Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3350 is the most frequently used lavage solution for bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy or elective surgery because its large molecular weight means that it is poorly absorbed. However, if it leaks into the peritoneal cavity, complications may arise. Few published studies have assessed the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of PEG. Moreover, no published clinical data regarding complications due to the intra-peritoneal leakage of PEG-3350 could be found. We report on an elderly patient who developed the poisoning caused by leaking of PEG-3350 during bowel preparation. It resulted in severe metabolic acidosis, hypernatremia, hyperosmolality and a high anion gap, but it was effectively treated with early continuous renal replacement therapy after surgery.
Absorption ; Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Acidosis ; Aged* ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Hypernatremia ; Metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Poisoning* ; Polyethylene Glycols* ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Therapeutic Irrigation

BACKGROUND: Some of the deficiencies in anterior pituitary function identified in subjects with macroadenomas appear to represent irrevemible necrosis of normal pituitary cells, and in addition reversible damage to viable glandular tissue and/or incomplete interruption of local circulation by compression of pituitary stalk may also contribute significantly to hypopituitarism. So anterior pituitary function may actually improve in some patients undergoing successful tumor resection or reduction in tumor size. Although direct comparisons of pituitary function among the various pituitary tumors are not presently available it was reported that there is some difference in the degree of pituitary impairment between patients with nonfunctioning macroadenoma(NFMA) and those with GH-secreting macroadenoma(GHMA).In this study, to investigate the difference in the degree of hypopituitarism we compared anterior pituitary function in subjects with NFMA to that in patients with GHMA. METHODS: In this retrospective study, preoperative and postoperative anterior pituitary function was assessed by clinical findings, basal hormone levels and/or combined pituitary stimulation test in 29 subjects with NFMA and in 24 subjects with GHMA. RESULTS: 1. There was no difference in age, sex, tumor size distribution between the two groups. 2. Preoperatively, NFMA patients had a higher prevalence of secondary hypothyroidism(34% vs. 5%; p(0.02) compared to subjects with GHMA. Patients with NFMA also had a higher prevalence of more severe pituitary failure compared with acromegalic patients; 48% of the patients in this group had more than one pituitary hormone axis impaired compared to 17% in the acromegalic group(p0.03). 3. Postoperatively, NFMA patients also had a higher prevalence of secondary hypoadrenalism (52% vs. 11%; p 0.01) compared with acromegalic patients. Additionally, the prevalence who had more than one pituitary hormone axis impaired was still greater in NFMA patients than in the acromegalic group(57% vs. 22%; p=0.054). 4. No correlation was found between the severity of pituitary failure and tumor size or extension in both groups before and after surgery. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that anterior pituitary function is relatively better preserved in patients with GHMA than those with NFMA and that this difference is independent of tumor size and extension. The mechanism underlying the lower rate of hypopituitarism in acromegalics with macroadenoma remains to be elucidated.
Adrenal Insufficiency ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism ; Necrosis ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: Age is a strong predictor of mortality in traumatic brain injuries. A surgical decision making is difficult especially for the elderly patients with severe head injuries. We studied so-called 'withholding a life-saving surgery' over a two year period at a university hospital. METHODS: We collected data from 227 elderly patients. In 35 patients with Glasgow Coma Score 3-8, 28 patients had lesions that required operation. A life-saving surgery was withheld in 15 patients either by doctors and/or the families (Group A). Surgery was performed in 13 patients (Group B). We retrospectively examined the medical records and radiological findings of these 28 patients. We calculated the predicted probability of 6 month mortality (IPM) and 6 month unfavorable outcome (IPU) to compare