• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.419-425
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• 2006

Background : Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can develop into respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation (MV), which is associated with a higher rate of mortality. It was recently reported that a hydrocortisone infusion in severe CAP patients was associated with a significant reduction in the length of the hospital stay and mortality. This study evaluated efficacy of a hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring MV. Methods : From February 2005 to July 2005, 13 patients (M : F = 10 : 3, mean age: $68.6{\pm}14.1years$), who were diagnosed with severe CAP and required MV, were enrolled in this study. Hydrocortisone was administered as an intravenous 200mg loading bolus, which was followed by an infusion at a rate of 10mg/hour for 7 days. The control group was comprised of patients with severe CAP requiring MV but in whom corticosteroid was not used before study period. The clinical and physiologic parameters on or by day 8 and the outcome in the hydrocortisone infusion group were compared with those in the control group. Results : 1) There was no significant difference in age, gender ratio, SAPS II, SOFA score, temperature, leukocyte count, PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio, the number of patients with P/F ratio < 200, chest radiograph score, lung injury score and catecholamine-dependent septic shock between the hydrocortisone infusion group and control group at day 1. 2) At day 8, the proportion of patients with an improvement in the P/F ratio ${\geq}100$ and the chest radiograph score was significantly higher in the hydrocortisone infusion group than in the control group (61.5% vs. 15.4%, 76.9% vs. 23.1%, p< 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the other clinical and physiologic parameters. 3). There was no significant difference in the duration of the MV, ICU stay, hospital stay and 10th and 30th day mortality between the two groups. Conclusion : Hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring invasive mechanical ventilation may be effective in improving the level of oxygenation and the chest radiograph score.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.437-449
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• 2001

Background : In the severe community-acquired pneumonia, it has been known that the immune status is occasionally suppressed. This study was performed to identify the immunologic markers related with the prognostic factors in severe community-acquired pneumonia. Methods : 23 patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia were involved in this study, and divided into survivor (16) and nonsurvivor (7) groups. In this study, the medical history, laboratory tests(complete blood counts, routine chemistry profile, immunoglobulins, complements, lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, sputum and blood culture, urine analysis), and chest radiographs were scrutinized. Results : 1) Both groups had lymphopenia(total lymphocyte count $995.6{\pm}505.7/mm^3$ in the survivor and $624.0{\pm}287.6/mm^3$ in the nonsurvivor group). 2) The T-lymphocyte count of the nonsurvivor group($295.9{\pm}203.0/mm^3$) was lower than the survivor group($723.6{\pm}406.5/mm^3$) (p<0.05). 3) The total serum protein(albumin) was $6.0{\pm}1.0(2.7{\pm}0.7)\;g/d{\ell}$ in the survivor and $5.2{\pm}1.5(2.3{\pm}0.8)g/d{\ell}$ in the nonsurvivor group. The BUN of the nonsurvivor group($41.7{\pm}30.0mg/d{\ell}$) was higher than that of the survivor group($18.9{\pm}9.8mg/d{\ell}$)(p<0.05). The creatinine concentration was higher in the nonsurvivor group($1.8{\pm}1.0mg/d{\ell}$) than that in the survivor group($1.0{\pm}0.3mg/d{\ell}$)(p<0.05). 4) The immunoglobulin G level was higher in the survivor group($1433.0{\pm}729.5mg/d{\ell}$) than in the nonsurvivor group($849.1{\pm}373.1mg/d{\ell}$) (p<0.05). 5) The complement $C_3$ level was $108.0{\pm}37.9mg/d{\ell}$ in the survivor group and $88.0{\pm}32.1mg/d{\ell}$ in the nonsurvivor group. 6) A cytokine study showed an insignificant difference in both groups. 7) Chronic liver disease, DM, and COPD were major underlying diseases in both groups. Conclusion : These results suggest that decreased a T-lymphocyte count and immunoglobulin G level, and an increased BUN and creatinine level may be associated with the poor prognosis of severe community-acquired pneumonia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 1999

