Spontaneous uterine rupture during the second trimester of pregnancy is a rare obstetric emergency. When a patient presents with acute abdominal pain and signs of hemorrhagic shock, a number of differential diagnoses must be considered. Early diagnosis and proper management is necessary to decreased the high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality associated with rupture of uterus. We present a case of spontaneous rupture of the uterus in the 18th week of pregnancy with a brief review of literatures.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy* ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; Uterine Rupture* ; Uterus

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of spiral computed tomography (CT) using contiguous slices with partially thin sections around the hilar level in the bronchial foreign bodies of children with a vague history of aspiration. METHODS: Fourteen children were identified to be examined with spiral CT due to obscure histories of aspiration episodes. A retrospective analysis of the medical records provided information concerning the clinical and radiological findings. RESULTS: Of the 14 patients examined with spiral CT, there were no significant differences among the clinical and initial radiological findings with the exception of gender distribution. However, the spiral CT scans allowed accurate discrimination among patients with a vague history of aspiration episodes, in which seven were identified with bronchial foreign body aspiration and seven with bronchiolitis, asthma, tracheobronchitis and/or pneumonia. CONCLUSION: We found that spiral CT using contiguous slices with partially thin sections around the hilar level are a useful non-invasive method in the early diagnosis of bronchial foreign bodies in children with a vague history of aspiration.
Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Early Diagnosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Lung* ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the latest tendency of esophageal foreign body's extraction and to obtain a consensus from recent trends of indications and techniques of flexible endoscopy of esophageal FB in children. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 127 cases with foreign bodies in esophagus at Dept. of Pediatrics and Otorhinolaryngology, Gyeongsang National University Hospital (GNUH) from Jun, 1987 to July, 2001. They were divided into two groups by the kinds of endoscopy: flexible endoscope(66 cases) or rigid endoscope(61 cases). Rigid endoscopy was performed under general anesthesia at Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology but flexible endoscopy was performed without general anesthesia or sedative drugs(midazolam or diazepam). RESULTS: An annual number of cases of two groups were similar from 1991 to 1998. But from 1999, flexible endoscopy was performed actively. Asymptomatic cases were frequently observed in flexible endoscopy(28 cases/66 cases) but swallowing difficulties were frequently observed in the rigid endoscopy group(25 cases/61 cases). Other symptoms were vomiting, irritability, chest discomfort and abdominal pain. The total number of cases with underlying disease(esophageal stenosis, cerebral palsy) was 8. The total number of cases with complications (erosion, ulcer, bleeding, perforation) was 11. The above cases were not correlated between the two groups. In 55 cases(83.3%) of the flexible endoscopic group and 53 cases(86.8%) of the rigid endoscopic group, foreign bodies in the esophagus were removed within 24 hours. CONCLUSION: We could not find any benefit in rigid endoscopic technique. Flexible endoscopic FB removal can be performed safely and effectively in children by an experienced endoscopist.
Abdominal Pain ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Consensus ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Deglutition ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Foreign Bodies* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Otolaryngology ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax ; Ulcer ; Vomiting

The acardiac twin is very rare congenital malformation of monozygotic multiple gestations affecting 1% of monozygotic twins, or 1 in 35000 births. The acardiac twin has a parasitic existence and depends on the donor twin for its blood supply via placental anastomoses and retrograde perfusion of the acardiac umbilical cord. Acardiac twin places the normal twin at risk for high output cardiac failure and in utero fetal death and may lead to polyhydramnios and its related complications. The mortality rate is reported to be between 50% and 75% for the normal twin. We recently experienced a case of acadius anceps with a normal twin death in uterus, so present with a brief review of the literature.
Fetal Death ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Perfusion ; Polyhydramnios ; Tissue Donors ; Twins, Monozygotic ; Umbilical Cord ; Uterus

