This report describes a case of spinal nerve root compression due to an acute inflammatory granuloma after lumbar surgery. A 39 year-old man with a history of increasing back pain with a 3-week duration was diagnosed with a herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD). The diagnosis of a HIVD was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with indications for surgery. A discectomy and a partial laminectomy was performed and the symptoms were alleviated immediately after surgery for a five-day period. However, a slowly progressing pain was subsequently noted along a different dermatome. There was no pain relief despite the patient being given pharmacological treatments, combined with an epidural steroid injection. The follow up MRI images showed severe compression of the nerve roots by a epidural lesion. Another procedure was performed 17 days after the initial operation. The lesion responsible for the compression of the nerve roots was found to be an acute inflammatory granuloma. The pain was relieved after the second procedure and there were no other symptoms or neurological problems. This case is remarkable in that a granuloma formed relatively quickly and grew to such a size that it was able to severely compress the surrounding nerve roots.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Diagnosis ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves* ; Spine*

BACKGROUND: Ondansetron is a specific 5-hydroxytrypamine (HT3) receptor antagonist, sodium channel blocker and mu-opioid receptor agonist. Prophylactic intravenous administration of ondansetron has an antiemetic effect in general and epidural anesthesia. This study is designed to evaluate the antiemetic effect of intravenous ondansetron in patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) patients. METHODS: Sixty ASA physical status I-II patients undergoing elective cesarean section under epidural anesthesia using 0.75% ropivacaine and fentanyl 50microgram were received intravenous fentanyl 50microgram plus ondansetron 2 mg (group 2 mg: n = 20), 4 mg (group 4 mg: n = 20) or 8 mg (group 8 mg: n = 20) after delivery of baby. PCEA was started using 0.15% ropivacaine and 50microgram/ml butorphanol (total volume: 300 ml, 4 ml of bolus dose, and 10 min of lockout interval). The intraoperative and postoperative incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting were recorded using 4 point scale (0: none, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe) for postoperative 24 hours. RESULTS: There were no significantly lower incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting in group 8 mg (10%, 5%) than group 2 mg (25%, 10%), and group 4 mg (20%, 10%) during postoperative 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic intravenous ondansetron 8 mg injection with PCEA drug has no superior antiemitic effect than 2 mg or 4 mg in cesarean section patients under PCEA without significant side effects.
Administration, Intravenous ; Analgesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Antiemetics ; Butorphanol ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nausea ; Ondansetron* ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* ; Pregnancy ; Sodium Channels ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Empyema* ; Gastroenteritis* ; Salmonella* ; Urinary Bladder*

BACKGROUND: Sufentanil has been shown to act synergistically when combined with propofol, or when combined with potent inhalation anesthetics. The aiml of this study was to determine the dosing rate and target plasma concentration of propofol in the presence of low concentrations and to determine the impact of sufentanil infusion. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing a plastic surgery and urologic surgery were anesthetized with nitrous oxide, and given a target-controlled infusion (TCI) of sufentanil [target plasma concentrations of 0 (group 1) and 0.05 ng/ml (group 2)], and propofol at rates varying according to the bispectal index (BIS). The mean target concentration (Tc) and infusion rate of propofol according to the changes in the sufentanil concentrations were determined. The recovery time (from stopping the infusion to eye opening) and side effects were compared. RESULTS: The induction time and recovery time were shorter in group 2 than in group 1 (P < 0.05). The infusion rate and mean target concentration of propofol were significantly lower in group 2 (148.8 +/- 25.2 microgram/kg/min, 4.1 +/- 0.8 microgram/ml) than in group 1 (161.7 +/- 26.9 microgram/kg/min, 4.7 +/- 0.5 microgram/ml) (P < 0.01). There were a similar number of side effects in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The blood propofol and plasma sufentanil concentrations in the plastic surgery and urologic surgery patients, with respect to satisfactory intraoperative anesthetic conditions and speed of recovery, were 4.1 +/- 0.8 microgram/ml and 0.05 ng/ml.
Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Humans ; Nitrous Oxide ; Plasma ; Propofol* ; Sufentanil* ; Surgery, Plastic

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Kidney*

This report describes a case of dizziness in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia that was caused by a vestibular schwannoma. A 60-year-old man with a history of pain on his left cheek, chin, molar and tongue for 5 months was diagnosed as suffering with trigeminal neuralgia of the left mandibular nerve, and this was caused by a left vestibular schwannoma. The diagnosis of the tumor was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and so gamma knife surgery was performed 1 month later. At that time, the patient had been referred to the pain clinic due to allodynia on the tongue and gingival, and hypesthesia was also present on the left half of the face. Trigeminal nerve block with dehydrogenated alcohol and stellate ganglion block with 1% mepivacaine were performed and oral medication with diphenylhydantoin was started. The symptoms were alleviated after nerve block and oral medication. Dizziness, blurred vision and ataxia then developed from the 13th hospital day. We considered the symptoms as a side effect of diphenylhydantoin and we reduced the dose of diphenylhydantoin. However, the symptoms grew worse. Another brain MRI showed a slight increase of the tumor size and a mass effect with displacement of the adjacent organs, and hydrocephalus was also noted. This case shows the importance of considering the secondary symptoms that are due to brain tumor while treating trigeminal neuralgia. The changes of the brain tumors should also be considered along with the presence of new side effects.
Anticonvulsants* ; Ataxia ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cheek ; Chin ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hyperalgesia ; Hypesthesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mandibular Nerve ; Mepivacaine ; Middle Aged ; Molar ; Nerve Block ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Pain Clinics ; Phenytoin ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tongue ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

