BACKGROUND: Lidocaine administered intravenously (IV lidocaine) is efficacious in the treatment of thic pain. There are many differences in doses and methods of IV lidocaine therapy. We have made a ous clinical report of IV lidocaine infusion for chronic pain patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the plasma concentration of lidocaine, and the analgesic effect and safety of our method of IV idocaine infusion. METHODS: Sixteen neuropathic pain patients received IV lidocaine infusion. Lidocaine of 5 mg/kg ixed in 150 ml of normal saline was infused over 40 min at a rate with 300 ml/h for the initial 10 min, and the remaining at 200 ml/h. Blood sampling, for the analysis of plasma lidocaine concentration, pain score by numerical rating scale, blood pressure and heart rate were obtained before the infusion and at 20, 40, 60, 90 and 120 min following the start of infusion. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (81.3%) had analgesic effects in IV lidocaine infusion. Mean plasma caine concentrations were 0, 2.0, 2.7, 2.2, 1.5, 1.1 ug/ml, and mean pain scores were 7.6, 5.6, 3.7, 3.1, 3.0, and 3.1 before the infusion and at 20, 40, 60, 90 and 120 min following the start of infusion. Plasma aine over 2 microgram/ml revealed an analgesic effect, and pain scores precipitously dropped around 40 min following the start of infusion. There were no significant changes of blood pressure and heart rate. Side effects were mild in terms of sedation, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea and metallic taste. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that our method of IV lidocaine infusion -within therapeutic nge of lidocaine not to allow toxic plasma concentration, and with any effective analgesia, little modynamic change and minimal side effects- is a useful and a safe diagnostic and therapeutic modality for hronic neuropathic pain.
Analgesia ; Blood Pressure ; Chronic Pain ; Dizziness ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Lidocaine* ; Nausea ; Neuralgia ; Plasma* ; Taste Disorders

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors related to prehypertension in Korean adults. METHODS: The data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005. The ubjects of this study were 3,981 adults aged over 20 years of age. Demographic characteristics, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, stress, BMI, serum lipid profiles and blood pressure were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Prevalence of prehypertension was 38.9% in this study. As the result of multiple logistic regression, the risk of prehypertension in male, elderly and low income persons was increased. And the risk of prehypertension was increased in the case of problem drinking, alcohol abuse, formal smoker, overweight, obesity and hyperlipidemia in triglyceride. CONCLUSION: To decrease prehypertension prevalence, it is necessary to detect and manage the influencing risk factors of prehypertension such as alcohol drinking, smoking, obesity, physical activity, stress and serum lipid profiles.
Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Prehypertension ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon does not occur with common hemangioma, rather it is associated with the more aggressive Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma and rarely with other vascular neoplasm. We report the case of an adult who was diagnosed as Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma complicated by Kasabach-Memtt phenomenon. This is the first report in Korea of an adult with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon who has osteolytic changes of femur, pelvic bone, and lumbar spine.
Adult* ; Femur ; Hemangioendothelioma* ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome ; Korea ; Pelvic Bones ; Spine ; Vascular Neoplasms

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is a rare type of chronic inflammation of the gallbladder characterized by focal or diffuse destructive inflammatory responses. Although it is a benign condition, its destructive course may lead to more aggressive outcomes of the gallbladder, such as local infiltration, fistula, stricture, and perforation as compared with other gallbladder inflammations. There are reports about XGC accompanied by cholecystoenteric fistula. However, XGC accompanied by more than one cholecystoenteric fistula is rare. We report a case of a 54-year-old man with gastric outlet obstruction arising from XGC, accompanied by cholecystoduodenal fisula and cholecystocolonic fistula, but without impacted gallstones.
Cholecystitis* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Fistula* ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Gastric Outlet Obstruction* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestinal Fistula ; Middle Aged

No abstract available.

Inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula is rare and may be congenital or acquired. Affected patients present with abdominal pain, mass, or manifestations of portal hypertension and bowel ischemia. Until now, inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula due to trauma has not been reported. Herein, we report a case of a 53-year-old woman who had inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula considered to have originated from remote blunt trauma that was successfully treated by surgical resection of only the arteriovenous fistula without colectomy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of traumatic inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula.
Arteriovenous Fistula/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is a common enzyme for the evaluation of the hepatic, muscular and cardiac diseases and is produced also at kidney, brain, pancreas, lung, leukocytes, erythrocytes, etc. The elevation of its activity is usually caused by the necrosis of hepatocytes when there are not muscular injuries or myopathies. Recently, it is found that AST can exist as a macroenzyme by forming a complex with an immunoglobulin and this complex is erroneously considered to indicate the presence of liver disease as a result of elevation of AST activity on routine blood chemistry analysis. We experienced the patient with isolated AST elevation due to the formation of AST-mmunoglobulin complex confirmed by AST isoenzyme electrophoresis (EP).
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Brain ; Chemistry ; Electrophoresis ; Erythrocytes ; Heart Diseases ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Kidney ; Leukocytes ; Liver Diseases ; Lung ; Muscular Diseases ; Necrosis ; Pancreas

PURPOSE: To evaluate mortality and morbidity of very low birth weight infants(VLBW infants) born in the Busan area from 1996 to 2005. METHODS: A total of eight neonatal intensive care units (4 university hospitals and 4 general hospitals) in Busan participated in this study. A total of 1,414 VLBW infants were divided into three groups: period I, 1996 to 2000; period II, 1999 to 2002; period III, 2003 to 2005, based on date of birth. We performed a retrospective review of medical records of VLBWinfants and compared the survival rate, morbidity and mortality over the three periods. RESULT: The number of VLBW infants admitted to 8 NICUs in 1996-2005 was a total of 1,414 (1.3% incidence, mean gestational age 29.1+/-2.7 wk, mean birth weight 1158+/-235 g), including 361 (24.7%) extremely low birth weight infants (ELVW infants) who were less than 1,000 g at birth weight. Overall survival rate of VLBW infants was 66.1%. The survival rate of VLBW infants increased significantly over the three periods (period I:57.6%, period II:67.8%, period III:75.7%, P<0.01). Overall survival rate of ELBW infants was 33.8%, and increased from 26.4% in period I to 44.2% in period III (P<0.01). The incidence of respiratory distress syndrome was 45.1%; patent ductus arteriosus, 16.4%; bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 13.1%; blood culture positive sepsis, 12.7%; necrotizing enterocolitis, 6.6%; severe intracranial hemorrhage, 6.5%; and severe retinopathy of prematurity, 5.9%. The main causes of death were respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis. CONCLUSION: Overall survival rate of very low birth weight infant in Busan area during the last 10 years was 66.1%, and increased significantly over the three periods.
Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Busan* ; Cause of Death ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gestational Age ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate

Chronic pulmonary artery thromboembolism is a relatively rare phenomenon causing hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension that eventually leads to respiratory failure and right heart failure. Patients with acute pulmonary artery thromboembolism are generally treated with antithrombotics and thrombolytics. However, in cases with chronic pulmonary artery thromboembolism the fibrinized thrombus is so strongly adhered to the pulmonary artery wall that medical treatment becomes ineffective and surgical treatment must then be considered. We report a 47year old patient, with a history of repeated admission due to unresolved chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic pulmonary artery thromboembolism at a local hospital, who underwent a successful endarterectomy of pulmonary artery thromboemboli using intermittent total circulatory arrest.
Anoxia ; Endarterectomy* ; Fibrin ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis