PURPOSE: Paraquat is a deadly chemical which may cause death in 70~90% of patients even after small ingestion. In this study, the authors gathered initial information which could be obtained from paraquat-poisoning patients, and attempted to identify factors which might influence the prognosis, and used those factors in determining the prognosis. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective study of 44 patients who had been admitted with paraquat ingestion between January 2000 and December 2001. Based on the initial information obtained in the emergency room, through an analysis of mono-factor studied factors which might influence death, and using the obtained factors, the authors used the discriminant analysis. When new patients occurred, the authors conducted discriminant function found in this study in order to determine prognosis. RESULTS: Among the examinations conducted in the emergency room, potassium, BUN, creatinine, HCO3-, proteinuria, glycosuria, urinalysis of paraquat, glucose, PaCO2, pH, blood-paraquat concentration, and O2 saturation were factors which might affect the prognosis for paraquat poisoning.The discriminant functional equation which utilizes these factors is as follows: Z= -5.885 + 0.560A + 0.481B - 0.980C + 0.036D + 1.648E -0.076F- 0.052G - 0.023H + 0.775I + 0.002J + 0.077K +0.239L(A; urine paraquat, B; serum paraquat, C; potassium, D;PaCO2, E; pH, F; HCO3-, G; O2 Saturation, H; BUN, I; creatinine, J; glucose, K; proteinuria, L; glycosuria) This discriminant function for the actual group was 88.6%, which was a relatively high level of discrimination. CONCLUSION: The hit ratio of the discriminant function obtained through this study was 88.6%, so it should help in categorizing patients early on and in determining their prognosis.
Creatinine ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Glucose ; Glycosuria ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Mortality* ; Paraquat ; Potassium ; Prognosis* ; Proteinuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Urinalysis

PURPOSE: For appropriate triage of chest pain patients in the emergency room (ER), We verified whether or not a new chest pain protocol, which is a combination of Goldman algorithm Cardiac STATus(r) adequately reflects the risk of a major cardiac event in patients with acute chest pain. METHODS: All patients arriving at the ER were divided into 4 risk group based on the Goldman MI probability and on the result of cardiac STATus(r). one month later, we collected information on whether the patients had undergone major cardiac event or death. We analyzed relative risk (RR) of cardiac event by using a logistic regression and we compare the event-free survival rates and survival lengths. RR=2 mean that the risk of cardiac events is high by two folds than control group. RESULTS: There were 31 major cardiac events. the relative risk of major events of each group compared to group 4 were 40.1 for group 1, 51.9 for group 2 and 27.4 for group 3. Group 4 patients experienced one cardiac event and no deaths. The survival time without a cardiac event of group 4 patients approach 30 days within experimental error. The survival rate without a cardiac event is 0.98+/-0.02. Therefore, the patients in group 4 had life expectancies similar to those of normal persons. CONCLUSION: This chest pain protocol adequately reflects the chances of cardiac event, so patients who show a negative result in cardiac STATus(r) and a low Goldman MI probability can be safely discharged from ER and followed up in outpatient clinic.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Chest Pain* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Logistic Models ; Prospective Studies* ; Survival Rate ; Thorax* ; Triage