A Rare Cause of Pulmonary Embolism and Seizure in a Young Man: Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Unlabelled: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a complication of underlying vascular thrombosis. The causes of PE are multi-factorial, and patients with PE present with various symptoms. We herein have presented the case of a 21-year-old man who initially developed palpitation, dyspnea, and seizure.

Healing of tooth extraction sockets in the streptozotocin diabetic rat model: Induction of cartilage by BMP-6.

Cartilage does not form in the tooth extraction socket of the normal rat. The aim of the study was to determine if adding BMP-6 to the extraction socket would cause chondrogenic differentiation in the diabetic rat. A group of 8-week-old rats were injected intraperitoneally with a diabetogenic agent, streptozotocin, and a control group received citrate buffer only.

Nasal nitric oxide in infants before and after extubation.

The endogenous production of nitric oxide (NO) in the upper airways is known to be high, but reports of the exact level vary, especially in newborn infants. Currently there is still no standard methodology for nasal NO measurements in neonates. In this study, we compared the levels of NO from the nasal cavity, and from the lower respiratory tracts in intubated infants together with the differences in nasal NO before and after extubation.

[Assessment and nursing care of patients in acute confusion in intensive care units].

This article mainly discusses the causes of acute confusion and the factors affecting them among patients in intensive care units, while also identifying relevant assessment tools and important points for consideration in medical care. Clinically, it is often observed that patients in intensive care units (ICU) develop changes in the neurotransmitters of the brain that are due to rapid changes in their disease or to attention disorders or cognitive disorders resulting from lack of stimuli from the external environment in a closed space. These patients mostly fail to cooperate in their treatment, which leads to the occurrence of complications and further increases the probability of disability and death.

In vitro activity of isepamicin and other aminoglycosides against clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria causing nosocomial bloodstream infections.

Background And Purpose: Isepamicin is a newly introduced aminoglycoside in Taiwan. Since in vitro data for isepamicin against nosocomial Gram-negative bloodstream infection from Taiwan are limited, we compared the activity of isepamicin, amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin against nosocomial Gram-negative blood isolates.

Methods: A total of 247 non-duplicate nosocomial blood isolates of Gram-negative bacteria collected between January 2003 and December 2003 in a major teaching hospital in Taiwan were tested for their in vitro susceptibilities to gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, and isepamicin using the agar dilution method.

Direct repair of multiple levels lumbar spondylolysis by pedicle screw laminar hook and bone grafting: clinical, CT, and MRI-assessed study.

Introduction: A prospective analysis of 6 cases with multiple-level spondylolysis treated by direct repair with pedicle screw laminar hook is presented. The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcome, plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate the result of direct repair in the treatment of multiple-level spondylolysis.

Materials And Methods: Ten patients with multiple-level spondylolysis of lumbar spine were treated with segmental pedicle screw hook fixation and autogenous bone graft.

Bone formation around immediately placed oral implants in diabetic rats.

Research has shown a decrease in femoral bone-to-implant contact in rats with uncontrolled diabetes. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that this decrease may be the result of a decreased mineral apposition rate. In 20 normal and 20 diabetic rats, a titanium implant was inserted into the tooth extraction socket immediately after the right maxillary molars were extracted.

Primary intra-abdominal synovial sarcoma.

We report a case of primary intra-abdominal synovial sarcoma of the omentum in a 66-year-old man hospitalized for intermittent abdominal fullness for 1-2 months and tenesmus for 2 weeks. The patient had a palpable mass that was solid, hard and with well-defined thickness within his abdomen. A huge heterogeneous mass lesion over the middle abdomen that started from S2, S3 of the liver to the transverse colon was shown on abdominal computed tomography.

Reconstruction of the coronoid process with iliac crest bone graft in complex fracture-dislocation of elbow.

A 36-year-old man sustained posterior dislocation of left elbow joint with olecranon fracture, comminuted coronoid fracture and subluxation of proximal radioulnar joint. We reconstructed the coronoid process with autogenous iliac crest bone graft and reduced the olecranon fracture with internal fixation. In addition, we also repaired the medial collateral ligament, annular ligament and anterior capsule during the operation.

Cardiac arrest during spinal anesthesia: a report of two cases.

Spinal anesthesia is a widely practiced technique for both elective and emergency procedures. It is so recommended because of its efficacy and safety. Cardiac arrest during spinal anesthesia is considered as a "very rare", "unusual", and "unexpected" event.

Developing a predictive model for vertigo using demographic and laboratory data: An evidence-based medicine approach.

