Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a major complication in sepsis patients. We compared the performance of five DIC diagnostic criteria, focusing on the prediction of mortality. One hundred patients with severe sepsis or septic shock admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled. Routine DIC laboratory tests were performed over the first 4 days after admission. The overall ICU and 28-day mortality in DIC patients diagnosed from five criteria (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis [ISTH], the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine [JAAM], the revised JAAM [R-JAAM], the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare [JMHW] and the Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis [KSTH]) were compared. Both KSTH and JMHW criteria showed superior performance than ISTH, JAAM and R-JAAM criteria in the prediction of overall ICU mortality in DIC patients (odds ratio 3.828 and 5.181, P = 0.018 and 0.006, 95% confidence interval 1.256–11.667 and 1.622–16.554, respectively) when applied at day 1 after admission, and survival analysis demonstrated significant prognostic impact of KSTH and JMHW criteria on the prediction of 28-day mortality (P = 0.007 and 0.049, respectively) when applied at day 1 after admission. In conclusion, both KSTH and JMHW criteria would be more useful than other three criteria in predicting prognosis in DIC patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality* ; Prognosis ; Sepsis* ; Shock, Septic ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), an important cause of acquired thrombophilia, is diagnosed when vascular thrombosis or pregnancy morbidity occurs with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). APS is a risk factor for unprovoked recurrence of pulmonary embolism (PE). Performing laboratory testing for aPL after a first unprovoked acute PE is controversial. We investigated if a specific phenotype existed in patients with unprovoked with acute PE, suggesting the need to evaluate them for APS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with PE and APS (n=24) and those with unprovoked PE with aPL negative (n=44), evaluated 2006–2016 at the Asan Medical Center. We compared patient demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and radiological findings between the groups. RESULTS: On multivariate logistic regression analysis, two models of independent risk factors for APS-PE were suggested. Model I included hemoptysis (odds ratio [OR], 12.897; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.025–162.343), low PE severity index (OR, 0.948; 95% CI, 0.917–0.979), and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT; OR, 1.166; 95% CI, 1.040–1.307). Model II included age (OR, 0.930; 95% CI, 0.893–0.969) and aPTT (OR, 1.104; 95% CI, 1.000–1.217). CONCLUSION: We conclude that patients with first unprovoked PE with hemoptysis and are age <40; have a low pulmonary embolism severity index, especially in risk class I–II; and/or prolonged aPTT (above 75th percentile of the reference interval), should be suspected of having APS, and undergo laboratory testing for aPL.
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid* ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Demography ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Phenotype* ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thrombophilia ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: The immature platelet fraction (IPF) reflects the degree of reticulated platelets. We evaluated performances of IPF as a biomarker for the discrimination of septic patients from non-septic patients and sepsis severity. METHODS: Total 312 patients admitted between March and July 2013 were enrolled and samples were obtained at admission. Lactate (LA), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), immature granulocyte fraction (IG), immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), and IPF were analyzed as sepsis biomarkers and their performances were compared. RESULTS: The performance of IPF (area under the curve [AUC]=0.868) in the discrimination of septic patients from non-septic patients was comparable to PCT/CRP/LA/IG (AUC=0.923/0.940/0.781/0.812, P=0.233/0.106/0.186/0.353, respectively), and was significantly better than the IRF (AUC=0.658, P=0.007). Sensitivity (89.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 84.9-99.8%) and accuracy (83.2%, 95% CI 78.8-90.0%) of IPF were the best among all biomarkers. The performance of IPF in discriminating septic patients from non-septic patients with local infection showed similar results. However, the IPF could not efficiently discriminate sepsis severity (AUC=0.599), similar to other biomarkers (AUC=0.519-0.752). CONCLUSIONS: The IPF possessed high sensitivity/accuracy in discriminating septic patients from non-septic patients, regardless of local infection status. However, the IPF did not efficiently discriminate sepsis severity. The clinical relevance of IPF as a sepsis biomarker is, therefore, limited to sensitive and accurate discrimination of septic patients from non-septic patients, not discrimination of sepsis severity.