Outcomes and clinical relevance of stool multiplex bacterial polymerase chain reaction in patients with acute diarrhea: single center experience

Diagnostic stool multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing has attracted considerable interest, because of its high sensitivity, short turnaround time, and ability to detect multiple organisms simultaneously. This study investigates the clinical usefulness of a stool multiplex bacterial PCR in patients with acute diarrhea. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the stool multiplex bacterial PCR results, clinical parameters, and clinical courses of patients hospitalized because of acute diarrhea between August 2014 and November 2016. Results: A total of 725 patients (male, 372; mean age, 30.9 ± 29.3 years) underwent stool multiplex bacterial PCR. A total of 243 pathogens were detected in 226 patients. The detection rate of multiplex PCR testing was higher than that of stool culture (32.7% vs. 3.3%, p < 0.01). Severe symptoms of acute diarrhea (bloody diarrhea, frequent diarrhea) and prescribed empirical antibiotics were significantly more common in the positive multiplex PCR group (p = 0.02, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively). However, mean durations of hospital stay were similar in the 2 groups according to the multiplex PCR results (p = 0.32). In addition, Campylobacter spp., which was the most commonly detected pathogen (97/243, 39.9%), was significantly associated with frequent diarrhea and prescribed empirical antibiotics (p < 0.01), but not with duration of hospital stay (p = 0.09). Conclusions: We concluded that stool multiplex bacterial PCR might be a useful tool for identifying bacterial etiology in patients with acute diarrhea, especially in those with Campylobacter spp. infection.

Current Status and Research into Overcoming Limitations of Capsule Endoscopy

Endoscopic investigation has a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Since 2001, capsule endoscopy (CE) has been available for small-bowel exploration and is under continuous development. During the past decade, CE has achieved impressive improvements in areas such as miniaturization, resolution, and battery life. As a result, CE is currently a first-line tool for the investigation of the small bowel in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and is a useful alternative to wired enteroscopy. Nevertheless, CE still has several limitations, such as incomplete examination and limited diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. To resolve these problems, many groups have suggested several models (e.g., controlled CO2 insufflation system, magnetic navigation system, mobile robotic platform, tagging and biopsy equipment, and targeted drug-delivery system), which are in development. In the near future, new technological advances will improve the capabilities of CE and broaden its spectrum of applications not only for the small bowel but also for the colon, stomach, and esophagus. The purpose of this review is to introduce the current status of CE and to review the ongoing development of solutions to address its limitations.

A Case of Acute Kidney Injury due to Retroperitoneal Sarcoma / 대한신장학회지

Retroperitoneal sarcoma is a rare tumor accounting for 1-2% of all solid malignancies. These tumors are usually large when diagnosed because of their typically silent nature and should be distinguished from other retroperitoneal masses for adequate management. In spite of an apparent complete resection which is the only potential curative treatment, the high rate of local recurrence is the major problem of retroperitoneal sarcoma; therefore, patients with high-grade tumors should undergo regular and continuous follow-ups. Postrenal acute kidney injury (AKI) results from a urinary outflow tract compression due to the mass effect of retroperitoneal sarcoma, which is one of less common causes of postrenal AKI and has not been reported in Korea. We report a case that an 81-year-old-woman with undifferentiated retroperitoneal sarcoma presented with postrenal AKI and improved after complete resection.