Change in Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) Predicts Survival in Patients with Terminal Cancer / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) is a widely used prognostic tool in patients with advanced cancer. This study examines the association between changes in PPS score and survival in patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: We identified a cohort of 606 inpatients who died at a Korean university hospital's hospice/palliative care center. For each patient, the PPS score was measured twice according to a standard procedure: 1) upon admission, and 2) three days after admission (D3). “Change on D3” was defined as a difference between initial PPS and PPS on D3. We used a Cox regression modeling approach to explore the association between this score change and survival. RESULTS: The changes in scores were associated with survival. A score change of >30% yielded a hazard ratio for death of 2.66 (95% CI 2.19~3.22), compared to a score change of ≤30%. PPS of ≤30 on D3 also independently predicted survival, with a hazard ratio of 1.67 (95% CI 1.38~2.02) compared to PPS of >30. CONCLUSION: A change of over 30% in PPS appears to predict survival in hospitalized patients with terminal cancer, even after adjustment for confounders. Changes in PPS may be a more sensitive indicator of impending death than a single PPS measured on the day of admission in terminal cancer patients. Further prospective study is needed to examine this important finding in other populations.

The Clinical Significance of Separate Measurements of Carotid Arterial Wall to Assess the Risk Factor for Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is associated with several risk factors for atherosclerosis and has been consistently linked to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The clinical significance of separate measurements of CIMT, which is the sum of the intima (IT) and media thickness (MT), to use as an assessment of risk for atherosclerosis has not yet been fully established. METHODS: Among 3377 patients who underwent B-mode ultrasound of carotid arteries and coronary angiography in the Medical Department of St. Mary's Hospital from September 2003 to March 2009, 1146 subjects (M:F = 616:530; mean age, 57.7 ± 12.1 years) who were diagnosed with normal coronary arteries were enrolled in this study. IT, MT, and CIMT of the enrolled patients were manually measured using high-frequency ultrasonography (15 MHz linear array transducer). RESULTS: In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (β = 0.063, p < 0.0001), body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.028, p = 0.018), and hypertension (HTN) (β = 0.046, p = 0.0002) were associated with MT (R2 = 0.256) and the IT/MT ratio (R2 = 0.209). Age (β = 0.065, p < 0.0001), BMI (β = 0.025, p = 0.038), hemoglobin A1c (β = 0.045, p = 0.045), and HTN (β = 0.043, p = 0.0006) correlated with mean CIMT (R2 = 0.230). Age (β = -0.071, p < 0.0001) and BMI (β = -0.046, p = 0.002) were associated with the IT/MT ratio (R2 = 0.219) on the left side. Age (β = 0.093, p < 0.0001) was related to MT (R2 = 0.265) and mean CIMT (R2 = 0.243) on the left side. CONCLUSION: We noted different atherosclerotic risk factors were related to measurements of the arterial wall in different ways. Therefore, separate measurements of CIMT might be a useful method to assess the risk for atherosclerosis.

Factors Associated with Ketamine Use in Pancreatic Cancer Patient in a Single Hospice Center / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: Up to 90% of pancreatic cancer patients suffer from neuropathic pain. In a palliative care setting, pain control in pancreatic cancer patient is one of the major goals. Ketamine is a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, effective in neuropathic pain. Additionally, there have been studies about the opioid sparing effect of ketamine. This study was held in the palliative care unit among pancreatic cancer patients to determine the factors related to ketamine use and the opioid sparing effect. METHODS: The medical records of pancreatic cancer patients admitted to St. Mary's hospital palliative care unit between January, 2013 and December, 2014 were reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 categories according to ketamine use. Also, opioid use before and after ketamine use was compared in the ketamine group. RESULTS: Compared to the non-ketamine use group, patients in the ketamine group required a higher dose of opioid. The total opioid dose, daily opioid dose, number of daily rescue medications, and daily average rescue dose were statistically significantly higher in the ketamine group. The opioid requirement was increased after ketamine administration. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, ketamine was frequently considered in patients with severe pain, requiring higher amount of opioid. Studies about palliative use of ketamine in a larger number of patients with diverse types of cancer pain are required in the future.

