Hepatitis: Lin JL

Wu IW, Wu MS, Lin JL. · Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC. · J Nephrol. · Pubmed #18446722 No free full text.

Abstract: Bentazone is a herbicide widely used in the agrochemical field and acts by interference in photosynthesis in plants. Case reports of bentazone poisoning in humans are rare, but hepatorenal damage and death have been described, though the mechanism of toxicity remains speculative. We describe 2 cases of acute bentazone poisoning and compare these with other literature reports. The clinical picture included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain with gastrointestinal corrosive injury, dyspnea and acute hepatorenal dysfunction. Respiratory failure, acute hepatitis, acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis, and death occurred following a large ingested dose of 1,764 mg/kg. Bentazone may have direct organ toxicity, especially in liver and kidney, in subjects with renal hypoperfusion, rhabdomyolysis, preexisting renal disease or concomitant nephrotoxic drug consumption. Aggressive supportive therapy, hydration and measures to prevent renal hypoperfusion are essential to reverse acute renal failure.

Yen TH, Chang CT, Lin JL, Jiang JR, Lee KF. · Division of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical College and University, Taipei, Taiwan. · Ren Fail. · Pubmed #12803503 No free full text.

Abstract: Acute renal failure associated with scrub typhus infection is not rare as previously thought. The possibility of scrub typhus should be borne in mind when patients present with fever and varying degrees of acute renal failure, particularly if an eschar exists, along with a history of environmental exposure in an area like Taiwan, where scrub typhus is endemic. Prompt diagnosis and the use of appropriate antibiotics can rapidly alter the clinical course of the disease and prevent the development of serious or fatal complications. To illustrate the above point, this study reports 3 cases of scrub typhus associated with acute renal failure. They were seen at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in a 2-year interval. Case 1 was referred from district hospital with clinical features of multiple organ dysfunctions, including shock, fever, acute respiratory failure, acute renal failure, and acute hepatitis. Case 2 was admitted with the chief problems of shock, fever, acute renal failure, and DIC. Case 3 visited our outpatient clinic due to fever, maculopapular rash and acute renal failure. In all these patients, the diagnosis was confirmed using immunofluorescence techniques, which showed that Orientia tsutsugamushi had an IgM titer of 1:80 or greater. Notably, despite having varying degrees of acute renal deterioration, the patients responded very well to doxycycline therapy and recovered completely. Additionally, a total of 4 similar cases of scrub typhus associated with acute renal failure were reviewed from the past literature.

Lin JL, Lin-Tan DT, Chu PH, Chen YC, Huang YL, Ho TC, Lin CY. · Division of Nephrology and Clinical Toxicology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Chang Gung University and School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. · Crit Care Med. · Pubmed #19237903 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of day 1 urine excretion of cadmium (1st DUE-Cd) for predicting outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: ICUs in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Taiwan, ROC. PATIENTS: Two hundred one ICU patients. INTERVENTIONS: Urine and blood samples were taken within 24 hours after admission. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Disease severity, hospital mortality, and number of organ failures were evaluated in each medical ICU patient. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that a history of chronic hepatitis, serum albumin, and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were significantly related to 1st DUE-Cd after adjusting for other related variables. Cox multivariate analysis revealed that serum blood urea nitrogen level and ICU 1st DUE-Cd were significantly related to hospital mortality after other risk factors and scoring systems were adjusted. Each 1-microg increase in ICU 1st DUE-Cd was associated with a 7% increase in hospital mortality rate. All patients with poisoning magnitude of cadmium excretion (>10 microg/day) died, except one and those with normal cadmium excretion survived. Chi-square values of the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were 6.936 (p = 0.544), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.868 (95% confidence intervals: 0.82-0.92) for ICU 1st DUE-Cd. CONCLUSIONS: The ICU 1st DUE-Cd may predict hospital mortality in critically ill medical patients. Because of excess mortality and relatively small sample size, the predictive role of DUE-Cd needs further external validation.

Hong SM, Tai DI, Wu MS, Lin JL. · Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. · Chang Gung Med J. · Pubmed #18567422 links to  free full text

Abstract: Snake gallbladder is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for treating arthritis and detoxification for more than two thousand years. Sporadic cases of toxic hepatic and renal injury from snake gallbladder have been reported. The toxic effects are dose related and there is a high mortality rate after delayed renal failure. We present a 35 year-old man who was a hepatitis B surface antigen carrier who developed acute hepatic failure after ingestion of snake gallbladder capsules for 6 weeks. The serologic study for hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B virus-deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) were negative. Progressively elevated liver enzymes were noted during lamivudine treatment, so blood purification therapy was done to remove possible toxins. The patient recovered after hemoperfusion preceding a series of plasma exchanges. We feel that blood purification can remove toxins and block disease progression to renal failure. In summary, we suggest that blood purification procedures should be done as soon as possible for snake gallbladder-related fulminant hepatitis due to its high mortality rate.

Yu MC, Lin JL, Wu CT, Hsia SH, Lee F. · The Division of Nephrology, Chang Gung Children Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. · Clin Toxicol (Phila). · Pubmed #17453888 No free full text.

Abstract: CASE REPORT: A 26-month-old previously healthy boy of 15 kg was admitted to our hospital due to cyanosis following the aspiration of lamp oil. Aspiration resulted from the patient's father inducing emesis by digital stimulation of the boy's throat after the patient had ingested an unknown amount of lamp oil. Endotracheal intubation was done on the second hospital day in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) due to respiratory failure manifested by hypercapnia and hypoxemia. Mechanical ventilation, including high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) with iNO at 20 ppm, was started. However, he developed a spiked fever and developed an acute respiratory distress syndrome, a pneumothorax, and diffuse subcutaneous emphysema. His course was further complicated by anuric renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, severe hepatitis, pancytopenia, elevation of cardiac enzymes, and disseminated intravascular coagulation over the following days. He died on the ninth day of hospitalization because of multiorgan failure.

Huang WH, Wang LJ, Yu CC, Lin JL. · Kidney Institute, Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tun-Hwa North Road, Taipei 105, Taiwan. · Nephrol Dial Transplant. · Pubmed #16963476 links to  free full text

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