OBJECTIVES: Hemodynamic measurements of chronic portal hypertension were done to study the mechanisms that maintain high portal pressure despite well developed collateral circulations. METHODS: A prehepatic portal hypertensive rat model was produced by partial portal vein ligation. Cardiac output, organ blood flow and porto-systemic shunt were measured by radioisotope labeled microsphere methods, and vascular resistance was calculated by standard equation. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the weight of the liver and increase in the weight of the spleen in the portal stenotic rats. Porto-systemic shunting, representing development of the collateral circulations, was 96.7+/-0.6% in the portal stenosis group compared with 0.9+/-0.2% in the control group (p<0.01). Portal pressure was significantly increased in the portal stenosis group compared with the control group(12.8+/-1.4 vs. 6.5+/-0.6mmHg; p<0.01). Mean arterial pressure was significantly decreased in portal stenosis group compared with control group(101.4+/-2.5 vs, 129.9+/-3.9mmHg; p<0.01). In the portal stenosis group, cardiac output(135.7+/-8.0 vs. 111.0+/-4.2ml/min; p<0.01) and splanchnic organ blood flow (28.97+/-2.03 vs. 17.90+/-1.27ml/min, p<0.01) were significantly increased, with concomitant decrease in total peripheral vascular resistance(58.0+/-3.3 vs. 88.2+/-4.8 dyne sec/cm5 X 105; p<0.01) and splanchnic vascular resistance(2.54+/-0.20 vs. 5.47+/-0.33 dyne sec/cm5 X 105; p<0.01), However, the portal venous resistance was not significantly different in both groups of rats (3.57+/-0.31 vs. 3.03+/-0.38 dyne sec/cm5 X 105; p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The hemodynamic results of this study indicate that hyperdynamic status of systemic and splanchnic circulation was present in chronic portal hypertension and that the primary factor contributing to the persistently elevated portal venous pressure was the markedly increased portal venous inflow.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Collateral Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Hemodynamics* ; Hypertension, Portal ; Ligation ; Liver ; Microspheres ; Models, Animal* ; Portal Pressure ; Portal Vein* ; Rats* ; Splanchnic Circulation ; Spleen ; Vascular Resistance

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is widely recognized as the antidote of choice for acetaminophen overdose. Acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic agent, and its use is one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide. Acetaminophen toxicity may occur acutely when supratherapeutic amounts are ingested purposefully or unintentionally. Liver failure may occur in severe toxicity. However, if treated early, patients with acetaminophen poisoning generally recover uneventfully. Acetaminophen is metabolized to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which is detoxified by conjugation with glutathione. In overdose, hepatic stores of glutathione are depleted and NAPQI binding to hepatocytes induces cell death and hepatic necrosis. NAC replenishes hepatic glutathione and may also act as a glutathione substitute, combining directly with the toxic metabolite. Intravenous NAC is indicated in patients who present with a history of acetaminophen overdose within the previous 8 to 10 hours, patients unable to tolerate oral NAC, and patients who present with evidence of fulminant hepatic failure. However, caution should be used in patients who have experienced previous hypersensitivity or anaphylactoid reactions to intravenous NAC, as well as in patients with asthma. The most common anaphylactoid reactions include rash, flushing, and bronchospasm. Adults should receive 150 mg/kg administered for 45 minutes, followed by 50 mg/kg administered for 4 hours, followed by 100 mg/kg administered for 16 hours. The total dose is 300 mg/kg delivered over 21 hours. Additionally, caution should always be used when intravenous NAC is prescribed and the amount of diluent is calculated. Monitoring of patients with a should include repeated neurologic and hemodynamic assessment.
Acetaminophen* ; Acetylcysteine* ; Adult ; Antidotes ; Asthma ; Benzoquinones ; Bronchial Spasm ; Cell Death ; Exanthema ; Flushing ; Glutathione ; Hemodynamics ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Imines ; Liver Failure ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Necrosis ; Poisoning*