Findings of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy after 16 Years

A 58-year-old man had been diagnosed with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) according to echocardiography findings 16 years ago. Echocardiography showed ischemic cardiomyopathy (CMP)-like features with decreased systolic function but a non-dilated chamber. Coronary angiography was performed but showed a normal coronary artery. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multifocal transmural and subepicardial delayed-enhancing areas at the anteroseptal, septal, and inferoseptal left ventricular (LV) wall, and wall thinning and decreased motion of the anteroseptal LV wall. Findings of ischemic CMP-like features by echocardiography suggested microvascular dysfunction. This late stage of HCMP carries a high risk of sudden death. Cardiac MRI evaluation may be necessary in cases of ischemic CMP-like features in HCMP. In this case, the diagnosis of end-stage HCMP with microvascular dysfunction was confirmed by using cardiac MRI after a follow-up period of more than 16 years.

The Impact of a Spouse's Depression on Family Functioning and Communication

BACKGROUND: Depression is known to affect family function and communication. However, the distress experienced by those who have spouse with depression has not been properly assessed to date. This study attempted to examine the effect of depression on family function and communication as reported by the spouses of the depressed patients. METHODS: The participants of this study were 445 couples who visited 28 family doctors from April 2009 to June 2011. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES-III) was used to evaluate the family function, and the family communication scale in FACES-IV was used to evaluate communication among family members. A score of more than 21 points on the CES-D scale was used to indicate depression. The relationships between family type, family communication, and the depression of one's spouse were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. RESULTS: The odds ratios, indicating how the family is heading towards an extreme level, were statistically significant in all male and female respondents (male: odds ratio [OR] 3.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-5.48; female: OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.02-4.27). On the other hand, only female respondents with depressed spouses reported their family communication not to be good (male: OR 1.65, 95% CI 0.88-3.07; female: OR 2.48, 95% CI, 1.25-4.93). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed people perceive their family function and communication not good when they have spouses with depression. There was no gender difference in the evaluation of their family function, but the perception on their family communication were different by gender.

Analysis of Effect and Prognostic Factors Associated with Catheter Intervention on Ascites in Terminal Cancer Patient / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: alignant ascites is a common complication in terminal cancer patients. Less-invasive pigtail catheter insertion is the most frequent procedure in patients who need repeated ascites drainage. This study investigated effects and adverse events associated with catheter insertion for ascites drainage and evaluated prognostic outcomes. METHODS: We reviewed medical records between 2010 and 2013 of hospice and palliative care institutions in Seoul, South Korea. Among 2,608 inpatients, 67 patients received ascites pigtail catheter drainage. We reviewed demographic data, palliative performance scale, laboratory data, duration of catheter insertion, prevalence and type of complications, use and duration of antibiotics, and survival time. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to evaluate prognostic outcomes related with catheter insertion. RESULTS: Ascites drainage was performed most commonly in hepatobiliary and gastric cancer patients. Ascites symptoms improved in 55 patients after the catheter drainage. Adverse events included pain (19.4%), leakage (14.9%), disconnection (7.5%), catheter occlusion (6%) and fever (4.5%). In Cox regression analysis, survival time from the catheter insertion was significantly associated with Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) (HR 0.73; P value 0.045) and serum sodium level (HR 2.77; P value 0.003) in a multivariate model. CONCLUSION: Patients' PPS and serum sodium level should be considered before making a decision of pigtail catheter insertion.

The Association between Phase Angle of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Survival Time in Advanced Cancer Patients: Preliminary Study / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: A frequent manifestation of advanced cancer patients is malnutrition, which is correlated with poor prognosis and high mortality. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy-to-use and non-invasive technique to evaluate changes in body composition and nutritional status. We investigated BIA-derived phase angle as a prognostic indicator for survival in advanced cancer patients. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients treated at the hospice center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital underwent BIA measurements from January, 2013 to May, 2013. We also evaluated palliative prognostic index (PPI) and palliative performance scale to compare with the prognostic value of phase angle. Cox's proportional hazard models were constructed to evaluate the prognostic effect of phase angle. The Kaplan Meier method was used to calculate survival. RESULTS: Using univariate Cox analysis, phase angle (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61/per degree increase; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42 to 0.89; P = 0.010), PPI (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.47; P = 0.048) were found to be significantly associated with survival. Adjusting age, PPI, body mass index, phase angle significantly showed association with survival in multivariate analysis (HR, 0.64/per degree increase; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.95; P = 0.028). Survival time of patients with phase angle > or = 4.4degrees was longer than patients with phase angle < 4.4degrees (log rank, 6.208; P-value = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest BIA-derived phase angle may serve as an independent prognostic indicator in advanced cancer patients.

