Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool for the pathological evaluation of renal diseases, particularly glomerular disorders. It is crucial for guiding treatment decisions when clinical and laboratory findings are uncertain. Since its introduction in the mid-20th century, percutaneous kidney biopsy has evolved from an initial blind approach, associated with higher complication rates, to advanced methods using real-time ultrasound or computed tomography guidance and spring-loaded biopsy needles. These advancements have significantly improved tissue sampling accuracy and minimized complications, establishing percutaneous kidney biopsy as a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. Despite these improvements, the invasive nature of the procedure emphasizes the importance of careful patient selection and operator expertise. Nephrologists, as the primary operators and performers of kidney biopsy, play a pivotal role in ensuring timely and appropriate patient care.

Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool for the pathological evaluation of renal diseases, particularly glomerular disorders. It is crucial for guiding treatment decisions when clinical and laboratory findings are uncertain. Since its introduction in the mid-20th century, percutaneous kidney biopsy has evolved from an initial blind approach, associated with higher complication rates, to advanced methods using real-time ultrasound or computed tomography guidance and spring-loaded biopsy needles. These advancements have significantly improved tissue sampling accuracy and minimized complications, establishing percutaneous kidney biopsy as a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. Despite these improvements, the invasive nature of the procedure emphasizes the importance of careful patient selection and operator expertise. Nephrologists, as the primary operators and performers of kidney biopsy, play a pivotal role in ensuring timely and appropriate patient care.

Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool for the pathological evaluation of renal diseases, particularly glomerular disorders. It is crucial for guiding treatment decisions when clinical and laboratory findings are uncertain. Since its introduction in the mid-20th century, percutaneous kidney biopsy has evolved from an initial blind approach, associated with higher complication rates, to advanced methods using real-time ultrasound or computed tomography guidance and spring-loaded biopsy needles. These advancements have significantly improved tissue sampling accuracy and minimized complications, establishing percutaneous kidney biopsy as a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. Despite these improvements, the invasive nature of the procedure emphasizes the importance of careful patient selection and operator expertise. Nephrologists, as the primary operators and performers of kidney biopsy, play a pivotal role in ensuring timely and appropriate patient care.

Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool for the pathological evaluation of renal diseases, particularly glomerular disorders. It is crucial for guiding treatment decisions when clinical and laboratory findings are uncertain. Since its introduction in the mid-20th century, percutaneous kidney biopsy has evolved from an initial blind approach, associated with higher complication rates, to advanced methods using real-time ultrasound or computed tomography guidance and spring-loaded biopsy needles. These advancements have significantly improved tissue sampling accuracy and minimized complications, establishing percutaneous kidney biopsy as a relatively safe diagnostic procedure. Despite these improvements, the invasive nature of the procedure emphasizes the importance of careful patient selection and operator expertise. Nephrologists, as the primary operators and performers of kidney biopsy, play a pivotal role in ensuring timely and appropriate patient care.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of adult periodontitis, the major cause of tooth loss in adults. Use of an antibacterial agent controlling P. gingivalis as a periodontal therapeutic agent has been rationalized. The present study was performed to observe the antibacterial effect of inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) on P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis 2561 was grown in half-strength brain-heart infusion broth containing hemin and vitamin K with or without polyP. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of polyP with various chain lengths was determined by measuring the absorbance of the grown cells at 540 nm. MIC of polyP for the bacterium was determined to be 0.05%. The effect of polyP with a chain length of 75 (polyP 75) was further examined. PolyP 75 added to the growing culture of P. gingivalis at its exponential phase was as effective in inhibiting the growth of P. gingivalis as polyP 75 added at the very beginning of the culture. More than 99% of the cells lost their viability determined by viable cell count when polyP 75 was added to the culture of growing P. gingivalis at the concentration of 0.06%, suggesting that polyP 75 has a bactericidal effect on the bacterium. Intracellular nucleotide release from the cells was increased by approx. 20% in the presence of polyP 75 but was not reversed by the addition of divalent cations like Ca++ and Mg++. Under the transmission electron microscope, only a small number of the growing P. gingivalis cells were actually lysed. However, the majority of the cells appeared to be atypical in their shape, demonstrating accumulation of highly electron-dense granules and bodies of condensed nucleic acid-like material in the cytoplasm. In the presence of polyP 75, the protein profile of P. gingivalis was changed as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot, and the proteolytic activity of the bacterium demostrated on the zymograms was decreased. The overall results suggest that polyP have a strong bactericidal activity against P. gingivalis in which lysis in relation to chelation may not play the major role but unknown mechanism that possibly affects the viability of the bacterium may be involved. PolyP may be used as an agent for prevention and treatment of periodontitis.
Adult ; Cations, Divalent ; Cell Count ; Chronic Periodontitis ; Cytoplasm ; Electrophoresis ; Hemin ; Humans ; Periodontitis ; Polyphosphates* ; Polyps ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Porphyromonas* ; Tooth Loss ; Vitamin K

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most frequent nosocomial infections and are frequently associated with indwelling urinary catheters. It is known that adherence to standard infection control measures for urinary catheters can reduce UTIs in hospitals. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of education in reducing catheter-related UTIs (CR-UTIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) of a university hospital. METHODS: CR-UTIs were prospectively monitored for all patients with indwelling urinary catheters in ICUs from July 2006 through December 2007. Recommendations based on previously known guidelines for catheter insertion, catheter management, and specimen collection to prevent CR-UTIs were formulated and educated in March 2007. Knowledge and adherence level were evaluated before and after educating healthcare workers about the recommendations using questionnaire. Changes in knowledge and adherence level before and after education were compared by Chi-square test. Changes in the rate of CR-UTIs and urinary catheter utilization ratios were also analyzed by Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: After education, knowledge level of and adherence level to most of the recommendations were improved significantly. The rate of CR-UTIs significantly decreased by 48% from 7.43/1,000 catheter-days before intervention to 3.87/1,000 catheter-days after intervention (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Surveillance for nosocomial infections and education for standard infection control measures are very important in preventing CR-UTIs in ICUs.
Catheters ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Prospective Studies ; Specimen Handling ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objectives: . Although unilateral hearing loss (UHL) has been proven to be associated with educational and behavioral problems, few studies have investigated psychopathological abnormalities in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychopathological influence of UHL among Korean 19-year-old males. Methods: . The authors retrospectively compared the objective personality test profiles of 602 subjects with UHL with those of 23,790 peers with normal hearing. All participants in the current study were 19-year-old males who underwent a physical examination and completed the Korean Military Multiphasic Personality Inventory for conscription at the Military Manpower Administration from February 2015 to December 2016. Results: . Significantly higher scores were found on neurosis scales in the UHL group than in the normal-hearing group (50.9± 10.8 vs. 44.9±6.0 for anxiety; 51.0±10.5 vs. 44.9±5.2 for depression; 51.1±10.4 vs. 45.1±6.81 for somatization, all P<0.001). The psychopathy scales were also significantly higher in the UHL group than in the normal-hearing group (49.3±9.4 vs. 46.3±5.7 for schizophrenia; 51.1±11.2 vs. 44.3±5.8 for personality disorders; 51.1±10.5 vs. 45.7±3.7 for paranoia, all P<0.001). Conclusion . Nineteen-year-old males with UHL tended to have more abnormal results on personality tests than controls with normal hearing, suggesting that UHL may be related with a higher risk of psychopathology.

