Background: Norepinephrine, a potent α-adrenergic agonist with β-adrenergic effects, has recently emerged as a potential alternative to phenylephrine that does not lower cardiac output (CO) and heart rate (HR) during cesarean deliveries. We examined the systemic hemodynamic effects of both agents in this setting, using intermittent bolus doses to treat spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension. Methods: A total of 56 parturients consenting to spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery were randomly assigned to phenylephrine (100 μg/ml) or norepinephrine (5 μg/ ml) intermittent bolus dosing. The primary study outcome was maternal normalized CO, examining and other hemodynamic variables, maternal side effects, and fetal outcomes secondarily. Results: In terms of systolic blood pressure and HR, there were significant within-group differences over time (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Normalized CO and stroke volume (SV) also showed significant differences between groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). In the phenylephrine group, normalized CO and SV declined (relative to baseline values) by as much as 13% and 9%, respectively; whereas in the norepinephrine group, normalized CO did not differ significantly from baseline, and SV increased up to 5% (relative to baseline). Normalized total peripheral resistance likewise displayed significant within-group differences over time (P < 0.001). Conclusions During elective cesarean delivery, intermittent bolus doses of norepinephrine proved effective for treating spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension, while maintaining CO and SV. No maternal complications or fetal effects were evident.

We experienced a case of split hand split foot(SHSF) anomaly in a male neonate who had a deficiency of the middle finger, syndactyly of the 1st and 2nd finger and a deep median cleft in both hands. He also had a deep median cleft between 2nd and 3rd toe, syndactyly of the 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th toe without deficiency of the middle toe in both feet. SHSF anomaly may occur either isolated or associated with other anomalies. In this case, it occurd sporadically without family history and showed an isolated type without any other specific anomalies except both posterior iris synechiae. The karyotype of patient showed 46,XY,t(7p:14q) which has not been reported yet. We reported the case with the review of the associated literatures.
Fingers ; Foot* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Iris ; Karyotype ; Male ; Syndactyly ; Toes