Multiple cerebral infarctions coexisting with peripheral artery occlusion have been rarely reported and occur only in specific conditions. Also, the characteristics of thrombosis related to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been observed and studied recently. We report a case of concurrent multiple cerebral infarctions and peripheral embolism in a patient with a recent history of COVID-19 infection. A 62-year-old male patient who had recently been infected with COVID-19 presented to our emergency department with left hemiparesis. Supportive treatments were given post the diagnosis of multiple cerebral infarctions in the right cerebral hemisphere. During the supportive treatments, motor weakness was seen in the right upper extremity. Computed tomography revealed thrombi in the right axillary, brachiocephalic, and brachial arteries. The patient was already taking antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents and had no other underlying disease to develop such occlusions except his recent history of COVID-19 infection. We checked his laboratory tests for coagulation profiles throughout the hospitalization to verify a possible cause. We believe that large thrombi formation due to COVID-19 can simultaneously cause embolism in the cerebrum and peripheral regions. This pathology can result in symptoms that could make diagnosis difficult, delaying treatment decisions. This report, therefore, suggests that it is necessary to take into account a patient’s history of COVID-19 infection in such situations, especially when the patient presents with symptoms of a stroke.

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of anti-Rh immunoglobulin prophylaxis, the incidence of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) due to anti-D has remarkably decreased while the number of HDN due to ABO antibodies or minor blood group antibodies remains same. In Caucasians, anti-c, anti-E and anti-K are antibodies most frequently implicated in HDN. But in Koreans, antigenic frequency of Rh or Kell blood group is very different from Caucasians, so it is expected that the frequency of antibodies causing HDN would also be very different. Because there has been no representative data on minor blood group antibodies causing HDN in Korea, we analyzed 79 antibodies associated with HDN. METHODS: From January 1989 to July 1998, we determined the antibody specificity causing HDN in 79 cases. The nature and in vitro characteristics of the antibodies were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 79 cases, ABO antibodies were responsible in 20 cases, and anti-D was responsible in 7 cases. In minor blood group incompatibility, anti-E+c (21 cases) and anti-E (18 cases) antibodies were the antibodies most commonly involved. In ABO incompatibility, Direct Coombs' test (DAT) on baby RBC was positive only in 65% (13/20 cases). In 13 cases, ABO antibodies were detected only in the eluate of baby RBC. In non-ABO incompatibility, 96.6% (57/59 cases) showed positive DAT. In cases associated with anti-E+c and anti-E, Rh subtypes of 20 mothers were all CCDee except one, and Rh subtypes of 12 babies were all CcDEe except one. CONCLUSION: In ABO-HDN, negative DAT was frequently found and the test on baby RBC eluate was an essential part for diagnosis. Among non-ABO incompatibility, Rh incompatibilities, including RhD, were responsible in 94.9% (56/59 cases). Among HDN due to minor blood group antibodies, in contrast to previous reports, we found that anti-E+c was the most common antibody involved in HDN.
Antibodies* ; Antibody Specificity ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Coombs Test ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn* ; Korea ; Mothers

The benefits of early enteral feeding (EEN) have been demonstrated in gastrointestinal surgery. But, the impact of EEN has not been elucidated yet. We assessed the postoperative nutritional status of patients who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) according to the postoperative nutritional method and compared the clinical outcomes of two methods. A prospective randomized trial was undertaken following PD. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; the EEN group received the postoperative enteral feed and the control group received the postoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN) management. Thirty-eight patients were included in our analyses. The first day of bowel movement and time to take a normal soft diet was significantly shorter in EEN group than in TPN group. Prealbumin and transferrin were significantly reduced on post-operative day (POD) 7 and were slowly recovered until POD 90 in the TPN group than in the EEN group. EEN group rapidly recovered weight after POD 21 whereas it was gradually decreased in TPN group until POD 90. EEN after PD is associated with preservation of weight compared with TPN and impact on recovery of digestive function after PD.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/physiopathology/surgery/therapy ; Digestive System/physiopathology ; *Enteral Nutrition/adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/physiopathology/surgery/therapy ; *Pancreaticoduodenectomy/adverse effects ; *Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Postoperative Care/*methods ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Weight Gain

The need for a comprehensive nursing care service ward (CNCW) is emerging, but few studies have investigated its medical validity. This study aimed to assess the effect of hospitalization on functional recovery and fall incidence in poststroke patients. This retrospective study enrolled 354 patients with subacute stroke between July 2017 and April 2020. CNCW provided full caregiving and nursing to the patient. Baseline demographic and hospital data, including fall occurrence, were collected. Functional outcomes, including the Medical Research Council (MRC), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), and Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), were evaluated upon admission and discharge. One hundred seventy-two patients were hospitalized in CNCW among the 354 stroke patients. Initial and final K-MMSE and K-MBI were significantly higher in the CNCW group. The K-MMSE score gain was significantly lower in the CNCW group (p < 0.05). The fall occurrence was significantly higher in the CNCW group (p < 0.01). Hospitalization in CNCW adversely affected cognitive function after stroke. Falls were detected more frequently and reported in CNCW.