BACKGROUND: Methemoglobinemia(MetHb) induced by dapsone overdose is not uncommon in Korea, especially in rural area. For treatment of dapsone-induced methemoglobinemia, methylene blue(MB) and activated charcoal(AC) should be used. To date, no reports have compared the amount of MB used between MB alone with MB & AC combined group(MB+AC). And also between moderate (MetHb<35%) and severe (MetHb>35%) intoxicated group defined by initial MetHb level. Authors hypothesized that less amount of MB can be used if MB and AC was used together and larger amount of MB is necessary to reduce MetHb level to asymptomatic level in severely intoxicated group. METHODS: From Jan 1990 to Dec 1996, a total of 54 patients who received treatment for dapsone intoxication were subject of study, The study was done retrospective chart analysis for initial MetHb level, total amount of MB and AC. Wilcoxon rank sum test and Chi-sqiare test was used to compare the total dosage of MB used for each group. Linear regression analysis was used between initial MetHb and the total amount of MB. Results were considered statistically significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: For MB alone and MB+AC group, the differences in total amount of MB used were statistically significant with mean dosage of 7.14+/-1.1mg/kg and 4.28+/-0.7mg/kg, respectively. And total amount of MB used between moderate and severe intoxicated group, the differences were statistically significant with mean dosage of 5.16+/-1.1mg/kg vs. 10.98+/-1.9mg/kg, respectively. There was significant correlation between initial MetHb level (X) and the amount of methylene blue (Y), Y=0.3X-2.42 (r2=0.41, p=0.0001) in MB alone, Y=0.186X-1.95(r2=0.21, p=0.034) in MB+AC respectively. CONCLUSION: For methemoglobinemia induced by dapsone, total amount of MB can be reduced especially in severe Intoxicated group if AC use was combined in treatment modality. There was significant correlationship between initial MetHb level and total amount of MB used.
Charcoal* ; Dapsone* ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Methemoglobinemia ; Methylene Blue* ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

We previously demonstrated that Bordetella (B.) bronchiseptica antigen (Ag) showed high immunostimulatory effects on mouse bone marrow cells (BMs) while Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae Ag showed low effects. The focus of this study was to determine if B. bronchiseptica Ag can enhance the M. hyopneumoniae Ag-specific immune response and whether the host's immune system can recognize both Ags. MTT assay results revealed that each or both Ags did not significantly change BM metabolic activity. Flow cytometry analysis using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester showed that B. bronchiseptica Ag can promote the division of BMs. In cytokine and nitric oxide (NO) assays, B. bronchiseptica Ag boosted production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in M. hyopneumoniae Ag-treated BMs, and combined treatment with both Ags elevated the level of NO in BMs compared to that from treatment of M. hyopneumoniae Ag alone. Immunoglobulin (Ig)G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the sera of Ag-injected mice clearly indicated that B. bronchiseptica Ag can increase the production of M. hyopneumoniae Ag-specific IgG. This study provided information valuable in the development of M. hyopneumoniae vaccines and showed that B. bronchiseptica Ag can be used both as a vaccine adjuvant and as a vaccine Ag.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bordetella bronchiseptica* ; Bordetella* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Immune System ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Mice* ; Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Nitric Oxide ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vaccines

The aim of this study was to identify a new gene of Haemophilus parasuis that could be used to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for this porcine pathogen. H. parasuis genomic DNA was cloned into a set of expression vectors, and transformants expressing His-tagged polypeptides were identified by colony blotting. An ABC transporter-like gene was isolated. The cloned DNA fragment is 1,105 base pair and shows 78% similarity at the nucleotide level with an ABC transporter gene of H. ducreyi. Based on this sequence, two PCR primers were designed to amplify the entire 1,105-bp fragment in the proposed diagnostic PCR test. PCR amplification was able to detect a minimum of 1 x 10(4) CFU/ml of H. parasuis organisms. Fifteen different H. parasuis serovars were positive using the PCR test. No amplification was observed when the test was done using DNA from 16 other bacterial species commonly isolated from swine.
Base Pairing ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; Haemophilus ; Haemophilus parasuis ; Peptides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Swine

