Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2014
Incidence of nocturnal leg cramps in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis before and after conservative and surgical treatment.
To examine the effects of conservative and surgical treatments for nocturnal leg cramps in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Nocturnal leg cramps is frequently observed in patients with peripheral neuropathy. However, there have been few reports on the relationship between nocturnal leg cramps and LSS, and it remains unknown whether conservative or surgical intervention has an impact on leg cramps in patients with LSS. ⋯ The findings of this prospective study indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with LSS and severity of symptoms. Pain symptoms were improved by conservative or surgical treatment, but only surgery improved nocturnal leg cramps in patients with LSS. Thus, these results indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with spinal nerve compression by LSS.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2014
Development of a quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting the MPT64 antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infectious disease and is responsible for two million deaths annually. For the identification and quantitation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), a causative agent of TB, a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the MPT64 protein of M. tuberculosis, an antigen marker of the M. tuberculosis complex, was developed. ⋯ The sandwich MPT64 ELISA is a highly sensitive and quantitative test for MPT64 protein, which can identify M. tuberculosis.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2014
ReviewThe role of carotid ultrasound for cardiovascular risk stratification beyond traditional risk factors.
Primary prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease is important, as it is the leading cause of death throughout world. Risk stratification algorithms, such as Framingham Risk Score and European Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation, that utilize a combination of various traditional risk factors have been developed to improve primary prevention. However, the accuracy of these algorithms for screening high risk patients is moderate at best. ⋯ Several large epidemiologic studies have indicated that cIMT and carotid plaque are closely related with other cardiovascular risk factors and may be useful for risk reclassification in subjects deemed to be at intermediate risk by traditional risk scores. Moreover, recent clinical guidelines for management of hypertension or dyslipidemia highlight the usefulness of cIMT in high risk patients. In this article, we review evidence for the usefulness of measurement of cIMT and carotid plaque for cardiovascular risk stratification.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2014
Performance of reperfusion therapy and hospital mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients with non-chest pain complaints.
ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients may visit the emergency department (ED) complaining of sensations of pain other than the chest. We investigated our performance of reperfusion therapy for STEMI patients presenting with non-chest pains. ⋯ STEMI patients presenting without chest pain showed higher baseline risk and hospital mortality than patients presenting with chest pain. ECG acquisition and primary PCI was delayed for patients presenting with non-chest pains, but not influencing hospital mortality. Efforts to reduce pre-hospital time delay for these patients are necessary.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2014
COPD patients with exertional desaturation are at a higher risk of rapid decline in lung function.
A recent study demonstrated that exertional desaturation is a predictor of rapid decline in lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, the study was limited by its method used to detect exertional desaturation. The main purpose of this study was to explore whether exertional desaturation assessed using nadir oxygen saturation (SpO₂) during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) can predict rapid lung function decline in patients with COPD. ⋯ This study supports that exertional desaturation is a predictor of rapid lung function decline in male patients with COPD.