BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of a dose conversion table from oral morphine to transdermal fentanyl patch (TDFP) and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TDFP in the treatment of cancer pain. METHODS: Sixty cancer patients whose pain had been stabilized with oral morphine for at least 48 hours (morphine phase) were switched to TDFP using standard conversion chart for fentanyl dosage. TDFP were replaced every 72 hours for 9 days (fentanyl phase). Assessment of pain, nausea, vomiting, pruritus and somnolence were recorded as visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: Patients' pain assessment and side effects were not significantly different during both phases. But ten patients reported some skin reactions to the patch, such as erythema, itching, and papules. CONCLUSIONS: TDFP were well tolerated and provided pain relief in cancer patients equivalent to that achieved with oral morphine.
Erythema ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Morphine ; Nausea ; Pain Measurement ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Vomiting

A Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometric method was described for the determination of quartz, mica(sericite) and feldspar(potassium feldspar) in respirable dust in Taebaek area. The results were as follows; 1) The concentration of minerals were determined from the intensity of absorption peak of quartz at 799 cm-1, sericite at 539 cm-1, and potassium feldspar at 648 cm-1 respectively. 2) The precision(C. V. %) for the quartz determination was 7.70+/-2.68 % from 10 to 200 microgram of quartz. 3) The precision for the sericite determination was 16.34+/-6.82 % from 30 to 500 microgram of serictite. 4) The precision for the potassium feldspar determination was 5.28+/-1.74 % from 30 to 500 microgram of potassium feldspar. 5) The concentration of respirable dust in Taebaek area was 4.90+/-3.29 mg/m3(0.4-93.7%), percent quartz was 1.80+/-4.14% (0.01-20.56%), percent sericite was 11.37+/-6.43% (0.00-29.69%), percent potassium feldspar was 8.15 % (n=7, 3.41-19.70%). 6) The difference of respirable coal dust, quartz, and sericite concentration in drilling, coal cutting, hauling and separating was significant respectively (p<0.05).
Absorption ; Coal ; Dust* ; Fourier Analysis* ; Minerals ; Potassium ; Quartz* ; Spectrophotometry, Infrared*

BACKGROUND: Serious pulmonary complications after lung surgery increase morbidity and mortality in perioperative period. Ketamine hydrochloride produces strong analgesic effect in spite of the psychomimetic effects. Intravenous anesthesia with ketamine was performed in lung surgery of patients with decreased pulmonary function and compared with inhalation anesthesia with enflurane. METHODS: Sixty patients, scheduled for elective lung surgery, were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients received either enflurane (Group 1, n=30) or ketamine (Group 2, n=30) as main anesthetic drug. Blood pressure and heart rate were compared in preinduction, postinduction, postintubation, postincision, intraoperative period (30 minutes, 60 minutes) and recovery room between groups, and in each group. Arterial blood gas analysis was compared in preoperative period, intraoperative period and recovery room between groups. Postoperative psychological complications evaluated in group 2. RESULTS: Blood pressure and heart rate were significantly different in postinduction, postintubation and recovery room between groups. PaO2 in group 2 was higher than in group 1 during intraoperative period and recovery room. Postoperative psychological complications occured in 4 patients (13%) in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine affords advantage over enflurane anesthesia in terms of PaO2 during intraoperative period and recovery room in lung surgery of patients with decreased pulmonary function.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Inhalation* ; Anesthesia, Intravenous* ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Enflurane* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Intraoperative Period ; Ketamine* ; Lung* ; Mortality ; Perioperative Period ; Preoperative Period ; Recovery Room

Synthetic genes encoding the gag p24 and the part of the envelope protein gp41 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) were cloned and overexpressed as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli, using an expression vector carrying 77 promoter and the poly-histidine leader sequence. The overexpressed p24 fusion protein was purified by centrifugation, Ni-affinity chromatography and CM-sepharose chromatography The overexpressed gp41 fusion protein was purified by centrifugation, C4 chromatography and DEAE-sepharose chromatography. The purified fusion proteins showed a high level of purity and immunoreactivity in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis. These results suggest that this prokaryotic expression-purification method is suitable for obtaining a large amount of the viral antigen which may be useful for screening of antibodies to HIV-1 in human blood samples.
Antibodies ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography ; Clone Cells ; Electrophoresis ; Escherichia coli ; Genes, Synthetic ; HIV* ; HIV-1* ; Humans* ; Mass Screening

We prepared two monoclonal antibodies-A-I30 and A-I4 to HDL apo A-I-with the ultimate goals of expressing and overproducing the valuable immunodiagnostic single chain Fv by phage display libraries in E, coli. Monoclonal antibodies were produced by immunizing mice with apolipoprotein A-I, and purified from ascitic fluid by affinity chromatography on a Protein A Sepharose CL-4B column. The specificity of A-I30 and A-I4 was confirmed by ELISA and Western blotting. The dissociation constants(Kd) of antigen-antibody complex obtained by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) method were 2.25 x 10(-8) M for A-I30 and 2.15 x 10(-8) M for A-I4. The experimental values of Kd are shown to be close to those obtained by immunoprecipitation of the radiolabeled antigen. From the above results, it was shown that A-I30 and A-I4 could be provided as excellent reagents for the determination of plasma HDL concentrations in clinical specimens using ELISA.
Animal ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Antibody Affinity ; Apolipoprotein A-I/*immunology ; Blotting, Western ; Hybridomas ; Lipoproteins, HDL/immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

