OBJECTIVE: As the geriatric admission and geropsychiatric consultation increase, more study was needed about geropsychiatric consultation. This comparative study investigates the character of geropsychiatric consultation in general hospital. METHOD: We compared 22 young patients (25(age<45) with 55 elderly patients ((65) who are consulted to neuropsychiatry department for the first time for 3 months (2004. 1. 1-2004. 3. 31) in Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University. Data on patterns of consultation, demography, psychiatric and physical illness were collected and analyzed. RESULT: 1) The rate of psychiatric consultations for elderly patients was 6.2%, and this rate was much higher than 1.9% of young patients. 2) There were no significant difference in referral department between the elderly group and the control group, and internal medicine was the most common referral department in both groups. 3) The main reasons of consultations were alcohol related problems and psychiatric follow up in order in control group, but sleep disturbance and disorientation in order in elderly group. 4) In elderly group, the most frequent psychiatric diagnoses made by consultants were organic brain disorder such as dementia and delirium, but in control group, they were functional psychiatric disorder such as alcohol related disorder and psychosis. 5) Psychotropic drug and follow-up consultation were two most frequent recommendations from consultants in both group. But recommendations for psychotherapy and psychosocial management were rare in both groups. 6) There were significant difference only in psychiatric transfer among compliance for psychiatric consultation between the elderly group and the control group. Compliance for recommendations were low in both groups. 7) In both group, only one follow up consultation was done. And OPD follow up after discharge was rare in both groups. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients need more psychiatric consultations than younger patients and has different characteristics in pattern of consultations. Further studies are warranted on geropsychiatric consultation in Korea.
Aged* ; Brain Diseases ; Compliance ; Consultants ; Delirium ; Dementia ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Neuropsychiatry ; Psychotherapy ; Psychotic Disorders ; Referral and Consultation

The incidence of bacteremia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is significantly decreased by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, bacteremia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. A 43-year-old male who had fever and cough for 1 week presented to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome combined with atypical pneumonia and started on antibiotics plus HAART. After 3 days, Streptococcus pneumoniae was grown in blood cultures. Three weeks later, acid-fast bacilli cultures of blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid grew Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC); hence, the patient was treated with antimycobacterial drugs. HIV-infected patients with persistent fever despite administration of appropriate antibiotics should be examined for simultaneous infection by other organisms, such as nontuberculous mycobacteria. We report a case of simultaneous detection of MAC and S. pneumoniae in the blood of a treatment-naïve HIV-infected patient.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome* ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Bacteremia ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Cough ; Diagnosis* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Fever ; HIV ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Mycobacterium avium Complex* ; Mycobacterium avium* ; Mycobacterium* ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis* ; Streptococcus pneumoniae

A 45-year-old woman was admitted with the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). During the hospital course, fluctuation of blood pressure accompanying with headache and palpitation was noted. The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was proven by elevated urinary catecholamine and its metabolite, and confirmed histologically after right adrenalectomy. Mild glucose intolerance is known to be associated with pheochromocytoma in many cases. However, acute diabetic complication such as DKA has been reported in only 4 cases, mainly in Japanese. We think this is the first case of pheochromocytoma manifested DKA in Korea, so we report this with literature review.
Adrenalectomy ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance ; Headache ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Pheochromocytoma*

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlations between Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) scores and the gray matter volumes (GMV) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal (CN) elderly subjects with correcting the genotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 75 subjects were enrolled with 25 subjects for each group. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon genotypes, SNSB scores, and the 3D T1-weighted images were obtained from all subjects. Correlations between SNSB scores and GMV were investigated with the multiple regression method for each subject group using both voxel-based and region-of-interest-based analyses with covariates of age, gender, and the genotype. RESULTS: In the AD group, Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) delayed recall scores were positively correlated with GMV. In the MCI group, Seoul Verbal Learning Test (SVLT) scores were positively correlated with GMV. In the CN group, GMV negatively correlated with Boston Naming Test (K-BNT) scores and Mini-Mental State Examimation (K-MMSE) scores, but positively correlated with RCFT scores. CONCLUSION: When we used covariates of age, gender, and the genotype, we found statistically significant correlations between some SNSB scores and GMV at some brain regions. It may be necessary to further investigate a longitudinal study to understand the correlation.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Apolipoproteins ; Brain ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Methods ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Seoul* ; Verbal Learning

Acute pulmonary embolism is a cardiovascular emergency and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Endothelial damage secondary to invasion by Orientia tsutsugamushi can lead to focal occlusive endangiitis, causing microinfarcts in various tissues. This localized process can also cause venous thrombosis and peripheral gangrene. However, pulmonary embolism associated with scrub typhus has not been reported in Korea. Here, we report a patient diagnosed with pulmonary embolism associated with scrub typhus, the first report of its kind. The patient had an eschar with detection of anti-tsutsugamushi antibody, fever, dyspnea, and a maculopapular rash over the entire body. He was treated with doxycycline and anticoagulation therapy.
Doxycycline ; Dyspnea ; Emergencies ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Scrub Typhus* ; Venous Thrombosis

