Usefulness of the blood urea nitrogen to serum albumin ratio as a prognostic factor of gastrointestinal bleeding patients

Objective@#Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is one of the most common reasons for people to visit the emergency department. Despite advances in treatments, the intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates due to GI bleeding are still high. Therefore, many scoring systems had been developed to screen patients who need active care. Among these scoring systems, the AIMS65 score, Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS), and Pre-Rockall score (PRS) are known to be accurate risk assessment scoring models. A recent study has shown that hypoalbuminemia is related to poor prognosis in patients with GI bleeding. In this study, we compared the prognostic performance of the blood urea nitrogen to serum albumin ratio (B/A ratio) with the AIMS65, GBS, and PRS scores in patients with GI bleeding. @*Methods@#This is a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting with GI bleeding in the Seoul Regional Emergency room from February to December 2018. The baseline characteristics of these patients were obtained. The data were compared with the prevalence of ICU admission from the emergency department and in-hospital mortality. The B/A ratio, AIMS65, GBS, and PRS scores as predictors of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. @*Results@#A total of 433 patients were included in this study. Of these, 354 (81.8%) were admitted to the hospital, 121 (27.9%) were admitted to the ICU, and 26 (6.0%) died during hospitalization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the B/A ratio was a significant predictor of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. The predicting ICU admission AUROC value of the B/A ratio was 0.735, and those of the AIMS65, GBS, and PRS scores were 0.763, 0.741, and 0.704, respectively. For predicting in-hospital mortality, the AUROC value of the B/A ratio was 0.758, and those of the AIMS65, GBS, and PRS scores were 0.826, 0.717, and 0.744, respectively. @*Conclusion@#The B/A ratio is a useful tool for predicting the prognosis for patients with GI bleeding as are the AIMS65, GBS, and PRS score models.

Different Seasonal Variations of Potassium in Hemodialysis Patients with High Longitudinal Potassium Levels: A Multicenter Cohort Study Using DialysisNet

Purpose@#To determine seasonal variations in serum potassium levels among hemodialysis patients. @*Materials and Methods@#This was a multicenter cohort study of patients whounderwent hemodialysis and were registered in DialysisNet at our four associated general hospitals between January and December 2016. Month-to-month potassium variability was quantified as SD/√{n/(n-1)}, and a non-hierarchical method was used to cluster groups according to potassium trajectories. Seasonal variations in potassium levels were analyzed using a cosinor analysis. @*Results@#The analysis was performed on 279 patients with a mean potassium level of 5.08±0.58 mmol/L. After clustering, 52.3% (n=146) of patients were included in the moderate group (K+ , 4.6±0.4 mmol/L) and 47.7% (n=133) in the high group (K+ , 5.6±0.4 mmol/L). The mean potassium level peaked in January in the moderate group (4.83±0.74 mmol/L) and in August in the high group (5.51±0.70 mmol/L). In the high potassium group, potassium levels were significantly higher in summer than in autumn (p<0.001) and spring (p=0.007). Month-to-month potassium variability was greater in the high group than in the moderate group (0.59±0.19 mmol/L vs. 0.52±0.21 mmol/L, respectively, p=0.012). Compared to patients in the first quartile of potassium variability (≤0.395 mmol/L), those with higher variability (2nd–4th quartiles) were 2.8–4.2 fold more likely to be in the high potassium group. @*Conclusion@#Different seasonal patterns of serum potassium were identified in the moderate and high potassium groups, with potassium levels being significantly higher in the summer season in the high potassium group and in winter for the moderate potassium group.

A Brief Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale for Sexual Violence Victims

Objective@#This study aimed to develop a brief self-report measure of depressive and anxiety symptoms in victims of sexual violence. @*Methods@#The sample, which consisted of 215 victims and 255 healthy controls, was recruited between December 2016 and November 2018 from eight Sunflower Centers. Eligible items were selected from existing scales of depression (CES-DC and CES-D) and anxiety (SAI-C and BAI) symptoms by item-total correlation coefficients and item response theory (IRT) analysis. Internal consistency coefficients were computed and the receiver operating characteristics curve was inspected to assess the validity of the brief scale and determine optimal cutoff scores. @*Results@#The brief scales showed high internal consistency across all age groups. The optimal cutoff score of brief depression scale was 1.5 for children, 2.5 for adolescents, and 2.5 for the adults. That of brief anxiety scale was 8.5, 6.5, and 3.5, respectively. @*Conclusion@#The results underscore the need for age-appropriate screening measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms in victims of sexual violence.

