Jung Hee Wee

Procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker and IL-6 as a prognostic marker for sepsis ☆

The diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis after antimicrobial therapy among systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) patients were evaluated with the biomarkers procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and white blood cell counts. Among 177 consecutive SIRS patients, 78 exhibited sepsis, with Escherichia coli (23.1%) being the most common pathogen. PCT showed the best diagnostic performance, with 74.4% and 93.7% sensitivity and 86.7% and 75.2% specificity among sepsis and severe sepsis/septic shock patients, respectively. PCT, IL-6, and CRP levels were significantly increased in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. Serial measurements at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h showed that IL-6 showed better kinetics in the survivor group and was decreased in more than 86% of survivors by the second day. PCT can support the diagnosis of bacterial infection, especially in septic shock and severe sepsis patients. IL6 exhibited the better kinetics for monitoring the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment.

Therapeutic hypothermia in adult cardiac arrest because of drowning.

Therapeutic hypothermia in adult victims who suffer cardiac arrest following drowning has been applied in only a small number of cases. In the last 4 years, we have employed therapeutic hypothermia to decrease hypoxia‐induced brain injury in these patients. The purpose of the present study was to report the results of the treatment of these patients.

The value of procalcitonin level in community-acquired pneumonia in the ED

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) level in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the emergency department (ED). METHODS We conducted a prospective study of patients with CAP in the ED. Patients presenting with a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of CAP were enrolled. The authors measured inflammatory biomarkers. The severity of CAP was assessed by 3 prediction rules. We performed an analysis to assess the value of each biomarker for the prediction of mortality and CAP severity. RESULTS A total of 126 patients with CAP are included. Sixteen patients who were older and belonged to high-risk group died within 28 days. Nonsurvivors had significantly increased median PCT level (1.96 vs 0.18 ng/mL) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (158.57 vs 91.28 mg/dL) compared with survivors. The median PCT levels were significantly higher in more severe disease, on 3 prediction rules. In regression logistic analyses, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of PCT level were 0.828 (95% confidence interval, 0.750-0.889). The addition of PCT level to three prediction rules significantly increased the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. These results suggest that PCT measurement is more versatile tool for predicting mortality and the severity of disease among patients with CAP in the ED. CONCLUSIONS Procalcitonin level is valuable for predicting mortality and the severity of disease among patients with CAP at ED admission. Procalcitonin level as an adjunct to CAP prediction rules may be valuable for prognosis and severity assessment.

Outcome analysis of cardiac arrest due to hanging injury

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to review patient characteristics and analyze the outcomes in patients who have had cardiac arrest from hanging injuries. METHODS A retrospective review was performed that examined the victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to hanging who presented to a tertiary general hospital from January 2000 to December 2009. Utstein style variables were evaluated, and patient outcomes were assessed at the time of hospital discharge using the cerebral performance category (CPC) scale. RESULTS Fifty-two patients with OHCA due to hanging were enrolled in this study from the aforementioned 10-year inclusion period. Resuscitation attempts were performed in 31 patients (60%), and 21 patients were pronounced dead. In all cases, the first monitored cardiac rhythms were either asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and were therefore nonshockable rhythms. Of the patients for whom resuscitation was attempted, 13 (42%) experienced a return of spontaneous circulation and 1 revealed cervical spine fracture. Of the 13 return-of-spontaneous-circulation patients, 5 survived to be discharged. The mean age of these 5 surviving patients was 36 years. All 5 patients were graded as cerebral performance category 4 at discharge. CONCLUSION The first monitored cardiac rhythms of patients presenting with OHCA due to hanging were nonshockable rhythms wherein the survival rate of these patients was 9.6%. All of the survivors were relatively young and demonstrated poor neurologic outcomes at discharge. Physicians must consider cervical spine fracture in patients who had cardiac arrest from hanging.

Serum procalcitonin level for the prediction of severity in women with acute pyelonephritis in the ED: value of procalcitonin in acute pyelonephritis☆ , ☆☆

PURPOSE Predicting medical outcomes for acute pyelonephritis (APN) in women is difficult. Delay in diagnosis and treatment often results in rapid progression to circulatory collapse, multiple-organ failure, and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) level in women with APN at ED. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of women with APN presenting to the ED. The authors measured inflammatory biomarkers, and the severity of pyelonephritis was assessed by 4 severity of disease classification system and stage of sepsis. We performed an analysis to assess the value of PCT for the prediction of 28-day mortality and disease severity. RESULTS A total of 240 female patients with APN are included. Patients were divided into 4 groups on the basis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria, organ dysfunction, and persistent hypotension. The median PCT level was higher in the septic shock group compared with other groups. Of the other inflammatory markers, only white blood cell count was significantly different among the groups, whereas high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate revealed no differences. The area under the curve for PCT in predicting 28-day mortality was 0.68. For predicting mortality, a cutoff value of 0.42 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 50%. However, the disease classification systems were demonstrated to be superior to PCT in predicting 28-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS Relative to other classic markers of inflammation, by distinguishing the severity of sepsis related to APN, PCT levels can provide additional aid to clinicians in disease severity classification and their decision of treatment at ED.

A Comparative Study of Bike Lane Injuries

Background: Because of the increased number of bicycle riders and governmental promotions, a recent increase in the construction of bicycle lanes has occurred. We aimed to characterize injuries specific to bicycle lane accidents by comparing them with injuries that occurred on regular roadways. On the basis of our findings, we provide suggestions on proper preventive strategies. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 408 cases obtained between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. Of these cases, 387 met the criterion that the location of the injury could be confirmed by telephone or via review of the patients chart. Data regarding age, gender, Injury Severity Score, time of the accident, location of the accident, and other characteristics were collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0K. Results: Of the 387 cases, 204 (52.7%) patients were injured in bicycle lanes and 183 (47.3%) were injured on regular roadways. Comparing cases of bicycle lane injuries and non-bicycle lane injuries, there were no differences in age, day of the week, season, or the time at which the accident occurred. Bicycle helmets were used more frequently in bicycle lane injuries (33.2% vs. 13.7%; p < 0.001). In addition, the most common causes of injury for bicycle lane incidences were falls (59.3%) and collisions with other bicycles (23.5%), whereas in non-bicycle lane cases, falls (42.6%) and collisions with other vehicles (39.3%) were the most common causes of injury. Although the severity of injuries was slightly lower in bicycle lane cases, it was not significantly lower than non-bicycle lane cases. Conclusions: Although people are increasingly using bicycle lanes for safety, this study shows that they are not definitively safer. Therefore, improvements in the policies related to implementing bicycle lane safety are needed, for example, by enforcing the use of protective gear or preventing the use of bicycle lanes by pedestrians. More safety education programs are also needed. Level of Evidence: III.

Outcomes of asphyxial cardiac arrest patients who were treated with therapeutic hypothermia: A multicentre retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION While therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is in clinical use, its efficacy in certain patient groups is unclear. This study was designed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac-arrest (OHCA) caused by asphyxia, who were treated with TH. PATIENTS AND METHODS A multicentre, retrospective, registry-based study was performed using data from the period 2007-2012. Comatose patients who were treated with TH after asphyxial cardiac arrest were included, while those who with cardiac arrest attributed to hanging, drowning or gas intoxication were excluded. RESULTS Of a total of 932 OHCA patients in the registry, 111 were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 65.8±16.3 years with individuals who were ≥65 years of age accounted for 61.3% of the cohort. Foreign-body airway obstruction was the most common cause (70.3%) of the cardiac arrest. Eighty patients (72.1%) presented with an initial non-shockable rhythm. In all institutions target TH temperatures were 32-34°C, but TH maintenance times varied. A total of 52 patients (46.8%) survived, of whom six patients (5.4%) showed a good neurologic outcome (cerebral performance category scale 1-2). The pupil light reflex, corneal reflex and time to return of spontaneous circulation (p=0.012, 0.015 and 0.032, respectively) were associated with survival. Witnessed arrest, age, previous lung disease, bystander basic life support and time factors were not associated with survival. CONCLUSION About half of patients who underwent TH after asphyxial cardiac arrest survived, but a very small number showed a good neurologic outcome. The TH maintenance times were not uniform in these patients. Additional research regarding both the appropriate TH guidelines for patients with asphyxial cardiac arrest and improvement of their neurologic outcome is needed.

The associative factors of delayed-onset rhabdomyolysis in patients with doxylamine overdose.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the associative factors of rhabdomyolysis in patients with doxylamine overdose who had normal creatine phosphokinase levels at admission. METHODS This study included 169 patients who visited the emergency department of a tertiary teaching hospital after doxylamine overdose between January 1, 1998, and March 31, 2009. Demographic information, clinical variables, and laboratory data were investigated for the associative factors of rhabdomyolysis. RESULTS Thirty-five (21%) of the 169 patients developed rhabdomyolysis. Patients who developed rhabdomyolysis differed from those who did not in the amount of doxylamine ingested, sex, heart rate, initial value of serum creatinine, and alanine aminotransferase. In the multivariate regression analysis, the only reliable predictors of rhabdomyolysis were the amount of doxylamine ingested (P = .004) and heart rate (P < .001). CONCLUSION Observation and laboratory follow-up are required for patients with large reported ingestions or tachycardia on admission, even if their creatine phosphokinase levels were normal.

Prognostic value of gray matter to white matter ratio in hypoxic and non-hypoxic cardiac arrest with non-cardiac etiology

PURPOSE This study evaluated the prognostic performance of the gray to white matter ratio (GWR) on brain computed tomography (CT) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors with a noncardiac etiology and compared the prognostic performance of GWR between hypoxic and nonhypoxic etiologies. METHODS Using a multicenter retrospective registry of adult OHCA patients treated with targeted temperature management, we identified those with a noncardiac etiology who underwent brain CT within 24 hours after restoration of spontaneous circulation. Attenuation of the gray matter and white matter (at the level of the basal ganglia, centrum semiovale, and high convexity) were measured and GWRs were calculated. The primary outcome was neurologic outcome. RESULTS Of 164 patients, 145 (88.4%) were discharged with a poor neurologic outcome. Lower GWR was associated with a poor neurologic outcome. The sensitivities of this marker were markedly low (9.7%-43.5%) at cutoff values, with 100% sensitivity. The cutoff values of the GWR for hypoxic arrest showed higher sensitivities than those for nonhypoxic arrest. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the GWR for the caudate nucleus/posterior limb of the internal capsule, putamen/corpus callosum, and basal ganglia were significant in the hypoxic group, whereas the AUC of the putamen/corpus callosum was the only significant GWR in the nonhypoxic group. CONCLUSION A low GWR is associated with poor neurologic outcome in noncardiac etiology OHCA patients treated with targeted temperature management. Gray to white matter ratio can help to predict the neurologic outcome in a cardiac arrest with hypoxic etiology rather than a nonhypoxic etiology.

Outcomes of patients admitted for hanging injuries with decreased consciousness but without cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to provide appropriate treatment of patients who showed decreased mentality but did not suffer cardiac arrest (CA) from hanging injury, from reviewing the characteristics and analyzing the outcomes in such patients. METHODS A retrospective review of victims with decreased mentality but without CA due to hanging presenting to 2 tertiary general hospitals between January 2005 and August 2011 was performed. Treatments and examinations were evaluated, and the outcomes were assessed by cerebral performance category at hospital discharge. RESULTS A total of 21 patients were included, and their initial Glasgow Coma Scale scores were between 3 and 11. No one received therapeutic hypothermia, but all regained consciousness spontaneously and were discharged with cerebral performance category 1. They received only conservative treatment such as respiratory care, fever control, and inotropic use. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies revealed no definite abnormality if the patient did not show abnormal symptom and sign. CONCLUSION Unconscious patients without CA from hanging could recover consciousness through conservative treatment.