Characteristics and Risk Factors for Pressure Ulcers in Severe Trauma Patients Admitted to the Trauma Intensive Care Unit

Purpose@#A retrospective descriptive study was performed to develop strategies to manage or prevent pressure ulcers in patients with severe trauma being cared for in the trauma intensive care unit (TICU). @*Methods@#Study data was compiled from 315 patients with severe trauma (injury severity score ≥ 15) who were admitted to a general hospital from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021 and were being cared for in the TICU. For patients with pressure ulcers, the characteristics and associated factors of pressure ulcers were examined. @*Results@#There were 42 severe trauma patients (13.3%) with pressure ulcers, of which, 50.0% of cases occurred at the site of the coccyx. In 50% of patients, Stage 2 pressure ulcers were observed. The mean onset day of pressure ulcers was 9.74 days after admission. The occurrence of diabetes, critical care triage score, length of stay in intensive care, death, shock, dialysis, ventilator application, endotracheal intubation, peripheral insertion central catheter insertion, A-line insertion, body protector application, sedatives, blood pressure boosters, nasal cannula, high-flow oxygenators, oxygen tip application, drainage insertion, nasogastric tube nutrition, and ventilator application period were investigated. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the influencing factors for the development of pressure ulcers were endotracheal intubation, length of stay in the TICU, and age, in that order. @*Conclusion@#By identifying the characteristics and risk factors associated with pressure ulcers in patients with severe trauma, strategies can be developed to better prevent or manage pressure ulcers in the future.

Comparison of Auto RPR Plus and Auto TPIM Plus with Mediace RPR and Abbott Syphilis TP for Serologic Diagnosis of Syphilis

BACKGROUND: Serologic testing is considered a standard method for syphilis diagnosis. We compared Auto RPR Plus and Auto TPIM Plus with previously developed assays. METHODS: The precision around the cut-off, linearity, and recovery rate of Auto RPR Plus and Auto TPIM Plus was evaluated using their positive/negative control materials. The results of these two tests were compared with those of Mediace RPR and Abbott Syphilis TP using 431 remnant serum samples collected from people who underwent medical examinations. RESULTS: The within-run precisions (coefficient of variation, CV values) of negative/positive control materials of Auto RPR Plus, Mediace RPR, Auto TPIM Plus and Abbott Syphilis TP were 15.7/2.3%, 20.4/2.3%, -/2.7%, and 8.5/2.3%, respectively; between-run precisions were 67.7/3.3%, 39.1/3.4%, -/4.0%, and 7.0/1.5%, respectively. Auto RPR Plus showed better precision around the cutoff level (1.0 U) compared to Mediace RPR (7.2–7.3% vs. 12.2–14.3%). The CVs of Auto TPIM Plus around the cutoff (10.0 U) were 13.5% at 10.5 U and 6.6% at 12.5 U. Agreement rates between Auto RPR Plus and Mediace RPR and between Auto TPIM Plus and Abbott Syphilis TP were 97.2% and 98.4%, respectively. However, twelve samples showed discrepant results for Auto RPR Plus (−)/Mediace RPR (+) and false-positive Mediace RPR results could not be excluded around the cutoff of 1.0 U. CONCLUSIONS: Auto RPR Plus showing good precision near the cutoff can be used for syphilis screening in health checkups. However, Auto TPIM Plus needs improvement in precision and adjusting the cutoff to be used for syphilis screening.

Local Atrial/Ventricular Ratio as an Adjuvant Marker for Catheter Ablation of Atrioventricular Accessory Pathways