The Effectiveness of Short Term Mobile Phone Text Reminders in Improving Compliance among Hypertensive Patients

BACKGROUND: For the effective management of hypertension, drug adherence and life style modification are important. We investigated the effects of mobile phone text-message reminders on compliance and life style modification in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The study was performed at family medicine outpatient clinics at 15 hospitals in South Korea from July 2008 to June 2010. Study subjects included 1,449 patients who were all prescribed candesartan cilexetil. Patients were randomly divided into two groups- mobile phone text-message reminder group and control group. In the reminder group, contents of text messages were recommendations for antihypertensive adherence, exercise, low salt diet, and reduction of weight and alcohol. In the control group, the date of next visit was sent at 10 week. Mobile phone text-messages were sent at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks by the coordinating center. Thereafter, they were followed up for 12 weeks. Chi-square test was performed to compare compliance and performance indexes of the two groups. RESULTS: The reminder group had 719 (49.6%) patients vs. 730 (50.4%) patients in the control group. Attendance rate were 92.8% for the reminder group and 94.7% for the control group (P=0.14). 94.7% of the reminder group and 94.0% of the control group took their medication regularly (P=0.59). The target blood pressure was attained in 75.8% of the reminder group and 75.4% of the control group (P=0.87). Similarly, rates of weight loss, decreased alcohol use, increased physical activity and a low salt diet showed no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, mobile phone text reminders did not show to have any significant positive effect on the management of hypertension.

Association between Spiritual Well-Being and Pain, Anxiety and Depression in Terminal Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: Spirituality is an important domain and is related with physical and psychological symptoms in terminal cancer patient. The aim of this study is to examine how patients' spirituality is associated with their physical and psychological symptoms as it has been explored by few studies. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 50 patients in the palliative ward of a tertiary hospital were interviewed. Spiritual well-being, depression, anxiety and pain is measured by Functional Assessment of Chronic-Illness Therapy-Spirituality (FACIT-Sp), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the Korean version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-K). The correlations between patients' spiritual well-being and anxiety, depression and pain were analysed. The association between spiritual well-being and age, gender, palliative performance scale (PPS), religion, mean pain intensity, anxiety, depression were assessed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Spiritual well-being was negatively correlated with the mean pain intensity (r=-0.283, P<0.05), anxiety (r=-0.613, P<0.05) and depression (r=-0.526, P<0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, spiritual well-being showed negative association with anxiety (OR=-1.03, 95% CI=-1.657~-0.403, P=0.002) and positive association with the existence of religion (OR=9.193, 95% CI=4.158~14.229, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, patients' anxiety and existence of religion were significantly associated with spiritual well-being after adjusting age, gender, PPS, mean pain intensity, depression. Prospective studies are warranted.

Pressure Tracings in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy With Dynamic Midventricular Obstruction

No abstract available.

Ball-Shaped Thrombi in the Left Ventricular Apex

No abstract available.

External Mass Compressing the Left Atrium on Transthoracic Echocardiography

No abstract available.

The "Five-in-Seven" Guiding Technique to Overcome Proximal Coronary Tortuosity During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

No abstract available.

The Examination of the Acute Vascular Changes Due to Smoking Using Second Derivative of Photoplethysmogram / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Although smoking is the major risk factor for atherosclerosis under the age of 40, the smoking rate of adolescent and young adult has been is increasing. In case of young adults, there is no available clinical indices reflecting harmful effects of smoking. The aim of this study was to investigate whether any second derivative of photoplethysmogram (SDPTG) index can be used as a clinical index of acute effects of smoking. METHODS: Twenty smoking and eighteen never-smoking males ages between 20-39 without medical history of atherosclerotic disease nor peripheral vascular diseases were selected for this study. We investigated the life styles and risk factors of atherosclerosis through a questionnaire, laboratory test and physical examination. We measured SDPTG at baseline, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes for smokers after smoking and walking and for never-smokers after walking. Repeated measures ANOVA and ANCOVA were used for analysing the changes of SDPTG according to time. RESULTS: The heart rate and blood vessel tension (BVT) were different between the smokers and never-smokers after adjusting age, fasting blood sugar, body mass index, depression, and exercise (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, respectively). In contrast to never-smokers, heart rate of smokers at 3 minutes after smoking was increased for 10.1 per minute (P < 0.001) and higher than never-smokers until 15 minutes (P < 0.05). BVT in smokers was decreased at 3 minutes (P < 0.05) from baseline and lower than never-smokers at 3 minutes (P < 0.05). Differential pulse wave index, stress power, remained blood volume, and the changes of these indices according to time were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: BVT and heart rate reflected the acute effect of smoking on blood vessels and could be used to provide motivation to quit smoking and make people more concerned about their own health especially to the young smokers who has no symptoms yet.

Iatrogenic radial artery perforation during transradial coronary angiography / 대한내과학회지

No abstract available.

Percutaneous closure of a patent ductus arteriosus guided by intravascular ultrasound / 대한내과학회지

No abstract available.

Health Economics and Outcomes Research / 가정의학회지

Health conomics refers to the scientific discipline that compares the value of one healthcare program to another. It is a sub-discipline of Micro-economics. A health economic study evaluates the cost (expressed in monetary terms) and effects (expressed in terms of monetary value, efficacy or enhanced quality of life) of a healthcare program or product. We can distinguish several types of health economic evaluation: cost-minimization analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-utility analysis. Health economics studies serve to guide optimal healthcare resource allocation, in a standardized and scientifically grounded manner. Health economics research facilitates the translation of health technology assessment into useful information for healthcare decision-makers to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly and efficiently. Health economics usually evaluate the outcomes like clinical, economics and humanistic outcomes per costs. Health economics research include pharmacoeconomics, clinical epidemiology, decision analysis, modeling, risk assessment, patient-reported outcomes (quality of life), database analyses, observational studies, and patients registries.

Gene Expression Modulation in Rat Skeletal Muscle by Denervation-induced Atrophy / 대한정형외과연구학회지

PURPOSE: To understand the modulation of genes by atrophy, differential expression of genes in normal and denervated skeletal muscle was investigated by DNA chip technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sciatic nerve and femoral nerve were resected in right leg of rat to make the muscle atrophy model. Muscle tissues from the gastrocnemius of normal and denervated legs were homogenized and RNA were extracted. Dyes were labelled during reverse transcription and hybridization was done into the DNA chip which is consisted of about 5,000 probes. RESULTS: By statistical analysis, 39 genes were selected as differentially expressed genes by atrophy. 15 known genes up-regulated by atrophy were genes related to immune response, extracellular matrix, andsignal transduction in plasma membrane. 7 known genes down-regulated by atrophy were genes related to cell growth and proliferation, intracellular signal transduction, and energy metabolism. Some unknown gene functions were analysed by bioinformatics analysis and they were highly homologous genes with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome protein, ADP-ribosylation factor-like 4, and component X of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that reduction of energy metabolism, activation of cholesterol exclusion, and changes on signal transduction pathway are involved in the process of atrophy by denervation in skeletal muscle of rat.

A case of myocardial infarction with antiphospholipid syndrome / 대한내과학회지

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a multi-system disorder characterized by arterial or venous thromboses and antiphospholipid antibodies, such as lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibodies. Most common clinical manifestations are recurrent pregnancy losses and deep vein thromboses. Cardiac manifestations in antiphospholipid syndrome include valve abnormalities, occlusive arterial disease, intracardiac emboli, and ventricular dysfunction. Acute myocardial infarction is a rare manifestation of the primary antiphospholipid syndrome. We have experienced a case of myocardial infarction with antiphospholipid syndrome. A 35-year-old man with no cardiovascular risk factors, other than smoking, presented with chest pain. He was diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction. Our evaluation for coagulapathy revealed elevated lupus anticoagulant antibody. The antiphospholipid syndrome should be considered early in the differential diagnosis as an important cause of unexplained thrombosis in young patients.

Perception and Experience of CAM Education for Family Practice Residents by Family Practice Training Faculty in South Korea

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is popular and current trend suggests a demand for CAM education during residency training. Our objective was to assess perception, the need and experience of CAM education for family practice residents by training faculty. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to family physicians (n=262) who were registered in the Korean Academy of Family Medicine as residency training faculty between February and May 2006. RESULTS: One hundred and seven (40.8%) of 262 faculty completed the questionnaires. Eighty three (77.6%) respondents recognized the need of CAM education during residency training and fifty two (46.8%) respondents have already educated some kind of CAM. Thirty nine (36.4%) respondents replied that partial CAM educational contents were given out at conferences. Seventy eight (72.9%) respondents recognized the need for educating residents on the general outlines of CAM along with education on verified CAM. Sixty six (61.7%) respondents replied that the Korean Academy of Family Medicine should host such education. CONCLUSION: Most family practice training faculty recognized the need for providing CAM education for family practice residents during residency training, but about an half of family practice training faculty did not have experiences of CAM education.