No abstract available.
Infarction* ; Retrospective Studies*

No abstract available.
Acid-Base Equilibrium* ; Acidosis*

No abstract available.
Arthritis* ; Dermatitis* ; Humans ; Neutrophils*

BACKGROUND: We have studied the 67Ga SPECT to determine the activity of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in patients with minimal extent of the disease on chest radiographs. Because active minimal pulmonary tuberculosis is sometimes difficult to diagnose by means of initial chest X-ray, sputum examination and 67Ga planar imaging, we compared 67Ga planar imaging with SPECT to evaluate minimal pulmonary tuberculosis activity. METHODS: 67Ga planar imagings and SPECTs of 69 patients suspected of minimal pulmonary tuberculosis by the initial chest X-ray were performed and compared to each other. Active pulmonary tuberculosis was defined by a positive AFB smear and/or culture in the sputum and changes shown on the serial chest X-ray findings. RESULTS: 1)67Ga planar imaging imagings showed positive uptakes in 24 patients and no uptakes in 13 patients, which confirms active pulmonary tuberculosis. But SPECT imagings showed positive uptakes in 25 patients and no uptakes in 12 patients. 2) Patients confirmed with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis showed no up-take on 67Ga planar imaging. Only one of the 32 patients confirmed as having inactive pulmonary tuberculosis showed positive uptake on 67Ga SPECT imaging. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of our study, 67Ga planar imaging and SPECT are both sensitive in detecting the activity of minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. The difference between the two methods is not statistically significant, and the negative predictive value of the 67Ga SPECT is not higher than that of 67Ga planar imaging.
Humans ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Background: Exposure to cadmium and mercury is associated with renal dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the possible ability of dietary education to decrease blood cadmium and mercury levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Twenty-seven patients with CKD were enrolled in this prospective, single-arm pilot study. Patients with blood cadmium levels ≥1.4 μg/L were instructed to reduce their intake of shellfish, while those with blood mercury levels ≥5.0 μg/L were asked to reduce their intake of externally blue-colored fish. Results: Seven dialysis patients and 15 pre-dialysis patients completed the study. Compared with baseline, the blood cadmium (2.0±0.7 μg/L vs. 1.8±0.7 μg/L, p=0.031) and mercury levels (4.4±2.6 μg/L vs. 3.5±1.9 μg/L, p=0.005) after 1 year significantly decreased, although the dietary intake was not significantly different in patients with blood cadmium levels ≥1.4 μg/L and blood mercury levels ≥5.0 μg/L. In pre-dialysis patients, kidney function worsened after 1 year compared with that at baseline despite the reduction in blood cadmium and mercury levels. Conclusions Reduction of food intake containing cadmium and mercury may lower the blood cadmium and mercury levels in CKD patients with higher cadmium and mercury levels. Higher blood cadmium levels may cause renal disease progression in pre-dialysis patients, and further studies are necessary to determine the underlying mechanisms.

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Lower Extremity* ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* ; Thrombosis*

