BACKGROUND: Remifentanil appears to have a pharmacologic profile similar to other potent mu agonists, but with exceptionally short lasting pharmacokinetics. It is likely to make it a very useful opioid for clinical practice. The bispectral index (BIS) has been used as an indicator of sedative state and has been considered to be related to anesthetic agents and noxious stimulus. The purpose of this study is to compare sedative and cardiovascular effects of remifentanil and fentanyl during target controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol by monitoring BIS and hemodynamics. METHODS: Fifty-two patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned to remifentanil group and fentanyl group with 26 cases in each group. Anesthesia was induced with propofol (4microgram/ml) and either remifentanil (0.5microgram/kg) or fentanyl (1.5microgram/kg) and was maintained with inhalation of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen mixture and a continuous infusion of either remifentanil (0.2microgram/kg/min) or fentanyl (0.03microgram/kg/min). Depth of anesthesia, hemodynamic changes and adverse reactions were observed. RESULTS: The number of patients exhibited light depth of anesthesia during tracheal intubation and maintenance in the remifentanil group was significantly lesser than that in the fentanyl group (P<0.05). During intubation, skin incision, maintenance of anesthesia and extubation, remifentanil group shows lesser fluctuation of hemodynamic value than those in the fentanyl group (P<0.05). BIS was significantly decreased both groups during infusion of propofol, but no difference was found between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the aspect of adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil with propofol TCI based anesthetic can prevent the fluctuation of heart rate and mean arterial pressure during the operation especially, during intubation.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Inhalation ; Intubation ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Pharmacokinetics ; Propofol* ; Skin

Objectives: ：This study aimed to identify unmet needs and influencing factors for patients who have breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and thyroid cancer. Methods: ：We reviewed the SCIE publications on unmet need of four prevalent cancer patients published after 2010 through a web search. Results: ：The measurement tools primarily used were Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs and Supportive Care Needs Survey questionnaire. Lung cancer patients reported a relatively higher rate of unmet needs. Breast cancer patients frequently reported unmet needs in the healthcare system and information, while thyroid cancer patients in post-treatment management and psychological issues. Colorectal cancer patients reported unmet needs in psychological and comprehensive care domain, and lung cancer patients reported unmet needs in physical and daily life management. Younger age, a shorter time since diagnosis or treatment, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, distress, and reduced quality of life were associated with more significant unmet needs. Conclusions ：Unmet needs and influencing factors vary by cancer type. Considering the characteristics of each patient group and unmet needs can help in development of more effective treatment and support programs.

Intake of soy protein the fisk factors associated with cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. This study was designed to effects of isoflavone supplementation on serum lipids in 16 hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women . For this purpose, an intervention study was conducted for 12 weeks. Subjects were healthy, free-living women consuming habitual diets with 0.3g/d of isoflavone. Food and nutrient intake was obtained by 24-hr recall method and anthropometric measurement were made. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total serum cholesterol. HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were determined before and after the isoflavone supplementation. The results were summarized as follows. The average age, hight, weight and BMI of the subject were 65.3 years, 151.4 cm, 62.2 kg and 27.1, respectively. The systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were not reduced significantly with isoflavone supplementation. Total cholesterol (p<0.001), HDL-C(p<0.05), and LDL-C(p<0.01) were significantly increased after isoflavone concentration. In conclusion, isoflavone supplementation was not effective to modify risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Clinical Trial ; Risk Factors ; Soybean Proteins

