BACKGROUND/AIMS: The microbiological surveillance of endoscopes and automated flexible endoscope reprocessing have been proven to be two of the most difficult and controversial areas of infection control in endoscopy. The purpose of this study was to standardize a sampling method for assessing the effectiveness of standard reprocessing operating procedures for flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopes (FFLs). METHODS: First, the sampling devices were directly inoculated with Bacillus atrophaeus spores; second, tissue non tissue (TNT) wipes were tested on artificially contaminated surfaces and on FFLs. RESULTS: Comparison of the sponges, cellulose, and TNT wipes indicated that the TNT wipes were more effective in releasing spores (93%) than the sponges (49%) and cellulose wipes (52%). The developed protocol provides a high efficiency for both collection and extraction from the stainless steel surface (87% of the spores were removed and released) and from the FFL (85% of the spores were removed and released), with relatively low standard deviations for recovery efficiency, particularly for the analysis of the FFL. CONCLUSIONS: TNT wipes are more efficient for sampling surface areas, thereby aiding in the accuracy and reproducibility of environmental surveillance.
Bacillus ; Cellulose ; Disinfection ; Endoscopes ; Endoscopy ; Environmental Monitoring ; Infection Control ; Laryngoscopes* ; Methods* ; Porifera ; Spores ; Stainless Steel ; Trinitrotoluene

BACKGROUND: Newborn screening of tyrosinemia type 1 is important for identifying infants at risk for developing this disease before life-threatening symptoms occur. It is difficult to differentiate between tyrosinemia type 1 and transient neonatal tyrosinemia (TNT) by analyzing tyrosine alone. Thus, succinylacetone must be analyzed. In this study, we measured succinylacetone in dried blood spot (DBS) by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and established cut-off values. METHODS: We used the hydrazine derivatization method to measure succinylacetone in 127 DBSs showing normal results in the newborn screening test and 93 DBSs showing increased tyrosine levels. We established cut-off values using the 99.9th percentile value or median+5 standard deviation value. RESULTS: Succinylacetone levels determined by our method were well-correlated with the results recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proficiency testing (r=0.9968). The succinylacetone levels in normal newborn DBSs were significantly lower than those in DBSs with high tyrosine levels (P < 0.001). The cut-off values were calculated to be 1.3 µM from the results of 127 normal DBS samples and 2.2 µM from 220 DBSs, including in 93 newborns with TNT. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of succinylacetone in DBSs by HPLC-MS/MS is useful in individuals with increased tyrosine concentrations and can be used for rapid differential diagnosis of tyrosinemia when an appropriate cut-off value is established.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Mass Spectrometry* ; Methods ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Trinitrotoluene ; Tyrosine ; Tyrosinemias

BACKGROUND: The point-of-care (POC) troponin T assay has been used in various clinical settings. Recently, a POC troponin T assay with an extended measurable range (40 ng/L-2,000 ng/L) was introduced. We aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of the Roche Cardiac POC Troponin T assay (POC TnT, Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) using the cobas h 232 POC system. METHODS: The repeatability and within-laboratory imprecision of the POC TnT assay were evaluated using the Roche Cardiac POC Troponin T level 2 control. Repeatability was also assessed using patient samples. Linearity of the POC TnT assay was evaluated using patient samples containing five different concentrations of troponin T. Performance of the Elecsys Troponin T high sensitivity assay (hs-TnT) was compared with that of the POC TnT assay using 40 patient samples. RESULTS: The repeatability (%CV), and within-laboratory imprecision (%CV) using the level 2 control solution (mean troponin T, 441.6 ng/L) were 8.5% and 8.6%, respectively. The repeatability of patient samples containing 88.7 ng/L and 454.6 ng/L TnT was 7.5% and 7.2%, respectively. The POC TnT assay was confirmed to produce linear data between 54.0 ng/L and 1,347.7 ng/L. Relative to the hs-TnT assay, the Passing-Bablok linear regression equation (correlation coefficient) was y=0.8933x+6.24 (r=0.988). At a troponin T concentration of 40 ng/L, the estimated bias of the POC TnT assay was 1.972 ng/L (4.93%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the Roche Cardiac POC Troponin T assay is reliable in cases where POC troponin T testing is required.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Point-of-Care Systems* ; Trinitrotoluene ; Troponin T* ; Troponin*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography for trinitrotoluene (TNT) cataract.

METHODSThe morphology and internal echoes of 90 lenses of 45 TNT cataract patients and 120 lenses of 60 healthy adults were observed and compared using ultrasonography and slit lamp, and the hemodynamic parameters of the post-ophthalmic artery were also measured. The findings of the slit-lamp microscope were regarded as diagnostic criteria, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accordance rate of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of TNT cataract were calculated.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, and accordance rate of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of TNT cataract were 93.33%, 100.00%, and 97.14%, respectively; the positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 95.23%, respectively; the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 93.33 and 0.67, especuvey. With the progression TNT cataract, utrasonography showed that the lenses demonstrated morphological changes (spindle-shaped, spherical, and discoid morphologies), and the arc echoes of the posterior capsule were thickened and enhanced. The TNT cataract patients showed significantly lower peak systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and central retinal artery (P<0.01) and a significantly higher resistance index (P<0.05) than the healthy adults.

CONCLUSIONThe sensitivity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of TNT cataract is similar to that of slit lamp. Ultrasonography can demonstrate objectively the shape, range, and degree of lens opacity in an efficient manner, which is conducive to the diagnosis and staging of TNT cataract by slit lamp, and can also provide hemodynamic information of the OA, thus providing new ideas for clinical physicians in evaluating the disease and clinical efficacy as well as exploring therapies.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cataract ; chemically induced ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline ; diagnostic imaging ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Slit Lamp ; Trinitrotoluene ; toxicity ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a common cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Early identification of patients with SAH induced OHCA may be helpful to emergency physicians when making therapeutic decisions. We conducted an investigation of the incidence and characteristics of patients with OHCA caused by non-traumatic SAH. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of cases of 236 OHCA survivors who had visited the emergency department (ED) of an urban tertiary care university hospital from January 2004 to December 2010. We excluded patients for whom there was an obvious cause or trauma. Clinical characteristics of SAH induced OHCA survivors were compared with those of SAH negative OHCA survivors. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients (19.11%) had been diagnosed with SAH. Compared with SAH negative survivors, SAH positive survivors were more likely to be female (odds ratio OR, 1.262; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.300-9.605), not to have Diabetes mellitus (OR, 0.180; 95% CI, 0.037-0.879), and to have a short duration of CPR time (OR, 1.074; 95% CI, 1.003-1.150). Results of the Cardiac Troponin T assay were less likely to be positive in patients with SAH induced OHCA, compared to those with SAH negative OHCA (OR, 0.071; 95% CI, 0.008-0.526). CONCLUSION: SAH is a more frequent cause of OHCA than originally believed. Immediate brain CT scan is useful in diagnosis of SAH when patient characteristics include: female, non diabetes mellitus, short duration of CPR time, or negative TnT.
Brain ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Survivors ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Trinitrotoluene ; Troponin T

BACKGROUND: Periprocedural treatment with high-dose statins is known to have cardioprotective and pleiotropic effects, such as anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory actions. We aimed to assess the efficacy of high-dose rosuvastatin loading in patients with stable angina undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 142 patients with stable angina who were scheduled to undergo surgical myocardial revascularization were randomized to receive either pre-treatment with 60-mg rosuvastatin (rosuvastatin group, n=71) or no pre-treatment (control group, n=71) before OPCAB. The primary endpoint was the 30-day incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). The secondary endpoint was the change in the degree of myocardial ischemia as evaluated with creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) and troponin T (TnT). RESULTS: There were no significant intergroup differences in preoperative risk factors or operative strategy. MACEs within 30 days after OPCAB occurred in one patient (1.4%) in the rosuvastatin group and four patients (5.6%) in the control group, respectively (p=0.37). Preoperative CK-MB and TnT were not different between the groups. After OPCAB, the mean maximum CK-MB was significantly higher in the control group (rosuvastatin group 10.7+/-9.75 ng/mL, control group 14.6+/-12.9 ng/mL, p=0.04). Furthermore, the mean levels of maximum TnT were significantly higher in the control group (rosuvastatin group 0.18+/-0.16 ng/mL, control group 0.39+/-0.70 ng/mL, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that high-dose rosuvastatin loading before OPCAB surgery did not result in a significant reduction of 30-day MACEs. However, high-dose rosuvastatin reduced myocardial ischemia after OPCAB.
Angina, Stable ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Creatine ; Fluorobenzenes ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Pyrimidines ; Risk Factors ; Sulfonamides ; Transplants ; Trinitrotoluene ; Troponin T ; Rosuvastatin Calcium

White-rot fungus Irpex lacteus degraded TNT significantly in proportion to the culture time. After 48 h incubation, about 95% of TNT was degraded. Two reduced metabolites were identified as 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT) and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) which was further degraded.
Aniline Compounds ; Fungi ; Trinitrotoluene

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Myocardial injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) occurs frequently and it is associated with an adverse clinical outcome. Mechanical factors have been implicated in this complication and the role of inflammation has not yet been clearly determined. We evaluated the effect of an inflammatory response during PCI on periprocedural myocardial injury. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 231 patients (mean age: 62.8+/-10.6 years, males: 60.6%) who underwent elective coronary stenting. For the exclusion of mechanical injury to the myocardium, we excluded those patients who developed complications during PCI. Blood samples for measuring the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and troponin T (TnT) were obtained before the procedure and at 6 hours and 24 hours after PCI. The inflammatory response to PCI was calculated as the difference between the peak postprocedural hsCRP level and the preprocedural hsCRP level (delta CRP). We divided the patients according to the median value of delta CRP: Group I <2.2 mg/dL and Group II > or =2.2 mg/dL. RESULTS: Postprocedural TnT elevation was were observed in 72 (31.2%) patients. The baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were not difference between the two groups. The incidence of any TnT elevations was higher in the Group II than that in Group I (19.8% vs 42.6%, respectively, p<0.001). The incidences of TnT levels over 3 times the upper normal limit and 5 times the upper normal limit were also higher in Group II than in Group I (11.2% vs 21.7%, respectively, p=0.031, for a TnT level 3 times the upper normal limit, and 6.0% vs 13.9%, respectively, for a TnT level 5 times the upper normal limit). Multivariate analysis revealed that postprocedural hsCRP elevation and complex lesion were the significant independent predictors of postprocedural TnT elevation. CONCLUSION: Elevated hsCRP levels were associated with a higher risk of postprocedural troponin elevation in patients undergoing uncomplicated PCI. These results emphasized the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of periprocedural myocardial injury.
Angioplasty ; C-Reactive Protein ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardium ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prospective Studies ; Stents ; Trinitrotoluene ; Troponin ; Troponin T

Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Time Factors ; Trinitrotoluene ; poisoning

The content and the activity of the cytP450 system, peroxydase activity, free SH group in blood of patient intoxicated with trinitrotoluene (TNT) exposure was determined. Results showed that after its invasion into blood, a majority of trinitrotoluene was metabolized and excreted through urine, and deposited partly in organ tissues especially in bone marrow, liver, kidney, fatty and nervous tissues. Aniline hydrolase activity and Cyt P450 content enhanced, peroxydase acitivty, Cyt b5 and free SH group in TNT exposed patients decreased in comparing with healthy subjects. Therefore, it's necessary to strengthen the health of the subjects regularly exposed to TNT
Trinitrotoluene ; blood ; diagnosis