OBJECTIVES: Urine anion gap(UAG) and urine osmolal gap(UOG) were proposed as indirect measures of urine ammonium(NF4+). While the former is known to have its usefulness limited to hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, the latter is reported to have its correlation with urine NE4+ in ketoacidosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation of urine NH with IJOG in high anion gap metabolic acidosis(AGMA) and to compare it with UAG. METHODS: We measured urine NH' by enzymatic determination, UOG(=0.5 X [urine osmolality-{2 X (Na++K+)+urea+glucose)]), and UAG(=Na++K+-Cl-) in 18 patients(serum AG=24.4+/-1.6mmol/L ) with AGMA. RESULTS: When they were grouped into those with acute disorders(n=11) and those with chronic disorder(n=7), urine Nk4+ concentration was higher (p<0.05) in the acute(35.6+/-7.7mmol/L) than in the chronic(3.8+/-0.9mmol/L) group. The UOG was higher (p<0.05) in the acute(73.2+/-18.9mmol/L) than in the chronic(6.3+/-8.7mmol/L) group, but the UAG had no difference between the two groups. When both groups of the patients were considered together, urine NH concentration correlated with the UOG (r=0.90, p<0.01), but not with the UAG. While the patients with lower urine NH4+ excretion(<30mmol/d) had the UOG<40mmol/L, those with higher urine NH' excretion(>40mmol/d) had the UOG>40mmol/L. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the UAG, the UOG has a significant correlation with urine NH4+ in AGMA.
Acid-Base Equilibrium* ; Acidosis* ; Ammonium Compounds* ; Humans ; Ketosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many western studies have shown that primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) may have better clinical result over thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. There are, however, few reports about the role of primary PTCA in Korea. We reviewed the cases of primary PTCA and thrombolysis with delayed PTCA in Samsung Medical Center to compare the clinical outcomes of two treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study was a non-randomized and retrospective trial. From August 1995 to March 1998, 80 AMI patients within 12 hours of symptom onset underwent primary PTCA (n=26) or thrombolytic therapy (n=54) in Samsung Medical Center. Patients who had thrombolysis were performed coronary angiography fourth to fifth hospital day routinely. Risk factors and time to treatment (pain-to-needle time and door- to-needle time) were reviewed from patient record. Angiographic data including TIMI flow were obtained from angiography data base and angiographic film. We compared the 30-day and 8-month event rate of death, re-infarction, re-PTCA, and CABG between two groups. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics (sex, age, blood pressure, heart rate, AMI location, ejection fraction of left ventricle) were similar between two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in pain-to-needle time and door-to-needle time between two groups. The 30-day mortality rate was similar between two groups (primary group 3.8%, thrombolysis 5.6%, p=1.0). The 30-day event rate also showed no difference between two groups (primary PTCA 7.7%, thrombolysis 11.1%, p=1.0) and there was similar tendency in 8-month event rate (primary PTCA 19.2%, thrombolysis 14.8%, p=0.62). However, the admission duration of primary PTCA group was shorter than that of thrombolysis (8.7 vs 12 days, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Primary PTCA have similar clinical outcome except shorter hospital admission duration when compared to thrombolysis with routine elective coronary angiography and delayed PTCA in AMI patients without cardiogenic shock.
Angiography ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Blood Pressure ; Coronary Angiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Time-to-Treatment

Hypercalcemia rarely develops in patients with acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis. If hypercalcemia occurs, it happens mostly in diuretic phase and rarely in oliguric phase. Secondary hyperparathyroidism, abnormal metabolism of Vitamin D, immobilization of patient, and release of calcium from injured muscle are considered as possible pathogenetic mechanisms of hypercalcemia in acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis. Among them, dissolution of calcium from injured muscle into extracellular fluid is accepted as the major mechanism of pathogenesis of hypercalcemia. A twenty year old male patient, combat policeman, developed syncope in the course of regular physical training. He was diagnosed of acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis at the hospital he initially visited. After being subjected to three sessions of acute hemodialysis, he was transferred to our hospital. During the treatment, laboratory test was performed upon his continuous complaints of lower extremity weakness. It showed severe hypercalcemia with plasma calcium level of 17.6 mg/dL. He was in oliguric phase at the time of this severe hypercalcemia. Patient's lower extremity weakness was gradually improved by hemodialysis using low calcium dialysate. He was discharged after his renal function became normal. He has been followed on regular basis.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Calcium ; Extracellular Fluid ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia* ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Immobilization ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Metabolism ; Plasma ; Renal Dialysis ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Syncope ; Vitamin D

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes of two surgical techniques-modified Bondy technique and canal wall up mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty type I and scutumplasty (CWUM/T1)-to remove attic cholesteatoma while preserving ossicular chain intact. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A retrospective study was performed on 23 surgical cases for the attic cholesteatoma with postoperative audiometry data of more than six months after surgery. The patients' postoperative clinical features and audiometric results were compared between the two surgical groups. RESULTS: Out of 23 patients, CWUM/T1 was performed in 13 cases and modified Bondy technique was used in 10 cases. There were no significant differences for the preoperative and postoperative audiograms between the two groups. But air-bone gap increased significantly after CWUM/T1 while it decreased after modified Bondy technique. Three cases with postoperative problems were seen after CWUM/T1 (recurrent cholesteatoma, pars tensa adhesion, recurrent otitis media with effusion). Two cases with postoperative problems were found after modified Bondy technique (mild attic retraction, pars tensa retraction). CONCLUSION: Both surgical techniques seem to be adequate to treat attic cholesteatoma while preserving intact ossicular chain. Given good postoperative hearing results and stability of open cavity against recidivism, the modified Bondy technique seems to be a good choice for the attic cholesteatoma with intact ossicular chain when mastoid is not highly pneumatized.
Audiometry ; Cholesteatoma* ; Hearing ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Methods ; Otitis Media ; Otologic Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Tympanoplasty*