Bone Generation Following Repeated Administration of Recombinant Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2

BACKGROUND@#The delivery of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP2) by using various carriers has been used to successfully induce bone formation in many animal models. However, the effect of multiple administration of rhBMP2 on bone formation and BMP2 antibody production has not been determined. Our aim was to examine the bone formation activity of rhBMP2 and serum levels of anti-BMP2 antibodies following the repeated administration of rhBMP2 in mice. @*METHODS@#Absorbable collagen sponges or polyphosphazene hydrogels containing rhBMP2 were subcutaneously implanted or injected into one side on the back of six-week-old C57BL/6 mice. Three or 4 weeks later, the same amount of rhBMP2 was administered again with the same carrier into the subcutaneous regions on the other side of the back or into calvarial defects. The effects of a single administration of rhBMP2 on the osteoinductive ability in the ectopic model were compared with those of repeated administrations. In vivo ectopic or orthotopic bone formation was evaluated using microradiography and histological analyses. Serum concentrations of anti-rhBMP2 antibodies were measured by ELISAs. @*RESULTS@#Re-administration of the same amount of rhBMP2 into the subcutaneous area showed a comparable production of ectopic bone as after the first administration. The bone forming ability of repeated rhBMP2 administrations was equal to that of single rhBMP2 administration. The administration of rhBMP2 into calvarial defects, following the first subcutaneous administration of rhBMP2 on the back, completely recovered the defect area with newly regenerated bone within 3 weeks. Repeated administration of rhBMP2 at 4-week intervals did not significantly alter the serum levels of antiBMP2 antibodies and did not induce any inflammatory response. The serum obtained from rhBMP2-exposed mice had no effect on the ability of rhBMP2 to induce osteogenic gene expressions in MC3T3-E1. @*CONCLUSION@#We suggest that the osteoinductive ability of rhBMP2 is not compromised by repeated administrations. Thus, rhBMP2 can be repeatedly used for bone regeneration at various sites within a short duration.

Associations of Illness Symptoms, Perception of Illness, and Coping with Quality of Life of Thyroid Cancer Patients after Thyroidectomy

Purpose@#To determine associations of illness symptoms, perception of illness, coping with quality of life (QOL) of thyroid cancer patients and identify factors affecting their QOL. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire for 111 thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy. They were recruited from the outpatient clinic of one university hospital.Data collection was conducted from August 2018 to November 2018. @*Results@#The QOL was significantly associated with interpersonal coping (β= 0.31, p< .001), monthly household income (β= 0.30, p< .001), illness symptoms (β= -0.22, p= .017), perception of illness (β= -0.20, p= .031), and education (β= 0.18, p= .037) in stepwise multiple regression. These factors explained 33.1% of QOL of thyroid cancer patients. @*Conclusion@#Interpersonal coping is a major contributing factor to QOL. Therefore, thyroid cancer patients need good interpersonal coping for better quality of life.

Bone Generation Following Repeated Administration of Recombinant Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2

BACKGROUND@#The delivery of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP2) by using various carriers has been used to successfully induce bone formation in many animal models. However, the effect of multiple administration of rhBMP2 on bone formation and BMP2 antibody production has not been determined. Our aim was to examine the bone formation activity of rhBMP2 and serum levels of anti-BMP2 antibodies following the repeated administration of rhBMP2 in mice. @*METHODS@#Absorbable collagen sponges or polyphosphazene hydrogels containing rhBMP2 were subcutaneously implanted or injected into one side on the back of six-week-old C57BL/6 mice. Three or 4 weeks later, the same amount of rhBMP2 was administered again with the same carrier into the subcutaneous regions on the other side of the back or into calvarial defects. The effects of a single administration of rhBMP2 on the osteoinductive ability in the ectopic model were compared with those of repeated administrations. In vivo ectopic or orthotopic bone formation was evaluated using microradiography and histological analyses. Serum concentrations of anti-rhBMP2 antibodies were measured by ELISAs. @*RESULTS@#Re-administration of the same amount of rhBMP2 into the subcutaneous area showed a comparable production of ectopic bone as after the first administration. The bone forming ability of repeated rhBMP2 administrations was equal to that of single rhBMP2 administration. The administration of rhBMP2 into calvarial defects, following the first subcutaneous administration of rhBMP2 on the back, completely recovered the defect area with newly regenerated bone within 3 weeks. Repeated administration of rhBMP2 at 4-week intervals did not significantly alter the serum levels of antiBMP2 antibodies and did not induce any inflammatory response. The serum obtained from rhBMP2-exposed mice had no effect on the ability of rhBMP2 to induce osteogenic gene expressions in MC3T3-E1. @*CONCLUSION@#We suggest that the osteoinductive ability of rhBMP2 is not compromised by repeated administrations. Thus, rhBMP2 can be repeatedly used for bone regeneration at various sites within a short duration.

