An Improved Analytical Method for the Determination of Brown FK in Food using HPLC.

In this study, an improved analytical method for the detection of the colorant Brown FK in foods using high-performance liquid chromatography was developed. The method, which employed an RC-C18 column and diode array detection at 254 nm with sodium acetate solution and methanol as mobile phases, exhibited good linearity (R2 = 1.0), and its limits of detection and quantification were determined to be 0.06 and 0.19 µg/mL, respectively. The precision was found to be 0-1.2% and the accuracy was between 86.5% and 94.8%. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was also performed to identify Brown FK in peaks. The pretreatment method was optimized for three different food sample groups, i.e., seafood, noodles and other, affording recoveries of 86.5-92.8%, 90.8-94.8% and 90.0-92.3%, respectively. In addition, inter-laboratory testing was also conducted to check the precision.

Prediction of the development of late enophthalmos in pure blowout fractures: delayed orbital tissue atrophy plays a major role.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the risk factors for the development of late enophthalmos in pure blowout fractures. METHODS: We reviewed 49 cases of pure blowout fractures diagnosed in Ajou University Hospital, South Korea, from January 2005 to June 2015. We assumed that several factors influence the development of late enophthalmos, including bony defect size, volume of displaced soft tissue, number of fracture sites, involvement of floor, soft tissue incarceration through the bony defect, and patient age. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were diagnosed with late enophthalmos (group 1) while 28 patients were not (group 2). Soft tissue incarceration, presumably causing the soft tissue injury, was the only factor that increased the risk for late enophthalmos in this study (p = 0.04, odds ratio 4.5). In contrast with previous studies, there were no meaningful correlation between bony defect size or volume of displaced soft tissue and development of late enophthalmos. Number of fracture sites, involvement of floor, and patient age did not increase the risk for late enophthalmos. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the delayed orbital tissue atrophy due to soft tissue injury plays a more important role than other hypotheses in the development of late enophthalmos. It is necessary to overcorrect to some extent if there is soft tissue incarceration through the bony defect in the initial computed tomography, and clinicians should warn patients about the development of late enophthalmos despite orbital reconstructive surgery.

Use of revascularized artery as a recipient in microvascular reconstruction of the lower leg: An analysis of 62 consecutive free flap transfers.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to demonstrate the safety and reliability of combined preoperative angioplasty and free flap transfer in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) by analyzing the surgical outcomes. METHODS: Between October 2011 and October 2015, patients who had undergone lower extremity angiography and subsequent free flap transfer were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included demographics, perioperative data, and postoperative outcomes. The cases were divided into two groups: one group with microanastomosis performed on revascularized artery by balloon angioplasty and the other group performed on native artery. Multiple logistic regression model using propensity score and linear regression was computed to determine the association between preoperative angioplasty and the surgical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 62 lower limb reconstruction cases (19 angioplastied cases and 43 nonangioplastied cases) were included in the study. Complications occurred in 6 cases in the angioplastied group and in 11 cases in the control group. The overall limb salvage rate was 100% during the average follow-up of 29.5 months in the angioplastied group and 97.7% in the nonangioplastied control group during the average follow-up of 31.1 months. Preoperative angioplasty was not a significant predictor of increased complications and longer postoperative downtime in logistic and linear regression model, both in the weighted and unweighted model. CONCLUSIONS: The combined approach of preoperative endovascular revascularization and free flap transfer for limb reconstruction in PAOD patients can be performed safely and effectively with acceptable morbidity.

Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Many previous studies have shown that electrocardiographic (ECG) changes occur patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This study was designed to identify the frequency, influencing factors, and outcome of clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias after SAH. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 122 patients including ECG finding, age, sex, the Hunt-Hess grade, the Fisher's grade, the history of hypertension, peak blood pressure and heart rate, location of aneurysm, Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score, the days of admission to the intensive care unit, the presence of symptomatic vasospasm. RESULTS: Of 122 SAH patients, 50% (n = 61) had a verified clinically significant arrhythmia. There were no statistically significant independent factors associated with clinically significant arrhythmia in multivariate analysis. Although adjustments for the effects of age, Hunt-Hess grade, and the presence of symptomatic vasospasm on death were made, clinically significant arrhythmias were still independently predictive of death (no arrhythmia versus arrhythmia, 11.5% versus 27.9%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.524, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.229-10.100, p = 0.019) and poor outcome (GOS ≤ 2, 13.1% versus 29.5%, adjusted OR 3.202, 95% CI 1.174-8.732, p= 0.023). CONCLUSION: Clinically significant arrhythmias after SAH are associated with a high mortality rate, and serious cardiac and neurological comorbidity. Patients with an abnormal ECG on admission should undergo close cardiac monitoring, and the presence of rhythm disturbances should prompt aggressive measures to treat myocardial infarction (MI), maintain a normal cardiac rhythm, and minimize the presence of autonomic stress.