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The earliest atrial (A)/ventricular (V) activation potential, or accessory pathway (AP) potential are commonly used as ablation targets for atrioventricular (AV) APs. However, these targets are sometimes ambiguous. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed 119 catheter ablation cases in 112 patients diagnosed with orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) or Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Local A/V amplitude potentials with the earliest activation or AP potential were measured shortly before achieving antegrade AP conduction block, ventriculoatrial block during right ventricle (RV) pacing, or AVRT termination with no AP conduction. RESULTS: APs were located in the left lateral (55.5%), left posterior (17.6%), left posteroseptal (10.1%), midseptal (1.7%), right posteroseptal (7.6%), right posterior (1.7%), and right lateral (5.9%) regions. The mean earliest activation time was 16.7±15.5 ms, mean A/V potential was 1.1±0.9/1.0±0.9 mV, and mean A/V ratio was 1.7±2.0. There was no statistically significant difference between the activation methods (antegrade vs. RV pacing vs. orthodromic AVRT) or AP locations (left vs. right atrium). However, when the local A/V ratio was divided into 3 groups (≤0.6, 1.0±0.3, and ≥1.4), the antegrade approach resulted in an A/V ratio greater than 1.0±0.3 (86.7%, p=0.007), and the orthodromic AVRT state resulted in a ratio of less than 1.0±0.3 (87.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The mean local A/V potential and ratio did not differ by activation method or AP location. However, a different A/V ratio based on activation method (≥1.0±0.3, antegrade approach; and ≤1.0±0.3, orthodromic AVRT state) could be a good adjuvant marker for targeting AV APs.

Massive hemoperitoneum due to a ruptured corpus luteum cyst in a patient with congenital hypofibrinogenemia

Congenital afibrinogenemia/hypofibrinogenemia is a rare inherited hematologic disorder in which a patient lacks or has insufficient level of fibrinogen, the blood coagulation factor I. The incidence of this uncommon disease is 1 to 2 per 1 million individuals. Hence, massive hemoperitoneum caused by ovulation in a woman with congenital afibrogenemia is also a very rare clinical condition. Massive hemoperitoneum usually presents as acute abdominal pain with potential findings of peritonitis including abdominal distention, hypotension and tachycardia with critical consequences. We performed emergent endoscopic surgery for hemoperitoneum caused by a ruptured corpus luteum cyst in a patient with congenital hypofibrinogenemia. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first case report of such treatment in Korea.

A Case of a del(8p)/dup(8q) Recombinant Chromosome

A male baby with intrauterine growth retardation had a short neck, small hands and feet, hypospadia, both grade I hydronephrosis, type II atrial septal defect, and moderate valvular pulmonary stenosis. The routine chromosome and banding analyses revealed a 46,XY,rec(8)del(8)(p21)dup(8) (q24.1)inv(8)(p21q24.1)pat chromosome constitution. His mother has normal chromosomes, but the father had 46,XY,inv(8)(p21q24.1). Also his uncle had an inv(8) chromosome constitution. We used lymphocytes and examined 40 mitotic cells. All mitotic cells showed deletion of 8p21-->pter and duplication of 8q24.1-->qter. Because 8p21 involves secretion of macrophage and lymphocyte against cancer cells, long-term follow-up for cancer will be needed.

Clinical Value of GRACE Score in the Prediction of Mortality in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to evaluate the validity of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Event (GRACE) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: One thousand thirty hundred seventy eight patients (63.6+/-12.0 years, 921 male), who were admitted at coronary care unit (CCU) of Chonnam National University Hospital between January 2004 and December 2005, were analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: the survived group (n=1,298, 871 male, 63.1+/-9.7 years) and the moribund group (n=80, 50 male, 67.4+/-8.5 years). Clinical characteristics, risk factors for atherosclerosis, echocardiographic findings, GRACE score and NT-proBNP were compared between groups. RESULTS: The overall mortality was 5.8 %, 80 out of 1,378 patients. Mortality was higher in patients with Killip IV (46.7%, 50 out of 107 patients) than Killip II or III and elderly patients more than 80 years (42.7%, 38 out of 89 patients). High Killip class and old age were associated with high mortality (p<0.0001 respectively). Total score of GRACE was elevated in the moribund group (142+/-40.3 vs. 240+/-40.0) and high GRACE score was significant predictor of mortality (p<0.0001, r=0.827). Predictive factors for mortality by multiple logistic regression analysis were GRACE score (OR 1.15, 1.11~1.20 95%CI, p<0.0001) and old age (OR 0.88, 1.14~1.33 95%CI, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: GRACE score is useful predictor for the mortality of ACS at CCU.