the result of decision by the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in TBI (IMPACT) calculator. RESULTS: Types of the mass lesion did not affect on the surgical decision making. None of the motor score 1 underwent surgery, while all patients with reactive pupils underwent surgery. Causes of injury or episodes of hypoxia/hypotension might have affected on the decision making, however, their role was not distinct. All patients in the group A died. In the group B, the outcome was unfavorable in 11 of 13 patients. Patients with high IPM or IPU were more common in group A than group B. Wrong decisions brought futile cares. CONCLUSION: Ethical training and developing decision-making skills are necessary including shared decision making.
Aged* ; Brain Injuries ; Coma ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Decision Making* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Missions and Missionaries ; Mortality ; Patient Participation ; Prognosis ; Pupil ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: The pathophysiology of chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) is not yet clear. Trauma alone is not sufficient to result in CSH in young individuals, while a trivial injury can result in CSH in older adults. Although the causality and apportionment of trauma are important issues in CSH, especially in terms of insurance, it is too obscure to solve all struggles. METHODS: There are three key factors for producing CSH. First, CSH necessitates a potential subdural reservoir. Other important precipitating factors are trauma and coagulopathy. However, these factors are not sufficient to cause CSH development. The trauma apportionment score (TAS) can be used to compare the relative importance of these three factors. Here, we applied the TAS to 239 consecutive cases of CSH. We retrospectively obtained the patients' history and laboratory results from their medical records. RESULTS: The TAS ranged from −5 to 5. The most common score was 0. If we defined the cause of CSH as being combined when the TAS was 0, then the cause was combined in 30 cases (12.6%). If we extended the criteria for a combined cause from 0 to −1 to 1, the cause was combined in 107 cases (44.8%). Regardless of the criteria used, traumatic CSHs were more common than were spontaneous CSHs. Spontaneous CSHs were more common in older than in younger patients (p < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). CONCLUSION: The TAS is a useful tool for differentiating the causality of CSH.
Adult ; Aging ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic* ; Humans ; Insurance ; Intracranial Pressure ; Medical Records ; Precipitating Factors ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: From November 30, 2016, the Korean Government carried the revised Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Act into effect. Mediation will start automatically without agreements of the defendant, when the outcome of the patient was death, coma more than a month or severe disability. Cerebral aneurysm has a definite risk of bad outcome, especially in the worst condition. Any surgical intervention to this lesion has its own high risk of complications. Recently, Seoul central district court decided 50% responsibility of the doctors who made a rupture of the aneurysm during coiling (2015Ga-Dan5243104). We reviewed judicial precedents related to cerebral aneurysms in lawsuit using a web search.METHODS: We searched judicial precedents at a web search of the Supreme Court, using the key words, "cerebral aneurysm".RESULTS: There were 15 precedents, six from the Supreme Court, seven from the High Court, and two from district courts. Seven precedents were related to the causation analysis, such as work-relationship. Five precedents were malpractice suits related bad results or complications. Remaining three precedents were related to the insurance payment. In five malpractice precedents, two precedents of the Supreme Court reversed former two precedents of the High Court.CONCLUSION: Judicial precedents on the cerebral aneurysm included not only malpractice suits, but also causation analysis or insurance payment. Attention to these subjects is needed. We also need education of the independent medical examination. To avoid medical disputes, shared decision making seems to be useful, especially in cases of high risk condition or procedures.
Aneurysm ; Coma ; Decision Making ; Dissent and Disputes ; Education ; Expert Testimony ; Humans ; Insurance ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Malpractice ; Negotiating ; Rupture ; Seoul