Factors Influencing COVID-19 AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) Vaccination and Side Effects among Health Care Workers in an Acute General Hospital

Purpose@#This study was conducted to identify factors affecting COVID-19 vaccination and associated side effects among health care workers in a small and medium-sized hospital. @*Methods@#In May 2021, 301 workers out of a total of 670 working in a small and medium-sized hospital in Gyeonggi-do, were surveyed. The small and medium-sized hospital treats patients with COVID-19. Health care workers across different medical institutions responded with self-reported internet questionnaires. Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed via logistic regression. @*Results@#Out of 301 subjects, 89.0% showed an intention to inoculate, and 85.7% were vaccinated against COVID-19. The most frequent reason for vaccination was responsibility as a medical worker. The fear of adverse reactions was the most frequent reason for non-vaccination. Adverse reactions after inoculation occurred in 70.9% of cases, and 30.6% were referred for treatment of adverse reactions. The factors ultimately influencing COVID-19 vaccination were vaccination intention, previous side effects from other vaccinations, occupation, and age. @*Conclusion@#In order to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, a systematic approach is required to determine the risk factors associated with the young age of the administrative staff/ personnel, subjects with a history of side effects associated with other vaccines, and health care workers who do not intend to be vaccinated. It is important to develop strategies to improve immunization. In addition, accurate and essential information regarding the side effects of vaccination is needed, along with appropriate education and publicity.

External validation of STONE score and modified STONE score

OBJECTIVE@#The STONE score and modified STONE score are useful clinical prediction rules for ureteral calculi. This study performed an external validation of the STONE score and modified STONE score. The purpose of this study was to minimize the economic cost and radiation exposure of computed tomography.@*METHODS@#The electronic medical records of patients complaining of flank pain from January 2016 to December 2017 at a single emergency department were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were classified into three groups according to the STONE score and modified STONE score. The prevalence of urethral calculi and other important alternative diagnoses were calculated in each group.@*RESULTS@#Out of 561 patients, 266 patients were enrolled in this study, and 222 patients (83.5%) had a ureteral calculus. The same 266 patients were compared using the two clinical decision rule, STONE score, and the modified STONE score. The patients were classified into three groups. The prevalence of ureteral stones in the STONE score was 18.8% in the low-score group, 81.7% in the moderate-score group, and 91.1% in the high-score group. The prevalence of the modified STONE score was 20.0% in the low-score group, 54.1% in the moderate-score group, and 93.0% in the highscore group. The area under the curve of the modified STONE score was 0.779 higher than the area under the STONE score curve 0.73.@*CONCLUSION@#The modified STONE score has superior diagnostic specificity to the STONE score.

Spinal Cord Compression Due to Mediastinal Extramedullary Plasmacytoma

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a common plasma cell tumor often involving the upper aerodigestive tract. Although extremely rare, mediastinal involvement is possible. An 81-year-old man was presented to our emergency department with chest and back pain with weakness in both legs. Chest X-ray showed a large mass in the upper right mediastinum; subsequently, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging evaluated the mass. He was diagnosed with mediastinal EMP, which progressed to spinal cord compression. The patient was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Spinal cord compression, due to metastatic tumor, is an emergency clinical situation that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Emergency medicine physicians should be aware of the clinical presentation and complications associated with EMP.

Evaluation of an Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Simultaneous Detection of Rotavirus and Adenovirus in Stool Samples

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the analytical and clinical performances of the SD BIOLINE Rota/Adeno Rapid kit (SD Rota/Adeno Rapid; Standard Diagnostics, Inc., Korea), an immunochromatographic assay (ICA), for the simultaneous detection of rotaviruses and adenoviruses in human stool samples. METHODS: We tested 400 clinical stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis and compared the ICA results with the results obtained by using ELISA, enzyme-linked fluorescent assays (ELFA), PCR, and multiplex reverse transcription-PCR (mRT-PCR). To assess the analytical performance of the SD BIOLINE Rota/Adeno Rapid kit, we determined its detection limit, reproducibility, cross-reactivity, and analytical reactivity for adenovirus subtypes, and performed interference studies. RESULTS: The overall agreement rates among the tested methods were 91.5% for rotavirus and 85.5% for adenovirus. On the basis of mRT-PCR, the overall agreement, positive agreement, and negative agreement rates of the ICA were 95.6%, 100%, and 94.9% for rotavirus, and 94.0%, 71.4%, and 94.8% for adenovirus, respectively. Using the ICA, we detected all the subtypes of adenovirus tested, but the analytical reactivities for adenovirus subtypes were different between the 4 adenovirus detection methods. The high reproducibility was confirmed, and no cross-reactivity or interference was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The SD BIOLINE Rota/Adeno Rapid kit showed acceptable analytical and clinical performances. However, interpretation of adenovirus positive/negative result should be cautious because of different detectability for adenovirus subtypes among adenovirus detection methods.

