ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We tried to assess whether the presence of warning symptoms and age could be useful indicators for performing endoscopy in patients who suffer from various organic gastrointestinal diseases. METHODS: Between May 2005 to August 2005, 827 subjects who visited the health care center were studied via questionnaires and performing upper endoscopy. The questionnaires evaluated the presence and pattern of dyspepsia and the warning symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 808 patients were enrolled. The mean age of patients was 44.6+/-8.9 years (mean+/-SD) with a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. 153 patients (18.9%) were diagnosed with confirmed organic diseases and 52 patients (6.4%) were diagnosed with definite organic diseases. The total number of organic diseases and definite organic diseases (gastroduodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis and advanced gastric cancer) was statistically higher in the male population (p=0.001 in both). The relative risk of dyspepsia, the presence of warning symptoms and each warning symptom for the organic disease and definite organic diseases were not consistently higher for the males or females. The males over fifty years and the males over sixty years age had a relative risk of 2.046 (95% CI: 1.27~3.30) and 3.105 (95% CI: 1.39~6.95) for organic disease and 1.913 (95% CI: 0.97~3.77) and 5.333 (95% CI: 2.15~13.22) for definite organic disease, respectively. For the male patients over fifty or sixty years old with dyspepsia or warning symptoms, there were tendencies to increase the relative risk of definite organic disease rather than organic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The relative risk of organic diseases in the presence of warning symptoms in males of over fifty years or sixty years age was not sufficiently significant for differentiating organic diseases. Thus, warning symptoms, old age and presence of dyspepsia alone can not be used as a predictor to guide endoscopic examination.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Delivery of Health Care , Dyspepsia , Endoscopy , Esophagitis, Peptic , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Ulcer , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a systemic small vessel vasculitis, which is frequently complicated with rapidly progressive necrotizing glomerulonephritis. Patients with MPA often have demonstrable perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (p-ANCA) in serum. The most common age of onset is 40 to 60 years and is more common in men. Gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement is present in about 30-40%. Small bowel involvement is more common and ischemic colitis in the rectum is rare. We have experienced a case of microscopic polyangiitis with ischemic colitis in the rectum, p-ANCA positive and cresent formation on renal biopsy. A 72-year-old woman was admitted with two weeks history of abdominal pain. Total colonoscopy revealed colon obstruction with severe mucosal edema. Urine study showed hematuria and proteinuria. Serum creatinine was elevated progressively. Serume p-ANCA was positive. The titer of p-ANCA was decreased and colon obstruction was recovered after steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Abdominal Pain , Age of Onset , Antibodies , Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic , Biopsy , Colitis, Ischemic , Colon , Colonoscopy , Creatinine , Cyclophosphamide , Cytoplasm , Edema , Glomerulonephritis , Hematuria , Microscopic Polyangiitis , Proteinuria , Rectum , VasculitisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) regulates excretion of water and sodium in the kidney, and serum levels of BNP are increased in the settings of decreased ventricular contractility and myocardial overload. Serum levels of BNP and renal function are important prognostic factors in congestive heart failure, and when renal function deteriorates, BNP level is increased. This study aimed to assess the clinical benefits of BNP measurement in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for prediction of congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Serum levels of BNP were measured in 75 patients with CKD who admitted to Soonchunhyang university Bucheon hospital between the period of April 2003 and April 2004. The clinical data, laboratory findings and echocardiographic findings in these patients were compared retrospectively. RESULTS: The average BNP level of the 75 patients was 1,645.3+/-1,830.9 pg/mL. There were no differences in BNP levels between K/DOQI CKD stages. Levels of BNP were higher in CKD patients with heart failure compared to those without heart failure. BNP levels showed a negative correlation to left ventricular ejection fraction and significant elevation in patients with pulmonary congestion and weight gain on admission. There was no difference in BNP levels in patients with or without left vetricular hypertrophy, and diabetes mellitus. The best cutoff level of BNP for evaluation of heart failure in patients with CKD was 500 pg/mL, with a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 53%, positive predictive value of 34%, and negative predictive value of 88%, respectively. CONCLUSION: BNP levels showed no difference with the degree of renal failure in patients with CKD, and levels were increased with heart failure in patients with CKD. We discovered though, that in patients with CKD the measurement of serum BNP is a useful factor in assessment of coexisting heart failure, volume status and ischemic heart disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Diabetes Mellitus , Echocardiography , Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) , Heart Failure , Hypertrophy , Kidney , Myocardial Ischemia , Natriuretic Peptide, Brain , Renal Insufficiency , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sodium , Stroke Volume , Weight GainABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the use of chemotherapy as an adjuvant to surgery, radical radiotherapy and in addition to best supportive care. However, the value of chemotherapy in improving survival is still unclear, despite more than 50 randomised trials addressing this question in the different stages of disease. This study was done to evaluate Korean doctors' personal management preference and their beliefs about prognosis in non-small celllung cancer(NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mail survey of Korean respirologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists was performed. Four cases of NSCLC were described and respondents were asked to give their treatment recommendations and to estimate the prognosis in each case. RESULTS: After a complete resection for stage II NSCLC, 27% recommended no adjuvant treatment, 36% recommended radiotherapy, 18% recommended chemotherapy, and 19% recommended both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After a complete resection for stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC, the vast majority of respondents recommended adjuvant therapy. For an asymptomatic patient with stage IIIB NSCLC, 5% recommended supportive care, 24% recommended radiotherapy, 16% recommended chemotherapy, and 54% recommended chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. For a patient with stage IV NSCLC, 76% recommended chemotherapy with or without palliative radiotherapy. Doctors' treatment preference was significantly different by their speciliaty in a case with stage II, IIIA(N2), or IV NSCLC. Most respondents believed that chemotherapy would increase survival in NSCLC. Doctors' beliefs about the efficacy of treatment were strongly associated with their treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: Korean doctors generally preferred relatively aggressive management although their personal preferences varied widely. Team approach is important in deciding the treatment modality because doctors' treatment preference is different by their speciality.