Surgical treatment of rhinophyma using an ordinary bur

Rhinophyma is a painless benign tumor of the skin of the nose. It is the most severe form of rosacea. Rhinophyma is particularly rare among Asians. It can be treated with surgical resection using various methods, including scalpel excision, dermabrasion, cryosurgery, argon laser, carbon dioxide laser, and electrocautery. However, the gold standard treatment of rhinophyma remains unknown. In the present case, we debulked a giant rhinophyma with a scalpel and contoured it using a bur. Along with a relevant literature review, we present a case of rhinophyma in an Asian patient who was treated at no additional cost using a bur widely used in general plastic surgery.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Characteristics of Parricide Offenders with Schizophrenia in Korea

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the personality characteristics in parricide offenders, by using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test, which is commonly used in clinical medicine. METHODS: A total of 73 parricide offenders with schizophrenia who were admitted to National Forensic Hospital in Gongju city between September 2014 and February 2015, and 104 comparison schizophrenia patients who had been admitted to Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan city the same hospital, completed the Korean version of the MMPI. RESULTS: The parricide offender group showed significantly higher on L, F, Hs, Hy and Pd than the comparison group. The result of the regression analysis indicated that Pd and Si significantly increased the odd ratio of the sexual offender group by 2.77 times and 0.32 times, respectively (p=0.029 and p=0.023). The offenders of parricide may have developed the following characteristics: hypochondriasis, hysteria and psychopathic deviate. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the psychopatholgy in the offenders of parricide might be different, compared to the control group.

The role of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy for papillary thyroid carcinoma invading the trachea

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) on local failure-free survival rate (LFFS) for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) invading the trachea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with locally advanced PTC invading the trachea were treated with surgical resection. After surgery, 21 patients received adjuvant EBRT and radioactive iodine therapy (EBRT group) and 35 patients were treated with radioactive iodine therapy (control group). RESULTS: The age range was 26–87 years (median, 56 years). The median follow-up period was 43 months (range, 4 to 145 months). EBRT doses ranged from 50.4 to 66 Gy (median, 60 Gy). Esophagus invasion and gross residual disease was more frequent in the EBRT group. In the control group, local recurrence developed in 9 (9/35, 26%) and new distant metastasis in 2 (2/35, 6%) patients, occurring 4 to 68 months (median, 37 months) and 53 to 68 months (median, 60 months) after surgery, respectively. Two patients had simultaneous local recurrence and new distant metastasis. There was one local failure in the EBRT group at 18 months after surgery (1/21, 5%). The 5-year LFFS was 95% in the EBRT group and 63% in the control group (p = 0.103). In the EBRT group, one late grade 2 xerostomia was developed. CONCLUSION: Although, EBRT group had a higher incidence of esophagus invasion and gross residual disease, EBRT group showed a better 5-year LFFS. Adjuvant EBRT may have contributed to the better LFFS in these patients.

New Retear Pattern after Rotator Cuff Repair at Previous Intact Portion of Rotator Cuff

Retear patterns after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are classified into two patterns according to retear location. Type 1 is when the retear pattern occurs directly on the tendon at the bone repair site using the suture anchor repair method. Type 2 is when the retear pattern occurs at the musculocutaneous junction with a healed footprint in patients who undergo the suture bridge method. Here, the authors report another retear pattern, which was identified as a type 2 retear on magnetic resonance imaging in patients who had undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by the suture-bridge technique. This pattern was different from the type 2 retear and occurred at the portion of the cuff away from the healed rotator cuff under the view of the arthroscope.