Porcine parvovirus, Erysipelothrix (E.) rhusiopathiae, and Leptospira (L.) interrogans are considered major etiologic agents of reproductive failure in pigs, causing economic loss in the swine industry. In this study, the safety and immunogenicity of a new octavalent inactivated vaccine were evaluated. The vaccine contained inactivated porcine parvovirus, E. rhusiopathiae, and six L. interrogans serovars (Bratislava, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Hardjo, Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Pomona). Safety test results showed no notable side effects or clinical signs after vaccination in mice, guinea pigs, and sows. In addition, we assessed immunogenicity of the vaccine in 25 sows under field conditions. The vaccinated group (n = 20) had a significantly higher antibody level than the non-vaccinated group (n = 5). Moreover, the stillbirth rate decreased in piglets born from vaccinated sows, resulting in an increased fertility rate. The results of this study demonstrate that the new octavalent inactivated vaccine can be applied safely and effectively to improve reproductive performance in sows.
Animals ; Birth Rate ; Erysipelas* ; Erysipelothrix ; Guinea Pigs ; Leptospira* ; Leptospirosis ; Mice ; Parvovirus, Porcine* ; Serogroup ; Stillbirth ; Swine ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND: When patients return to the emergency department shortly after being seen, it is generally assumed that their initial evaluation or treatment was inadequate. But in other aspects many short term revisits may be unnecessary in the aspect of emergency care because it is known that substantial numbers of patients use emergency department for nonemergency problems. So we analysed the tendency and the cause of short term revisit patients, determined the rates and the associated demographic, clinical, disease variables as a tool of quality assurance. METHODS: We carried out a chart review of patients seen in the emergency department, who revisited within 72 hours, of Young Dong Severance Hospital retrospectively between January 1, 1998 and September 30, 1999 (period 2), and compared with result between April 1, 1990 and March 31, 1991 (period 1) respectively. RESULTS: In the period 1, the total revisits patients were 204/21,025(0.97%), in that period scheduled revisits were 15.2%, the unscheduled were 84.8%, and the frequent revisits (more than 3 times) were 6.4%. In the period 2, the total revisit patients were 4,722/72,802 (6.49%), in that period scheduled revisits were 86.3%, the unscheduled were 13.7%, and the frequent revisits were 24.8%. The most common cause of revisit during the period 2 is a drug addictor (31.2%) that frequently used the emergency room for seeking drug. CONCLUSIONS : The scheduled revisit patients for dressing, medication, re-evaluation were increased enormously, so the medical care of these patients might be a part of job that performed in emergency department. And if the health care system could support the adequate nursing care facility, the portion of avoidable revisits of emergency department can be decreased. We also found that the emergency department is an important points for the early identification and referral for the treatment of patients who revisited emergency room for seeking drug, and the analysis of physician related factor in revisits patients may be used as a tool of quality assurance in the emergency department.
Bandages ; Delivery of Health Care ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Nursing Care ; Referral and Consultation ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: The emergency physician(EP)'s interpretation of the electrocardiogram(ECG) is important in determining the disposition of patients evaluated in an emergency department(ED) for chest pain o other cardiac complaints. This particularly important in life-threatening ECG findings. When the cardiologist's final interpretation was defined as the correct one, the concordance compared with the EP was reported to be 50-60%, while the missed diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction(AMI) was reported as 0.6-8.0%, which could be deleterious to the patient. METHOD AND MATERIAL : One hundred and twenty eight ECGs were interpreted by two residents from each year residency. ED records of the study patients were reviewed, and the EP's and cardiologist's ECG interpretations were compared. The ECGs were classified by severity according to the following system: class I, normal or minor abnormalities only; class II, abnormalities with potential to alter case management; and class III, potentially life-threatening abnormalities. RESULTS: The overall concordance between EP's and cardiologist's ECG interpretations was 59.3% and the concordance comparing each year residency showed no statistical significant difference (p value less than 0.05). The underdiagnosed rate was 48.4%, 32.0%, 23.4%, 22.7% for first, second, third and fourth year residency respectively, and 2.3%, 5.5%, 10.9%, 5.5% respectively for the overdiagnosed rate. CONCLUSION: Although the overall concordance showed a relatively high result in our study, the concordance of class III ECG resulted a much lower rate. Therefore, additional studies are needed to identify variables that contribute to ED ECG misinterpretation and to develop methods to resolve these difficulties. Assessment of department ECG misinterpretation would be useful in focusing on resident and staff education.
Case Management ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Electrocardiography* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Internship and Residency