PURPOSE: This study was a qualitative research study in which focus group interviews were used to collect data on the meaning of respite for family caregivers who are taking care of elders with dementia. METHODS: The focus group interviews and participants consisted of 2 family caregiver groups, for a total of 8 people taking care of their elders and 5 professional caregivers working in a geriatrics hospital or social welfare institutions. Content analysis was used and debriefing notes were referred in order to analyze the data. RESULTS: The meaning of respite in this research was measured using 4 main categories: 'Temporary break from routine', 'direct help', 'psychological comfort', 'valuables which cannot be taken easily' and 9 subcategories: 'Temporary diversion of attention', 'temporarily free from my duty', 'taking care of oneself', 'receiving economic help', 'empathize with others', 'comfort based on trust', 'resting together with the elder', 'no time to rest', 'cannot get out of one's obligatory duty'. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study show that rest means not only a temporary relief from caretaking, but also a real respite based on the patients' stable state and comfort. These results indicate a new meaning for respite, that the first step of respite program has to begin even when the caregivers do not recognize the need for respite.
Adult ; Aged ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing ; Family ; Female ; Geriatric Nursing ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; *Respite Care

Anesthesia for thoracic surgery is most commonly performed with the patient in the lateral decubitus position, with nondependent hemithorax comprising the operation field. When one-lung ventilation is employed, the nondependent lung is nonventilated and collapsed, while the dependent lung is ventilated. Consequently one-lung ventilation creates an obligatory right to left transpulmonary shunt through the nondependent nonventilated lung. Therefore one-lung ventilation results in a much larger alveolar-arterial oxygen tension-difference P(A-a)O2 and lower PaO2 than does two-lung ventilation. The present study was to evaluate oxygenation effect of selective CPAP to nondependent lung in the 17 thoracic surgical patients. Arterial blood gases were analysed, systolic blood pressures and heart rates were measured at following stages. Stage I; lateral decubitus position before chest opening Stage II; 15 min after chest opening and one lung ventilation stage III; 15 min after application of selective CPAP 5 cmHO to the nondependent lung stage IV; 40 min after application of selective CPAP 5 cmHO to the nondependent lung The results were as follows: 1) In stage II, the value of PaO2 was significantly lower as compared to that in stage I(224.9+/-78.0 vs 418.2+/-63.1 mmHg, P<0.01). 2) In stage III and IV, the values of PaC4 were significantly higher.as compared to that in stage II(333.8+/-97.1, 364.5+/-88.6 vs 224,9+/-78.0 mmHg, P<0.01). 3) In stage III, the value of PaCO2 was significantly lower as compared to that in stage II(37.1+/-2.9 vs 38.2+/-2.7 mmHg, P<0.05). 4) In stage IV, the value of pH was significantly lower as compared to that in stage III(7.37+/-0.05 vs 7.38+/-0.05 P<0.05). 5) Systolic blood pressures and heart rates remained unchanged at all times. We concluded that application of 5 cmHO CPAP to the nondependent lung during one-lung ventilation is one of most efficacious maneuvers to increase PaO2, accompanying less surgical interference.
Anesthesia ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure* ; Gases ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lung* ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Oxygen* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thorax ; Ventilation*

BACKGROUND: Alfentanil has been shown to act synergistically if combined with propofol, with or without nitrous oxide, or if combined with potent inhalation anesthetics. The goal of this study was to determine the dosing rate and target plasma concentration of propofol to supplement nitrous oxide in the presence of varying concentrations of alfentanil and to determine the optimal combination of propofol and alfentanil. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) were anesthetized with nitrous oxide, and given a target-controlled infusion (TCI) of alfentanil [target plasma concentrations of 0 (A0 group), 50 ng/ml (A50 group), and 100 ng/ml (A100 group)], and propofol at rates varied up and down depending on the bispectal index (BIS). The mean target concentration (Tc) and infusion rate of propofol according to changes of concentrations of alfentanil were determined. Recovery time (from infusion stop to eye opening) and side effects were compared. RESULTS: Induction time and recovery time were shortened in the A50 group and A100 group compared with the A0 group (P < 0.05). The infusion rate and mean target concentration of propofol were significantly lower in the A100 group (7.5 mg/kg/h, 3.4ng/ml) than the A0 (12.6 mg/kg/h, 4.5ng/ml) and A50 (10.2 mg/kg/h, 4.0ng/ml) groups (P < 0.01). Side effects did not differ among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal blood propofol and plasma alfentanil concentration, with respect to satisfactory intraoperative anesthetic conditions and speed of recovery, are 4.0ng/ml and 50 ng/ml or 3.4ng/ ml and 100 ng/ml in TAH patients.
Alfentanil* ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Plasma ; Propofol*

Objectives: This study aimed to determine if a 5-day lifestyle diary could be used to survey the frequency of consumption of cariogenic foods, as well as clean foods that reduce the formation of bacterial film on the tooth surface, and reveal the association between dietary intake factors and dental caries. Methods: 60 participants of the Healing School located in Jinan, Jeollabuk-do were asked to record a 5-day diet diary (4 days on weekdays and 1 day on weekends), and 53 participants (average age 42.6±1.16 years) were selected without exclusions. The results were cross-analyzed using frequency analysis (P=0.05). Results: The frequency of cariogenic food consumption showed a significant positive correlation with the frequency of clean food consumption (P<0.05), total food consumption (P<0.001), and cariogenic food consumption (P<0.001). Conclusions Oral health indicators may be improved if dental hygiene management is customized by investigating ways to reduce and prevent oral diseases early on the basis of dietary intake.