Backgrounds: Previous reports have revealed a high morbidity and mortality in fatal asthma patients, especially those treated in the medical intensive care unit(MICU). But it has not been well known about the predictable factors for the mortality of fatal asthma(F A) with acute respiratory failure. In order to define the predictable factors for the mortality of FA at the admission to MICU, we analyzed the relationship between the clinical parameters and the prognosis of FA patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all medical records of 59 patients who had admitted for FA to MICU at a tertiary care MICU from January 1992 to March 1997 was performed. Results: Over all mortality rate was 32.2% and 43 patients were mechanically ventilated. In uni-variate analysis, the death group had significantly older age ($66.2{\pm}10.5$ vs. $51.0{\pm}18.8$ year), lower FVC($59.2{\pm}21.1$ vs. $77.6{\pm}23.3%$) and lower $FEV_1$($41.4{\pm}18.8$ vs. $61.l{\pm}23.30%$), and longer total ventilation time ($255.0{\pm}236.3$ vs. $98.1{\pm}120.4$ hour) (p<0.05) compared with the survival group (PFT: best value of recent 1 year). At MICU admission, there were no significant differences in vital signs, $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2/FiO_2$, and $AaDO_2$, in both groups. However, on the second day of MICU, the death group had significantly more rapid pulse rate ($121.6{\pm}22.3$ vs. $105.2{\pm}19.4$ rate/min), elevated $PaCO_2$ ($50.1{\pm}16.5$ vs. $41.8{\pm}12.2 mm Hg$), lower $PaO_2/FiO_2$, ($160.8{\pm}59.8$ vs. $256.6{\pm}78.3 mm Hg$), higher $AaDO_2$ ($181.5{\pm}79.7$ vs. $98.6{\pm}47.9 mm Hg$), and higher APACHE III score ($57.6{\pm}21.1$ vs. $20.3{\pm}13.2$) than survival group (p<0.05). The death group had more frequently associated with pneumonia and anoxic brain damage at admission, and had more frequently developed sepsis during disease progression than the survival group (p<0.05). Multi-variate analysis using APACHE III score and $PaO_2/FiO_2$, ratio on first and second day, age, sex, and pneumonia combined at admission revealed that APACHE III score (40) and $PaO_2/FiO_2$ ratio (<200) on second day were regarded as predictive factors for the mortality of fatal asthma (p<0.05). Conclusions: APACHE III score ($\geq$40) and $PaO_2/FiO_2$ ratio (<200) on the second day of MICU, which might reflect the response of treatment, rather than initially presented clinical parameters would be more important predictable factors of mortality in patients with FA.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1000-1006
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• 2002

Purpose : In the course of treatment, patients with hematological or oncological disorders often develop pulmonary complication. The patients who develop a severe pulmonary complication have a poor outlook. The causes of pulmonary complication are either infectious or non-infectious in origin. We have analyzed the etiology and outcome of these patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of Asan Medical Center. Methods : Medical records of 95 patients on Pediatric oncology service who were admitted to pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) of Asan Medical Center from Jan 1997 to May 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Results : The mean age of the patients was 8.5 years(2 months-18 years). The underlying malignancies of these 95 patients were as following; acute lymphoblastic leukemia(31 cases), lymphoma (11 cases), acute myeloid leukemia(nine cases), brain tumor(eight cases) and other solid tumors(25 cases). Pulmonary complications included pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, pneumothorax and pleural effusion. The most common cause of pulmonary complication was infection(88%) in etiology. The overall mortality rate was 56.8%. Pulmonary complications in these patients carried high rates of mortality regardless of whether they were immune compromised(76%) or not(69%). Even without pulmonary complications, the hematological or oncological patients admitted to PICU had high mortality rates of 43%. Conclusion : Pulmonary complications are frequent finding in the hematological or oncological patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit. The main etiology of these pulmonary complications was infection, which carried a high mortality rate regardless of their immune status at the time when they were admitted to PICU.