PURPOSE: This study investigated the preemptive analgesic effects of Morphine and Ketorolac on postoperative pain, cortisol, O2 saturation and heart rate for the first 24 hr after abdominal surgery. METHODS: Data collection was performed from April 1 to September 30, 2006. Forty patients undergoing a gastrectomy under general anesthesia were randomly allocated to the experimental or control group. The experimental group (20 patients) was administered Morphine and Ketorolac approximately 1 hr prior to skin incision, but the control group (20 patients) was administered Morphine and Ketorolac at peritoneum closure through a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. Postoperative pain, blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, O2 saturation, frequency of the PCA button pressed and doses of additional analgesics were observed through post operative 24 hr. Collected data was analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods. RESULTS: Postoperative pain, cortisol, the frequency of PCA button pressed, and dose of additional analgesics of the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group. There were no statistical differences in blood pressure, heart rate and O2 saturation between the experimental group and control group. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that administration of morphine and ketorolac at 1 hr prior to skin incision resulted in decreasing postoperative pain, but it didn't affect blood pressure, heart rate or O2 saturation for 24 hr after abdominal surgery.
Aged ; Analgesics/*administration & dosage ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/analysis ; Injections, Intravenous ; Ketorolac/*administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morphine/*administration & dosage ; Oximetry ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative/*prevention & control

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify job tasks and task elements of Korean nurse anesthetists according to type of medical institution. METHODS: A job task scale which consisted of 9 job tasks and 40 task elements was developed. Data were collected from December, 2009 to February, 2010 from 182 nurse anesthetists who were working in medical institutions (response rate: 75.8%). RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of nurse anesthetists were independent from anesthesiologists in anesthetic practice. Preanesthetic nursing assessment was much more frequent in small hospitals than in general hospitals (p<.05), and anesthetic nursing intervention, administering the anesthetics, monitoring the patient's status during anesthesia, and provision of safety and compliance with anesthetic ethics were much more frequent in general hospitals than medical centers (p<.001). There were no differences among the medical institutions for job tasks in post-anesthetic nursing interventions (p=.229), administering anesthetics (p=.354) and monitoring patients' status during anesthesia (p=.099), providing safe anesthetic environment (p=.896), and management of ancillary personnel/equipment (p=.617). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that nurse anesthetists contribute significantly to anesthetic practice in small hospitals and general hospitals. Therefore, it recommended that nursing leaders make efforts to enact legal nurse anesthetist-related policies for safe and high quality anesthetic nursing care.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Compliance ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Job Description ; Nurse Anesthetists ; Nurse Practitioners ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Care

