BACKGROUND: We evaluated the clinical usefulness of the quick Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score (based on the 2016 definition of sepsis) at intensive care unit admission in Korean patients with bacteremia. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 236 patients between March 2011 and February 2016. In addition to the qSOFA, the Modified Early Warning score (MEWS) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria were calculated. RESULTS: The patients' median age was 69 years, and 61.0% were male. Of the patients, 127 (53.8%) had a qSOFA score ≥2 points. They had significantly higher rates of septic shock, thrombocytopenia, and hyperlactatemia, and increased requirements for ventilator care, neuromuscular blocking agents, vasopressors, and hemodialysis within 72 hours after intensive care unit admission. They also had a significantly higher 28-day mortality rate. When analyzed using common thresholds (MEWS ≥5 and ≥2 SIRS criteria), patients with a MEWS ≥5 had the same results as those with a qSOFA score ≥2 (P < 0.05). However, patients with ≥2 SIRS criteria showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that a qSOFA score ≥2 at admission is a useful screening tool for predicting disease severity and medical resource usage within 72 hours after admission, and for predicting 28-day mortality rates in patients with bacteremia. In addition, qSOFA scores may be more useful than SIRS criteria in terms of prognostic utility.
Bacteremia* ; Critical Care* ; Humans ; Hyperlactatemia ; Intensive Care Units* ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Prognosis ; Renal Dialysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ; Thrombocytopenia ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of nursing practice readiness and, resilience on the nursing performance of new nurses. Methods: Participants were 234 new nurses with 6-24 months of working experience at the wards in university and general hospitals in the B area and C areas. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/Win 24.0, and frequency percentage, mean, and standard deviation were calculated, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were performed, and the variable selection method was set as stepwise. Results: Nursing performance significantly differed by weekly job-related education (Z=10.01, p=.007) and salary satisfaction (Z=13.04, p=.001). The nursing performance of new nurses was positively correlated with nursing practice (r=.70, p<.001) and resilience (r=.51, p<.001). The significant predictors of nursing performance were nursing practice readiness (β=.61, p<.001), resilience (β=.16, p=.003), and job training hours (β=.11, p=.02). The explanatory power of these factors was 52.0% of the variance. Conclusion To enhance the nursing performance of new nurses, it is necessary to improve nursing practice readiness, provide job training, and strengthen resilience. In addition, it is necessary to support programs at the institutional level for nursing performance.

No abstract available.
Diabetes Mellitus* ; Tuberculosis*

Annexin-1 (ANX1) is a 37 kDa protein that is induced and secreted by glucocorticosteroid hormone. The secreted ANX1 has been believed to exert its function by binding to its putative rnembrane receptor. In this report we demonstrate that ANXl receptor (ANX1R) signal blocks the interleukin-1B (IL-1B) receptor signal pathway in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). When PBMCs were treated with both IL-1B (100 ng/ml) and PMA (10 ng/ml) in the absence or presence of dexamethasone for 5 days, dexamethasone (100 nM) suppressed lymphocyte proliferation to 24% of the control. However addition of anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody of 1:200 and 1:1,000 dilution to this system induced recovery of proliferation to 80% and 40%, respectively, when compared to the control. In the mixed lymphocyte reaction, dexamethasone suppressed lymphocyte proliferation to 9% of that of control when stimulated with IL-1B (100 ng/ml) and phorbol myristate acetate (10 ng/ml). Addition of anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody (1:1,000) to this system also recovered the proliferation to 20% of that of the control system. In the ANX1 receptor induction experiment using flow cytometry, ANX1 receptor expression on lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes increased depending on the externally added IL-1B ranging from 10 to 1,000 ng/ml. From these results, it is evident that dexamethasone induces ANX1 secretion into the culture medium and anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody abolishes the effects of dexamethasone. Furthermore these results imply that extracellular ANX1 exerts its effects by binding to the receptor on the cell membrane and the activated signal(s) of ANX1R block IL-1B receptor signal in the lymphocytes.
Cell Membrane ; Dexamethasone ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-1* ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Lymphocytes* ; Monocytes ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Brain* ; Ischemia* ; Prosencephalon* ; Rats*

