No Abstract Available.
Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Osteoporosis*

Mycobacterium neoaurum is rapidly growing mycobacteria that can cause human infections. It commonly causes bloodstream infections in immunocompromised hosts, and unlike other mycobacteria species, it rarely causes pulmonary infections. We confirmed the first pulmonary infection case in Korea caused by M. neoaurum using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Mycobacterium/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria/genetics/isolation & purification ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

BACKGROUND: We established a bloodless center at Soonchunhyang University Hospital (SCH) in 1996 and have provided medical and surgical care for Jehovah's Witness patients. In this study, we evaluated their outcomes to provide the basis of bloodless medicine and surgery in Korea. METHODS: A retropective review of the medical records of 757 Jehovah's Witness patients admitted in the SCH Bloodless Center from December 1996 to July 2003 was performed. RESULTS: Among 757 patients, 19 (2.5%) expired during treatment and 4 of them died of cardiopul-monary dysfunction secondary to anemia. As alternatives to blood transfusion, 85 (11.2%) patients were treated with iron, 81 (10.7%) with erythropoietin, 49 (6.5%) with aprotinin, 31 (4.1%) with hemodilution and 28 (3.7%) with cell saver. Four hundreds fifteen (54.8%) of 757 patients underwent surgery. The most frequently involved cinical department was Obstetric/Gynecology (23.8%). The ratio of female and the percentage of cases treated with alternatives to blood transfusion were higher in surgery group than non-surgery group patients.(Chi-square test, P<0.01) CONCLUSIONS: Most Jehovah's Witness patients were treated successfully in our bloodless center with various alternatives to blood transfusion, such as erythropoietin, intraoperative autotransfusion, acute normovolemic hemodilution etc. Collaboration and good communication among surgeons, anesthesiologists, hematologists and blood bank physicians are very important to provide qualified medical or surgical treatment to the patients who have a religious objection to receiving blood or blood-related products.
Anemia ; Aprotinin ; Blood Banks ; Blood Transfusion ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; Cooperative Behavior ; Erythropoietin ; Female ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Iron ; Korea ; Medical Records

In the 2016 and 2017 programs for blood gas analysis (BGA) in central laboratory and by point-of-care testing (POCT), and glucose analysis by POCT, external quality assessment of 9, 3, and 1 analytes, respectively, was performed each year. The materials used were commercially available quality control materials, and three levels were used per trial. Based on the information and results from each participating laboratory, statistical analysis was carried out. Results were provided to each laboratory through individual and comprehensive reports. The mean response rates were 96.6%, 96.5%, and 95.6% for BGA in central laboratory, BGA (POCT), and glucose (POCT), respectively. The number of participating laboratories in BGA (central laboratory and POCT) in 2017 was not significantly different from that in 2016. However, in the glucose (POCT) program, the number of registered instruments sharply increased in 2017 as the allowable number of registered instruments was increased from 5 to 30. The coefficient of variation (CV) did not show any significant differences in pH, sodium, chloride, and ionized calcium of BGA. However, the differences of CV were found to be relative large between instruments in other analytes of BGA and glucose POCT.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Calcium ; Glucose* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea* ; Point-of-Care Systems* ; Point-of-Care Testing ; Quality Control ; Sodium

BACKGROUND: Although the same equipment and reagents can be employed for inspecting identical samples, the setting and verification methods for the corresponding reference intervals differ from each other, and such methods are not well established. To address the issues associated with establishing and validating reference intervals, a Web-based application is proposed for collaboratively setting reference intervals. METHODS: A Web application was designed for automatically providing the statistical results associated with a reference interval upon receiving the corresponding test results from participating institutions and incorporating the cumulative data. RESULTS: By employing the proposed Web-based application (www.referencerange.org), reference intervals can be collaboratively set based on objective and statistical analyses incorporating clinical chemistry results obtained from Korea Healthcare Association in the years 2016 and 2017. Cumulative data obtained from the existing input peer group associated with an inspection are updated in real time, and the current set reference interval is displayed in real time. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a Web-based application is designed for collaboratively setting reference intervals whereby all Korean laboratories can easily participate, collectively set reference intervals, and apply the set reference intervals. Hence, the proposed application can aid in providing basic data associated with health information.
Chemistry, Clinical ; Delivery of Health Care ; Indicators and Reagents ; Korea ; Peer Group

BACKGROUND: Examination of peripheral blood smear (PBS) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of malaria; however, its diagnostic utility will be dependent on the examiner's microscopic experience, the quality of the smear, and the degree of parasitemia. Therefore, it is essential to have available a rapid and simple test that is as sensitive and specific as PBS, at a small-middle range medical center, a health care center, and a military hospital in a malaria endemic area. METHODS: Malaria antigen and antibody tests were performed on 120 febrile patients who were requested for complete blood count (CBC) and PBS at two military hospitals from May 2004 to August 2005. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients who were diagnosed with malaria by examination of peripheral blood smears, 42 were positive on both malaria antigen and antibody tests, and 2 were positive on either antigen or antibody test. Only 1 patient was negative on the both test. Furthermore, all 75 patients with negative microscopic examinations also had negative malaria antigen and antibody tests. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that a rapid differential diagnosis of malaria can be made by performing malaria antigen and antibody tests on febrile patients at hospitals in malaria endemic areas. Moreover, the test is simple and convenient enough to be performed without any special equipment or experience.
Blood Cell Count ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Fever of Unknown Origin* ; Fever* ; Hospitals, Military ; Humans ; Malaria* ; Malaria, Vivax* ; Parasitemia

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been suggested as a useful new biomarker of lung cancer; however, few relevant large-scale studies have been published. In this study, we evaluated the utility of serum HE4 for lung cancer detection. HE4 levels were measured in serum samples from 100 lung cancer patients, 57 patients with benign lung diseases, and 274 healthy controls by using a chemiluminescent immunoassay, and variations in HE4 levels were analyzed by clinical status such as lung cancer, benign lung disease, and healthy condition, Tumor, Lymph Nodes, Metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor score, and histological cancer type. Lung cancer patients had significantly higher serum HE4 levels than patients with benign lung diseases and healthy controls (P<0.0001). The area under the ROC curve for HE4 was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.78–0.89; P<0.0001) between lung cancer patients and healthy controls. Serum HE4 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced disease (according to TNM stage) than in healthy controls (P<0.0001). HE4 levels were significantly elevated in patients with tumors of all types, those of different histological subgroups, and those with the smallest tumors (P=0.002). This report supports the potential of serum HE4 as an ancillary diagnostic marker for lung cancer detection.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; Epididymal Secretory Proteins ; Humans* ; Immunoassay ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; ROC Curve