PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to present a systematic treatment method for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection of the hand and wrist to gain better clinical outcomes. METHODS: 10 patients of deep NTM infection of the hand and wrist were reviewed. Extensive debridement was performed in all cases. When biopsy result suggested mycobacterial infection such as granulomatous inflammation, empirical tuberculosis medication was started. After culture confirmed NTM growth, the species was identified and in vitro sensitivity test was performed. Then medication was switched according to the results. Functional outcomes of the hand and wrist were measured by total active motion of the fingers and by range of motion of the wrist respectively. RESULTS: Diagnosis was tenosynovitis in seven patients, infective arthritis and osteomyelitis combined with tenosynovitis of the wrist in three patients. Two patients had recurred skin ulcer during follow-up period and undergone second debridement. After second operation, no patient had a persistent discharging sinus and all patient were completely healed during follow-up period. Functional outcome of the eight patients who had NTM infection of their hand was excellent in two, good in four, fair in one, poor in one. Mean range of motion of the two patients who had osteomyelitis of their wrist was dorsiflexion 20degrees, volar flexion 15degrees, radial deviation 0degrees, ulnar deviation 15degrees. CONCLUSION: Our standardized treatment protocol can be helpful for treatment of deep NTM infection of the hand and wrist.
Arthritis ; Biopsy ; Clinical Protocols ; Debridement ; Diagnosis* ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria* ; Osteomyelitis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Skin Ulcer ; Tenosynovitis ; Tuberculosis ; Wrist*

Within six months of the discovery of X-ray in 1895, the technology was used to scan the interior of the human body, paving the way for many innovations in the field of medicine, including an ultrasound device in 1950, a CT scanner in 1972, and MRI in 1980. More recent decades have witnessed developments such as digital imaging using a picture archiving and communication system, computer-aided detection/diagnosis, organ-specific workstations, and molecular, functional, and quantitative imaging. One of the latest technical breakthrough in the field of radiology has been imaging genomics and robotic interventions for biopsy and theragnosis. This review provides an engineering perspective on these developments and several other megatrends in radiology.
Biological Markers/analysis ; Biomedical Engineering ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/*trends ; Diagnostic Imaging/*trends ; Equipment Design ; Genomics ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*trends ; Radiology Information Systems/*trends ; Robotics ; Systems Integration ; User-Computer Interface

Objective: Emphysema and small-airway disease are the two major components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We propose a novel method of quantitative computed tomography (CT) emphysema air-trapping composite (EAtC) mapping to assess each COPD component. We analyzed the potential use of this method for assessing lung function in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods: A total of 584 patients with COPD underwent inspiration and expiration CTs. Using pairwise analysis of inspiration and expiration CTs with non-rigid registration, EAtC mapping classified lung parenchyma into three areas: Normal, functional air trapping (fAT), and emphysema (Emph). We defined fAT as the area with a density change of less than 60 Hounsfield units (HU) between inspiration and expiration CTs among areas with a density less than -856 HU on inspiration CT. The volume fraction of each area was compared with clinical parameters and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The results were compared with those of parametric response mapping (PRM) analysis. Results: The relative volumes of the EAtC classes differed according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages (p < 0.001). Each class showed moderate correlations with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1) and FEV 1/forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = -0.659–0.674, p < 0.001). Both fAT and Emph were significant predictors of FEV 1 and FEV 1/FVC (R2 = 0.352 and 0.488, respectively; p < 0.001). fAT was a significant predictor of mean forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% and residual volume/total vital capacity (R2 = 0.264 and 0.233, respectively; p < 0.001), while Emph and age were significant predictors of carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (R2 = 0.303; p < 0.001). fAT showed better correlations with PFTs than with small-airway disease on PRM. Conclusion The proposed quantitative CT EAtC mapping provides comprehensive lung functional information on each disease component of COPD, which may serve as an imaging biomarker of lung function.

Objective: Emphysema and small-airway disease are the two major components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We propose a novel method of quantitative computed tomography (CT) emphysema air-trapping composite (EAtC) mapping to assess each COPD component. We analyzed the potential use of this method for assessing lung function in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods: A total of 584 patients with COPD underwent inspiration and expiration CTs. Using pairwise analysis of inspiration and expiration CTs with non-rigid registration, EAtC mapping classified lung parenchyma into three areas: Normal, functional air trapping (fAT), and emphysema (Emph). We defined fAT as the area with a density change of less than 60 Hounsfield units (HU) between inspiration and expiration CTs among areas with a density less than -856 HU on inspiration CT. The volume fraction of each area was compared with clinical parameters and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The results were compared with those of parametric response mapping (PRM) analysis. Results: The relative volumes of the EAtC classes differed according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages (p < 0.001). Each class showed moderate correlations with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1) and FEV 1/forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = -0.659–0.674, p < 0.001). Both fAT and Emph were significant predictors of FEV 1 and FEV 1/FVC (R2 = 0.352 and 0.488, respectively; p < 0.001). fAT was a significant predictor of mean forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% and residual volume/total vital capacity (R2 = 0.264 and 0.233, respectively; p < 0.001), while Emph and age were significant predictors of carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (R2 = 0.303; p < 0.001). fAT showed better correlations with PFTs than with small-airway disease on PRM. Conclusion The proposed quantitative CT EAtC mapping provides comprehensive lung functional information on each disease component of COPD, which may serve as an imaging biomarker of lung function.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy curriculum change was made from a 4-year program to a 2+4 year program in year 2009 in Korea. The change has resulted in more educational exposures on patient-centered practice environments for about 1,400 hours in the last year of the professional pharmacy program. When the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak hit Seoul and suburban areas and propagated to other provinces in Korea, emergency response to avoid student infection in the pharmacy practice sites became an urgent issue. While other health professional programs such as medicine and nursing had activated emergency preparedness manuals, timely and clear guidelines were not disseminated to all pharmacy programs and protective measures largely relied on individual pharmacy program. METHODS: A survey was developed by the Committee on Pharmacy Practice Experience Programs in the Korean College of Clinical Pharmacy to document the status of pharmacy programs during the Korea MERS outbreak in 2015. The 10-question survey was distributed to the pharmacy practice experience coordinators to 34 out of 35 pharmacy schools in Korea by emails. RESULTS: Our findings showed that 82.4% of the program coordinators (28/34) responded to the survey, 96.4% of the programs did not have emergency preparedness manuals, administrative meetings were held in 89.3% of the pharmacy programs, the rotation schedules were modified or withheld in 53.6% of schools, and the changes were mostly observed from the programs classified as MERS outbreak regions. CONCLUSION: Further needs in establishing the emergency preparedness manual should be explored for pharmacy education stakeholders.
Appointments and Schedules ; Civil Defense ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Curriculum ; Education* ; Education, Pharmacy ; Electronic Mail ; Emergencies ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle East* ; Nursing ; Pharmacy* ; Schools, Pharmacy ; Seoul