Conclusion: The approach described in this paper may be helpful in establishing an early-warning, evidence-based mechanism for diagnosing vertigo, which can be utilized in medical education to reduce medical uncertainty.

Objective: To use an evidence-based medicine approach to evaluate the probability of having vertigo using laboratory and demographic data.

Material And Methods: The study was conducted on 22 working days during July 2002.

Differential expression of a V-type ATPase C subunit gene, Atp6v1c2, during culture of rat lung type II pneumocytes.

The lung alveolar epithelium consists of type I and type II pneumocytes. In vivo, the type II cell is the progenitor cell from which the type I cell originates. When freshly-isolated type II cells are cultured under conventional conditions they rapidly lose their phenotypic properties and attain characteristics of type I cells.

Mitral annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm.

Annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm was first reported in 1962. This type of aneurysm usually arises from the annular subaortic or submitral region of the left ventricle. It should be differentiated from the left ventricular false aneurysm, which was caused by myocardial necrosis.

[Nursing experience in helping a primipara with intrauterine fetal death adapt to labor induction in hospital].

This article describes the experience of nursing an outpatient primipara in the 26th week of pregnancy who was not conscious of fetal movement and whose fetus was confirmed by sonography as having suffered intrauterine fetal death to adapt to labor induction as a hospital inpatient. The nursing care lasted between March 21 and March 28, 2002. I (the researcher) tried to use the well established Roy Adaptation Model of Nursing to collect information through observation, interview, and physical assessment.

Effects of various antioxidants on endotoxin-induced lung injury and gene expression: mRNA expressions of MnSOD, interleukin-1beta and iNOS.

Antioxidants have been shown to be effective in attenuating acute lung injury. In this study, we determine the effects of various antioxidants by different mechanisms on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced changes. LPS was administered intravenously at a dose of 10 mg/kg to anesthetized rats.

Non-septicemic Burkholderia pseudomallei liver abscess in a young man.

Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, has been increasingly recognized in Taiwan recently. Its isolation in liver abscess is rare compared to pulmonary melioidosis. We report a case of liver abscess due to B.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa endocarditis associated with endophthalmitis caused by arteriovenous fistula and graft infection.

Bacterial endocarditis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa arising from arteriovenous (AV) fistula and graft infection is unusual. We report an uncommon case of a 55-year-old woman housewife with chronic glomerulonephritis who had received hemodialysis (HD) for 5 years. She was admitted due to frequent episodes of AV fistula and graft infections in the past 5 years.

Echocardiographic features of tuberculous pericarditis.

Echocardiography is a sensitive diagnostic tool for detecting pericardial effusion and intrapericardial abnormalities. A-70-year old man was found to have tuberculous pericarditis. The history and echocardiographic findings are reported, and relevant literature is reviewed.

Glomus tumor of the trachea.

Glomus tumor of the trachea is extremely rare. There were approximately 15 reported cases before. Herein, we report another case of glomus tumor of the trachea in a 50-year-old woman presenting with cough and dyspnea for 8 years.

A prospective, randomized trial of endoscopic hemoclip placement and distilled water injection for treatment of high-risk bleeding ulcers.

Background: Although endoscopic hemoclip therapy is widely used in the treatment of GI bleeding, there are few prospective trials that assess its efficacy. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of hemoclip placement and distilled water injection for the treatment of high-risk bleeding ulcers.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients with major stigmata of ulcer hemorrhage were randomly assigned to either endoscopic hemoclip placement (n = 39) or injection with distilled water (n = 40).

Histologic examination of pedicled buccal fat pad graft in oral submucous fibrosis.

Purpose: This report evaluates the wound healing process of buccal fat pad (BFP) grafted on a defect of the buccal mucosa for oral submucous fibrosis (OSF).

Patients And Methods: Sixteen patients with limitation of mouth opening under the diagnosis of OSF were surgically treated by cutting the fibrotic bands on the buccal mucosa (10 bilateral and 6 unilateral). The defects created were then covered by a BFP graft.

Combined cytologic and histologic diagnosis of liver tumors via one-shot aspiration.

Background/aims: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is considered to be a safe alternative in diagnosing liver tumors. Combined cytologic and histologic preparation via one-shot fine needle aspiration was evaluated, especially in outpatients.

Methodology: During a 1-year period, 95 patients (including 57 outpatients and 38 inpatients) who had received 97 sessions of fine needle aspiration and had final diagnosis were enrolled.