From January 1988 to December 1994, endoscopic sphincterotomy with stone extraction was attempted in 395 patients with common duct stones at Yeungnam University Hospital. Endoscopic sphincterotomy was successful in 389 patients(98.5 %), and clearance of the duct was achieved in 364 patients with an overall success rate of 92.2%. After sphincterotomy, stone extraction by basket or balloon was undertaken in 298 patients without lithotripsy, and stones could be extracted after fragmentation of stones in 19 patients. In 47 patients, stones were passed into duo denum spontaneously. There were 6 cases of sphincterotomy failure due to large periampullary diverticulum or previous gastrojejunostomy. In patients with success ful sphincterotomy, endoscopic stone extraction was failed in 25 cases due to 14 large stones, 5 bile duct strictures, 4 impacted stones, and 2 cases of technical fail ure. Complications were developed in 13 patients(3.3%); 8 pancreatitis and 5 bleedings. All of them were improved with medical therapy only. Despite relatively high success rate and low complications of the endoscopic management of choledocholithiasis, there were significant difficulties in removing large stones. Developement of more effective and inexpensive methods of lithotripsy, and the search for rapidly effective solvent dissolving stones were needed.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledocholithiasis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diverticulum ; Gastric Bypass ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Pancreatitis ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic

PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the usefulness of blood culture in the management of febrile immunocompetent patients presenting emergency department. METHODS: We prospectively analysed the medical characteristic and the result of blood culture of febrile immunocompetent patients who presented to Chonnam National University Hospital emergency center form April 2005 to October 2005. RESULTS: The study included 182 patients. The characteristic associated with the positive result of blood culture on multivariate analysis was the low initial level of albumin. Of the 182 culture, only 26 were true positive(14.3%). Of them, the result of blood culture influenced management in five patients (2.7%). CONCLUSION: The blood cultures has usually been ordered in febrile immunocompetent patients at emergency department has the limited usefulness. The emergency physician who initially treats them has to consider this limitation of it.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Fever ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prospective Studies

Fentanyl is a selective and pure agonist to the micron receptor and is about 100 times more potent than morphine. It has been used through intravenously to control acute pain, such as postopreative pain, for a long time. A transdermal fentanyl system, a fentanyl patch, composed of four layers of functional reserviors of fentanyl and one protective layer, delivers a constant amount of fentanyl to systemic circulation thorough passive diffusion for up to 3 days after application on the skin. Due to its pharmacokinetic properties, including delayed onset, relatively constant effect for 3 days, and to the relatively short duration and variable change of acute pain, we recommend that the transdermal fentanyl system should be used to control chronic pain in patients who do not response to lower analgesic agents. However, because of misperception of health care providers, its noninvasive and simple method of administration, and the absence of laws to regulate its usage, abuses of the transdermal fentanyl system have been reported a lot. In conclusion, we reported the cases of two patient who experienced fatal effects after abuse of fentanyl patch, we analyse the pharmacokinetic properties of the fentanyl patch and previous reported cases. We also discuss the appropriate use and regulation of the transdermal fentanyl system by primary health care provider.
Acute Pain ; Analgesics ; Chronic Pain ; Diffusion ; Fentanyl* ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Morphine ; Primary Health Care ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Skin

Sodium hypochlorite is commonly used as a household bleaching agent (for example, the Clorox brand). Sodium hypochlorite poisoning with ingestion of a bleaching agent is often observed in clinical practice.Current Concepts: Ingestion (intentional or accidental) is the most common route of exposure to household bleaching agents. Accidental ingestion of household bleaching agents is rarely clinically important. However, ingestion of a large amount of a dilute formulation or a high-concentration preparation of bleaching agents can result in severe and rarely fatal corrosive injury. Therefore, prompt supportive care is essential because a specific antidote is currently unavailable. Severe poisoning requires hospital admission. Emergency endoscopy and thoracic and abdominal computed tomography are warranted to aid with diagnosis and management of hypochlorite-induced corrosive injury in patients with severe poisoning, who develop clinical features suggestive of corrosive injury.Discussion and Conclusion: Intentional poisoning, which accounts for most cases of household bleaching agent poisonings in Korea, is likely to cause severe corrosive injuries. Therefore, it is necessary to gain deeper and accurate understanding of the clinical aspects and treatment of poisoning by household bleaching agents.