A case of reninoma with variant angina

Reninoma is a tumor of the renal juxtaglomerular cell apparatus that causes hypertension and hypokalemia because of hypersecretion of renin. We present a case of a 29-year-old female patient with reninoma and concomitant variant angina. The patient had uncontrolled hypertension and elevated plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels. Imaging studies revealed a mass in the left kidney, which was further confirmed as a renin-producing lesion via selective venous catheterization. During the evaluation, the patient had acute-onset chest pain that was diagnosed as variant angina after a provocation test. After partial nephrectomy, the plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone levels decreased and blood pressure normalized. We report a case of reninoma with variant angina.

A mild decrease of renal function is related to increased hemoglobin level during 5-year follow-up period

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We analyzed chronological changes in hemoglobin according to renal function changes over a 5-year follow-up period. METHODS: We enrolled 5,266 adults with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > or = 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at an initial examination at a routine health check-up; a follow-up examination was conducted 5 years later. We categorized the subjects according to GFR ratio (groups 1, 2, and 3, defined as GFRratio > or = 1.00, 0.75 to 0.99, and or = 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 at the initial examination (all p or = 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, a mild decrease in GFR over a 5-year follow-up period was associated with an increase in hemoglobin levels.

Remission of secondary membranous nephropathy in a patient with Kimura disease after surgical resection

Kimura disease (KD) is an eosinophilic, granulomatous, benign, chronic inflammatory disease with an unknown etiology. A 33-year-old woman visited our hospital because of a palpable, left subclavian mass, a left scapulo-anterior pseudoaneurysm, and nephrotic syndrome. Her subclavian lymph node biopsy examination result was consistent with KD, and results of a renal biopsy indicated secondary membranous nephropathy. After renal histological examination confirmed nephropathy, treatment with prednisolone and cyclosporine was initiated, which was maintained for over 1 year. However, this therapy only provided a transient improvement in proteinuria. One year after commencing the treatment, both proteinuria and azotemia aggravated as the left axillary mass doubled in size. Finally, the mass was surgically excised, following which the azotemia rapidly normalized and proteinuria resolved within 1 month. This case shows that tumor resection in a patient with KD with secondary nephropathy may resolve secondary renal manifestations. Furthermore, reversible renal dysfunction may be caused by unknown secreted molecules.

Successfully Treated Escherichia coli-Induced Emphysematous Cyst Infection with Combination of Intravenous Antibiotics and Intracystic Antibiotics Irrigation in a Patient with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

A 62-yr-old woman with an autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was admitted to our hospital for further evaluation of intermittent fever, nausea and left flank discomfort. The computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a gas-forming, infectious cyst of approximately 8.1 cm in size in left kidney lower pole. Escherichia coli was identified from the cyst fluid culture examination. Her symptoms improved only after the concomitant use of intravenous ciprofloxacin and an intracystic irrigation of ciprofloxacin through a percutaneous cystostomy drainage. Our case presents the successfully treated emphysematous cyst infection with combination of intravenous antibiotics and intracystic antibiotic therapy instead of surgical management.

Performance Evaluation of Chemiluminescent Immunoassay for Erythropoietin and Establishment of Reference Interval in Korean Population / 임상검사와정도관리

BACKGROUND: The measurement of serum erythropoietin (EPO) is useful for the differential diagnosis of polycythemia and anemia and for treatment monitoring of recombinant human EPO. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) has been used in several clinical laboratories of Korea, and recently a few manufacturers developed fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). We evaluated performance of Access EPO assay (Beckman Coulter, USA) using CLIA and established reference interval for Korean adults with this assay. METHODS: The precision, linearity, limit of detection, percent carryover, comparison of Access EPO CLIA and EPO-Trac RIA (DiaSorin Ltd, UK), and establishment of reference interval were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The quality control materials were used in the determination of precision, limit of detection, and carryover. For the reference interval, serum specimens obtained from a total of 120 healthy adults were used. RESULTS: The linearity was good (R2=0.998) from 0.5 IU/L to 732.3 IU/L and within-run and total imprecision were 2.1-4.1% and 2.6-4.1%, respectively. The lower limit of detection was 0.259 IU/L and percent carryover was 0.18%. A comparison analysis with RIA assay showed good correlation, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.88. The reference interval was from 2.5 IU/L to 30.8 IU/L with nonparametric method. CONCLUSIONS: The Access EPO assay provided suitable performance for linearity, precision, and detection limits for clinical laboratory. As this assay does not need radioactive isotopes and afforded a short turnaround time (<1 hr), it is expected to be clinically useful especially for the outpatients.

Updates on Enterovirus Surveillance in Korea / 감염과화학요법

PURPOSE: We identified the causative viruses from patients with aseptic meningitis, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and other enterovirus-related diseases to understand the epidemiological patterns and prevailing strains of enterovirus infections each year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 1999-2003, we examined 3,260 specimens from 2,939 patients with aseptic meningitis or other clinical manifestations for the presence of enteroviruses by using both cell culture/ neutralisation test and reverse transcription-polymerse chain reaction-sequencing. To investigate the etiological agents which caused an epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, conjunctival swab samples from acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis patients showing cytopathic effects in HEp2 cells were tested by enteroviral specific PCR. RESULTS: We identified 603 isolates of enteroviruses (20.5%) among 2,939 cases and 22 serotypes of human enteroviruses were isolated during this 5 year period. Echovirus 13 and coxsackievirus A24 in 2002 and coxsackievirus A9 in 2003 were the first enterovirus to be indentified in Korea since we began the enterovirus surveillance in 1993. While an epidemic of echovirus 13 infection in Korea began in Gwangju and Jeolla province in 2002 and spread to Seoul, Gyunggi, Busan, Ulsan and other regions, echovirus 6 isolates in 2002 were mainly detected in Busan specimens and some Gwangju samples. From the nucleotide sequencing of enteroviral PCR products of conjunctival swab specimens, we found 85% nucleotide homology to coxsackievirus A24 (D90457). CONCLUSIONS: We isolated 603 enteroviral isolates among 2939 cases during 1999-2003. Echovirus 13 and coxsackievirus A24 were the first enterovirus to be identified in Korea and caused nationwide epidemics in 2002.

Updates on Enterovirus Surveillance in Korea / 감염과화학요법

PURPOSE: We identified the causative viruses from patients with aseptic meningitis, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and other enterovirus-related diseases to understand the epidemiological patterns and prevailing strains of enterovirus infections each year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 1999-2003, we examined 3,260 specimens from 2,939 patients with aseptic meningitis or other clinical manifestations for the presence of enteroviruses by using both cell culture/ neutralisation test and reverse transcription-polymerse chain reaction-sequencing. To investigate the etiological agents which caused an epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, conjunctival swab samples from acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis patients showing cytopathic effects in HEp2 cells were tested by enteroviral specific PCR. RESULTS: We identified 603 isolates of enteroviruses (20.5%) among 2,939 cases and 22 serotypes of human enteroviruses were isolated during this 5 year period. Echovirus 13 and coxsackievirus A24 in 2002 and coxsackievirus A9 in 2003 were the first enterovirus to be indentified in Korea since we began the enterovirus surveillance in 1993. While an epidemic of echovirus 13 infection in Korea began in Gwangju and Jeolla province in 2002 and spread to Seoul, Gyunggi, Busan, Ulsan and other regions, echovirus 6 isolates in 2002 were mainly detected in Busan specimens and some Gwangju samples. From the nucleotide sequencing of enteroviral PCR products of conjunctival swab specimens, we found 85% nucleotide homology to coxsackievirus A24 (D90457). CONCLUSIONS: We isolated 603 enteroviral isolates among 2939 cases during 1999-2003. Echovirus 13 and coxsackievirus A24 were the first enterovirus to be identified in Korea and caused nationwide epidemics in 2002.