of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

The cytologic features of a case of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) are reported and the literature reviewed. The bronchial brushing smears in this case showed mucus that contained laminated aggregates of eosinophils with scattered Charcot-Leyden crystals and fungal hyphae. These cytologic findings, overlooked by the initial examining pathologist, reflected the "mucoid impaction of bronchi" component of ABPA and are therefore diagnostic of ABPA. A cytologic diagnosis of a clinically unsuspected ABPA would lead to the correct treatment and prevent unnecessary surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Cytology of thyroglossal cyst papillary carcinoma.

The cytologic and histologic features of two cases of carcinoma arising in thyroglossal cyst are reported. The carcinoma in both cases was papillary thyroid carcinoma. The aspirated cyst fluid in one case revealed only macrophages and benign squamous epithelial cells, while in the other case the cyst fluid showed cytologic features of papillary carcinoma including psammoma bodies and epithelial cells with papillary clustering, intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions, and positive immunohistochemical reaction to thyroglobulin.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Osteoblastoma of the nasal cavity.

The clinicopathological features of a rare case of osteoblastoma of the nasal cavity arising from the nasal turbinate are reported and compared with four reported cases of osteoblastoma with nasal cavity involvement. Two of the five tumours involved the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The remaining three tumours were confined in the nasal cavity; one arose from nasal bone and two from nasal turbinate periosteum. Four tumours were successfully treated with local excision. One tumour recurred locally after excision; the recurrence was apparently controlled by further local excision.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Proximal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 1: [del(1)(q23-q25)].

A patient with bilateral complete cleft of the lip and palate (CLP) had a proximal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q). This rare chromosomal abnormality was characterized by pre- and postnatal growth retardation, psychomotor retardation, and specific craniofacial and other systemic anomalies. There is a high incidence of CLP in proximal 1q deletion syndrome, especially bilateral CLP. Twelve other cases reported in the literature having this deletion and associated anomalies were reviewed.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1993

[Estimation of case fatality rate and incidence rate of traffic injury in Taiwan--analysis of 4,329 victims at a medical center].

Accidents remain the third leading cause of mortality in Taiwan, of which traffic injuries constitute the major part. In order to characterize traffic injuries and to estimate the annual traffic injury rate in Taiwan, we conducted an epidemiologic study of 4,329 consecutive traffic accident victims, managed at the Tri-Service General Hospital from January to December of 1990. Victims were interviewed for demographic data and types of accident using a brief questionnaire. The questions included injury site and Injury Severity Score (ISS); final diagnosis and outcome were obtained by review of medical records and by a telephone survey performed 4 months after discharge. The sex- and age-specific case fatality rates calculated from the data obtained in this study were used to divide the annual incidence of traffic mortality abstracted from the vital statistics of Taiwan (1990) and, thus, to obtain an annual frequency of traffic injury cases under certain assumptions. The results showed that more men than women were injured in all age groups. The highest frequency of traffic injuries was noted in patients ranging in age from 20 to 39 years. Up to 58.9% of the victims were motorcycle users, followed by pedestrians (19.5%) and automobile-users (16.0%). The case fatality rate was 2.5% for males and 1.7% for females. The estimated annual traffic incidence was about 330,000, and the total annual rate of traffic injuries in Taiwan was 1,627/100,000 (2,188/100,000 for men and 1,114/100,000 for women).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

Mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumor of lymph nodes.

Two cases of spindle cell pseudotumor in the lymph nodes of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome caused by mycobacterial infection are reported and the literature reviewed. The lesions mimicked neoplasms because they were composed predominantly of spindle cells arranged in a storiform pattern. Most of the spindle cells were phagocytic cells that contained large amounts of mycobacteria. It is important for the pathologist to recognize the lesion so that a prompt tissue diagnosis can be provided because specific therapy is available.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Open tip rhinoplasty.

An open tip rhinoplasty was used to correct moderate to severe secondary cleft lip nasal deformities in 122 patients from January 1986 to January 1988. The results of the surgery on 92 patients who were followed for 1 year or more were evaluated. When the surgery was performed after the age of 3 years, 60% of the patients had a satisfactory result. The pathology of the deformity included 32% with deficiencies of the nasal lining, 35% needed framework support such as a columellar strut, and 45% required correction of columellar deficiencies. Patients using a postoperative nasal stent had a 71% satisfactory result compared with a 37% satisfactory result when the stent was not used. The pathology and techniques to correct the nasal deformity are described.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of goiters in school children residing in villages where underground water is used.

A representative of Fuder village in Taichung County complained that many residents had a goiter problem, which he felt might be related to pollution from the nearby Youshi industrial area. The purpose of this study was to determine whether school children in the Fuder area have a high prevalence of goiters. We chose children of the Schichi elementary school in the Fuder area as the study population, and children of the Goumei elementary school, far from the Youshi industrial area, as controls. Both groups were from a similar geographic location (near the sea), had similar socioeconomic status, and both drank underground water. Thyroid enlargement was examined by palpation as recommended by the World Health Organization. Thyroid antibodies and hormones were determined in school children with a goiter and age-sex-matched normal control children using the particle agglutination method and radioimmunoassay, respectively. In total, 1,692 school children were examined, including 875 males and 817 females. Of these, 126 school children (7.4%) had a goiter of Grade I or above. The prevalence of goiters in Shichi and Goumei were 8.8% (59/671) and 6.6% (67/1,021), respectively. There was no significant difference between these two areas. We compared the prevalence of goiters in these two schools where underground water is drunk with another previous study in Peimen and Putai where tap water is used. There was a statistically significant difference (7.4% vs 2.6%, p < 0.0001). This suggests that the higher prevalence rate of goiters in Shichi and Goumei is related to the drinking of underground water. We recommend that the use of tap water and continued salt iodization is the way to prevent endemic goiter in these areas. A further comprehensive study is needed to determine the nature of the goitrogen in the underground drinking water of the Fuder area.