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the causative agent of reproductive failure and respiratory disorders in pigs. The viral genome consists of eight overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). ORF5 encodes one of the major glycoproteins and is known as an immunologically important structural protein associated with virus neutralization. The ORF5 gene of the Korean PRRSV isolate, CNV-1, was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), cloned and sequenced. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of CNV-1 ORF5 shared 91% and 83% identity, respectively, with the American isolate (VR2332 strain) and 57% and 49% identity with the European isolate. For the expression and easy purification of ORF5, the cDNA containing the complete ORF5 sequence fused in-frame with sequence encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST) was cloned into a baculovirus transfer vector and transfected into Sf9 cells. The GST-ORF5 fusion protein produced in Sf9 cells was detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Sequencing results confirmed that the recombinant baculovirus from Sf9 cells contains the complete ORF5 gene. Further studies in this direction will address whether ORF5 can be a good candidate for a subunit vaccine against PRRSV in Korea.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Baculoviridae ; Blotting, Western ; Clone Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Electrophoresis ; Genome, Viral ; Glutathione Transferase ; Glycoproteins ; Korea ; Open Reading Frames ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ; Sequence Analysis ; Sf9 Cells ; Sodium ; Swine ; Viruses

Omental infarction occurring after open and laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy with partial omentectomy for gastric cancer was a very rare disease in the past, but its incidence has increased as more partial omentectomies are now being performed. But there are few case reports or radiologic studies on its increasing incidence. It is necessary to differentiate omental infarction from carcinomatosis peritonei, since both have similar imaging findings. In this report, we describe two cases of omental infarction; each occurred after open and laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy in early gastric cancer patients. Partial omentectomy was performed in both cases. Omental infarction following distal gastrectomy with partial omentectomy can be discriminated from carcinomatosis peritonei by comparing with different initial and follow up CT findings.
Aged ; Female ; Gastrectomy/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Infarction/*etiology/radiography ; Laparoscopy/*adverse effects ; Middle Aged ; Omentum/*blood supply/radiography/surgery ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We have developed and optimized a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) for simultaneous detection of Brucella, Salmonella and Leptospira with high sensitivity and specificity. Three pairs of oligonucleotide primers were designed to specifically amplify the targeted genes of Salmonella, Leptospira and Brucella species with sizes of 521, 408 and 223 bp, respectively. The mPCR did not produce any nonspecific amplification products when tested against 15 related species of bacteria. The sensitivity of the mPCR was 100 fg for Brucella and 1 pg for both Salmonella and Leptospira species. In the field application, kidney, liver and spleen were collected from wild rats and stray cats and examined by mPCR. The high specificity and sensitivity of this mPCR assay provide a valuable tool for diagnosis and for the simultaneous and rapid detection of three zoonotic bacteria that cause disease in both humans and animals. Therefore, this assay could be a useful alternative to the conventional method of culture and single PCR for the detection of each pathogen.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Brucella ; Cats ; DNA Primers ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leptospira ; Liver ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats ; Salmonella ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen