BACKGROUND: Obtaining and utilizing the feed-backs from residents who have finished four year of anesthesia residency could well contribute to improvement in training program. Therefore authors have designed a self questionnaire to analyze the degrees or measures of satisfaction from such training program and data were evaluated to provide,in future,the guideline which would improve the quality of the training program. METHODS: The self-questionnaires were sent to residents(n=148),who have been through the entire four year of residency training courses under anesthesia department. The assessment was conducted to measure the degree of satisfaction based on several variables such as motivation, selection of anesthesiology as a first choice, type of training hospital, and sex. To evaluate the current problems of anesthesia residency program, we made 30 open-ended and close-ended questions. Data analysis was made using Fishers exaet test. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant difference between the degree of satisfaction and their motivation for choosing anesthesia, anesthesia as a major, selection of anesthesiology as a first choice, and types of hospitals. As for the difference in satisfaction of training, male residents showed significantly higher satisfaction rate( n=92, 36.2%) than female residents(n=47, 17%). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that degrees of satisfaction was more likely related to the program of each training hospital and sex compared to other variables studied.
Anesthesia Department, Hospital ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesiology ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Internship and Residency* ; Male ; Motivation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic

To evaluate trends, if any, anesthetic experiences of 10,000 cases in the total performed at the department of Anesthesiology, Han Kang Sung Shim Hospital, Choong Ang University, School of Medicine from Dec. 197I through Nov. 1976 were analyzed statistically according to anesthetic method, age, sex, department, anesthetic agent, anesthetic duration, physical status and cause of death. The results are as follows; 1. About forty-five percent of all surgical patients were emergency cases. 2. The spinal and regional blocks tended to increase compared with inhalation anesthesia. 3. The patients under 1 year and over 60-years of age also tended to increase. 4. In almost all cases, post-operative and post-anesthetic cause of death was due to the severity of preexisting disease itself and overall death rate of surgical patients who received anesthesia was 0.16% 5. Through this statistical study, we can perform anesthesia with more safety and ease, and also eliminate post-operative and post-anesthetic complications, with further study of new agents and techniques.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthesiology ; Cause of Death ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Methods ; Mortality ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the baseline levels of microorganisms' growth on the hands of anesthesiologists and in the anesthesia environment at a cancer hospital. METHODS: This study performed in nine operating rooms and among 25 anesthesiologists at a cancer hospital. Sampling of the hands of anesthesiologists and the anesthesia environment was performed at a ready-to-use operating room before patient contact began and after decontamination. RESULTS: Microorganisms' growth results showed that 20% (5/25) of anesthesiologists' hands carried microorganisms (> 10 CFU/cm ²) before patient contact began. Female anesthesiologists performed hand hygiene better than did their male counterparts, with fewer CFUs ( P = 0.0069) and fewer species ( P = 0.0202). Our study also found that 55.6% (5/9) of ready-to-use operating rooms carried microorganisms (> 5 CFU/cm ²). Microorganisms regrowth began quickly (1 hour) after disinfection, and increased gradually over time, reaching the threshold at 4 hours after disinfection. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the hands of 20% (5/25) of anesthesiologists and 33.3% (3/9) of operating rooms. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that male anesthesiologists need to pay more attention to the standard operating procedures and effect evaluation of hand hygiene, daily cleaning rate of the operating room may be insufficient, and we would suggest that there should be a repeat cleaning every four hours.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesiologists/statistics & numerical data* ; Disinfection/standards* ; Hand Hygiene/statistics & numerical data* ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Operating Rooms/statistics & numerical data* ; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification*

BACKGROUND: Risk for injuries resulting from overinflated or underinflated endotracheal tube cuff warrants adequate cuff inflation technique. Thus, this study was designed to measure the actual intracuff pressures obtained by new estimation techniques. METHODS: 95 adult surgical patients requiring tracheal intubation were randomized to two groups with respect to the endotracheal tube model: Portex(R) (n = 55) and Euromedical(R) (n = 40). After induction of anesthesia, the cuff was inflated using new estimation techniques with two different syringes: PR10 or PR20 (passive release technique using a 10-ml or 20-ml syringe, respectively). Subsequently, an aneroid manometer was used to measure the actual intracuff pressures. These inflation techniques were repeated two times. A direct cuff measurement range of 25 to 40 cmH2O was used as a reference for optimal intracuff pressure. Size 7.0 mm internal diameter (ID) tubes were used for women and size 7.5 mm ID for men. RESULTS: 88 eligible patients were studied: Portex group (n = 50) and Euromedical group (n = 38). With respect to the rate of optimal cuff inflation, PR10 was significantly higher than PR20 in both groups (56% vs. 10% in Portex group; 63.2% vs. 0% in Euromedical group, respectively) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When direct intracuff measurement is not available, a new method, named "passive release technique" using a 10-ml syringe, is a useful alternative cuff inflation method.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Female ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Male ; Statistics as Topic ; Syringes

OBJECTIVE: The risk of complications is high for patients with a large cranial defect and hydrocephalus, undergoing cranioplasty and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt operation. The purpose of this study is to examine retrospectively such cases with complications and contrive an operative technique to reduce complications. METHODS: Nineteen patients underwent cranioplasty and VP shunt operation due to large cranial defects and hydrocephalus. These patients were divided into two groups: Group A with 10 patients who underwent staged-operations, and Group B with 9 patients who underwent one-stage operation. Their complications in each group were retrospectively reviewed. Another five patients underwent a one-stage operation with temporary occlusion of the distal shunt catheter to improve on the technique and were categorized as Group C. Complications in these groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The results of the data analysis revealed that complications related to anesthesia (40%) and those related to antibiotic prophylaxis (30%) were high in Group A, while non-infectious delayed complications (45%) and perioperative complications such as intracranial hematoma (33%) were high in Group B. However, for patients in Group C, it showed less complication with the operative technique devised by these authors, as opposed to two previous procedures. CONCLUSION: In patients with hydrocephalus and a large cranial defect, complications arising from existing one-stage operation or staged-operations can be reduced by implementing the technique of "one-stage operation with temporary occlusion of the distal shunt catheter."
Anesthesia ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Catheters ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics as Topic ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

BACKGROUND: Severe bradycardia occurring in strabismus surgery is unpredictable and may lead to cardiac arrest. If we identify patients who have risk of severe bradycardia during strabismus surgery, it is helpful to provide a more meticulous anesthesia. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the degree of bradycardia and indices of power spectral analysis and nonlinear dynamic data analysis of preoperative ECG. METHODS: ECG was collected for twenty minutes from strabismus patients (n = 93). No premedicants were administered. After administration of anesthesia and traction of extraocular muscle, the lowest heart rate was recorded. We calculated the correlation coefficient between the power spectral density, approximate entropy and correlation dimension of preoperative ECG and the difference between preoperative and lowest HR. RESULTS: As the difference between the preoperative heart rate and the intraoperative bradycardia increased, the preoperative ECG showed a low total power (r = 0.27, P = 0.016), low low-frequency power (r = 0.31, P = 0.049), low high-frequency power (r = 0.30, P = 0.007) and high ratio of low to high-frequency power (r = 28, P = 0.03). There was no correlation between bradycardia and approximate entropy and correlation dimension, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a correlation between indices of power spectral analysis of preoperative ECG and degree of bradycardia during strabismus surgery. Therefore we take into consideration preoperative ECG and its analytic indices in order to provide careful preparation for high risk patients who exhibit a tendency to severe bradycardia.
Anesthesia ; Bradycardia* ; Electrocardiography* ; Entropy ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Reflex, Oculocardiac ; Statistics as Topic ; Strabismus* ; Traction

Active involvement of anesthesiologists in perioperative management is important to ensure the patients' safety. This study aimed to investigate the state of anesthetic services in Korea by identifying anesthetic service providers. From the insurance claims data of National Health Insurance for 3 yr, the Korean state of anesthetic services was analyzed. The claims for anesthesia from the medical institutions which hire their own anesthesiologist or with an anesthesiologist invitation fee are assumed to be the anesthesia performed by anesthesiologists. The annual anesthetic data were similar during the study period. In 2013, total counts of 2,129,871 were composed with general anesthesia (55%), regional anesthesia (36%) and procedural sedation with intravenous anesthetics (9%). About 80% of total cases of general anesthesia were performed in general hospitals, while more than 60% of the regional anesthesia and sedation were performed in the clinics and hospitals under 100 beds. Non-anesthesiologists performed 273,006 cases of anesthesia (13% of total) including 36,008 of general anesthesia, 143,134 of regional anesthesia, and 93,864 of sedation, mainly in the clinics and hospitals under 100 beds. All procedural sedations in the institutions without direct employed anesthesiologist were performed by non-anesthesiologists. Significant numbers of anesthesia are performed by non-anesthesiologist in Korea. To promote anesthetic services that prioritize the safety of patients, the standard to qualify anesthetic service is required. Surgeons and patients need to enhance their perception of anesthesia, and the payment system should be revised in a way that advocates anesthesiologist-performed anesthetic services.
Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia/*statistics & numerical data ; Databases, Factual ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; National Health Programs ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires

INTRODUCTIONPerioperative glycaemic control is an important aspect of clinical management in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anaesthesia. While poor long-term glycaemic control has significant implications for surgery, perioperative hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia may also compromise patient safety and surgical outcomes. We aimed to survey ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists on their approach and to identify the prevalent practice patterns in Singapore.

METHODSThis was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted in four public hospitals in Singapore with established ophthalmology and anaesthesia units. Respondents were approached individually, and the self-administered questionnaires comprised questions related to practice patterns, clinical scenarios and awareness of pre-existing guidelines.

RESULTSA total of 129 doctors responded to the questionnaire survey. 76 (58.9%) were from ophthalmology departments and 53 (41.1%) were from anaesthesia departments. The majority chose to withhold oral hypoglycaemic agents (82.9%) and/or insulin (69.8%), and keep the patient fasted preoperatively. A blood glucose level ≥ 17 mmol/L prompted 86.0%-93.8% of respondents to adopt a treat-and-defer strategy, while a level ≥ 23 mmol/L prompted 86.0%-96.9% of respondents to cancel the cataract surgery. The respondents were consistently more concerned about perioperative hyperglycaemia (n = 99, 76.7%) than intraoperative hypoglycaemia (n = 83, 64.3%).

CONCLUSIONThe current study presented the prevalent practice patterns of ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists in the perioperative management of diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery in four public hospitals in Singapore. Further research in this field is required, and may be useful for the future formulation of formal guidelines and protocols.

Adult ; Anesthesia, Local ; methods ; Anesthesiologists ; statistics & numerical data ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Cataract Extraction ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; blood ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmologists ; statistics & numerical data ; Perioperative Care ; methods ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Serotonin is found in the blood of the umbilical cord at birth in concentrations sufficiently high to affect vascular tone. Serotonin has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is used to treat convulsions and hypertension in patients with preeclamptic toxemia. Bupivacaine is used in the epidural anesthesia for a cesarean section. The effects of magnesium and bupivacaine on serotonin-induced vasocontraction in a human umbilical artery was investigated. METHODS: Experiments were performed on 52 human umbilical arteries. The rings were suspended in an organ bath to record isometric mechanical activity. The concentration-contraction responses to bupivacaine, magnesium and serotonin were measured respectively. Vessels were pretreated with bupivacaine (10(-5) M) or magnesium (2 mM or 6 mM), and then serotonin (10(-9) M - 10(-6) M) was added cumulatively. Data analysis was assessed by an unpaired t test, one-way ANOVA and a Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Bupivacaine induced a contraction of umbilical arterial rings, and showed a maximal contraction (51.8 +/- 6.1%) at a concentration of 43nM. Magnesium induced relaxation of the umbilical artery in a concentration dependent manner. Pretreatment with bupivacaine (10(-5) M) potentiated significantly the concentration response to serotonin (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with MgSO4 (2 mM or 6 mM) significantly suppressed the contractile response to serotonin (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bupivacaine, magnesium and serotonin are vasoactive on human umbilical arteries. Magnesium exerts a strong relaxant effect on serotonin induced vasocontraction in the human umbilical artery. Potentiation of serotonin induced vasoconstriction by bupivacaine may play a significant role in the reduction of umbilicoplacental blood flow.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Baths ; Bupivacaine* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans* ; Hypertension ; Magnesium Sulfate ; Magnesium* ; Parturition ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Relaxation ; Seizures ; Serotonin ; Statistics as Topic ; Toxemia ; Umbilical Arteries* ; Umbilical Cord ; Vasoconstriction

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a smartphone app for use in patient controlled analgesia (PCA) education and to identify PCA knowledge and pain management following lower extremity orthopaedic surgery under spinal anesthesia in patients who received smartphone app education. METHODS: Participants were 150 patients in an orthopaedic hospital located in Busan. The measurement variables used in this study were PCA knowledge, pain management and pain level. For data analysis, SPSS/WIN 21.0 program was used in the analysis of the relation of frequencies. In addition, percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan, Pearson's correlation coefficients were also assessed. RESULTS: The score for knowledge regarding PCA was 4.27±1.64. The correlations between knowledge and pain management (button push times Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Busan ; Education* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Methods ; Mobile Applications ; Orthopedics* ; Pain Management* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Smartphone* ; Statistics as Topic