Arytenoid dislocation is an unusual complication of endotracheal intubation. We reported a case of a 48-year-old female with arytenoid dislocation after uneventful endotracheal intubation, which was successfully treated with arytenoid reduction. The patient complained of persistent hoarseness until the fourth day after an uneventful gynecologic surgery under general anesthesia. On laryngoscopic examination, paralyzed left vocal cord with minimal arytenoid movement was observed. An anteromedial dislocation of the left arytenoid cartilage was suspected and surgical reduction was performed by the laryngologist. The hoarseness was immediately resolved after surgical intervention. Anesthesiologists should be careful not to cause laryngeal trauma in anesthetized patients. In addition, early diagnosis and prompt surgical reduction are essential for a better prognosis for arytenoid dislocation.
Anesthesia, General ; Arytenoid Cartilage ; Dislocations* ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Vocal Cords

It has been well known that 22q deletion syndrome (22qDS), encompasses several genetic syndromes associated with microdeletions at chromosome 22q11.2 became relatively generally identified in the 1990s through the availability of specialized chromosomal studies, and it includes such syndromes as velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), Shprintzen syndrome, CATCH 22. The syndrome is characterized by distinctive dysmorphology, congenital heart disease, athymia, parathyroid disease, other congenital diseases, learning difficulties and various psychiatric illnesses. This syndrome is a common genetic condition often accompanied by mild cognitive impairment. Learning difficulties and anger outburst are also common in adolescence with this syndrome. In addition, a prevalence of major psychiatric disorders in adults' individuals are high, especially schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses, including simple or social phobia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder. We report a patient with facial dysmorphology, cleft lip and palate, ventricular septal defect, borderline IQ, poor impulse control and psychotic symptoms who was diagnosed schizophrenia and 22qDS by FISH analysis which finds 22q11.2 microdeletion.
22q11 Deletion Syndrome* ; Adolescent ; Anger ; Bipolar Disorder ; Cleft Lip ; Depression ; DiGeorge Syndrome ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Learning ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ; Palate ; Parathyroid Diseases ; Phobic Disorders ; Prevalence ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia*

Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) serotype O1 or O139 is the etiological agents of cholera. These bacteria are responsible for gastrointestinal infections or more rarely bacteremia in patients with an underlying disease, leading to life-threatening complications. A 73-year-old man presented to the hospital with fever and vomiting. Blood cultures grew non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae. In this case, clinical improvement and microbiological eradication were achieved due to early appropriate antibiotic therapy. These results suggest that early antibiotic therapy allowed a good outcome in diabetic patient infected with V. cholerae . To our knowledge, this is the first case of primary bacteremia caused by non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholera in Korea.
Aged ; Bacteremia* ; Bacteria ; Cholera ; Fever ; Humans ; Korea ; Serogroup ; Vibrio cholerae* ; Vibrio* ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: Glehnia littoralis has been reported to have several pharmacological properties but no in vivo reports describing the protective effects of this plant on α-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity have been published. α-Amanitin is a peptide found in several mushroom species that accounts for the majority of severe mushroom poisonings leading to severe hepatonecrosis. In our previous in vitro study, we found that α-amanitin induced oxidative stress, which may contribute to its severe hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Glehnia littoralis acetate extract (GLEA) has protective antioxidant effects on α-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity in a murine model. METHODS: Swiss mice (n=40 in all groups) were divided into four groups (n=10/group). Three hours after giving α-amanitin (0.6 mg/kg, i.p.) to the mice, they were administered silibinin (50 mg/kg/d, i.p.) or Glehnia littoralis ethyl acetate extract (100 mg/kg/d, oral) therapies once a day for 3 days. After 72 hours of treatment, each subject was killed, cardiac blood was aspirated for hepatic aminotransferase measurement, and liver specimens were harvested to evaluate the extent of hepatonecrosis. The degree of hepatonecrosis was assessed by a pathologist blinded to the treatment group and divided into 4 categories according to the grade of hepatonecrosis. RESULTS: GLEA significantly improved the beneficial functional parameters in α-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity. In the histopathological evaluation, the toxicity that was generated with α-amanitin was significantly reduced by GLEA, showing a possible hepatoprotective effect. CONCLUSION: In this murine model, Glehnia littoralis was effective in limiting hepatic injury after α-amanitin poisoning. Increases of aminotransferases and degrees of hepatonecrosis were attenuated by this antidotal therapy.
Agaricales ; Alpha-Amanitin* ; Animals ; Antidotes ; Antioxidants ; Apiaceae* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Liver ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Mushroom Poisoning ; Oxidative Stress ; Plants ; Poisoning ; Transaminases

Background: Pulse pressure, reflecting arterial wall stiffness, is a cardiovascular disease risk factor but is highly variable. This study investigated the association of the pulse pressure index (PPI) with 10-year cardiovascular disease risk and its clinical utility by examining its correlations with diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 3,604 hypertensive adults (30–79 years) from the 2019–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We categorized PPI as <30, 30 to 40, 40 to 50, and ≥50. The Framingham risk score assessed 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, and multiple regressions analyzed its relationship with the PPI category. Binary logistic regressions evaluated the relationship between PPI, DM, and CKD. Results: Adjusted for other variables, higher PPI levels are associated with an increased 10-year cardiovascular disease risk (P<0.001). PPI ≥50 was associated with CKD, and all PPI groups, except <30, were associated with DM. Conclusion PPI predicts 10-year CVD risk and is associated with DM presence. PPI can be considered a risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and DM. Additionally, PPI ≥50 is associated with CKD.