PURPOSE: In this study, we tried to evaluate the clinical characteristics or circumstances that lead to unintentionally the delay in the diagnosis of intussusception or to the wrong direction that prevent the proper management early. METHODS: All the patients of intussusception with delayed diagnosis in the department of pediatrics or emergency room at Gyeongsang National University Hospital from 1990 to 2003 were enrolled and reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 8 boys and 6 girls and their median age was 8 months (range 2 months to 10 years). Their initial symptoms and signs were vomiting, seizure, diarrhea, lethargy, irritability, bloody stool, palpable abdominal mass, foul odor of urine and tachycardia. Clinical diagnosis or impressions at admission consisted of acute gastroenteritis, shigellosis and toxic encephalopathy, convulsive disorders, urinary tract infections, sepsis, abdominal mass and intestinal obstruction. Eight patients were luckily diagnosed due to the delayed manifestations of cyclic irritability or currant jelly stool. Six patients were not paid attentions for the possibilities of intussusception and diagnosed serendipitiously by the abdominal sonography or CT during the evaluation of the abdominal mass or distension. Only five of 14 cases (35.7%) were successfully managed by barium or air reductions. The other 9 cases needed surgical operations. CONCLUSION: Delayed diagnosis of intussusception arise when doctors initially diagnose the patients incorrectly due to the unusual presentations or when they overlook the newly arising symptoms or signs suggestive intussusception after the admission because they are ardently attached to the first impressions or initial clinical diagnosis.
Attention ; Barium ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis* ; Diarrhea ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intussusception* ; Lethargy ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; Odors ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Sepsis ; Tachycardia ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vomiting

Food allergy is not uncommon among small children. Cow milk and eggs are most frequently incriminated as the major cause of food allergy. A 4-month-old female infant who did not have a previous history of contact with the egg developed anaphylactic shock when an emulsion of raw egg white was rubbed on the buttock by her mother to relieve erosive diaper dermatitis. She had been fed on breast milk. She had no past medical history of any other allergy and no family history of atopy, asthma or allergic rhinitis. Her IgE PRIST was 29.46 IU/ml and multiple antigen simultaneous testing chemiluminescent assay for food specific IgE antibody showed a level 4 positive value only to egg white.
Anaphylaxis* ; Asthma ; Breast* ; Buttocks ; Child ; Dermatitis ; Egg White* ; Eggs ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Infant* ; Luminescent Measurements ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Ovum* ; Rhinitis ; Skin*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is an important complication of diagnostic coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated the incidence and predictors of the development of CIN in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with renal dysfunction undergoing PCI. METHODS: From January 2005 to June 2010, we evaluated the clinical, laboratory, and angiographic data of 406 patients with ACS who had a serum creatinine > or = 1.3 mg/dL and underwent CAG or PCI. The patients were divided into two groups according to the development of CIN (CIN, n = 92; no CIN, n = 314). RESULTS: Of the 406 patients, 92 (22.7%) developed CIN. The development of CIN was associated with a lower baseline body mass index (p = 0.001), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p < 0.001), decreased creatinine clearance (CrCl) (p < 0.001), lower albumin (p < 0.001), lower hemoglobin (p = 0.003), higher N-terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (p = 0.001), and greater contrast medium volume (CMV) (p = 0.021). On multiple logistic regression analysis, LVEF < 40% (OR, 4.080; 95% CI, 2.087-7.977; p < 0.001), albumin < 3.5 g/dL (OR, 2.042; 95% CI, 1.211-3.440; p = 0.007), and CMV/CrCl > or = 3.5 (OR, 1.964; 95% CI, 1.243-3.101; p = 0.004) were independent predictors of CIN. The cut-off value for CMV/CrCl was 3.5, and that for albumin was 3.55 g/dL. CONCLUSIONS: CIN occurred in 22.7% of the patients with ACS and renal dysfunction who underwent CAG or PCI. Independent predictors of CIN were decreased LVEF, decreased albumin, and increased CMV/CrCl ratio.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Body Mass Index ; Coronary Angiography ; Creatinine ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Stroke Volume