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BACKGROUND: Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department and the evaluation presents an extraordinary challenge to the emergency physician's skill. C-reactive protein, an acute phase protein which is increased in the presence of inflammation in various clinical conditions, has been proven useful in assessing disease severity, in monitoring the development of complications, and in evaluating the response to specific treatments. So we tried to determine whether CRP offers an advantage over other clinical or laboratory variables for decision-making in the management of acute abdominal pain in the emergency department. METHOD: Patients who came to a University Hospital ED with acute abdominal pain, between september 1, 1998 and November 30, 1998, were included in this study, Data collection included age, sex, duration of symptom, location of pain, and laboratory dta(white blood cell count, portion of neutrophils, ESR, CRP, amylase). RESULT: This study included 85 patients, 34 of whom were men. The mean age was 36.9+/-19.1 years. CRP might be useful to detect the serious condition, sensitivity 81%, but more useful to differentiate normal condition from serious condition in acute abdominal pain patients, specificity 83%. CONCLUSION: CRP is an useful indicator of decision-making to abdominal patients in the emergency department. Hospitalization or operation is very unlikely when CRP value is normal.
Abdominal Pain* ; Acute-Phase Proteins ; Blood Cell Count ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Data Collection ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Sensitivity and Specificity

We report a patient with pachydermoperiostosis accompanied by hypertrophic gastritis. A 26-year-old man showed deep folds and furrows of the face and scalp, and terminal spade-like expansion of fingers and toes. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities except a grotesque appearance. Results of routine laboratory tests were unremarkable. Mild periosteal reactoins of both femurs and humeri were noted on long bone series, and hypertrophic gastritis on fibroscopic examination drew our attention. The relationship between pachydermoperiostosis and hypertrophic gastritis is uncertain. However it is probable that hypertrophic gastritis may be the endodermal counterpart of the ectodermal manifestations of pachydermoperiostosis.
Adult ; Ectoderm ; Endoderm ; Femur ; Fingers ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Humans ; Osteoarthropathy, Primary Hypertrophic* ; Physical Examination ; Scalp ; Toes

BACKGROUND: Although one hair usually arises from a single follicular opening in normal healthy subjects, we can see two or more hairs emerging from the single opening through close inspection. The latter is called "compound hair", described by Lowenthal in 1946, however, few reports on this have been made since. Histopatholoigcally two or more hairs which have an independant external root sheath arise from one follicular opening like its clinical appearance. We examined the distribution and density of compound hair in order to define its difference according to anatomical sites and aging process. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: We counted the number of hairs in the circle(2 cm in diameter) at te frontal, temporal and occipital scalp of 24 old young men(22.5+/-2.0 years old) and 24 old men(64.4+/-12.9 years old), respectively. RESULTS: The summated number of grouped hair, which was mostly regarded at compound hair, was greater in the young group than in old group in the frontal area, but was smaller in young group than in old group in from the temporal and occipital areas. The proportion of grouped hair to total hair in the older group was lower in the frontal area, but higher in the temporal and occipital areas(p<0.05, p<0.01) according to aging process, however, no significant change was seen between the frontal area and the sum of single hair to compound hair was significantly decreased in the temporal and occipital areas(p<0.05, p<0.01) according to aging process, however, no significant change was seen between the frontal area and the sum of the three tested areas. CONCLUSION: Compound hairs are observed frequently on the scalp of normal healthy subjects and are most frequently seen on the occipital scalp in both of the young and old.
Aging ; Hair* ; Scalp* ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous

BACKGROUND: We investigated the risk factors for the recurrence of anterior shoulder instability after arthroscopic surgery with suture anchors and the clinical outcomes after reoperation. METHODS: A total of 281 patients (February 2001 to December 2012) were enrolled into our study, and postoperative subluxation and dislocation were considered as recurrence of the condition. We analyzed radiologic results and functional outcome including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Evaluation Form, the Korean Shoulder Society Score, and the Rowe scores. RESULTS: Of the 281 patients, instability recurred in 51 patients (18.1%). Sixteen out of 51 patients (31.4%) received a reoperation. In terms of the functional outcome, we found that the intact group, comprising patients without recurrence, had a significantly better functional outcome than those in the recurrent group. The size of glenoid defect at the time of initial surgery significantly differed between intact and recurrent group (p<0.05). We found that the number of dislocations, the time from the initial presentation of symptoms to surgery, and the number of anchor points significantly differed between initial operation and revision group (p<0.05). The functional outcome after revision surgery was comparable to intact group after initial operation. CONCLUSIONS: Eighteen percent of recurrence occurred after arthroscopic instability surgery, and 5.6% received reoperation surgery. Risk factors for recurrence was the initial size of glenoid defect. In cases of revision surgery, good clinical outcomes could be achieved using additional suture anchor.
Arthroscopy* ; Dislocations ; Elbow ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; Recurrence* ; Reoperation ; Risk Factors* ; Shoulder* ; Surgeons ; Suture Anchors* ; Sutures*