Iron deficiency has been discussed as an etiologic factor in diffuse alopecia. Although the mechanism of alopecia related to iron deficiency remains unknown, the diagnosis is confirmed if hair loss ceases with iron administration. However, hair structure abnormalities due to iron deficiency are less known. We report a case of hair structure abnormality associated with iron deficiency anaemia. The hair structure abnormality was a fusiform and expanded node of the hair shaft. The hair loss ceased and the abnormality was corrected with iron administration.
Alopecia ; Diagnosis ; Hair* ; Iron*

OBJECTIVES: The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful non-invasive tool to investigate the autonomic nerve function. Previous studies on the relationship between HRV and depression have been reported controversial results. Similarly, the correlation between the serum lipids and depression is debatable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between heart rate variability, lipid profile and depression. METHODS: A total of 42 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 32 age and sex-matched normal subjects who had no previous history of major medical and mental illnesses were recruited for this study. A structured-interview was used to assess the general characteristics and psychiatric illness. HRV measures were assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain analyses. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D). In addition, the evaluation for lipid profile was performed by blood test. RESULTS: In serum lipid profile test, MDD group showed higher cholesterol (197.68+/-42.94 mg/dL vs. 176.85+/-34.68 mg/dL, p=0.044), TG (139.45+/-92.54 mg/dL vs. 91.4+/-65.68 mg/dL, p=0.018), LDL (130.03+/-33.18 vs. 106.62+/-27.08, p=0.004) level than normal control group. In HRV time domain analyses, the standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) was decreased in MDD group than normal control group, but was not significant (32.82+/-14.33 ms vs. 40.36+/-21.40ms, p=0.078). ApEn (Approximate Entrophy) was significantly increased in MDD group than normal control group (1.13+/-0.11 vs. 0.91+/-0.18, p<0.001). ApEn was correlated with LDL level (r=0.277, p=0.028), HAM-D scores (r=0.534, p<0.001) and HAM-A scores (r=0.470, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: MDD patients showed increased ApEn, one of the HRV measurement. And this ApEn was correlated with LDL, HAM-D and HAM-A scores. In this study, the analysis of ApEn would be a useful test of MDD.
Anxiety ; Autonomic Pathways ; Cholesterol ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans

BACKGROUND: This is a retrospective, descriptive study, evaluating the observed agreement between 1996 & 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) for medical intensive care unit (MICU) and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients. METHODS: A total of 476 adult patients who were over 15 years of age and had been admitted to the MICU & SICU of a university hospital between August 1, 2005 and August 1, 2007 were enrolled. Data were collected from electronic medical records according to the 1996 & 2002 CDC definitions of NP. RESULTS: According to the 1996 CDC definitions of NP, there were a total of 116 NP cases and incidence rate was 11.6 per 1,000 patient-days; when analyzed with the 2002 CDC definitions of NP, 75 cases met the criteria and the incidence rate was 7.5 per 1,000 patient-days. Kappa value measuring agreement between the two definitions was 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.601-0.706). When 1996 CDC definitions were compared with 2002 CDC definitions, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 93.3, 88.5, 60.3, and 98.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Even though the aforementioned NP criteria had been applied to the same study population, the number of patients that met the definitions changed depending on which criteria had been used. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the differences when making a comparison.
Adult ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Incidence ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns ; Molluscum Contagiosum

BACKGROUND: Postoperative admission to the surgical intensive care unit (S-ICU) is commonly planned to prevent and treat complications, unnecessary admission to the S-ICU increases medical costs and length of hospital stay. This study aimed evaluated outcome and the predictive factors for mortality in patients admitted to the S-ICU after abdominal surgery. METHODS: The 168 patients admitted to the S-ICU immediately after abdominal surgery were reviewed retrospectively from January to December 2011. RESULTS: The mortality rate of patients admitted to the S-ICU after abdominal surgery was 8.9% (15 of 168). Two preoperative factors (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m2 [p < 0.001] and serum albumin < 3.0 g/dL [p = 0.018]), two operative factors (the need for transfusion [p = 0.008] or vasopressors [p = 0.013] during surgery), and three postoperative variables (mechanical ventilation immediately following surgery [p < 0.001], sequential organ failure assessment [p = 0.001] and SAPS II [p = 0.001] score) were associated with mortality in univariate analysis. After adjusting for age, gender, and SAPS II by a Cox regression, which revealed that BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] 9.690, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.990-25.258) and the use of mechanical ventilation on admission to S-ICU (p < 0.001, HR 34.671, 95% CI 6.440-186.649) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: In patients in S-ICU after abdominal surgery, low BMI and postsurgical mechanical ventilation should be considered important predictors of mortality.
Abdomen* ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Ventilation

Vibrio cholerae strain other than O1 and O139 (Vibrio cholerae non-O1/O139) are associated with sporadic diarrhea and have often been reported in association with extraintestinal infections. We report a case of peritonitis by V. cholerae non-O1/O139 in 43-year-old male who was diagnosed cirrhosis. He, was complained of abdominal distension and fever without history of consumption of raw sea food and exposure to sea water. Gram negative bacilli were cultured from his peritoneal fluid and identified as V. cholerae sero group O14.
Adult ; Ascitic Fluid ; Cholera ; Diarrhea ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Male ; Peritonitis* ; Seafood ; Seawater ; Vibrio cholerae* ; Vibrio*

Vibrio cholerae strain other than O1 and O139 (Vibrio cholerae non-O1/O139) are associated with sporadic diarrhea and have often been reported in association with extraintestinal infections. We report a case of peritonitis by V. cholerae non-O1/O139 in 43-year-old male who was diagnosed cirrhosis. He, was complained of abdominal distension and fever without history of consumption of raw sea food and exposure to sea water. Gram negative bacilli were cultured from his peritoneal fluid and identified as V. cholerae sero group O14.
Adult ; Ascitic Fluid ; Cholera ; Diarrhea ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Male ; Peritonitis* ; Seafood ; Seawater ; Vibrio cholerae* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Osteoma

No abstract available.
Carcinosarcoma* ; Female ; Ovary*

Iron deficient state occurs commonly in the athlets, and the cause may be inadequate iron intake, loss of iron from sweat, blood loss of gastrointestinal tract, and hematuria. The age of the athletes ranged from 11 to 17 years old. I messured red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and related hematologic factors in the 32 adolescent female athletes and 21 female controls. a hematologic comparison was perfomed between the athletes and controls. The results obtained were as follows: 1) A value of hemoglobin were 11.6+/-1.4g/dl in the athletes and 12:4+/-0.8g/dl in controls (p<0.05). 2) Hematocrits were 34.1+/-3.4% in the athletes and 37.4+/-2.3% in controls (p<0.05). 3)A value of red bolld cell distribution width values were 13.9+/-2.1% in the athletes and 12.2+/-1.1% in controls (p<0.05). 4) Serum iron was 87.7+/-30.3ug/dl in the athletes and 121.8+/-39.0ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). 5) Total iron binding capacity was 445:6+/-31.8ug/dl in the athletes and 384:6+/-54.2ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). 6) Mean transferrin saturation values were 19.7+/-6.9% in the athletes and 32.5+/-10.8% in control (p<0.001). 7) Ferritin was 14.5+/-10.0ng/ml in the athletes and 33.9+/-13.9ng/ml in controls (p<0.001). 8) The duration of exercise was 4.8+/-2.5 years in the stage III iron deficiency, whil 3.0+/-2.0 years in normal group in iron deficient state (p<0.05).
Adolescent* ; Athletes* ; Erythrocyte Count ; Female* ; Ferritins ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hematocrit ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Iron* ; Sweat ; Transferrin