Woon Jeong Lee

Diagnosis and evaluation of severity of sepsis via the use of biomarkers and profiles of 13 cytokines: a multiplex analysis.

Abstract Background: The object of this study was to evaluate biomarkers for diagnosis of sepsis, hematologic parameters, and cytokine profiles for use in the diagnosis and evaluation of severity of sepsis. Methods: We enrolled 127 consecutive patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), 97 of whom were diagnosed with sepsis. The following biomarkers were evaluated: procalcitonin (PCT); C-reactive protein (CRP); erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); white blood cell count, immature granulocyte (IG) count; and multiplex cytokines, including interleukin (IL)1-β (IL1β), IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL9, IL10, IL12p70, IL13, IL17, IL22, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and interferon-γ (IFNγ). A cytokine bead immunoassay was used to perform simultaneous measurements. Results: The disease involving urinary and respiratory tract constituted 57.5% of all patients. The severity of infection was classified as follows: SIRS patients, n=30; sepsis patients, n=81; and septic shock/severe sepsis patients, n=16. PCT, IL6, and CRP had high area under receiver operation characteristic curve (AUCs) and accuracy, which is as follows: PCT: 0.841, 80.5%; IL6: 0.811, 77.1%; CRP: 0.784, 73.8%, respectively. Severity of sepsis could be discriminated by PCT, IL6, and IL5. Unlike other cytokines, IFNγ had an inverse relation with severity of sepsis. The relationship between cytokine profiles and clinical diagnosis of sepsis was unclear. Conclusions: PCT, IL6, and CRP values could assist diagnosis, and PCT, IL6, and IL5 had discriminative properties for determination of severity of sepsis. IFNγ revealed a distinct inverse relationship with severity of sepsis. As there was no relationship between cytokine profiles and sepsis, further studies are required to develop clinical applications.

Physician and nurse knowledge about patient radiation exposure in the emergency department

BACKGROUND Imaging methods that use ionizing radiation in emergency departments (EDs) have increased with advances in radiological diagnostic methods. Physician and nurse awareness of the radiation dose in the ED and the associated cancer risks to which the patients are exposed were surveyed with a questionnaire. METHODS A total of 191 subjects in six EDs participated in this study. ED physicians and ED nurses were asked about the risks and the radiation doses of imaging methods ordered in the ED. The differences between the two groups were compared using Students t-test for continuous variables. A Fishers exact and Chi-squared tests were used for categorical variables. RESULTS A total of 82 ED physicians and 109 ED nurses completed the questionnaire; 38 (46.3%) physicians and 8 (7.3%) nurses correctly answered the question about the chest X-ray radiation dose. A question about the number of chest X-rays that is equivalent to the dose of a pelvic X-ray was answered correctly by 5 (6.1%) physicians and 9 (8.3%) nurses (P = 0.571). Questions regarding abdominal computed tomography (CT), chest CT, brain CT, abdominal ultrasonography, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were answered correctly more frequently by the physician group than the nurse group (P < 0.05). The risk of developing cancer over a lifetime due to a brain CT was correctly answered by 21 (25.6%) physicians and 30 (27.5%) nurses (P = 0.170). A similar question regarding abdominal CT was correctly answered by 21 (25.6%) physicians and 42 (38.5%) nurses (P = 0.127). CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of the radiation exposure of radiology examinations was lower in nurses than physicians, but knowledge was poor in both groups. ED physicians and nurses should be educated about radiation exposure and cancer risks associated with various diagnostic radiological methods.

The accuracies of abdominal computed tomography and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio used to predict the development of clinically severe acute cholecystitis in elderly patients visiting an emergency department

Background: Mortality in patients with severe acute cholecystitis (AC) remains high, and the prognosis for elderly patients tends to be poor. A comparative analysis of clinical, laboratory, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) parameters was conducted in this study to investigate the effectiveness of each index for predicting clinically severe AC in elderly patients in the emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study that included 156 patients (≥65 years of age) with AC who were admitted in the ED between January 2012 and December 2014. Parameters including age, gender, initial clinical findings, laboratory findings, and CT findings in the ED were examined for their ability to predict severity. Results: Forty-five patients were diagnosed with clinically severe AC. The white blood cell count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, protein, albumin, and prothrombin time/International Normalized Ratio values were significantly higher in the severe group than in the nonsevere group (P < 0.05). In addition, the CT parameters of increased pericholecystic fat stranding and pericholecystic fluid collection were significantly higher in the severe group than in the nonsevere group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Increased pericholecystic fat stranding (odds ratio [OR], 8.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.29–29.22; P = 0.001), pericholecystic fluid collection (OR, 6.55; 95% CI, 1.39–30.92; P = 0.018), and an NLR cutoff value of 9.9 (OR, 4.20; 95% CI, 1.01–17.53; P = 0.049) were independent predictors of severe AC in elderly patients. Conclusions: The CT parameters of increased pericholecystic fat stranding and pericholecystic fluid collection with an NLR cutoff of 9.9 were useful for predicting the severity of AC in elderly patients in the ED.

Targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest with anaphylaxis

Fatal anaphylaxis is uncommon but not rare. Extrapolated mortality rates are 0.52% of total anaphylaxis patients Bock et al. (Jan. 2001) [1]. Nevertheless, compared with the incidence of the other cardiac arrest events, the incidence of cardiac arrest due to anaphylaxis is relatively small. As a result, the effect using targeted temperature management after anaphylaxis is not clearly understood. We report the case of a 63-year-old man who developed cardiac arrest after ingestion of two pieces of peach. He was resuscitated and his circulation returned spontaneously after approximately 11min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he was unresponsive and had fixed dilated pupils. We initiated therapeutic hypothermia on the basis of protocol for 24h. The patient was gradually and successfully cooled and rewarmed. The patient opened his eyes spontaneously on day 5, obeyed commands on day 6, and was discharged on day 18. At the time of discharge, he had no neurologic deficiencies or other complications.

Factors Associated with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization in Patients Transferred to Emergency Departments in Korea

Background Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage. Methods This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups. Results Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378–46.651), hospital days (4–7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229–16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1–3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137–3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007–1.043). Conclusion VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.

Iliacus abscess with radiculopathy mimicking herniated nucleus pulposus: Aadditional diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging

An iliacus abscess is an extremely rare cause of low back pain. With an iliacus abscess, the classical signs seen with a psoas abscess are frequently absent. Therefore, a timely diagnosis at the initial visit is difficult and inadequate treatment usually results in high mortality. Here, we report the case of 19-year-old man who presented with acute low back pain with radiculopathy and was ultimately diagnosed with an iliacus muscle abscess.

Management of right main bronchial rupture with a double lumen endotracheal tube in a patient with blunt chest trauma

Tracheobronchial disruption is one of the most severe injuries caused by blunt chest trauma. It may cause airway obstruction and resulting life-threatening respiratory deficiency. However, the clinical presentations are variable and frequently difficult to diagnose. We report a case of a previously healthy 16-year-old man with complete right main bronchial transection sustained after a vehicular accident, who had progressive dyspnea, subcutaneous emphysema in the neck and anterior chest wall, and bilateral tension pneumothorax. Prompt chest tube drainage for suspected bilateral tension pneumothorax and a tracheal intubation were performed. Shortly after the positive pressure ventilation, severe subcutaneous emphysema developed and he was at risk for developing shock. Additional chest tubes were inserted. An emergency bronchoscopy showed rupture of the right main bronchus. After changing to a double lumen endotracheal tube, the patient’s condition improved. A surgical closure was performed and postoperative bronchoscopy showed good repair. The patient was discharged without complications.

A Survey Study of Institutional Review Board Thought Processes in the United States and South Korea

Introduction In the last several decades, South Korea has rapidly adopted Western customs and practices. Yet, cultural differences between South Korea and the United States exist. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize potential cultural differences in the Korean and US institutional review board (IRB) approach to certain topics. Methods A qualitative analysis of a 9-item survey, describing 4 research study case scenarios, sent to IRB members from the United States and South Korea. The case scenarios involved the following issues: (1) the need for consent for retrospective chart review when research subjects receive their care after the study is conceived; (2) child assent; (3) individual versus population benefit; and (4) exception from informed consent in emergency resuscitation research. The free-text responses were analyzed and abstracted for recurrent themes. Results Twenty-three of the 45 survey recipients completed the survey, for an overall response rate of 51%. The themes that emerged were as follows: (1) the importance of parental authority among Korean participants versus the importance of child autonomy and child assent among US participants; (2) the recognition of the rights of a proxy or surrogate who can represent an individuals values by all participants; and (3) the importance of the community, expressed by the Korean respondents, versus individualism, expressed by US respondents. Conclusion Whereas US participants appear to emphasize the importance of the individual and the autonomy of a child, the Korean respondents stressed the importance of parental authority and benefiting the community, above and beyond that of the individual person. However, there was substantial overlap in the themes expressed by respondents from both countries.