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A controversy exists about which statin is preferable for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and clinical impacts of different statins according to lipophilicity have not been established. METHODS: The 1,124 patients with AMI included in the present study were divided into hydrophilic- and lipophilic-statin groups. In-hospital complications (defined as death, cardiogenic shock, ventricular arrhythmia, infection, bleeding, and renal insufficiency, and other fatal arrhythmias), major adverse cardiac events (MACE), all-cause death, re-myocardial infarction, re-percutaneous coronary intervention (re-PCI), and surgical revascularization were analyzed during a 1-year clinical follow-up. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, and in-hospital complication rates showed no between-group differences (11.7% vs. 12.8%, p = 0.688). Although MACE at the 1- and 6-month clinical follow-ups occurred more in hydrophilic statin group I (1 month: 10.0% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.001; 6 month: 19.9% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.022), no significant difference in MACE was observed at the 1-year follow-up (21.5% vs. 17.9%, p = 0.172). Both statin groups showed similar efficacy for reducing serum lipid concentrations. A Cox-regression analysis showed that the use of a hydrophilic statin did not predict 1-year MACE, all-cause death, AMI, or re-PCI. CONCLUSIONS: Although short-term cardiovascular outcomes were better in the lipophilic-statin group, 1-year outcomes were similar in patients with AMI who were administered hydrophilic and lipophilic statins. In other words, the type of statin did not influence 1-year outcomes in patients with AMI.
Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/prevention & control ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/adverse effects/chemistry/*therapeutic use ; Korea ; Lipids/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/blood/complications/diagnosis/mortality/*therapy ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients without significant stenosis on a coronary angiogram comparison with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with significant coronary artery stenosis. A total of 1,220 patients with AMI were retrospectively classified into Group I (> or =50% diameter stenosis, n=1,120) and Group II (<50%, n=100). Group II was further divided into two subgroups according to the underlying etiology: cryptogenic (Group II-a, n=54) and those with possible causative factors (Group II-b, n=46). Patients in Group II were younger, were more likely to be women, and were less likely to smoke and to have diabetes mellitus than were patients in Group I. The levels of cardiac enzymes, LDL-cholesterol levels, and the apo-B/A1 ratio were lower in Group II. However, 1-month and 12-month rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were not significantly different between the two groups. The Group II-b subgroup comprised 29 patients with vasospasm, 11 with myocardial bridge, and 6 with spontaneous thrombolysis. Left ventricular ejection fraction and creatinine clearance were lower and levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were higher in Group II-a than in Group II-b. However, outcomes including MACE and mortality at 12 months were not significantly different between the two subgroups. The 1-year outcomes of patients in Group II were similar to those of patients in Group I. The clinical outcomes in Group II-a were also similar to those of Group II-b, although the former group showed higher levels of NT-proBNP and hs-CRP.
C-Reactive Protein ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Stenosis ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Stroke Volume

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To analyze the clinical effects of continuing to smoke in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), clinical outcomes of those continuing or ceasing smoking were compared. METHODS: In total, 498 patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January to December 2007 were enrolled. Of these patients, 407 (63.9 +/- 11.9 years, males 70%) with 1-year follow-ups were analyzed. Based on risk factors for smoking, patients were divided into two groups: Group I (smokers, n = 164, 57.9 +/- 11.2 years) and Group II (nonsmokers, n = 243, 68.0 +/- 10.6 years). Additionally, Group I patients were subdivided by cessation of smoking after discharge: Group IA (current smokers, n = 95, 56.8 +/- 10.5 years) and IB (past smokers, n = 69, 59.4 +/- 12.0 years). Clinical characteristics, coronary angiographic and procedural findings, and 1year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were analyzed. RESULTS: During the 1-year follow-up period, MACE developed in 112 patients (27.6%) and death in 42 patients (10.3%). In terms of smoking habits at admission, there was no significant difference in the 1-year MACE between current smokers (Group I) and nonsmokers (Group II). In the subgroup analysis, there were no significant difference in clinical characteristics between Groups IA and IB. Mortality was significantly higher in Group IA than in Group IB during the 1-year clinical follow-up (11% vs. 0%; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Of the AMI patients who underwent PCI, mortality was significantly higher in current smokers than in past smokers after PCI.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking