Changes in deoxyhemoglobin and admission duration in carbon monoxide poisoning patients: a retrospective study

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to determine whether deoxyhemoglobin changes were associated with admission duration in carbon monoxide (CO)-poisoned patients. @*Methods@#This retrospective study included 181 patients who were able to breathe by themselves after CO poisoning. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed to measure their deoxyhemoglobin levels. Their baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes during hospitalization in the emergency department (ED) were collected and compared. To assess changes in deoxyhemoglobin levels, blood samples were taken immediately after patients presented to the ED and then again after 6 hours. For statistical analysis, logistic regression was utilized to determine the effect of deoxyhemoglobin changes on admission duration. @*Results@#The incidence rates of hypocapnia and hypoxemia at presentation after acute CO poisoning were 28.7% and 43.6%, respectively. Moreover, the magnitude of increasing deoxyhemoglobin levels in patients with hypoxemia (2.1 [1.7–3.1], p<0.001) and changes in deoxyhemoglobin levels appeared to have an impact on the length of hospitalization in the ED (odds ratio, 1.722; 95% confidence interval, 0.547–0.952; p<0.001). @*Conclusion@#In patients with acute CO poisoning, deoxyhemoglobin levels appeared to increase in those with hypoxemia, which in turn was associated with prolonged hospitalization.

Molecular Identification of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores Collected in Korea

Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) have mutualistic symbiosis with plants and thus efforts have been placed on application of these symbiotic relationships to agricultural and environmental fields. In this study, AM fungi were collected from 25 sites growing with 16 host plant species in Korea and cultured with Sorghum bicolor in greenhouse condition. AM fungal spores were extracted and identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Using morphological characters, total 15 morpho-speices were identified. DNA was extracted from single spore of AM fungi and a partial region on 18S rDNA was amplified using nested PCR with AM fungal specific primers AML1/AML2. A total of 36 18S rDNA sequences were analyzed for phylogenetic analysis and 15 groups of AM fungi were identified using both morphological and molecular data of spores. Among the species, 4 species, Archaeospora leptoticha, Scutellospora castanea, S. cerradensis, S. weresubiae were described for the first time in Korea and two species in Glomus and a species in Gigaspora were not identified. Morphological and molecular identification of AM fungal spores in this study would help identify AM fungal community colonizing roots.

Strut Graft with Septal Cartilage for Nasal Tip Plasty; Increment of the Nasolabial Angle

There are several characteristics of the nasal tip of Orientals. The skin is thick with severe tension and a bulbous nasal tip, the nostrils are wide, and the projection of the nose is limited due to a poorly developed alar cartilage with a short columella. Until now, in order to well outline the nasal tip and project the nose, the alar cartilage was realigned, the domes of the cartilage sutured together, silicone or cartilage was used to improve the appearance of the tip. However, it was difficult to achieve satisfactory results in Orientals due to a short columella and a acute nasolabial angle. From May 1998 to March 2000, the authors attempted to realign the alar cartilage with an open rhinoplasty approach and used the septal cartilage to project the nasal tip and lengthen the columella by designing the increased nasolabial angle in 20 cases. The cartilage was then inserted in the alar cartilage and fixed on the anterior nasal spine. The results, considered satisfactory in all patients without any complications, are as follows: 1. The changes of nasolabial angles were from 88.7 degrees to 95.3 degrees, 2. The average increase in columellar height was 3.5 mm, 3. The average decrease of the alar width was 3.0 mm, 4. The changes of the angle between the long axis of the external naris was from 92.2 degrees to 71.5 degrees. This procedure is an effective method in improving nasolabial angle and columella length.