PURPOSE: Paraquat (PQ) increases the level of toxic reactive oxygen species in humans. Various endogenous antioxidant mechanisms against PQ exist in humans. The aim of the present study was to assess lipid peroxidation and antioxidative defenses of humans exposed to acute PQ poisoning over time. METHODS: The medical records of patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) within 6 hours after PQ poisoning were reviewed. Patients were classified into three groups based on the severity index of paraquat poisoning (SIPP) using the serum level of PQ and time interval from exposure to ED arrival. The serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidative enzymes were compared between groups at baseline, 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after presentation. RESULTS: The mean age of enrolled patients was 51.0+/-15.9 years and they ingested 143.3+/-144.4 ml of 24.5% liquid PQ accidently or as an attempted suicide. The baseline MDA level, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the three groups were similar. In the SIPP >50 group, the serum MDA level and the SOD activity significantly increased from baseline, peaking at 24 hours. In the 10< or =SIPP< or =50 group, serum MDA level and SOD activity displayed a smooth and steady increase. In the SIPP <10 group, serum MDA level steadily decreased but SOD activity increased. GPx activity did not show any changes. CONCLUSION: PQ changes serum levels of MDA and SOD activity depending on the severity of PQ intoxication, but serum GPx activity does not significantly change.
Emergencies ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Malondialdehyde ; Medical Records ; Paraquat ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Suicide, Attempted ; Superoxide Dismutase

INTRODUCTION: Epidermal growth factor is a single-chain polypeptide consisting of 53 amino acids with potent mitogenic activity that stimulates the proliferation of a range of normal and neoplastic cells through an interaction with its specific receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR). This interaction plays a key role in tumor progression including the induction of tumor cell proliferation. An increased EGFR copy number have been associated with a favorable response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapy. In contrast, K-ras mutations tend to predict a poor response to such therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the clinicopathological factors and the up-regulation of EGFR expression and Kras mutations in oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined the immunohistochemical staining of EGFR, K-ras mutation detection with peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) clamping in 20 specimens from 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. RESULTS: 1. In the immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, a high level of EGFR staining was observed. The correlation between immunohistochemical EGFR expression and histological differentiation, as well as the tumor size of the specimens was significant (Pearson correlation analysis, significance [r] >0.5, P<0.05). 2. In PNA-based real-time PCR clamping analysis, a K-ras mutation was not detected in all specimens. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the up-regulation of the EGFR may play a role in the progression and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma that is, independent of a K-ras mutation.
Amino Acids ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Proliferation ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Constriction ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; ras Proteins ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Up-Regulation

PURPOSE: Therapeutic hypothermia has been recommended for postcardiac arrest coma due to ventricular fibrillation (Vf). However, although it is well known that the cardiac arrest due to non-Vf is associated with poorer neurologic outcome that Vf, there is no study that evaluates the effect of mild hypothermia on the cardiac arrests due to non-Vf. So, we intend whether mild hypothermia would improve the neurologic outcome of them saftly. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the patients with cardiac arrest due to asystole or pulseless electrical activity who was presented at hopsital and successfully showed the return of spontaneous circulation. We divided the patients to two groups according to implementation of hypothermia and statistically compared the complication and neurologic outcome at discharge. RESULTS: A total of sixty one patients were analyzed in this study. Baseline clinical and physiological characteristic were similar between patients treated with mild hypothermia or with conservative treatment. The complication rate did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the good outcome at hospital discharge was observed in 13 of 41 patients treated with mild hypothermia compared with 0 of 27 patients treated with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: Mild therapeutic hypothermia for the treatment of postcardiac arrest due to non-Vf can be saftly implemented with a major benefit on patient outcome.
Coma ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Fibrillation

A study carried out to evaluate the bleeding control and prophylactic effect of rebleeding using emergency endoseopic sclerotherapy in patients with hleeding gastric varices. 42 patients with gastric variceal bleeding were admitted to the Yeungnam University Hospital from May, 1983 to August, 1992. Patients were randomly classified into control group, 20 patients treated with conservative management, and sclerotherapy group, 22 patients treated with emergency endoscopic sclerotherapy. The two group were analysed with age, sex, etiology of liver cirrhosis, nature of bleeding episode, hematocrit on admitting day, amount of sclercsants used, rebleeding episodes, complications, and mortality. There were no significant differences in the severity of underlying liver disease and hematocrit on admission between two groups. Blood transfusion were performed in 19 cases of control group and 21 cases in sclerotherapy group(p>0.05). The amounts of transfusion were 7. 7units in control group and 6.1 units in sclerotherapy group(p<0,05). Rebleeding were developed in 65% and 18% of the patiehts with control and sclerotherapy group, respectively(p<0.05). Chest pain and mild fever were observed after endoscopic sclerotherapy. These results suggest that the endoscopic sclerotherapy is effective method in hemostasis of bleeding gastric varices and short-term prevention of rebleeding, but mortality rate was not decreased compared to control group. Development of more effective methods to treat gastric variceal bleeding is required.
Blood Transfusion ; Chest Pain ; Emergencies ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Fever ; Hematocrit ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Mortality ; Sclerotherapy*