PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a post-traumatic stress disorder management program in reducing firefighters' post-traumatic stress and depression. METHODS: This study employed a nonequivalent control group design using pretest and posttest measurements. Sampling was conducted with a convenient method. 44 firefighters (experimental group=22, control group=22) who were at high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were selected from 1,337 firefighters working in fire stations in multiple sites. Data were collected between August and October 2016. The post-traumatic stress disorder management program was provided to the experimental group for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squared and independent t-tests. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, participants in the experimental group showed significantly decreased scores for PTSD (t=−3.34, p=.002) and depression (t=−2.09, p=.043). CONCLUSION: Our study findings show that firefighters' PTSD and depression can be systematically managed. Clinical practice should strengthen the ability to cope with PTSD by relieving the psychological trauma of firefighters who experience repeated traumatic events.
Depression ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Humans ; Methods ; Psychological Trauma ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Malnutrition and inflammation are related to high rates of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Resistin is associated with nutrition and inflammation. We attempted to determine whether resistin levels may predict clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients. We conducted a prospective evaluation of 100 outpatients on hemodialysis in a single dialysis center (male, 46%; mean age, 53.7 +/- 16.4 yr). We stratified the patients into 4 groups according to quartiles of serum resistin levels. During the 18-month observational period, patients with the lowest quartile of serum resistin levels had poor hospitalization-free survival (log rank test, P = 0.016). After adjustment of all co-variables, patients with the lowest quartile of serum resistin levels had poor hospitalization-free survival, compared with reference resistin levels. Higher levels of interleukin-6 were an independent predictor of poor hospitalization-free survival. In contrast, serum resistin levels were not correlated with interleukin-6 levels. The current data showed that low resistin levels may independently predict poor hospitalization free survival in hemodialysis patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Complications ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Interleukin-6/blood ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood/*mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; *Renal Dialysis ; Resistin/*blood ; Survival Analysis

Kidney cortex necrosis is a relatively rare cause of acute kidney injury and is characterized by complete or partial destruction of the renal cortex, but sparing of the medulla. Tranexamic acid has antifibrinolytic activity and is used to reduce bleeding. We report a rare case of kidney cortex necrosis caused by tranexamic acid. A 49-year-old woman complained of coughing up blood-tinged sputum. She had a history of bronchiectasis and was treated with tranexamic acid for 3 days. Four days after admission, she developed anuria and azotemia. Computerized tomography showed enhancement of the renal medulla, but not the bilateral renal cortex. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, and has since been maintained on hemodialysis for 6 months. Due to the development of kidney cortex necrosis in patients treated with tranexamic acid, all its potential complications should be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anuria ; Azotemia ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; Sputum ; Tranexamic Acid

Kidney cortex necrosis is a relatively rare cause of acute kidney injury and is characterized by complete or partial destruction of the renal cortex, but sparing of the medulla. Tranexamic acid has antifibrinolytic activity and is used to reduce bleeding. We report a rare case of kidney cortex necrosis caused by tranexamic acid. A 49-year-old woman complained of coughing up blood-tinged sputum. She had a history of bronchiectasis and was treated with tranexamic acid for 3 days. Four days after admission, she developed anuria and azotemia. Computerized tomography showed enhancement of the renal medulla, but not the bilateral renal cortex. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, and has since been maintained on hemodialysis for 6 months. Due to the development of kidney cortex necrosis in patients treated with tranexamic acid, all its potential complications should be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anuria ; Azotemia ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; Sputum ; Tranexamic Acid