Lithium is a widely used drug for treatment of bipolar disorder. Because of its narrow therapeutic range and renal toxicity, most clinical guidelines recommend regular monitoring of serum lithium level and kidney function for patients taking lithium. We report on a case of a 20 year-old man with occurrence of lithium toxicity after more than one year of lithium maintenance therapy with daily lithium intake of 900 mg. His serum creatinine level was within normal range at admission and elevated compared to his baseline, but still within normal range when lithium toxicity occurred. Acute kidney injury associated with dehydration, analgesics, and nephrotoxic effect of lithium might be a risk factor of lithium toxicity. This case showed the importance of thorough monitoring of serum creatinine level change even if its elevated result is within normal range in observing renal function of patients treated with lithium.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Analgesics ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Bipolar Disorder ; Creatinine* ; Dehydration ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lithium* ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine, by reviewing the literature, whether treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia affects symptoms. METHODS: We retrieved the literature using MEDLINE search, with nonulcer dyspepsia and Hericobacter pylori and treatment as key words, which were reported from 1984 to 1998, and manual literature search. The criteria for inclusion was as follows; 1) The paper should have confirmed nonulcer dyspepsia as case definition. 2) The paper should have performed a randomized, blind trial. 3) Confirmation of Helicobacter pylori eradication should be done 4 weeks after treatment. 4) studies with no information on measurement of symptoms after treatment were not accepted. The percentage of patients with symptom improvement after eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection was calculated. Cumulative odds ratio was compared by fixed effect model and random effect model as sensitivity and funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: The overall effect size of symptom improvement was calculated by cumulative odds ratio. Cumulative odds ratio of random effect model was 4.16(95% CI: 1.55-11.19). Before integrating each effect sizes into common effect size, the homogeneity test was conducted and random effect model was selected(Cochran's Q=41.08 (d.f=10, p<0.001)). The heterogeneity across studies was evaluated and the different methodological aspects of studies led to differences between study results. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia results more symptom improvement. In studies that shows the opposite results there are methodological aspects explaining the heterogeneity.
Dyspepsia* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Population Characteristics ; Publication Bias

This study surveyed and measured the level and structure of cancer deaths and their trends over time for offering the fundamental data of the cancer prevention and control in Pusan city in the future. Authors conducted the study of descriptive epidemiology using materials derived from the computerized data of total 3,722 certified cancer deaths in Pusan city from January 1 to December 31, 1993 registered on the National Statistical Office, the Republic of Korea. The obtained results were as follows: 1. According to the total registered cases of deaths(16,331 cases) in Pusan city during 1993, cancer(3,722 cases) and cerebrovascular disease(2,718 cases) were the first and second cause of deaths as 23.1% and 16.9%, respectively. These pattern showed the change between cancer(14.7%) and cerebrovascular disease(18.5%) in order of frequency in comparison to 1982. Also, the total number of cancer deaths was increased in comparison to 1982. The rate of death certification by physicians was 87.1% of all registered deaths, which was increased to 6.8% in comparison to 1982(80.3%). 2. Crude death rate and cancer specific death rate was 4.06 per 1,000 populations and 93.8 per 100,000 populations(male:117.8, female:70.0), respectively. The former was similar to that of 1982, but the latter was increased to 1.6 times as that of 1982. 3. Age-adjusted cancer specific death rate by standardization with whole country population was 111.9(male:141.5, female:106.7) per 100,000 populations, higher than not age-adjusted cancer specific death rate(93.8), and the sex difference was statistically significant with male predominance(p<0.05). 4. Cancer specific death rate by age was generally increased with age and most of cancer deaths(male:91.8%, female:88.5%) occurred since 40 years old. 5. The major cancer(cancer specific death rate per 100,000 populations) in male was liver(30.6) followed by stomach(25.6), lung(21.9), and GB and EHBD(5.7), in female stomach(15.7), liver(9.9), lung(7.3), and uterus(6.9). The relative frequency of the leading three cancer among total cancer deaths marked 66.3% in male and 47.1% in female, and decreased in comparison to 1982(male:72.2%, female:54.5%). 6. The total ratio of male to female cancer specific death rate showed 1.68 to 1 with male predominance. And the ratio was above 2.0 in larynx, oral cavity & pharynx, esophagus, liver, lung, bladder cancer and the ratio was 1.0~1.9 in stomach, pancreas, gall bladder and EHBD, brain, rectum and anus cancer, leukemia, but the ratio was reversed in thyroid and colon cancer. In conclusion, cancer was the first cause of deaths. The proportion of lung cancer was increased, that of stomach & uterine cancer was decreased relatively, and liver cancer was constantly higher proportion. In the future, it is necessary to conduct the further investigations on the cancer risk factors considering areal specificity.
Adult ; Anus Neoplasms ; Brain ; Busan* ; Cause of Death ; Certification ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Esophagus ; Female ; Humans ; Larynx ; Leukemia ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Pancreas ; Pharynx ; Rectum ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Characteristics ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Uterine Neoplasms

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences of the suicidal behavior, stress, internet gaming disorder-related symptoms and personality profiles between online game overusers and general users. METHODS: A total of 460 adult online game users (40 overusers, 420 general users) participated in this study and were asked to complete several self-report measures. Questionnaires included demographic information, suicidal behavior, stress, internet gaming disorder-related symptoms, and big five inventory-10. RESULTS: Compared to the general user group, the overuser group showed statistically significant higher suicide idea, suicidal plan, stress, internet game withdrawal symptoms, online game-related daily life problems and lower extraversion, conscientiousness. Online game overusers showed lower extraversion, decreased conscientiousness, and higher neuroticism compared to the psychiatrically undiagnosed group. CONCLUSION: The current results indicate the possibility that online game overuse may be related to suicidal behavior, stress, and the personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
Adult ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Internet* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Suicide