Anticancer effect of mastic on human oral cancer cells / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: Mastic is a resinous extract from the stem and main leaves of Pistacia lentiscus, grown only in the Chios island of Greece. Mastic has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-ulcer activities. Although mastic has been widely studied, its inhibitory effect against cancer cells, especially oral cancer cells, has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to assess the anticancer effects of mastic on human oral cancer YD-10B cells. METHODS: YD-10B cells were cultured in 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 µg/mL mastic for 24 h. Cell count, viability, morphology, colony-forming assay, and DAPI staining were analyzed. RESULTS: Mastic treatment of YD-10B cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, and almost all the cells in the 10 µg/mL culture were dead (P<0.05). Mastic treatment induced a morphological change and nuclear fragmentation in the YD-10B cells, and inhibited colony formation of YD-10B cells in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that mastic exhibited anticancer effects on the YD-10B cells through changes in cell morphology and apoptosis.

New Retear Pattern after Rotator Cuff Repair at Previous Intact Portion of Rotator Cuff

Retear patterns after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are classified into two patterns according to retear location. Type 1 is when the retear pattern occurs directly on the tendon at the bone repair site using the suture anchor repair method. Type 2 is when the retear pattern occurs at the musculocutaneous junction with a healed footprint in patients who undergo the suture bridge method. Here, the authors report another retear pattern, which was identified as a type 2 retear on magnetic resonance imaging in patients who had undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by the suture-bridge technique. This pattern was different from the type 2 retear and occurred at the portion of the cuff away from the healed rotator cuff under the view of the arthroscope.

Ischemic Compression After Trigger Point Injection Affect the Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of trigger point injection with or without ischemic compression in treatment of myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle. METHODS: Sixty patients with active myofascial trigger points in upper trapezius muscle were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (n=20) received only trigger point injections, group 2 (n=20) received trigger point injections with 30 seconds of ischemic compression, and group 3 (n=20) received trigger point injections with 60 seconds of ischemic compression. The visual analogue scale, pressure pain threshold, and range of motion of the neck were assessed before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 1 week after treatment. Korean Neck Disability Indexes were assessed before treatment and 1 week after treatment. RESULTS: We found a significant improvement in all assessment parameters (p<0.05) in all groups. But, receiving trigger point injections with ischemic compression group showed significant improvement as compared with the receiving only trigger point injections group. And no significant differences between receiving 30 seconds of ischemic compression group and 60 seconds of ischemic compression group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of ischemic compression for myofascial trigger point. Trigger point injections combined with ischemic compression shows better effects on treatment of myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle than the only trigger point injections therapy. But the duration of ischemic compression did not affect treatment of myofascial trigger point.

Spontaneous Perirenal Hemorrhage in Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Case Report

Neurogenic bladder is a common cause of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in cauda equina syndrome (CES). Perirenal hemorrhage, a rare complication of APN, can be a life-threatening condition. To our knowledge, there is no previous report of perirenal hemorrhage as a complication of APN in CES. A 57-year-old male, diagnosed with CES, due to a L3 burst fracture 3 months earlier, was presented with fever and chills. His diagnosis was APN due to neurogenic bladder. After treatment for APN, he was transferred to the department of rehabilitation medicine for management of his CES. Because of large post-voiding residual urine volumes, he performed self-catheterization after voiding. However, he presented again with fever and chills, and recurrent APN was diagnosed. On the third day of antibiotic treatment, he had acute abdominal pains and hypovolemic shock. Abdominal computed tomography and angiography showed left APN and a perirenal hematoma with left renal capsular artery bleeding. After embolization of the left renal capsular artery, no further active bleeding occurred. Because APN due to neurogenic bladder can lead to critical complications, such as perirenal hemorrhage, the physician should pay attention to the early diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection and the management of neurogenic bladder after CES.

Spontaneous Perirenal Hemorrhage in Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Case Report

Neurogenic bladder is a common cause of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in cauda equina syndrome (CES). Perirenal hemorrhage, a rare complication of APN, can be a life-threatening condition. To our knowledge, there is no previous report of perirenal hemorrhage as a complication of APN in CES. A 57-year-old male, diagnosed with CES, due to a L3 burst fracture 3 months earlier, was presented with fever and chills. His diagnosis was APN due to neurogenic bladder. After treatment for APN, he was transferred to the department of rehabilitation medicine for management of his CES. Because of large post-voiding residual urine volumes, he performed self-catheterization after voiding. However, he presented again with fever and chills, and recurrent APN was diagnosed. On the third day of antibiotic treatment, he had acute abdominal pains and hypovolemic shock. Abdominal computed tomography and angiography showed left APN and a perirenal hematoma with left renal capsular artery bleeding. After embolization of the left renal capsular artery, no further active bleeding occurred. Because APN due to neurogenic bladder can lead to critical complications, such as perirenal hemorrhage, the physician should pay attention to the early diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection and the management of neurogenic bladder after CES.

Clinical Significance of Hyperlactatemia and Acidosis in Patients with Suspected Generalized Convulsion

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical usefulness of lactic acidosis in an evaluation of patients with suspected generalized convulsion. METHODS: This was retrospective cohort study. The correlation between the lactate level and the time to blood gas analysis (ABGA) was analyzed in patients who had a final diagnosis of seizure to exclude the time effect on the spontaneous clearance of lactate. The patient's data in the true seizure group and false seizure group was then compared. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of lactate, pH and base deficit for diagnosing true seizure was drawn. The sensitivity and specificity of the presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis for a diagnosis of seizure and predicting epileptiform discharge at electroencephalography (EEG) was analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 173 patients suspected of having generalized convulsion, 136 patients were diagnosed with a true seizure on hospital discharge and patients whose ABGA was performed within 60 minutes after seizure showed a significantly higher arterial lactate level, lower arterial pH and base deficit than the patients whose ABGA was performed after 60 minutes of seizure onset. 62 patients whose ABGA was performed 60 minutes after symptom onset were excluded. Finally, of 111 patients, 89 patients with true seizure showed a significantly higher arterial lactate level, lower arterial pH and base deficit than the 22 patients with false seizure. The ROC curve of lactate, pH and base deficit showed a significant area under the curve for diagnosing true seizure. The presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis showed high sensitivity for diagnosing true seizure and expecting epileptiform EEG when they were measured with 60 minutes after symptom onset. CONCLUSION: In patients with suspected generalized convulsion, upon presentation to the ED within 60 min of symptom onset, the presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis increased the likelihood of a true seizure and might be an objective indicator for further evaluations of seizure. On the other hand, normal lactate levels and no acidosis could not exclude a true seizure.

Acute Coagulopathy in Non-Traumatic Bleeding

PURPOSE: To find the incidence of acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding and to evaluate the factors related to the development of coagulopathy. METHODS: Non-traumatic bleeding patients that visited the emergency department of a university teaching hospital from March 2007 to March 2010 were enrolled retrospectively. Patients >18-years-of-age with altered mental status and unstable vital signs, who required resuscitations, transfusion and emergency surgery were included. Patients with liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure and warfarin medication were excluded. The presence of coagulopathy was defined as prothrombin time (PT) > 18 sec or PT (%) 60 sec. We analyzed the relationship between coagulopathy and age, presence of circulatory shock (systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg), hypothermia (body temperature (BT) < 36degrees C), acidity of arterial blood (arterial pH < 7.35), tissue hypoperfusion (base deficit < or = -6 mmol/L), thrombocytopenia (< 100000/uL) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to find factors that predicted the development of acute coagulopathy. RESULTS: Non-traumatic bleeding patients (n=149) were analyzed. Sixteen patients (10.7%) showed acute coagulopathy. Ten patients (6.7%) expired during hospitalization. There were no significant differences in mortality, age, sex and full term for glasgow coma scale (GCS) according to presence of early coagulopathy. The presence of shock, metabolic acidosis, thrombocytopenia and high SOFA score were risk factors for the development of acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding. The group that had early coagulopathy received more much fluid and transfusions compared to the group that did not have coagulopathy (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acute coagulopathy causes organ dysfunction due to tissue hypoperfusion. Presently, patients who had acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding required large amounts of fluid and transfusion during acute resuscitation comparison with non-coagulopathy patients. Further study is needed to find whether the correction of coagulopathy improves the outcome of non-traumatic bleeding patients.

