Postlumbar puncture headache is a common complication of spinal anesthesia. It usually may be alleviated by adequate hydration, continuous recumbency, abdominal compression and analgesic medication. However, these conservative treatments are only symptomatic and epidural blood patch is curable approach based on pathophysiology. During the 3 year period from 1988 to 1990, 700 cases of spinal anesthesia were recorded by Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju Medical College, Yonsei University. This study was primarily undertaken to observe several aspects of postspinal headache i.e. incidence, age and sex distribution, onset, duration and treatment. The results were as follows: 1) The overall incidence of headache was 10.6% (74 cases). 2) Headache occurred in highest frequency in patients in the third and fourth decades. 3) Frequency of headache was higher in women. 4) The onset of headache was within postop. 3 days. 5) The duration of headache was within 6 days. 6) a) 12 cases were cured spontaneously. b) 52 cases were cured by conservative treatment. c) 10 cases were cured by the epidural blood patch.
Anesthesia, Spinal ; Blood Patch, Epidural ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Headache* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Punctures ; Sex Distribution

To evaluate the results of cardiac anesthesia during open heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, the cases of 100 patients from December 1986 to May 1989 were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1) There were 56 patients with congenital heart disease (male 32, female 24) and 44 patients with acquired heart disease (male 14, female 30). 2) The mean age of patients with congenital heart disease was 17.0+/-10.0 years and the mean age of patients with acquired heart disease was 41.2+/-14.6 years. 3) There were 54 cases of acyanotic heart disease and 2 cases of cyanotic heart disease among congenital heart disease, and 41 cases of valvular heart disease. 4) Glycopyroolate and hydroxyzine were mostly used as premedicants and morphine was used in some cases of acquired heart disease. 5) Anesthesia was induced by morphine and diazepam mostly while ketamine was used in some congenital heart disease. 6) The periods of cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross clamp in acquired heart disease were twice as long as in congenital heart disease. 7) The lowest body temperature during cardiopulmonry bypass was 26.7+/-2.5 degrees C in congenital heart disease and 24.1+/-3.6 degrees C in acquired heart disease while mean arterial pressure was maintained between 50-80 mmHg. 8) There were 33 cases of complications in 19 patients in which wound infection and arrythmia were most predominant. Four fatalities resulted from 3 cases of low cardiac output syndrome and 1 case of cerebrovascular disease.
Anesthesia* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arterial Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Diazepam ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hydroxyzine ; Ketamine ; Morphine ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Wound Infection