BACKGROUND: There is a clinical need for a simpler measurement of global cardiac function incorporating elements of both systole and diastole. Doppler time index is theoretically regarded as a sensitive index of global left ventricular perfomance and defined as the sum of isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) divided by ejection time (ET). This study was designed to determine the clinical usefulness of the Doppler time index in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction as well as systolic dysfunction. METHODS: The study population consisted of 23 patients with hypertension as a diastolic dysfunction group, 16 patients with low ejection fraction as a systolic dysfunction group and 31 subjects with normal LV function. The ejection fraction (EF) was measured using M-mode echocardiography. Doppler profiles such as IVCT, IVRT and ET were obtained from Doppler echocardiography. The Doppler time index [ (IVCT+RT)/ET] was calculated from each Doppler velocity profiles. RESULTS: IVRT, IVRT/ET and (IVCT+VRT)/ET were significantly increased in the diastolic dysfunction group (120.5+/-19.5 msec, 0.45+/-0.1, 0.64+/-0.2, respectively:p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively) compared with normal subjects (66.1+/-17.4 msec, 0.25+/-0.0, 0.41+/-0.1). IVCT and IVRT were significantly increased and ET was significantly shortened in systolic dysfunction group (75.4+/-25.7, 144.0+/-39.5 msec, 242.7+/-46.5 msec respectively:p<0.001, p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively) compared with diastolic dysfunction group (50.4+/-23.0 msec, 120.5+/-19.5 msec, 276.8+/-44.6 msec, respectively). IVCT/ET, IVRT/ET and (IVCT+IVRT)/ET also were increased in patients with systolic dysfunction group (0.32+/-0.1, 0.61+/-0.2, 0.93+/-0.2 respectively:p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.001, res-pectively) compared with diastolic dysfunction group (0.19+/-0.1, 0.45+/-0.1, 0.64+/-0.2). Ejection fraction calculated by M-mode parameters was significantly correlated with (IVCT+IVRT)/ET (correlation coefficient - 0.605, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The Doppler time index was significantly difficient from normal subjects in patients with isolated LV diastolic dysfunction as well as in those with systolic dysfunction. Thus, this index can be used as a sensitive indicator of myocardial performance.
Diastole ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Relaxation ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Abdominal actinomycosis is a rare and chronic progressive disease, especially in children. Clinically, it has non-specific symptoms and diagnostic findings as well as low prevalence, making it very difficult to diagnose prior to intraoperative pathological confirmation. For this reason, abdominal actinomycosis is commonly misdiagnosed as appendicitis. After the histopathological diagnosis of abdominal actinomycosis is made, patients should be administered an appropriate antibiotic such as penicillin. Here we describe a case of appendiceal actinomycosis in an 18-year-old girl who was initially diagnosed with acute appendicitis.
Actinomycosis* ; Adolescent ; Appendiceal Neoplasms ; Appendicitis* ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Penicillins ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Intravenous administration of rocuronium induces intense pain in most patients (60-100%). This could be harmful during anesthesia induction because of the unintended reflex movement of an unconscious patient in response to the pain. Previous studies have reported that remifentanil effectively reduces rocuronium-induced pain and withdrawal movements. This study was designed to evaluate the EC50 and EC95 of remifentanil to prevent withdrawal movements in children. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 171 pediatric patients scheduled for general anesthesia in this study. Remifentanil was administrated by target-controlled infusion. Effect-site target concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 ng/ml. At each concentration, experiments were repeated in 10-20 patients. Propofol 2 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.9 mg/kg were administrated after equilibration of plasma and effect-site target remifentanil concentration. The withdrawal movements were graded on a 4-point scale. The EC50 and EC95 of remifentanil to prevent rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements were determined by using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The logistic regression model showed that the probability of preventing rocuronium-induced withdrawal movement was as follows: exp (-3.49 + 2.07 x remifentanil concentration) / (1 + exp [-3.49 + 2.07 x remifentanil concentration]). EC50 and EC95 were 1.69 ng/ml (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 1.42-1.87) and 3.11 ng/ml (95% CIs, 2.79-3.72), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of remifentanil at an effect-site target concentration of 3.1 ng/ml could effectively prevent rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements.
Administration, Intravenous ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Child* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Pediatrics ; Plasma ; Propofol ; Reflex