Child↗
PubMed1992

[Risk factors of lung cancer].

The relationship between various risk factors and lung cancer was evaluated in a case-control study. One hundred and forty-one cancer patients newly cytologically or pathologically diagnosed from May 1990 to July 1991 at Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH) were recruited as cases. Two control groups were also studied: 282 hospital controls two-to-one matched with cases on sex, age, hospital of admission and insurance status were selected from the TSGH Ophthalmologic Department, and 282 neighborhood controls two-to-one matched on sex, age, and residence were randomly selected from eligible neighbors. A comparison of interview data between cases and hospital controls based on multiple conditional logistic regression revealed that cigarette smoking, keeping doves as pet, occupational exposure to cotton dust and working as a cook were risk factors for lung cancer. An inverse association between incense burning and lung cancer was noted. The comparison between cases and neighborhood controls showed lung cancer was significantly associated with cigarette smoking, keeping doves, prior chronic bronchitis, occupational exposure to cotton dust, asbestos and radiation, low frequency of burning incense, and low intake of vitamin A derived from vegetables and fruits. There was no association between lung cancer and working as a cook when cases were compared with neighborhood controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Hyperamylasemia following cardiopulmonary bypass.

In order to study the occurrence of postbypass hyperamylasemia, 75 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were studied from March 1989 to January 1990. There were 49 males and 26 females. Among them, 27 had congenital heart disease, 30 had valvular disease, and 18 had coronary artery disease. There were 27 patients with at least one elevated serum amylase sample after operation. Thus, the overall incidence of hyperamylasemia was 36%. As compared with the preoperative data (1.3%), there was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of hyperamylasemia (p less than 0.05). Three patients had overt clinical pancreatitis postoperatively. There was no positive correlation between the serum amylase level and the occurrence of pancreatitis (p greater than 0.05). Forty-two cases had a significant elevation of the amylase creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR) after CPB. However, there was no significant difference between the groups with pulsatile and nonpulsatile CPB (p greater than 0.05). Three patients (4%) died in our series. The causes of death were heart failure in two and fulminant pancreatitis associated with low cardiac output in one. Although our experience in dealing with pancreatitis improved survival, mortality was still high (33.3%) in our series. Nevertheless, there was no apparent correlation between mortality and postbypass hyperamylasemia (p greater than 0.05). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of the occurrence of hyperamylasemia, and the analysis revealed that patients with coronary artery disease were susceptible to postbypass hyperamylasemia. Our studies indicate that the use of total serum amylase or ACCR to monitor for the occurrence of pancreatitis in postbypass patients is inadequate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amylases↗
PubMed1991

Manganese superoxide dismutase is induced by IFN-gamma in multiple cell types. Synergistic induction by IFN-gamma and tumor necrosis factor or IL-1.

We have previously characterized more than 20 proteins induced by the immunoregulatory lymphokine IFN-gamma in human fibroblasts by their m.w. and isoelectric points determined in two-dimensional gels. Some of these proteins are induced uniquely by IFN-gamma, whereas others are also induced by IFN-alpha, TNF, or IL-1. Recent technologic advances have allowed us to begin to rapidly identify proteins induced by IFN-gamma and other cytokines by sequencing the induced proteins from blots of preparative two-dimensional gels of total cell lysates. In this study, we show that the approximately 21 kDa, isoelectric point greater than 7 protein induced by IFN-gamma is manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), a mitochondrial protective enzyme encoded by a nuclear gene. Mn-SOD is induced by IFN-gamma and also by TNF in all four human cell lines examined: HS153 fibroblasts, ACHN renal carcinoma, A549 lung carcinoma, and A375 melanoma. Induction of Mn-SOD mRNA is a primary, rapid, and dose-dependent response to IFN-gamma. In ACHN renal carcinoma cells, Mn-SOD mRNA and protein are induced synergistically by IFN-gamma in combination with either TNF or IL-1, and the induced protein is enzymatically active. IFN-gamma and TNF together induce Mn-SOD mRNA by more than 100-fold relative to its level in untreated ACHN cells. The induction of Mn-SOD by IFN-gamma and its synergistic induction by IFN-gamma in combination with TNF and IL-1 should protect healthy cells from the toxicity of O2- during an immune response, and may provide a mechanism for selective killing of infected cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of papillary Hürthle-cell tumors of thyroid: a report of three cases.

Papillary Hürthle-cell tumors of the thyroid are composed of oxyphilic cells with a prominent papillary component. Their biologic behavior appears to be comparable with that of conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas. The literature on the fine-needle aspiration cytology of these tumors is scanty. The cytologic findings of three such cases are reported here. The findings suggest that most papillary Hürthle-cell tumors cannot be differentiated from other types of Hürthle-cell tumors cytologically.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1991

Megakaryocytes in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of breast.

An unusual case in which megakaryocytes were found in fine needle aspirate of a breast lesion is reported. The megakaryocytes in the smears were initially mistaken to be malignant cells. However, the cell block sections available later showed normal bone marrow particles, indicating that an inadvertent puncture of a rib was the reason for the presence of megakaryocytes in the smears.

Aged↗