Cholelithiasis is rarely recognized in children, especially in infants. Hemolytic disorders, long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN), congenital anomalies of the biliary tree leading to stasis of bile flow, congenital IgA-deficiency, furosemide treatment, and prolonged fasting have been reported as predisposing factors for cholelithiasis in childhood. Hemolytic disease of the newborn due to anti-E has rarely been reported as a risk factor for cholelithiasis. We report a case of gallbladder stones in a neonate associated with anti-E antibody hemolytic disease.
Bile ; Biliary Tract ; Child ; Cholelithiasis ; Fasting ; Furosemide ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The overall rate of renal complication after surgery on the suprarenal aorta remains high. In this study, the changes in renal blood flow (RBF), urinary oxygen tension (PuO2), renal vascular resistance (RVR), and urinary volume following fenoldopam administration were investigated in supraceliac aortic cross-clamping and unclamping animal model. METHODS: Twelve dogs were divided into two groups; control group (n = 6), fenodopam group (n = 6). After brachial, femoral, and pulmonary arterial catheterization, midline abdominal incision was made. For the aortic cross-clamping the supraceliac aorta was exposed. A doppler flowmeter probe was placed around right renal artery. A ureteral catheter was positioned at the right renal pelvis to measure urine volume and urinary oxygen tension (PuO2). In fenoldopam group, 0.5microgram/kg/min of fenoldopam was administered immediately before suprarenal aortic reperfusion. Systemic hemodynamics, renal blood flow, renal vascular resistance, PuO2, and urine volume were compared between two groups. RESULTS: The systemic hemodynamics were not significantly different between the two groups throughout the experiment. After aortic reperfusion, the RVR significantly increased in control group, but the RVR in fenoldopam group remained to baseline level. The urine output, RBF, and PuO2 significantly increased in fenoldopam group compared to control group. BUN and serum creatinine were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: High dose of fenoldopam administration reverse ischemic renal insufficiency after supraceliac aortic cross clamping.
Animals ; Aorta ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Constriction ; Creatinine ; Dogs ; Fenoldopam* ; Flowmeters ; Hemodynamics ; Kidney Pelvis ; Models, Animal ; Oxygen ; Renal Artery ; Renal Circulation ; Renal Insufficiency ; Reperfusion ; Urinary Catheters ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND: Cerebral blood vessels are innervated by sympathetic nerves that originate in the superior cervical ganglia (SCG). This study was conducted to determine the effect of an SCG block on brain injury caused by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in a rat model. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (270-320 g) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (lidocaine, ropivacaine, and control). After brain injury induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion/reperfusion, the animals were administered an SCG bloc that consisted of 30 microliter of 2% lidocaine or 0.75% ropivacaine, with the exception of animals in the control group, which received no treatment. Twenty four hours after brain injury was induced, neurologic scores were assessed and brain samples were collected. The infarct and edema ratios were measured, and DNA fragmented cells were counted in the frontoparietal cortex and the caudoputamen. RESULTS: No significant differences in neurologic scores or edema ratios were observed among the three groups. However, the infarct ratio was significantly lower in the ropivacaine group than in the control group (P<0.05), and the number of necrotic cells in the caudoputamen of the ropivacaine group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.01). Additionally, the number of necrotic and apoptotic cells in theropivacaine group were significantly lower than inthe control group in both the caudoputamen and the frontoparietal cortex (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Brain injury induced by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion was reduced by an SCG block using local anesthetics. This finding suggests that a cervical sympathetic block could be considered as another treatment option for the treatment of cerebral vascular diseases.
Anesthetics, Local ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain* ; DNA ; Edema ; Ganglia, Sympathetic* ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Models, Animal* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superior Cervical Ganglion ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: There is an urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis. Recently, developments in molecular biology have raised hopes about the possibilities of new strategies for tuberculosis diagnosis. Most of these methods have focused on the application of PCR to sputum samples from patients with suspected mycobacterial disease. We used a nested PCR to detect circuclating Mycobacterial tuberculosis DNA in blood samples from patients with suspected tuberculosis infection. We have propspectively investigated the role of blood-based PCR assay for diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis. METHODS: Our PCR assay is specific for IS6110 insertion element of the M.tuberculosis complex of organisms. We used it to test peripheral blood from 179 children with suspected tuberculosis infection. Results of the PCR assay were compared with tuberculin test and contact history with pulmonary tubercosis patients. A subgroup of 16 patients has blood samples assayed serially to track the PCR signal after treatment. RESULTS: In patients with contact history, 20 out of 30 samples (66.7%) were PCR positive. In patients with tuberculin test positive, 43 out of 78 samples (61.59%) were PCR positive. However there was no significant difference between weak (10-15mm) and strong (>15mm) tuberculin responsor groups. Negative conversion of PCR signal was observed in 14.3% (1/7) of subjects after 2 months of treatment, and 71.4% (5/7) after 3 months of treatment. Positive results of PCR was not observed after BCG vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that peripheral-blood-based PCR detection for diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis is technically feasible approach that has a potential important role in diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis.
Child ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Hope ; Humans ; Molecular Biology ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sputum ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculin Test ; Tuberculosis* ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVES: This multi-institutional study aims to investigate the survival rate of premature infants and the causes of death according to gestational age and birth weight during the past three years. METHODS: This study retrospectively examined medical records of 1,400 premature infants who were born at 23 to 34 weeks gestation and were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of seven hospitals from 2004 to 2006. Gestational age, birth weight, gender, plurality, survival rate, and cause of death were examined, and the survival rate was measured according to gestational age and birth weight. RESULTS: The average gestational age and the average birth weight of the subjects was 31+/-1.8 weeks and 1,775+/-530 g, respectively. The survival rate showed no difference by gender, plurality and years. The survival rate of very premature babies, low birth weight infants, very low birth weight infants, and extremely low birth weight infants were 87.6%, 93.8%, 83.2%, and 62.7% respectively. Causes of death were the complications of prematurity (83.8%), congenital anomalies (15.2%), birth asphyxia (5.0%) and others (2.5%). The survival rate increased significantly according to the gestational age and also by the birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not represent of the survival rate and the causes of death in Korea. However, our data may reflect the common survival rate and the causes of death in Korean NICU, because the 7 hospitals participated in this study were common facilities and manpower in Korea.
Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Cause of Death ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on reducing dystonia and disability in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the therapeutic outcomes between primary dystonia patients and CP patients over two years after bilateral pallidal DBS. METHODS: Five patients with primary dystonia and seven CP patients with dystonia were recruited. All subjects received DBS surgery in both globus pallidus. Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale consisting of dystonia movement score and disability score and subjective satisfaction scale were assessed after 1 month and every 6 months over two years following DBS treatment. RESULTS: On the dystonia movement scale, both groups of primary dystonia patients and CP patients showed a significant decrease over time following DBS. On the disability scale, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant decrease over time, whereas the disability score of CP patients did not change over the two years. Comparing the dystonia movement and disability scores of CP patients at each assessment, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant reduction after 6 months. Comparing the satisfaction scores of CP patients after DBS, patients with primary dystonia showed significantly higher subjective satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Whereas dystonia can be significantly reduced in patients with primary dystonia, CP patients showed a modest improvement on the dystonia movement scale, but not on the disability scale. Therefore, DBS may be considered with caution as a treatment modality of CP patients with dystonia.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Deep Brain Stimulation* ; Dystonia ; Dystonic Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on reducing dystonia and disability in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the therapeutic outcomes between primary dystonia patients and CP patients over two years after bilateral pallidal DBS. METHODS: Five patients with primary dystonia and seven CP patients with dystonia were recruited. All subjects received DBS surgery in both globus pallidus. Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale consisting of dystonia movement score and disability score and subjective satisfaction scale were assessed after 1 month and every 6 months over two years following DBS treatment. RESULTS: On the dystonia movement scale, both groups of primary dystonia patients and CP patients showed a significant decrease over time following DBS. On the disability scale, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant decrease over time, whereas the disability score of CP patients did not change over the two years. Comparing the dystonia movement and disability scores of CP patients at each assessment, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant reduction after 6 months. Comparing the satisfaction scores of CP patients after DBS, patients with primary dystonia showed significantly higher subjective satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Whereas dystonia can be significantly reduced in patients with primary dystonia, CP patients showed a modest improvement on the dystonia movement scale, but not on the disability scale. Therefore, DBS may be considered with caution as a treatment modality of CP patients with dystonia.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Deep Brain Stimulation* ; Dystonia ; Dystonic Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans

We experienced a case of 2q+ syndrome in a neonate who had multiple congenital anomalies of long philtrum, a bow-shaped mouth, long fingers, and its second and fifth fingers overlapped with the third and the fourth. In the cytogenetic studies using G banding technique, an extra band of the distal long arm of chromosome 2 was shown. Because its extra chromosomal segment was too small and the parents' chromosome were normal, it was difficult to determine the origin of the additional segment. We could find the fluorescent signal from the extra chromosomal segment by using painting probe of chromosome 2. The karyotype of the patient was confirmed as 46, XX, 2q+. We reported the case with the review of the associated literatures.
Arm ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 ; Cytogenetics ; Fingers ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Karyotype ; Lip ; Mouth ; Paint ; Paintings