Three Dimensional Reconstitution of Oral Mucosal Keratinocytes and Its Biologic Characteristics

The purposes of this study were to develop an in vitro co-culture model of epithelial tissue with dermal equivalent, cultured at an air-liquid interface, and to evaluate the effects of extracellular matrix and concentration of calcium and fetal bovine serum in medium to find optimized culture condition. Oral keratinizing epithelial cells in monolayer culture were grown in Mitomycin-treated 3T3 feeder. Primary cultured oral epithelial cells were reconstituted onto the dermal equivalents consisting of 3T3 fibroblast and type I collagen, and co-culture was grown at the air-liquid interface. The histomorphological development of reconstituted oral epithelium in vitro for 21 days revealed 10~12 layered statified epithelium, closely similar to the parakeratinized gingival epithelium. Neither laminin nor type IV collagen was able to induce keratinocyte differentiation. But a mixture of laminin and type IV collagen induced well-polarized keratinizing tissue with anchoring structure of basal cells. When the reconstituted oral epithelium was incubated in 1.0% and 0.5% serum-containing medium, the granular cell layers with orthokeratinization developed. The reconstituted epidermis generated in serum-free keratinocyte growth medium (KGM)-containing pituitary extract showed features of incomplete differentiation. The present study shows that the dermal equivalents containing fibroblasts will support epidermal morphogenesis and differentiation. And these results suggest that extracellular matrix and calcium concentration are important factors during the reconstitution of keratinizing epithelium in vitro.

The Lymphocyte Subset Change in a Case of Subacute Necrotizing Lymphadenitis

The subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis, also known as Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, is a benign, self-limited disorder of unknown cause. This rare disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, leukopenia, and elevated sedimentation rate. This disease preferentially affects young women. The diagnosis of this disease is confirmed by involved lymphnodes biopsy. Evidence for autoimmune dysfunction has been reported, but is usually lacking. According to the review of the literatures, a total of 192 cases of subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis were reported in Korea since 1983 mostly in literatures of pathology or internal medicine and only 7 cases in pediatrics. There was female predominance in a 141:51 ratio. However, among 25 cases of under 20 years of age, there was male predominance in a 16:9 ratio. The patients of under and over 20 years of age were 29 and 82, respectively among the age-known 111 cases of 192 reported. We experienced a 13-year-old boy, who had right cervical lymphadenitis with persisting high temperature and pain on lymph nodes for more than 10 days. An excisional cervical lymph node biopsy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was compatible with subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis. Most antibiotics were not effective, but fever subsided with one day of oral prednisolone therapy. Various laboratory studies for prolonged fever were negative except leukopenia and increased sedimentation rates. The CD4/CD8 ratios in acute and recovery stages were 1.1 and 1.5 respectively, showing mild decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio in the acute stage. Decreased T cell proportions in the acute stage were also noted.

The Lymphocyte Subset Change in a Case of Subacute Necrotizing Lymphadenitis

The subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis, also known as Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, is a benign, self-limited disorder of unknown cause. This rare disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, leukopenia, and elevated sedimentation rate. This disease preferentially affects young women. The diagnosis of this disease is confirmed by involved lymphnodes biopsy. Evidence for autoimmune dysfunction has been reported, but is usually lacking. According to the review of the literatures, a total of 192 cases of subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis were reported in Korea since 1983 mostly in literatures of pathology or internal medicine and only 7 cases in pediatrics. There was female predominance in a 141:51 ratio. However, among 25 cases of under 20 years of age, there was male predominance in a 16:9 ratio. The patients of under and over 20 years of age were 29 and 82, respectively among the age-known 111 cases of 192 reported. We experienced a 13-year-old boy, who had right cervical lymphadenitis with persisting high temperature and pain on lymph nodes for more than 10 days. An excisional cervical lymph node biopsy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was compatible with subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis. Most antibiotics were not effective, but fever subsided with one day of oral prednisolone therapy. Various laboratory studies for prolonged fever were negative except leukopenia and increased sedimentation rates. The CD4/CD8 ratios in acute and recovery stages were 1.1 and 1.5 respectively, showing mild decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio in the acute stage. Decreased T cell proportions in the acute stage were also noted.

Analysis of platelet yield and leukocyte contamination in plateletpheresis by CS 3000 plus / 대한임상병리학회지

No abstract available.