Acute Coagulopathy in Non-Traumatic Bleeding

PURPOSE: To find the incidence of acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding and to evaluate the factors related to the development of coagulopathy. METHODS: Non-traumatic bleeding patients that visited the emergency department of a university teaching hospital from March 2007 to March 2010 were enrolled retrospectively. Patients >18-years-of-age with altered mental status and unstable vital signs, who required resuscitations, transfusion and emergency surgery were included. Patients with liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure and warfarin medication were excluded. The presence of coagulopathy was defined as prothrombin time (PT) > 18 sec or PT (%) 60 sec. We analyzed the relationship between coagulopathy and age, presence of circulatory shock (systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg), hypothermia (body temperature (BT) < 36degrees C), acidity of arterial blood (arterial pH < 7.35), tissue hypoperfusion (base deficit < or = -6 mmol/L), thrombocytopenia (< 100000/uL) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to find factors that predicted the development of acute coagulopathy. RESULTS: Non-traumatic bleeding patients (n=149) were analyzed. Sixteen patients (10.7%) showed acute coagulopathy. Ten patients (6.7%) expired during hospitalization. There were no significant differences in mortality, age, sex and full term for glasgow coma scale (GCS) according to presence of early coagulopathy. The presence of shock, metabolic acidosis, thrombocytopenia and high SOFA score were risk factors for the development of acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding. The group that had early coagulopathy received more much fluid and transfusions compared to the group that did not have coagulopathy (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acute coagulopathy causes organ dysfunction due to tissue hypoperfusion. Presently, patients who had acute coagulopathy following non-traumatic bleeding required large amounts of fluid and transfusion during acute resuscitation comparison with non-coagulopathy patients. Further study is needed to find whether the correction of coagulopathy improves the outcome of non-traumatic bleeding patients.

Endoscopy versus Open Bursectomy of Lateral Malleolar Bursitis; Comparative Study / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: To compare the result of endoscopic versus open bursectomy in lateral malleolar bursitis, which was not treated conservatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2008 and October 2009, We divided to two groups, endoscopy (group A) 11 cases, open bursectomy (group B) 11 cases. The average follow up period was 15 months (range, 12 to 18), the mean age was 66 (range, 38 to 79). We compared patients satisfaction, complete healing time, operation time, complications and recurrence. RESULTS: Group A had significant difference in terms of the clinical satisfactions, complete healing time. operation time, complications. Group A showed satisfaction (excellent 9, good 2), mean complete healing time 11.9 (8~14) days, operation time 37 (25~45) minutes, 1 case recur. Group B showed satisfaction (excellent 4, good 3, fair 1, poor 3), complete healing time 32.7 (14~98) days, operation time 22 (18~26) minutes. complication were one case of skin necrosis, one case of wound dehiscence, two cases of superficial peroneal nerve injury, no recurrence. Significant advantages of endoscopic method include lower morbidity and rapid wound healing period (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic resection of the lateral malleolar bursitis is a promising technique and shows favourable results compared to the open resection. Significant advantages of this method include lower morbidiy and rapid wound healing.

A Case of a Senile Systemic Amyloidosis Patient Presenting With Angina Pectoris and Dilated Cardiomyopathy

A 77-year-old man visited our hospital complaining of aggravated exertional chest pain. He was diagnosed with syndrome X 7 years ago and underwent medical treatment in a regional hospital. Coronary angiography and echocardiography did not show any significant abnormalities. On the seventh in-hospital day, cardiogenic shock developed and echocardiography showed a dilated left ventricular (LV) cavity and severe LV systolic dysfunction. We thus inserted an intra-aortic balloon pump for hemodynamic support and were forced to maintain it because of weaning failure several times. Finally, heart transplantation was the decided necessary procedure. After successful heart transplantation, the biopsy specimen revealed a wild-type transthyretin deposition indicating senile systemic amyloidosis in the intramuscular coronary vessels and interstitium. Cardiac biopsy at the 4-year follow-up showed no recurrence of amyloid deposition.

