Both statins and magnesium are associated with NMDA receptors and anti-inflammatory effect. Peripheral NMDA receptors are known to be involved in inflammationinduced pain. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perioperative use of a statin– magnesium combination on opioid consumption in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. This was a retrospective study of 542 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The patients were divided into two groups according to statin use: the statin–magnesium group (n=375) and the magnesium-only group (n=167). Patients in the magnesium- only group received only perioperative magnesium, but no statins, to prevent atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery. After propensity-score matching, 228 patients (n=114 in each group) were analyzed to investigate opioid consumption, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores over a 72-h period, and pain outcomes according to the duration of statin treatment (<1 or ≥1 yr). The consumed opioid volume was significantly smaller in statin–magnesium group than the magnesium-only group, both before (p=0.010) and after matching (p=0.017). The statin–magnesium combination did not significantly reduce the VAS pain scores compared with magnesium alone. Although the statin–magnesium combination did not significantly reduce the pain intensity compared with magnesium alone, the combination therapy was effective in reducing opioid consumption after surgery.

No abstract available.
Sarcoma*

Background: Fever is a common cause of pediatric consultation in the emergency department. However, identifying the source of infection in many febrile infants is challenging because of insufficient presentation of signs and symptoms. Meningitis is a critical cause of fever in infants, and its diagnosis is confirmed invasively by lumbar puncture. This study aimed to evaluate potential laboratory markers for meningitis in febrile infants. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed infants aged <3 months who visited the emergency department of our hospital between May 2012 and May 2017 because of fever of unknown etiology. Clinical information and laboratory data were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed. Results: In total, 145 febrile infants aged <3 months who underwent lumbar punctures were evaluated retrospectively. The mean C-reactive protein (CRP) level was significantly higher in the meningitis group than in the non-meningitis group, whereas the mean white blood cell count or absolute neutrophil count (ANC) did not significantly differ between groups. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for CRP was 0.779 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.701–0.858). The AUC for the leukocyte count was 0.455 (95% CI, 0.360–0.550) and that for ANC was 0.453 (95% CI, 0.359–0.547). The CRP cut-off value of 10 mg/L was optimal for identifying possible meningitis. Conclusion CRP has an intrinsic predictive value for meningitis in febrile infants aged <3 months. Despite its invasiveness, a lumbar puncture may be recommended to diagnose meningitis in young, febrile infants with a CRP level >10 mg/L.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) can cause serious morbidity and mortality, and differentiating between this disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can prove challenging. Although rare, TTP accompanied by SLE is linked to several complications and a higher mortality rate. Herein, we report a case of a 16-year-old boy who presented with systemic symptoms, such as petechiae, and was diagnosed with acquired TTP following a laboratory test. Steroid treatment was initiated and a diagnosis of SLE was reached after the symptoms had improved. Treatment with low-dose prednisone in addition to hydroxychloroquine was continued. The patient did not develop renal failure or neurologic deficit. No specific symptoms were observed after treatment and during the follow-up period. Early treatment of SLE is crucial, but it is difficult to reach an early diagnosis because the symptoms are similar to those of TTP. In the current study, an early diagnosis of TTP led to prompt treatment, thereby avoiding the fatal symptoms that could be caused by SLE.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a recently described clinical entity which is associated with a chest pain occurring during a stress, an abnormal ECG and/or an increase in the troponin blood level and a transient left ventricular dysfunction. Transient left ventricular dysfunction generally involves the midsection and the apex of the heart with an akinesis. We reported a case of a 55-year-old female patient who developed a stress-induced cardiomyopathy after local epinephrine use during ophthalmologic surgery.
Cardiomyopathies ; Chest Pain ; Electrocardiography ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Troponin ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

BACKGROUND: Night shift work has well-known adverse effects on health. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between thyroid diseases and night shift work. This study aimed to examine night shift workers and their changes in thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH) levels over time. METHODS: Medical check-up data (2011–2015) were obtained from 967 female workers at a university hospital in Incheon, Korea. Data regarding TSH levels were extracted from the records, and 2015 was used as a reference point to determine night shift work status. The relationships between TSH levels and night shift work in each year were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM). The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to evaluate the repeated measurements over the 5-year period. RESULTS: The GEE analysis revealed that from 2011 to 2015, night shift workers had TSH levels that were 0.303 mIU/L higher than the levels of non-night shift workers (95 % CI: 0.087–0.519 mIU/L, p = 0.006) after adjusting for age and department. When we used TSH levels of 4.5 ≥ mIU/L to identify subclinical hypothyroidism, night shift workers exhibited a 1.399 fold higher risk of subclinical hypothyroidism (95 % CI: 1.050–1.863, p = 0.022), compared to their non-night shift counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This result of this study suggests that night shift workers may have an increased risk of thyroid diseases, compared to non-night shift workers.
Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Incheon ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotropin*

The Kidd system of blood group is clinically significant since the anti-Kidd antibody can cause immediate or delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions as well as hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN). In contrast to the hemolytic activity of Kidd antibodies in incompatible transfusion, the severity of HDN varies but usually tends to be a benign clinical course with favorable outcomes. And severe HDN due to anti-JKa incompatibility is a rare, which is still not reported in Korea. We experienced a newborn with severe jaundice to be detected within 24 hours from birth due to anti-JKa incompatibility. The laboratory data on admission indicated hemoglobin 13.2 g/dL, reticulocyte 4.08%, total bilirubin 18.7 mg/dL, and direct and indirect antiglobulin tests were positive (2+/2+). But, there are no ABO and Rh (D) incompatibilities between the mother and newborn. Maternal serum was found to contain an antibody that recognized JKa , and also seen in neonate. This patient completely recovered with intensive phototherapy without exchange transfusion. We report this case with a brief review of relevant literature.
Antibodies ; Bilirubin ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Coombs Test ; Erythroblastosis, Fetal ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Korea ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Phototherapy ; Reticulocytes

The Kidd system of blood group is clinically significant since the anti-Kidd antibody can cause immediate or delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions as well as hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN). In contrast to the hemolytic activity of Kidd antibodies in incompatible transfusion, the severity of HDN varies but usually tends to be a benign clinical course with favorable outcomes. And severe HDN due to anti-JKa incompatibility is a rare, which is still not reported in Korea. We experienced a newborn with severe jaundice to be detected within 24 hours from birth due to anti-JKa incompatibility. The laboratory data on admission indicated hemoglobin 13.2 g/dL, reticulocyte 4.08%, total bilirubin 18.7 mg/dL, and direct and indirect antiglobulin tests were positive (2+/2+). But, there are no ABO and Rh (D) incompatibilities between the mother and newborn. Maternal serum was found to contain an antibody that recognized JKa , and also seen in neonate. This patient completely recovered with intensive phototherapy without exchange transfusion. We report this case with a brief review of relevant literature.
Antibodies ; Bilirubin ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Coombs Test ; Erythroblastosis, Fetal ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Korea ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Phototherapy ; Reticulocytes

BACKGROUND: The Cobra Perilaryngeal Airway(TM) (Cobra PLA) and the Proseal Laryngeal Mask Airway(TM) (Proseal LMA) provide higher sealing pressures than the classic LMA. The authors compared the clinical effectiveness of these two airway types for controlled ventilation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients (ASA physical status I-II, aged 18-65 yrs) scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated for airway management with the Cobra PLA or the Proseal LMA. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol and remifentanil using a target controlled infusion system. Insertion characteristics, anatomical positions, airway adequacies, ventilation efficacies, degrees of gastric distension, and postoperative adverse events (sore throat, dysphagia, and dysphonia) were noted. RESULTS: The number of insertion attempts, insertion times, airway sealing pressure, and airway positions were similar in the two groups. In one Cobra PLA patient, tracheal intubation was needed due to inadequate ventilation before pneumoperitoneum. During pneumoperitoneum, oxygenation and ventilation were optimal in all patients in both groups, and degrees of gastric distension were similar. Furthermore, no differences were found in terms of the incidences of adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Cobra PLA and Proseal LMA were found to have similar insertion characteristics and both provided adequate airways and effective ventilation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Aged ; Airway Management ; Anesthesia ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Deglutition Disorders ; Elapidae ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Laryngeal Masks ; Oxygen ; Pharynx ; Piperidines ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Propofol ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND:Rocuronium is widely used because of rapid onset and intermediate duration of action.The volatile anesthetics potentiate the effect of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. This study was designed to compare effects of inhalational agents with that of propofol on the muscle relaxation of rocuronium. METHODS:One hundred and thirty-six patients were divided four groups, which were given sevoflurane, isoflurane, desflurane and propofol.Anesthesia was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and fentanyl 100microg.A ulnar nerve was stimulated with supramaximal stimuli.Anesthesia was maintained with 1.25 MAC inhalational agents or propofol of 7 mg/kg/hr for twenty minutes.Rocuronium 0.1, 0.15 or 0.2 mg/kg was administered.The degree and onset time of maximal depression was recorded.A supplementary dose of rocuronium was given so that all patients received a cumulative dose of rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg. We measured 10% recovery time. RESULTS:The ED50 of rocuronium were 0.157 in the sevoflurane, 0.167 in the isoflurane, 0.169 in the desflurane, and 0.187 mg/kg in the propofol. The ED95 were 0.296 in the sevoflurane, 0.313 in the isoflurane, 0.325 in the desflurane, and 0.407 mg/kg in the propofol.The onset time to maximal depression was prolonged in inhalational agent groups which were administered rocuronium 0.2 mg/kg. The 10% recovery time was delayed in inhalational agent groups than in propofol group. CONCLUSIONS:The inhalational anesthetics had more potent muscle relaxation effect than propofol.We suggest that the dose of rocuronium for adequate muscle relaxation be adjusted according to anesthetics used.
Androstanols ; Anesthetics ; Depression ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; Methyl Ethers ; Muscle Relaxation ; Muscles ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Propofol ; Ulnar Nerve