BACKGROUND: Suicide is one of important health problems in Korea. Previous studies showed factors associated with suicide in individual levels. However, suicide was influenced by society that individuals belong to, so it was required to analyze suicide in local levels. The purpose of this study was to analyze the regional disparities of suicide mortality by gender and the association between local characteristics and suicide mortality. METHODS: This study included 229 city.county.district administrative districts in Korea. Age- and sex-standardized suicide mortality and age-standardized suicide mortality (male/female) were used as dependent variables. City.county.district types, socio-demographics (number of divorces per 1,000 population, number of marriages per 1,000 population, and single households), financial variable (financial independence), welfare variable (welfare budget), and health behavior/status (perceived health status scores and EuroQol-5 dimension [EQ-5D]) were used to represent the local characteristics. We used hot-spot analysis to identify the spatial patterns of suicide mortality and negative binomial regression analysis to examine factors affecting suicide mortality. RESULTS: There were differences in distribution of suicide mortality and hot-spot regions of suicide mortality by gender. Negative binomial regression analysis provided that city.county.district types (city), number of divorces per 1,000 population, financial independence, and EQ-5D had significant influences on the age- and sex-standardized suicide mortality per 100,000. Factor influencing suicide mortality was the number of divorces per 1,000 population in both male and female. CONCLUSION: Study results provided evidences that suicide mortality among regions was differed by gender. Health policy makers will need to consider gender and local characteristics when making policies for suicides.
Divorce ; Female ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Marriage ; Mortality* ; Spatial Analysis ; Suicide*

BACKGROUND: This study explored the relationship between hospital resources and services uses in outpatient/inpatient-based hospital service area (HSA) in Korea. METHODS: Study hospitals included all acute care hospitals except tertiary hospitals. Inpatient and outpatient hospital claims from the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) program in 2010 were used to identify the service uses. Hospital resources and the degree of insurance premium in study areas were identified with the NHI corporation data. Study variables were computed by summing the service uses or hospital resources of study hospitals in each HSA. Service uses were represented by the total medical charges and number of visits/inpatient days. Hospital resources were measured by number of beds, number of doctors, and number of computed tomography (CT). The economic status of NHI enrollees in each HSA was controlled by the average monthly premium of NHI program per household in each HSA. The degree of using local hospitals was controlled with the localization index. RESULTS: Analysis results showed that hospital resources such as beds, CT were statistically related to the service uses. And also localization index was found to have positive significant relationships with service uses. CONCLUSION: Hospital resources such as beds, CT had not only positive impacts on inpatient service uses, but also influences on the outpatient setting. Health policy makers will require monitoring and assessing the hospital resources in Korea.
Family Characteristics ; Health Policy ; Health Resources ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Outpatients ; Tertiary Care Centers

Which tube is the best one for the one lung ventilation? It is open to discussion of tube choice for the patient with tracheostomy after total laryngectomy. In this situation, we can use the bronchial blocker. We report the case of using a Univent(R) tube in a patient with tracheostomy after total laryngectomy for one lung ventilation. Successfully, the patient received esophagectomy, esophageal reconstruction and pyloroplasty due to esophageal cancer without any complications.
Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagectomy ; Humans ; Laryngectomy* ; One-Lung Ventilation* ; Tracheostomy*

BACKGROUND: This study purposed to analyze the relationship between regional obesity rates and regional variables. METHODS: Data was collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and Community Health Survey in 2012. The units of analysis were administrative districts such as city, county, and district. The dependent variable was the age-sex adjusted regional obesity rates. The independent variables were selected to represent four aspects of regions: health behaviour factor, psychological factor, socio-economic factor, and physical environment factor. Along with the traditional ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis model, this study applied geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis to calculate the regression coefficients for each region. RESULTS: The OLS results showed that there were significant differences in regional obesity rates in high-risk drinking, walking, depression, and financial independence. The GWR results showed that the size of regression coefficients in independent variables was differed by regions. CONCLUSION: Our results can help in providing useful information for health policy makers. Regional characteristics should be considered when allocating health resources and developing health-related programs.
Depression ; Drinking ; Health Policy ; Health Resources ; Health Surveys ; Information Services ; Obesity* ; Psychology ; Walking

Objective: Menopause symptoms can vary in type, duration, and severity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the key factors predicting severe symptoms among Korean perimenopausal women with various demographic data, obstetric and psychiatric histories, and menopausal symptoms screening scale scores. Methods: Data were collected from 1,060 women, and 4 latent classes were identified using latent profile analysis, with 6 major categories of menopausal complaints. Among the 4 classes, we selectively used data from the “all unimpaired” and “all impaired” groups. Menopause rating scale (MRS), sociodemographic, obstetric, and psychiatric factors were assessed, and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted with the “all impaired” group as a dependent variable. Results: Marital status and scores on the psychological and somatic subscales of the MRS were statistically related to being in the “all impaired” group. Otherwise, family history of menopausal symptoms, menarche age, and history of other psychiatric disorders were not statistically significant predictors of being in the “all impaired” group. Conclusion The psychological and somatic subscales of the MRS predict the severity of perimenopausal syndrome better than obstetric and psychiatric history do among Korean perimenopausal women. Psychological and somatic symptoms as well as genitourinary symptoms in menopausal patients should be closely evaluated.

PURPOSE: We examined the ability of preschool aged children to meet the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Resiratory Society (ERS) goals for spirometry quality and tried to find out the major factor for improving the rate of success of spiromety test in this age group. METHODS: Spirometry was performed in 2-6 aged 155 children with chronic cough or suspicious asthma with the recording of maneuver quality measures of forced expiratory time, end-of-test volume, back-extrapolated volume (Vbe), and forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as flow-volume curve. The subjects were tested several times and the two best results in each subject were selected. All criteria for quality control were suggested by ATS/ERS guidelines. The criteria for starting of the test was Vbe <80 mL and Vbe/FVC <12.5%. The criteria for repeatability of the test was that second highest FVC and FEV1 are within 100 mL or 10% of the highest value, whichever is greater. For the criteria for termination of the test for preschool aged children, we evaluated the flow-volume curve RESULTS: As getting older, the success rate of spirometry increased and rapidly increased after 3 years old. Total success rate of the test was 59.4% (2 years old - 14.3%, 3 years old - 53.7%, 4 years old - 65.1%, 5 years old - 69.7%, 6 years old - 70.8%). The percentage of failure to meet the criteria for starting the test was 6.5%, repeatability of the test was 12.3% and end of the test was 31%. There was a significant difference only in age between success group and failure group. Evaluating the quality control criteria of previous studies, the success rate increased with age. CONCLUSION: About 60% of preschool aged children met ATS/ERS goals for spirometry test performance and the success rate was highly correlated with age. It is clearly needed that developing more feasible and suitable criteria for quality control of spirometry test in preschool aged children.
Aged ; Asthma ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cough ; Humans ; Quality Control ; Spirometry ; Vital Capacity

PURPOSE: We examined the ability of preschool aged children to meet the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Resiratory Society (ERS) goals for spirometry quality and tried to find out the major factor for improving the rate of success of spiromety test in this age group. METHODS: Spirometry was performed in 2-6 aged 155 children with chronic cough or suspicious asthma with the recording of maneuver quality measures of forced expiratory time, end-of-test volume, back-extrapolated volume (Vbe), and forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as flow-volume curve. The subjects were tested several times and the two best results in each subject were selected. All criteria for quality control were suggested by ATS/ERS guidelines. The criteria for starting of the test was Vbe <80 mL and Vbe/FVC <12.5%. The criteria for repeatability of the test was that second highest FVC and FEV1 are within 100 mL or 10% of the highest value, whichever is greater. For the criteria for termination of the test for preschool aged children, we evaluated the flow-volume curve RESULTS: As getting older, the success rate of spirometry increased and rapidly increased after 3 years old. Total success rate of the test was 59.4% (2 years old - 14.3%, 3 years old - 53.7%, 4 years old - 65.1%, 5 years old - 69.7%, 6 years old - 70.8%). The percentage of failure to meet the criteria for starting the test was 6.5%, repeatability of the test was 12.3% and end of the test was 31%. There was a significant difference only in age between success group and failure group. Evaluating the quality control criteria of previous studies, the success rate increased with age. CONCLUSION: About 60% of preschool aged children met ATS/ERS goals for spirometry test performance and the success rate was highly correlated with age. It is clearly needed that developing more feasible and suitable criteria for quality control of spirometry test in preschool aged children.
Aged ; Asthma ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cough ; Humans ; Quality Control ; Spirometry ; Vital Capacity