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to investigate perception and experience of medication errors by nurses. METHOD: Data collection through a survey was performed using structured questionnaires over the period of September 1 to October 15, 2004. Questionnaire were delivered to 222 nurses from 15 hospitals; thereafter, 205 questionnaires were responded (i.e., 92% response rate). The subject in the study was a nurse who had been working in the hospital for less than one year. RESULTS: The average perception rate was 87.5%. The perception rates of subjects in medication errors from four areas are 62% in wrong dosage form for drug administration, 61.5% in air into an IV set, 63% in crystals in an IV lines, and 83.5% in wrong time. The experience rates of subjects in medication errors from four areas are 85.5% in wrong time, 39.5% in wrong injection site, 34.5% in omission error, and 28% in wrong patient. CONCLUSION: The average perception rate and experience rates of medication errors were 87.5% and 23.5%, respectively. Education about the Five right in medication and knowledges about drugs would improve the perception of medication errors of nurses whose work experience is less than one year, and prevent them from medication errors.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dosage Forms ; Education ; Humans ; Medication Errors* ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify changes in blood glucose at preoperative fasting time in surgical patients over 60 yr. METHODS: Data collection was performed from July, 2008 through July, 2009. Participants consisted of 80 nondiabetic surgical patients. Blood glucose was checked from 3 to 5 times. The 5 times were 2-hr fasting on the pre-operative day (T1, n=80), 8 hr (T2, n=80), 10 hr (T3, n=17), 12 hr (T4, n=34) and 14 hr fasting on the day of the operation (T5, n=29). RESULTS: Of the patients, 27.5% had a blood glucose level of less than 79 mg/dL at T2; 17.6% at T3; 32.4% at T4; and 17.2% at T5. Mean blood glucose levels were 93.8 mg/dL at T1; 88.4 mg/dL at T2; 91.7 mg/dL at T3; 87.4 mg/dL at T4: and 94.1 mg/dL at T5. Blood glucose was the lowest at T2 (p<.001). CONCLUSION: As 17.6-32.4% of the patients showed the blood glucose level of less than 79 mg/dL at 8-14 hr pre-operative fasting, the authors recommend that surgical patients >60 yr-of-age be observed for hypoglycemia during pre-operative fasting of more than 10 hr and that surgical patients >60 yr-of-age with risks for hypoglycemia be scheduled for operation within 10 hr preoperative fasting.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose/*analysis ; Body Mass Index ; *Fasting ; Female ; Hemoglobins/analysis ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia/blood/prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Preoperative Care ; Risk ; Serum Albumin/analysis ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the effects of pre-warming on core body temperature (CBT) and hemodynamics from the induction of spinal anesthesia until 30 min postoperatively in surgical patients who undergo total hip replacement under spinal anesthesia. Our goal was to assess postoperative shivering and inflammatory response. METHODS: Sixty-two surgical patients were recruited by informed notice. Data for this study were collected at a 1,300-bed university hospital in Incheon, South Korea from January 15 through November 15, 2013. Data on CBT, systemic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate were measured from arrival in the pre-anesthesia room to 3 hours after the induction of spinal anesthesia. Shivering was measured for 30 minutes post-operatively. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were measured pre-operatively, and 1 and 2 days postoperatively. The 62 patients were randomly allocated to an experimental group (EG), which underwent pre-warming for 30 minutes, or a control group (CG), which did not undergo pre-warming. RESULTS: Analysis of CBT from induction of spinal anesthesia to 3 hours after induction revealed significant interaction between group and time (F=3.85, p=.008). In addition, the incidence of shivering in the EG was lower than that in the CG (χ²=6.15, p=.013). However, analyses of SBP, heart rate, CRP, and ESR did not reveal significant interaction between time and group. CONCLUSION: Pre-warming for 30 minutes is effective in increasing CBT 2 and 3 hours after induction of spinal anesthesia. In addition, pre-warming is effective in decreasing post-operative shivering.
Aged* ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Blood Pressure* ; Blood Sedimentation ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Body Temperature* ; C-Reactive Protein ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Inflammation* ; Korea ; Shivering*

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to identify factors affecting the intraoperative core body temperature (CBT) of surgical patients under general anesthesia. METHODS: This study was performed through a prospective descriptive research design. The sample consisted of 138 patients who had undergone elective laparotomy surgery. Age, weight, height, the basal preoperative CBT, blood pressure, and heart rate were collected. CBT was again measured at induction of anesthesia, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours following induction of general anesthesia. RESULTS: Factors affecting intraoperative hypothermia <36degrees C at 1 hour following induction, were CBT at induction and total body fat (TBF) (R2=.569, p<.001); at 2 hours after induction, CBT at induction and TBF (R2=.507, p<.001); at 3 hours after induction, CBT at induction (beta=0.34), TBF, age and the ambient temperature in the operating room (R2=.449, p<.001). CONCLUSION: CBT at induction and TBF appear to be factors affecting intraoperative CBT within 2 hours after induction of anesthesia; CBT at induction, TBF, advanced age and the ambient temperature after 3 hours following induction. We recommend keeping surgical patients warm before induction of anesthesia and providing intraoperative warming for surgical patients of advanced age with low TBF and when the duration of general anesthesia will last more than 3 hours.
Adipose Tissue ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Blood Pressure ; Body Temperature* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Laparotomy* ; Operating Rooms ; Prospective Studies ; Research Design