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effects of self.care behavior, self.efficacy and family support on the occurrence of peritonitis in patients on CAPD (Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis). Methods: Data were collected from 81 patients on CAPD either as out.patients or in.patients between July and September 2004. Data were analyzed to identify relevant frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviations, and t.test and logistic regression were done using SPSS WIN 10.0 RESULTS: a) Mean score for self.care behavior was 2.9 (of a possible 4.0), for general self.efficacy, 3.2 (of a possible 5.0), for specific self.efficacy 3.5 (of a possible 5), and for family support, 3.7 (of a possible 5). Family support generally showed the most positive results. b) Occurrence of peritonitis was not affected by general characteristics. c) There was a significant difference in the occurrence of peritonitis in terms of self.efficacy. Patients with peritonitis had lower self.efficacy than those who did not. d) Of the four factors reviewed in relation to peritonitis, only self.efficacy was statistically significant: an increase in selfefficacy by 1 point increased the occurrence of peritonitis by 0.90. CONCLUSION: Among the four factors potentially affecting peritonitis in CAPD patients, general self.efficacy was found to be the main factor influencing the occurrence of peritonitis.
Humans ; Logistic Models ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritonitis

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common problem in patients recovering from anesthesia and surgery. P6 point is the acupressure point for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. We evaluated the efficacy of acupressure at the P6 point in 94 patients undergoing thyroidectomy in a randomized, prospective and placebo-controlled study. METHODS: Ninety-four female patients, aged 18 to 60, scheduled for elective thyroidectomy, were randomized to have either placebo band or acupressure band (Sea-Band(R) UK Ltd., Leicestershire, England, UK) applied to the P6 point of both hands before induction of anesthesia. The acupressure bands removed 24 h later. Postoperative nausea and vomiting was evaluated 1, 6 and 24 h following surgery. In addition, the need for rescue antiemetic medication during 24 h was registered. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative nausea was lower in acupressure group at 0-1 h (16.7% vs. 39.1%; P = 0.015) and at 6-24 h (0% vs. 15.2%; P = 0.05). The need for rescue antiemetic medication was also lower at 0-1 h (4.2% vs. 23.9%; P = 0.006), at 1-6 h (6.2% vs. 20.9%; P = 0.039) and at 6-24 h (0% vs. 13%; P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing thyroidectomy, nausea and need of rescue antiemetic medication were reduced by acupressure at the P6 point.
Acupressure ; Aged ; Anesthesia ; England ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nausea ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Prospective Studies ; Thyroidectomy

A 74-year-old woman presented with an abrupt onset of dyspnea that she had experienced for a week. She had been suffering from cutaneous nodules in the scalp for a year. Thoracentesis of the pleural fluid was performed. The Papanicolaou-stained smears, Thin prep and cell block preparations revealed clusters of oval-shaped cells concentrically layered about amorphous acellular cores, i.e., there was microacinar lumen formation as well as singly scattered atypical cells. The cells occasionally demonstrated intracytoplasmic vacuoles and hemosiderin deposits. Those cells stained for CD31 and they were negative for pancytokeratin. Punch biopsy from the scalp nodules revealed angiosarcoma. There are currently few reported cases of angiosarcoma in an exfoliative pleural effusion. Angiosarcoma has diverse, heterogeneous cytologic features. Making the cytologic diagnosis of metastatic angiosarcoma in pleural fluid is a challenge for pathologists. Knowledge of the clinical history is of great help for diagnosing this tumor when it appears in rare sites. Immunopanels with CD31, pancytokeratin and TTF-1 are helpful for making the differential diagnosis. The pathologists should look for clues suggesting the presence of vascular differentiation in the exfoliative cytologic materials when a diagnosis of angiosarcoma is suspected.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Scalp ; Stress, Psychological ; Vacuoles

No abstract available.
Melanoma*

Eosinophilic fasciitis is a scleroderma-like disease and it may present with paraneoplastic syndrome or as an isolated form of the disease. We report here on a case of eosinophilic fasciitis in a 20-year-old woman who presented with an abrupt onset of subcutaneous limb swelling and peripheral eosinophilia. Pathologically, the specimen was characterized by acute inflammation and thickening of the collagen bundles in the reticular dermis and superficial muscle fascia in addition to the overlying intraepidermal blisters that contained many eosinophils. Eosinophils, some lymphocytes and plasma cells were infiltrated in the superficial muscle fascia and subcutaneous fat. The diagnosis of eosinophilic fasciitis was confirmed by biopsy. It is intriguing that eosinophilic fasciitis showed the microscopic findings of intraepidermal blister with predominant inflammation, and the patient showed a good response to steroid therapy.
Biopsy ; Blister ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Extremities ; Fascia ; Fasciitis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymphocytes ; Muscles ; Panniculitis ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Plasma Cells ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Young Adult