Clinical Features of Late-Onset Sepsis with Fatal Outcome in Early Phase of Infection in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients and Impact of Initial Antibiotic Therapy / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is a serious problem in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study was undertaken to investigate clinical features of LOS (occurring after 72 hours of age) with fatal outcome (lethal within 72 hours of onset) in early phase of infection in NICU patients and impact of initial antibiotic therapy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the medical records was conducted to find LOS in patients in a NICU of university hospital over an 8-year period (2001-2008). RESULTS: There were 455 episodes of blood culture-proven LOS in 388 (6.9%) of 5,608 infants who survived beyond 3 days of age. Gram-positive bacteria were the most common pathogen, accounting for 265 cases (58.2%), and were followed by fungi with 101 cases (22.2%) and Gram-negative bacteria with 89 cases (19.6%). Fatal outcome in early phase of infection occurred in 14 cases (3.1%), and the most prevalent organism of fatal infection was Klebsiella, accounting for 7 cases (50%). Both Candida and S. aureus caused 2 cases of sepsis with fatal outcome, and also Acinetobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus caused 1 case respectively. The fatal outcome was more frequently developed in patients with Gram-negative sepsis than those with Gram-positive or fungal infections (10.1% vs. 2.0% vs. 1.1%; P <0.05). In clinical findings of patients with fatal outcome, the median of age at onset of infection was 19 days (range: 6-94 days), and the interval between onset and death was 29 hours (range: 10-58 hours). Severe sepsis at onset of infection was developed in 7 cases (50.0%), and the use of adequate empirical antibiotics was done in 10 cases (71.4%) of them. CONCLUSION: LOS by Gram-negative bacteria may easily complicate with fatal outcome in neonates. It cannot be prevented with adequate empirical antibiotic therapy, and additional countermeasures against fatal infection are necessary in NICU.

Availability of Toxicologic Screening Tests in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: The role of a point of care test (POCT) is currently becoming important when treating patients and making decisions in the emergency department. It also plays a role for managing patients presenting with drug intoxication. But the availability of the test has not yet been studied in Korea. Therefore, we investigated the utility and the availability of POCT for drug screening used in the emergency department. METHODS: This was a retrospective study for those patients with drug intoxication between January 2007 and December 2010 in an urban emergency department. RESULTS: Between the study period, 543 patients were examined with a Triage(R)-TOX Drug Screen. Among those, 248 (45.7%) patients showed negative results and 295 (54.3%) patients showed positive results. The sensitivity of the test for benzodiazepine, acetaminophen and tricyclic antidepressants were 85.9%, 100%, 79.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: POCT of drug screening in emergency department showed good accuracy especially in patient with benzodiazepine, acetaminophen and tricyclic antidepressant intoxication. Therefore, it can be useful diagnostic tool for the management of intoxicated patients.

The clinical characteristics of noncardiac chest pain and treatment response in non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is defined as recurring angina-like retrosternal chest pain of noncardiac origin. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is by far the most common cause of NCCP. We evaluated the incidence of some esophageal abnormalities as a cause of NCCP and the treatment response to a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). METHODS: Forty seven NCCP cases were selected from 184 cases who underwent 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring or esophageal manometry. Patients were excluded if they had a history of gastrointestinal surgery, pancreatobiliary disorder, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, depression or tuberculosis. In this study, all GERD patients had non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). RESULTS: Of the 47 NCCP cases, 30 (63.8%) were female and 17 (36.2%) were male. Only 7 (14.9%) cases had typical GERD symptoms such as acid regurgitation and heartburn. Of the 47 NCCP cases, 12 (25.5%) had GERD-related NCCP, and six (12.8%) had esophageal motility disorder. Of the 12 cases diagnosed as GERD-related NCCP, nine (75.0%) showed a satisfactory PPI response. The PPI was effective for GERD-related NCCP compared with non-GERD related NCCP (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: About 40% of NERD patients with NCCP had an esophageal disorder including GERD and esophageal motility disorder. A PPI was effective for GERD-related NCCP.