BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective for major psychosis and affective disorder. The ideal anesthetics for ECT provide rapid induction and recovery, and they attenuate the adverse effects of ECT. We compared the effects of etomidate, propofol and thiopental sodium during ECT. METHODS: Nine patients were enrolled in this double blinded cross over design study. The ECT was done 3 times per week for two weeks. We monitored the patients with electrocardiography, pulse oximetry, the bispectral index score and the blood pressure. We recorded the data at the time of arrival to the therapy room, just before ECT and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 minutes after ECT. Hypnosis was induced with 3 mg/kg of thiopental sodium (group T), 1.5 mg/kg of propofol (group P) or 0.15 mg/kg of etomidate (group E). The ECT was done after administering 1 mg/kg of succinylcholine. The duration of seizure were measured after ECT. RESULTS: There were significantly different durations of motor seizure among the three groups. The duration of EEG seizure in group E was longer than that of group P and group T. The blood pressure and the heart rate of group P were significantly lower than that of the other groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to thiopental sodium and etomidate, propofol was not associated with clinically significant changes in the duration of seizure and hemodynamic stability. It has a good hypnotic effect and it did not affect the therapeutic efficacy of ECT. Etomidate is effective for patients for achieving a short duration of seizure after ECT is applied.
Anesthetics ; Blood Pressure ; Cross-Over Studies ; Electrocardiography ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Electroencephalography ; Etomidate ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Mood Disorders ; Oximetry ; Propofol ; Psychotic Disorders ; Seizures ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental

BACKGROUND: The proper use of sedation and analgesia in the intensive care unit (ICU) minimizes its physical and psychological impact. Otherwise, patients can suffer from recall, nightmares, and depression after discharge. We investigated the sedatives, analgesics, and muscle relaxants used in the ICU. METHODS: We visited 79 ICUs in 52 training hospitals and noted the use of sedatives, analgesics, and muscle relaxants from July, 2007, to December, 2007, using a 5-item questionnaire with 57 sub-questions. The survey evaluated the ICU system administration of analgesics and muscle relaxants. RESULTS: Most ICU management is done by the anesthesiology department (55%). Most have resident doctors (63.3%) and an ICU committee (60.8%) in charge of the ICU, as well as a special ICU chart (88.6%) and scoring system (65.8%). Most hospitals have a consulting system (94.9%). The standard ICU analgesics are fentanyl (65.8%), NSAIDs (53.2%), and morphine (48.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Adequate sedation is difficult to achieve in the ICU, but is important for patient comfort and to reduce ICU stay duration. Awareness of patient status and appropriate drug/protocol use are therefore important.
Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Anesthesiology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Depression ; Dreams ; Fees and Charges ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Morphine ; Muscles

Purpose: The BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion, and genetic testing of first-degree relatives of patients with family-specific mutation (FSM) is recommended. This study examined factors affecting the uptake of FSM testing among relatives of patients with peritoneal, ovarian, or fallopian tube (POFT) cancer with confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation. Materials and Methods: Data from medical charts of 392 eligible patients and their relatives who had undergone outpatient genetic counseling/testing were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical factors were compared between family members who had and had not undergone genetic counseling/testing. Results: The uptake of FSM testing was 30.5% (129/423) among first-degree living relatives and 53.5% (69/129) within the overall family unit. The average time from genetic testing of the proband to the first FSM test within a family was 168 days (range, 23 to 681 days). Having a living father (33.8% vs. 13.3%, p=0.007) and daughter (79.4% vs. 60.3%, p=0.019) increased the uptake of FSM testing. FSM testing was more likely among female than among male relatives of cancer patients (40.9% vs. 17.6%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Approximately one-third of first-degree relatives of patients with a POFT cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation underwent FSM testing. Having a living father or daughter was a factor affecting the uptake of FSM testing, which was higher among female than among male relatives of the proband. This discrepancy might be due to a misconception that the BRCA gene is associated with women rather than with men.

A metastatic melanoma to the gastrointestinal tract is observed in 1.5~4.4% of all melanoma patients. However, colonic and rectal involvement is less common. A 72-year-old woman was admitted due to abdominal pain and poor oral intake for 20 days. She had a 3 x 4 cm-sized mass on her right inguinal area 4 month ago, which was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma of the inguinal lymph node on excision biopsy. A large exophytic mass with an irregular ulcerlated, whitish patch, erythematous surface was observed in the hepatic flexure during colonoscopy. A histology diagnosis of a metastatic melanoma was made by an optical microscopy examination of the biopsies obtained during the colonscopy, and palliative right hemicolectomy was performed on account of a potential intestinal obstruction. We report a case of a metastatic melanoma of the colon with a review of the relevant literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Colon* ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma* ; Microscopy

A cystic parathyroid adenoma is rare. A case of primary hyperparathyroidism, with the cystic formation of a parathyroid adenoma and a severe bony lesion, is reported. A 52-year-old male was admitted due to pain in both hips and for evaluation of hypercalcemia. The plasma level of the intact parathyroid hormone(iPTH) was elevated to 1424pg/mL. Ultrasonography and the computed tomography revealed a parathyroid cyst on the left thyroid lower pole. Parathyroid scintigraphy detected a parathyroid adenoma. A radiograph showed a subperiosteal bone resorption on the phalanges, and a brown tumor(osteitis fibrosa cystica) on the femur shaft was noted. A surgical excision of the parathyroid adenoma was performed. The PTH level in the cystic fluid was increased. A histological examination confirmed a cystic parathyroid adenoma. The PTH level was normalized after the operation.
Bone Resorption ; Femur ; Hip ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteitis Fibrosa Cystica ; Parathyroid Neoplasms* ; Plasma ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Thyroid Gland ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Cognitive intervention (CI) is a nonpharmacological approach used to compensate for cognitive impairment. It is categorized into cognitive training, cognitive stimulation and cognitive rehabilitation. Several studies showed that CI could induce cognitive enhancement and reduction of risk for future cognitive decline in patients with brain injury. We investigated effects of CI on cognitive functions and brain glucose metabolism based on serial cognitive assessments and [18F]-Fluorodexoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in a patient with carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. METHODS: A 40-year-old man presented with memory impairment and abnormal behaviors such as apathy, indifference, and perseveration 2-month after CO intoxication. Brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) demonstrated high signal changes in the bilateral basal ganglia, hippocampus and the subcortical white matter on T2 weighted images. FDG-PET also showed glucose hypometabolism in the bilateral hippocampus, basal ganglia, and the subcortical white matter. A detailed neuropsychological evaluation revealed multiple cognitive impairments in memory, language and frontal functions. He received twice a week sessions of 60-minute group-based cognitive intervention for 12 weeks. Several neuropsychological examinations and FDG-PETs were conducted at baseline and after CI. RESULTS: After CI, he showed improvements in memory and frontal functions compared with baseline performances. These cognitive improvements persisted by the 7-month follow-up. The extent of glucose hypometabolism was decreased 1-month after CI, however increased 8-month after CI. CONCLUSIONS: This case study suggested that CI could enhance cognitive functions and improve glucose metabolism in a patient with CO intoxication. Also, the effects of CI on cognitive functions seem to be last at least 7-month after training.
Adult ; Apathy ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Memory ; Metabolism ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Neuropsychology ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Rehabilitation

Background: Neuroinflammation plays an important role in cognitive decline and memory impairment in neurodegenerative disorders. Previously, we demonstrated that Humulus japonicus (HJ) has anti-inflammatory effects in rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The present study aimed to examine the protective potential of HJ extracts against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment and scopolamine-induced amnesia in mouse models. Cognitive improvement of mice was investigated by novel object recognition test. For analyzing effects on neuroinflammation, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR) assays were performed. Results: We found that the oral administration of HJ significantly improved cognitive dysfunction induced by LPS in a novel object recognition test. The LPS-induced activation of microglia was notably decreased by HJ treatment in the cortex and hippocampus. HJ administration with LPS also significantly increased the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-10 and decreased the mRNA expression of IL-12 in the parietal cortex of mice. The increased expression of LPS-induced complement C1q B chain (C1bq) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2) genes was significantly suppressed by HJ treatment. In addition, HJ administration significantly improved novel object recognition in a scopolamine-induced amnesia mouse model. Conclusions These findings revealed that HJ has a beneficial effect on cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation induced by systemic inflammation and on amnesia induced by scopolamine in mice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for the treatment of hemorrhage from gastric varices (GV) in Korean patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 183 LC patients who underwent BRTO for GV bleeding in 6 university-based hospitals between January 2001 and December 2010. RESULTS: Of the 183 enrolled patients, 49 patients had Child-Pugh (CP) class A LC, 105 had CP class B, and 30 had CP class C at the time of BRTO. BRTO was successfully performed in 177 patients (96.7%). Procedure-related complications (e.g., pulmonary thromboembolism and renal infarction) occurred in eight patients (4.4%). Among 151 patients who underwent follow-up examinations of GV, 79 patients (52.3%) achieved eradication of GV, and 110 patients (72.8%) exhibited marked shrinkage of the treated GV to grade 0 or I. Meanwhile, new-appearance or aggravation of esophageal varices (EV) occurred in 54 out of 136 patients who underwent follow-up endoscopy (41.2%). During the 36.0+/-29.2 months (mean+/-SD) of follow-up, 39 patients rebled (hemorrhage from GV in 7, EV in 18, nonvariceal origin in 4, and unknown in 10 patients). The estimated 3-year rebleeding-free rate was 74.8%, and multivariate analysis showed that CP class C was associated with rebleeding (odds ratio, 2.404; 95% confidence-interval, 1.013-5.704; P=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: BRTO can be performed safely and effectively for the treatment of GV bleeding. However, aggravation of EV or bleeding from EV is not uncommon after BRTO; thus, periodic endoscopy to follow-up of EV with or without prophylactic treatment might be necessary in LC patients undergoing BRTO.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; *Balloon Occlusion/adverse effects ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*complications ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology/prevention & control/*therapy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Pulmonary Embolism/etiology ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome