Analysis of Initial Baseline Clinical Parameters and Treatment Strategy Associated with Medication Failure in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Korea

Purpose To analyze the baseline clinical factors and medication treatment strategy used in cases with medication treatment failure of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods From January 2006 to December 2009, 677 BPH patients with at least 3 months of treatment with medication were enrolled. We analyzed clinical factors by medication failure (n=161) versus maintenance (n=516), by prostate size (less than 30 g, n=231; 30 to 50 g, n=244; greater than 50 g, n=202), and by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (less than 1.4 ng/mL, n=324; more than 1.4 ng/mL, n=353). Results Age, combination medication rate, PSA, and prostate volume were statistically different between the medication treatment failure and maintenance groups. By prostate size, the PSA and medication failure rates were relatively higher and the medication period was shorter in patients with a prostate size of more than 30 g. The combination medication rate was higher in patients with a prostate size of more than 50 g. The medication failure rate and prostate volume were higher in patients with a PSA level of more than 1.4 ng/mL. However, the combination treatment rate was not significantly different in patients with a PSA level lower than 1.4 ng/mL. Suggestive cutoffs for combination medication are a prostate volume of 34 g and PSA level of 1.9 ng/mL. Conclusions The clinical factors associated with medication failure were age, treatment type, and prostate volume. Combination therapy should be considered more in Korea in patients with a PSA level higher than 1.4 ng/mL and a prostate volume of between 30 and 50 g to prevent medication failure

Factors associated with the incidence of revision total knee arthroplasty in Korea between 2007 and 2012: an analysis of the National Claim Registry

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract Background The number of revision total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) in Asian countries is projected to increase with the rapid growth of primary TKA. We investigated the factors associated with the incidence of revision TKA using a nationally representative database. Methods Data collected by the Health Insurance Review Agency of Korea, from 260,068 TKA patients between 2007 and 2012, were used to estimate the incidence rate and cumulative incidence of revision TKA according to age, gender, and hospital TKA and prosthesis manufacturer volume. Age, hospital, and manufacturer volume were categorized into three groups. The incidence rates and cumulative incidences of revision TKA were computed by combining age and gender, and by combining hospital and prosthesis manufacturer volume. Results Incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were as follows: 1) by age: < 65 years, 447.2; 65–74 years, 363.7; ≥ 75 years, 270.9, 2) by gender: male, 537.8; female, 346.1; 3) by hospital volume (procedures/year): < 20, 536.9; 20–199, 432.3; ≥ 200, 300.1; and 4) by manufacturer volume (prostheses/year): < 1500, 772.3; 1500–3999, 453.9; ≥ 4000, 345.6. The revision TKA incidence rate in young males was significantly higher compared to that in elderly females. The difference in cumulative incidence, between hospitals with an annual volume of < 20 procedures and those with a volume of 20–199 procedures, was reduced for manufacturers with an annual volume of ≥ 4000. Similarly, the difference in cumulative incidence between manufacturers with an annual volume of <1500 prostheses and those with a volume of 1500–3999 prostheses was reduced in hospitals with an annual volume of ≥ 200. Conclusion Revision TKA incidence varied according to age, gender, and hospital and manufacturer volume. This data could inform clinical decisions and healthcare strategies

Multi-Player Virtual Ping-Pong Game

In this paper we show how a motion capture system and feedback mechanism can be integrated into a virtual ping-pong game to create a multi-player platform. To trace the motion of each player, optical markers are attached to dif-ferent places on each player’s paddle. For tactile feedback, we designed a controller for a DC (Direct Current) mo-tor, which is also attached to the paddle. This controller communicates with the game server through wireless Blue-tooth technology. When the game server detects a collision between the paddle and ball, the controller receives the message from the game server and then triggers one of the respective paddle’s DC motors to vibrate depending on the position of the impact on the paddle. During an exhibition many people positively responded to the game

Results of hairdressing series patch test in patients with allergic contact dermatitis to para-phenylenediamine; Are there any safe alternatives?

No abstract available</p

Post-traumatic Back Pain Revealed as Tuberculous Spondylitis -A Case Report-

Tuberculous spondylitis is a very rare disease, but it can result in bone destruction, kyphotic deformity, spinal instability, and neurologic complications unless early diagnosis and proper management are done. Because the most common symptom of tuberculous spondylitis is back pain, it can often be misdiagnosed. Atypical tuberculous spondylitis can be presented as a metastatic cancer or a primary vertebral tumor. We must make a differential diagnosis through adequate biopsy. A 30-year-old man visited our clinic due to back and chest pain after a recent traffic accident. About 1 year ago, he had successfully recovered from tuberculous pleurisy after taking anti-tuberculosis medication. We performed epidural and intercostal blocks but the pain was not relieved. For the further evaluation, several imaging and laboratory tests were done. Finally, we confirmed tuberculous spondylitis diagnosis with the biopsy results

The Characteristics of Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacilli Isolated from Sputum and Urine: A Single Center Experience in Korea

Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) production usually results in high-level resistance to most β-lactams, and a rapid spread of MBL producing major gram-negative pathogens is a matter of particular concern worldwide. However, clinical data are scarce and most studies compared MBL producer (MP) with MBL non-producer (MNP) strains which included carbapenem susceptible isolates. Therefore, we collected clinical data of patients in whom imipenem-nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) were isolated from sputum or urine, and investigated MBL production and the risk factors related with MBL acquisition. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were also compared between MPs and imipenem-nonsusceptible MNPs (INMNP). Among the 176 imipenem-nonsusceptible isolates, 12 MPs (6.8%) were identified. There was no identifiable risk factor that contributed to the acquisition of MPs when compared to INMNPs, and case-fatalities were not different between the two groups. The percentage of susceptible isolates was higher among MPs for piperacilin/tazobactam and fluoroquinolones while that of ceftazidime was higher in INMNPs (p < 0.05). As regards to aztreonam, which has been known to be a uniquely stable β-lactam against MBLs, susceptibility was preserved in only two isolates (16.7%) among MPs, and was not higher than that of INMNPs (23.2%). In conclusion, the contribution of MBLs to imipenem non-susceptibility in PA/ABs isolated from sputum and urine was relatively limited, and there was no significant risk factor associated with acquisition of MPs compared with INMNPs. However, limited susceptibility to aztreonam implies that MPs may hold additional resistance mechanisms, such as extended spectrum β-lactamases, AmpC β-lactamases, or other non-enzymatic mechanisms