The toxic effect of carp bile is well documented since earlier times but its exact mechanism of toxicity is unclear till now. Recently we have experienced a case of acute renal failure with toxic hepatitis in a 32-year-old man who ingested raw carp bile. He suffered from abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which occurred 3 hours after the ingestion of raw carp bile juice. Hematuria, proteinuria, oliguria and jaundice developed subsequently. 9 times of hemodialyses was performed and hepatitis was treated by conservative measure. The patient was discharged after 17 days of hospitalization. About 1 month after carp bile ingestion, no sequelae was detected. The authors report a case of acute renal failure due to carp bile juice ingestion with review of literature. Further study in needed as to the toxic substances of carp bile and pathogenesis.
Abdominal Pain ; Acute Kidney Injury* ; Adult ; Bile* ; Carps* ; Diarrhea ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury* ; Eating ; Hematuria ; Hepatitis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Nausea ; Oliguria ; Proteinuria ; Renal Dialysis ; Vomiting

Since Combes' first description of hepatitis B virus associated membranous glomerulonephritis, many reports have shown a strong association of hepatitis B virus infection with various types of nephropathies, especially membranous glomerulonephritis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Recently, the authors experienced a case of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, type I in a 16-year-old male patient with persistent HBs and HBe antigenemia. One year prior to admission the patient was told of hepatitis at routine check, but he remained asymptomatic throughout. He was admitted to our hospital with chief complaints of proteinuria and microscopic hematuria found on routine urinalysis. Liver and kidney biopsy revealed chronic persistent hepatitis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I, respectively. We report a case of hepatitis B virus associated nephropathy with review of the literatures. Considering the endemic nature of hepatitis B virus infection in Korea, the incidence of hepatitis B virus associated nephropathy would be proportionally high in comparison with those of other countries. So, the importance of this entity merits special consideration in our country. Further study concerning pathogenesis, epidemiology, and treatment may be needed.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Epidemiology ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; Hematuria ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Proteinuria ; Urinalysis

Behcet's disease was originally described as a triple symptom complex of oral aphthous ulceration, genital ulceration, and hypopyon iritis. It is now known to have a wide systemic manifestations. Among them, the central nervous system involvement should be diagnosed earlier because of it's lethal potential. Recently the authors experienced a case of Behcet's disease with CNS involvement. A 51-year-old female patient was admitted due to deterioration of mentality and generalized ache since 2 years prior to admission. The findings on physical examination were compatible with Behcet's disease, but without cerebrospinal pleocytosis. The manifestations were improved with medications of prednisolone, chlorambucil, colchicines, but relapsed relapsed 2 months later during subsequent tapering of prednisolone and chlorambucil. The patient is now on medication again. A case of Behcet's disease with CNS manifestations is reported with review of literature.
Behcet Syndrome ; Central Nervous System ; Chlorambucil ; Female ; Humans ; Iritis ; Leukocytosis ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Prednisolone ; Stomatitis, Aphthous ; Ulcer

Clinical study was carried out on the 64 hemodialysis patients(HD) with chronic renal failure who had been treated from December 1992 to July 1993 in Yeungnam University Hospital. The following results were obitained. In hematologic parameters, MCH was 28.8±2.0pg, and MCV was 92.4±4.7fl. Result revealed normochromic and normocytic anemia. Mean values of serum ferritin were 657.4±292.0ng/ml in men and 511.5±370g in women. Mean values of serum iron were 145.5±63.7µg/dl. Mean values of transferrin saturation was 61.6±28.4%. Serum frerritin, serum iron and transferrin saturation were higher in HD group than normal reference. In erythropoeitin treatment group, Hb and Hct were significantly higher than non-erythropoietin treatment group. Amount of transfusion was significantly higher in non-erythropoietin treatment group than erythropoeitin treatment group(p<0.05). Values of iron, transferrin saturation were significantly higher in abnormal liver function test(LFT0 hemodialysis group than normal LFT group(p<0.05). Transfusion amounts revealed positive correlation with ferritin(r=0.4675), transferrin satruation (r=0.3823) and iron(r=0.3386) (p<0.05).
Anemia* ; Clinical Study ; Erythropoietin* ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver ; Male ; Renal Dialysis ; Transferrin

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are a rare, but clinically important cause of infections in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. This is typically suspected when a patient does not respond to treatment with the usual antibiotics. We describe here a case of Mycobacterium abscessus exit site infection with abdominal wall abscess formation that was associated with CAPD, which required peritoneal catheter removal, surgical debridement of the abscess and long term antibiotic therapy.
Abdominal Wall ; Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters ; Debridement ; Humans ; Mycobacterium ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory

Objective: The aims of this study were to explore the prevalence of and identify predictors of anxiety and depression related to coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea. Methods: The analysis is based on a quota survey design and a sampling frame that permitted recruitment of a national sample of 1,014 individuals between March 17–31, 2020. Several standardized measurements were used, including GAD-7, PHQ-9, COVID-19 related fear, restrictions in deaily life, as well as sociodemographic information and physical and psychosocial needs during the pandemic. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to analyze the influence of sociodemographic factors, fear, and physical/psychosocial needs on anxiety and depression. Results: Significant numbers of the respondents were identifiable anxiety (19.0%) and depression group (17.5%), respectively. This indicates that the depression and anxiety prevalence rate after the COVID-19 is substantially high compared to the depression rate of 2.6% in 2020 and 2.8% in 2018 both reported in the Korea Community Health Survey and the anxiety rate of 5.7% reported in 2016 Survey of Mental Disorders in Korea. Multiple logistic regression results showed age, COVID-19 related fear, and the level of restrictions in daily as significant factors in understanding and predicting the anxiety group. Likfewise, the COVID-19 related fear, restrictions in daily life, and need for economic support were important predictors in predicting the depression group. Conclusion Findings on predictors for greater vulnerability to anxiety and depression has important implications for public mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The aims of this study were to explore the prevalence of and identify predictors of anxiety and depression related to coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea. Methods: The analysis is based on a quota survey design and a sampling frame that permitted recruitment of a national sample of 1,014 individuals between March 17–31, 2020. Several standardized measurements were used, including GAD-7, PHQ-9, COVID-19 related fear, restrictions in deaily life, as well as sociodemographic information and physical and psychosocial needs during the pandemic. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to analyze the influence of sociodemographic factors, fear, and physical/psychosocial needs on anxiety and depression. Results: Significant numbers of the respondents were identifiable anxiety (19.0%) and depression group (17.5%), respectively. This indicates that the depression and anxiety prevalence rate after the COVID-19 is substantially high compared to the depression rate of 2.6% in 2020 and 2.8% in 2018 both reported in the Korea Community Health Survey and the anxiety rate of 5.7% reported in 2016 Survey of Mental Disorders in Korea. Multiple logistic regression results showed age, COVID-19 related fear, and the level of restrictions in daily as significant factors in understanding and predicting the anxiety group. Likfewise, the COVID-19 related fear, restrictions in daily life, and need for economic support were important predictors in predicting the depression group. Conclusion Findings on predictors for greater vulnerability to anxiety and depression has important implications for public mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The investigations of personality traits have been the issue of many studies on patients with tension-type headache. However, there was few comparison study of personality traits between the patients with episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) and chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). METHODS: The study was consecutively made of the personality profiles of two groups with ETTH (137 patients) and CTTH (115 patients) in accordance with the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria, employing the MMPI. RESULTS: The two groups could be classified into three clusters by a multivariate cluster analysis, which are relatively normal profile (cluster I), somatic profile (cluster II, elevated Hs-D-Hy scales), and psychosomatic profile (cluster III, elevated Pa-Pt-Sc-Si and Hs-D-Hy scales). The proportion of the patients with CTTH in the psychosomatic profile group was stastically more significant (59.6%) than that of the patients with ETTH (40.4%) by a chi-square test. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the psychosomatic profile might be more common in the CTTH patients than in the ETTH patients.
Headache ; Humans ; MMPI* ; Tension-Type Headache*

PURPOSE: After trauma and surgery, upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is the most common condition that can require massive transfusion (MT). The present study aimed to analyze and compare the prognostic performance of the Glasgow-Blatchford (GB), pre-endoscopy Rockall (PER), and modified early warning (MEW) scores for predicting MT in patients with unstable UGIB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients with UGIB from March 2016 to February 2018. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to examine the prognostic performance of the GB, PER, and MEW scoring systems. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for MT, after adjusting for relevant covariates. The primary outcome was MT. RESULTS: Of the 484 included patients with unstable UGIB, 19 (3.9%) received an MT. The areas under the curves (AUCs) of the GB, PER, and MEW scores for MT were 0.577 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.531–0.621], 0.570 (95% CI, 0.525–0.615), and 0.767 (95% CI, 0.727–0.804), respectively. The AUC of the MEW score was significantly different from those of the GB and PER scores. In multivariate analysis, MEW score was independently associated with MT in patients with unstable UGIB (odds ratio, 1.495; 95% CI, 1.100–2.033; p=0.010). CONCLUSION: In unstable UGIB patients, MEW score had the best prognostic performance for MT among three scoring systems.
Area Under Curve ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Observational Study ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve

Objective: This study aimed to observe the changes in people’s depressive levels over 9 months since the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as well as to identify the predictors of people’s depressive levels including COVID-19 infection fear in the context of South Korea in 2020. Methods: For these purposes, four cross-sectional surveys were periodically implemented from March to December 2020. We randomly recruited 6,142 Korean adults (aged 19 to 70) by using a quota survey. Along with descriptive analysis, which included a one-way analysis of variance and correlations, multiple regression models were built to identify the predictors of people’s depressive levels during the pandemic. Results Overall, people’s depressive levels and fear of COVID-19 infection gradually increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to demographic variables (i.e., being a female, young age, unemployed, and living alone) and the duration of the pandemic, people’s COVID-19 infection fear was associated with their depressive levels. Conclusion To ameliorate these rising mental health issues, access to mental health services should be secured and expanded, particularly for individuals who present greater vulnerabilities due to socioeconomic characteristics that may affect their mental health.