Current Status of Amebic Liver Abscess in Korea Comparing with Pyogenic Liver Abscess / 대한소화기학회지

Background/Aims@#With the improvement of hygiene, the incidence of amebic liver abscess is decreasing in South Korea. On the other hand, there is little data on the status of amebic liver abscess compared to pyogenic liver abscess. @*Methods@#Patients with an amebic liver abscess, in whom Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) IgG was positive, were identified retrospectively in a university hospital. The clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of amebic liver abscess were compared with those of pyogenic liver abscess in the same period. @*Results@#Between March 2010 and October 2016, 413 patients with a liver abscess were identified. Among them, the serologic test for E. histolytica was performed in 209 patients. Fifteen (7.2%) were classified as an amebic liver abscess, and the remainder were diagnosed with a pyogenic liver abscess. The age, gender, white blood cell, and CRP was comparable between the two groups. Procalcitonin was lower in amebic liver abscess than the pyogenic one. On CT, peripheral rim enhancement was more frequent, but cluster signs were not observed in amebic liver abscess compared to pyogenic liver abscess. None of the patients with amebic liver abscess died. In contrast, the mortality of pyogenic liver abscess was 4.7%. @*Conclusions@#Amebic liver abscess should still be considered as one of the causes of liver abscess in Korea. It is difficult to discriminate an amebic liver abscess from a pyogenic liver abscess only according to the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a serologic test for E. histolytica for a precise evaluation of liver abscess in a high-risk group.

A Case of Infectious Arthritis due to Staphylococcus lugdunensis in Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes Mellitus Patient, after Intraarticular Hyaluronic Acid Injection

Intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis are widely used but can result in complications, such as infectious arthritis. Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a common normal skin flora but can cause severe infectious disease, such as infective endocarditis. We present the first report of infectious arthritis caused by methicillin-sensitive S. lugdunensis after intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in an immunocompromised patient in Korea.

Bordetella bronchiseptica Respiratory Infection in the Immunosuppressed Patient / 대한내과학회지

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a common cause of respiratory disease in animals but is a rare cause of human infection. Furthermore, most patients with Bordetella bronchiseptica infections are immunocompromised. The Bordetella bronchiseptica organism can cause pneumonia, septicemia, and peritonitis in humans with impaired immune systems. Additionally, it can lead to a life-threatening infection patients who have an underlying debilitation or impaired immunity. The respiratory tract is the most common site of infection. Sixty-two human cases of Bordetella bronchiseptica have been published in the English literature, and 84 % hadof the cases were associated with pneumonia or bronchitis. However, only one case of Bordetella bronchiseptica has been reported in South Korea, and it was associated with peritonitis. In the current study, we report a case of Bordetella bronchiseptica pneumonia diagnosed in an immunocompromised patient.

Gas Gangrene Caused by Streptococcus anginosus / 대한내과학회지

Gas gangrene, a subset of necrotizing myositis, is a bacterial infection that produces gas in tissues in gangrene. It is usually caused by Clostridium species, most commonly Clostridium perfringens. Streptococcus anginosus is a rare cause of gas gangrene, with very few cases reported. We report a rare case of traumatic gas gangrene caused by S. anginosus in a 57-year-old female with diabetes after being stabbed with scissors.

A Case of Massive Pulmonary Embolism Masked by a Ventricular Septal Defect / 대한내과학회지

Patients with massive pulmonary embolism may present with severe dyspnea at rest, syncope, or cardiac arrest. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce mortality; however, patient-specific factors can influence the hemodynamic effect of pulmonary embolism. Here, we present a case of massive pulmonary embolism masked by a ventricular septal defect in a 73-year-old female.

Human metapneumovirus infection in Korean children / 소아과

PURPOSE: Human metapneumovirus(hMPV) is a respiratory viral pathogen that causes a wide spectrum of illnesses, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe bronchiolitis. The virus has been identified world widely, but so far it has not been published in Korea. METHODS: We obtained clinical samples by nasopharyngeal aspiration from 218 children hospitalized due to acute lower respiratory tract infections at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Cheonan from October, 2004 to April, 2005. We designed specific primers from conserved region of fusion glycoprotein of hMPV. Total RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed, and single specific 423 bp product was obtained. The PCR product was confirmed to be fusion glycoprotein RNA by sequencing. RESULTS: We detected hMPV in 15(6.9 percent) of the 218 hospitalized children. The infected children comprised nine boys and six girls; their mean age was 2.8 years(5 mo-12 yrs) and they were diagnosed with pneumonia(60 percent), bronchiolitis(33.3 percent), croup(6.6 percent). The number of cases of detected hMPV in Korea increased dramatically during the period from March to May 2005. CONCLUSION: hMPV is circulating in Korean children and is associated with respiratory tract infection. Additional studies are required to define the epidemiology and the extent of diseases in the general population caused by hMPV.