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers/blood ; Blood Platelets/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reticulocytes/pathology ; Sepsis/*blood/diagnosis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hypothermia, defined as a core temperature under 36℃, increases the risk of cardiac complication, bleeding and infection. This study aimed to compare the hypothermia-preventing effects of a warming blanket (Ready-heat®) and one-layer cotton blanket in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the bladder (TURBT) under general anesthesia. METHODS: Patients undergoing TURBT under general anesthesia were allocated to the warming blanket (N = 23) or one-layer cotton blanket (N = 23) groups. Ten minutes before induction of anesthesia, warming blanket or one-layer cotton blanket was applied according to the assigned group. Tympanic temperature was measured just before induction of anesthesia. Esophageal temperature and tympanic temperature were measured from 20 min after induction of anesthesia at 10-min intervals. Tympanic temperature was measured at 10-min intervals over a 30-min period in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). In addition, the incidence and intensity of shivering and thermal comfort were also measured. RESULTS: The core temperature during general anesthesia showed no significant intergroup difference. The warming blanket group showed a lower incidence of hypothermia at 1 h after induction of anesthesia. Tympanic temperature, the incidence and intensity of shivering, and thermal comfort in the PACU showed no significant intergroup differences. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the warming blanket or one-layer cotton blanket for 10 min before induction of anesthesia showed no hypothermia-preventing effects. However, at one hour after induction of anesthesia, warming blanket application reduced the incidence of hypothermia to a greater degree than one-layer cotton blanket.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Incidence ; Perioperative Period ; Shivering ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: It is critical to differentiate heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in heparinized intensive care unit (ICU) patients with thrombocytopenia because the therapeutic approach differs based on the cause. We investigated the usefulness of PF4/heparin antibody tests in these patients. METHODS: A total of 127 heparinized ICU patients whose platelet counts were <150x10(9)/L or reduced by >50% after 5-10 days of heparin therapy were enrolled. PF4/heparin antibodies were measured using 2 immunoassays. We assessed the probability of HIT by using Warkentin's 4T's scoring system for antibody positive patients and compared routinely performed coagulation test results between patients with and without antibodies to evaluate the ability of these tests to discriminate between HIT and DIC. RESULTS: Positive results were obtained for 14 (11.0%) and 11 (8.7%) patients in the 2 assays. The analysis performed using the 4T's scoring system revealed that 11 of 20 (15.7%) patients with antibodies in at least 1 assay had intermediate or greater probability of HIT. Patients without antibodies had significantly higher levels of D-dimer than those with antibodies. However, there were no intergroup differences in platelet counts, PT, aPTT, fibrinogen, DIC score, and rate of overt DIC. CONCLUSION: Seropositivity for PF4/heparin antibody was 8.7-11.0% in the patients with thrombocytopenia, and more than a half of them had an increased probability of HIT. Among the routine coagulation tests, only D-dimer was informative for differentiating HIT from DIC. PF4/heparin antibody test is useful to ensure appropriate treatment for thrombocytopenic heparinized ICU patients.
Antibodies ; Dacarbazine ; Dietary Sucrose ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; Fibrinogen ; Heparin ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Factor 4 ; Thrombocytopenia

In 2016, the World Health Organization revised the diagnostic criteria for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) based on the discovery of disease-driving genetic aberrations and extensive analysis of the clinical characteristics of patients with MPNs. Recent studies have suggested that additional somatic mutations have a clinical impact on the prognosis of patients harboring these genetic abnormalities. Treatment strategies have also advanced with the introduction of JAK inhibitors, one of which has been approved for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis and those with hydroxyurea-resistant or intolerant polycythemia vera. Recently developed drugs aim to elicit hematologic responses, as well as symptomatic and molecular responses, and the response criteria were refined accordingly. Based on these changes, we have revised the guidelines and present the diagnosis, treatment, and risk stratification of MPNs encountered in Korea.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, is a condition characterized by abnormal blood clot formation in the pulmonary arteries and the deep venous vasculature. It is often serious and sometimes even fatal if not promptly and appropriately treated. Moreover, the later consequences of VTE may result in reduced quality of life. The treatment of VTE depends on various factors, including the type, cause, and patient comorbidities. Furthermore, bleeding may occur as a side effect of VTE treatment. Thus, it is necessary to carefully weigh the benefits versus the risks of VTE treatment and to actively monitor patients undergoing treatment. Asian populations are known to have lower VTE incidences than Western populations, but recent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of VTE in Asia. A variety of treatment options are currently available owing to the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants.The current VTE treatment recommendation is based on evidence from previous studies, but it should be applied with careful consideration of the racial, genetic, and social characteristics in the Korean population.