Comparison of Propofol-N2O and Propofol-fentanyl Anesthesia for Outpatient Surgery / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The choice of anesthetic agents and adjuvants during outpatient surgery is of critical importance. Propofol is widely used for the induction and maintenance of outpatient anesthesia. Because propofol lacks analgesic properties, very high concentrations may be required when propofol is used as the sole anesthetic drug. Propofol is used with adjuvants such as nitrous oxide or opioid. This study was designed to evaluate the intraoperative hemodynamic response, recovery characteristics and side effects of propofol-fentanyl anesthesia compared with propofol-N2O anesthesia for outpatient surgery. METHODS: Twenty six healthy and unpremedicated patients scheduled for outpatient surgery were randomly allocated to receive either propofol-N2O anesthesia (N-group) or propofol-fentanyl anesthsia (F-group). The patients in N-group were ventilated with nitrous oxide 60~70% in oxygen and the patients in F-group were ventilated with oxygen 40% in nitrogen via laryngeal mask airway (LMA). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in blood pressure during anesthesia, recovery time and side effects between two group. There was significant decrease of heart rate in F-group. CONCLUSION: We concluded that nitrous oxide and fentanyl are reasonable adjuvants of propofol anesthesia in outpatient anesthesia.

The Effects of Different Oxygen Flow on End-Tidal N2O after Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

Nitrous oxide is the most commonly used inhaled anesthetic in the part of anesthesia and used up to 75% of concentrations. Diffusion hypoxia among the disadvantages or harmful damages due to nitrous oxide exposure must be prevented by moderate flow (4-6 liters/minute) of oxygen for a few minutes. This study was investigated the effect of the amount of oxygen flow on the speed of removal of exposed nitrous oxide followed by oxygen flow rate of 2, 4, and 6 liters/minute when halted the administration of nitrous oxide. These variables were taken in 57 patients of 16 to 60 years old, who were performed the elective surgery. All patients were anesthetized with the 0.5-1.5 MAC of enflurane or isoflurane combined with nitrous oxide(2 liters/minute) and oxygen(2 liters/minute), and paralyzed with IV route pancuronium 0.07-0.08 mg/kg. Ventilation was controlled with Ohmeda 7000 ventilator (BOC Health Care Inc, Madison, USA), using a constant tidal volume of 10 ml/Kg of ideal body weight. Ventilatory rate was adjusted 12 times/minute to maintain the end-tidal CO2 of 20-35 mmHg. After 60 to 90 minutes of anesthesia, the nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture was changed to 100% oxygen, but ventilation being held constant. The results were as follows; 1) After the first 30 seconds, the end-tidal nitrous oxide concentration was 39.6+/-+3.7% in 2 liters/minute of oxygen flow, 28.2+/-5% in 4 liters/minute and 23.4+/-6.3% in 6 liters/minute. 2) After the 2 minutes, the end-tidal nitrous oxide concentration was 29.1+/-3.6% in 2 liters/minute of oxygen flow, 14.4+/-3.2% in 4 liters/minute and 10.13+/-2% in 6 liters/minute. 3) After the 5 minutes and 30 seconds, the end-tidal nitrous oxide concentration was 16.4+/-3.3% in 2 liters/minute of oxygen flow, 5.5+/-1.9% in 4 liters/minute and 4.0+/-1.7% in 6 liters/minute. 4) After 15 minutes, the end tidal nitrous oxide was 7.5+/-2.1% in 2 liters/minute of oxygen flow, 2.3+/-0.7% in 4 liters/minute and 2.0+/-0.8% in 6 liters/minute. In conclusion, the larger size of oxygen flow, the more rapid elimination of nitrous oxide. The removal rate of nitrous oxide was greatest at first 30 seconds after halting the nitrous oxide administration in all cases.