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of ondansetron combined with dexamethasone on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) and pain with ondansetron alone in patients with laparoscopy assisted vaginal hysterectomy under general anesthesia. METHODS: Data were collected from April 1 through September 30, 2005 using a double blind method. Ondansetron 4 mg and dexamethasone 10 mg were administered to the experimental group (25 patients), and ondansetron 4 mg only to the control group (25 patients). The medications were administered through an intravenous line at the beginning peritoneum suture. PONV by Index of Nausea Vomiting and Retching (INVR), nausea by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and pain (VAS) were assessed at postoperative 1 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods. RESULTS: The experimental group that received ondansetron combined with dexamethasone had less PONV (p=.048), and nausea (p=.012) than control group that received ondansetron alone. However, there was no difference in pain (p=.557) between the patients in the two groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the administration of ondansetron combined with dexamethasone is more effective than the administration of ondansetron alone to reduce PONV in patients with laparoscopic hysterectomy.
Adult ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Analysis of Variance ; Anesthesia, General ; Antiemetics/*administration & dosage ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Dexamethasone/*administration & dosage ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; *Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Laparoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Ondansetron/*administration & dosage ; Pain/*drug therapy ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting/*drug therapy ; Postoperative Period ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: This study was performed to find out the effects of lidocaine or 8.4% sodium bicarbonate mixed with rocuronium on mean arterial pressure, heart rate and withdrawal movement. METHODS: Data collection was performed from December 15, 2006 through May 31, 2007. Seventy-five patients with American Society Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status I & II, under general anesthesia, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: R group (RG) received rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg; RL group (RLG), rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg mixed with 2 mL of 2% lidocaine; RS group (RSG), rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg with the same volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate and withdrawal movement were observed from its injection until 5 min after endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: The incidence of withdrawal movement with its corresponding injections was 72%, 40% and 4% in RG, RLG and RSG, respectively (p<.001). Score of withdrawal movement was the lowest in RSG of all groups (p<.001). While mean arterial pressure (p=.011) in RSG decreased significantly, and heart rate (p=.003) in RG increased more with its injection than before induction of anesthesia. CONCLUSION: Administration of the equivalent volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate with rocuronium is more effective than that of lidocaine with rocuronium compared with rocuronium only, in preventing withdrawal movement and in stabilizing mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
Adult ; Androstanols/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure/*drug effects ; Female ; Heart Rate/*drug effects ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lidocaine/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Pain/*prevention & control ; Sodium Bicarbonate/*administration & dosage

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of intravenous fluid warming and skin surface warming on peri-operative body temperature and acid base balance of abdominal surgical patients under general anesthesia. METHOD: Data collection was performed from January 4th, to May 31, 2004. The intravenous fluid warming(IFW) group(30 elderly patients) was warmed through an IV line by an Animec set to 37 degrees C. The skin surface warming(SSW) group(30 elderly patients) was warmed by a circulating-water blanket set to 38 degrees C under the back and a 60W heating lamp 40 cm above the chest. The warming continued from induction of general anesthesia to two hours after completion of surgery. Collected data was analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods. RESULTS: SSW was more effective than IFW in preventing hypothermia(p= .043), preventing a decrease of HCO3-(p= .000) and preventing base excess(p= .000) respectively. However, there was no difference in pH between the SSW and IFW(p= .401) groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that skin surface warming is more effective in preventing hypothermia, and HCO3- and base excess during general anesthesia, and returning to normal body temperature after surgery than intravenous fluid warming; however, skin surface warming wasn't able to sustain a normal body temperature in elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.
Abdomen/*surgery ; Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; *Body Temperature Regulation ; Female ; *Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypothermia/etiology ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Intraoperative Complications/prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oximetry ; Preoperative Care/*methods ; *Skin Temperature

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify effects of pneumoperitoneum on hemodynamic changes of hypertensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy under general anesthesia. METHODS: Data collection was done from January 2 to June 10, 2008. Seventy-six patients, including 38 hypertensive patients, who had taken antihypertensive drugs more than 1 month and 38 normotensive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy were enrolled in this study. The hemodynamic parameters were heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO) which were measured 7 times from before induction of anesthesia to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum. Collected data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA and Bonferroni comparison method. RESULTS: HR in the hypertensive group was significantly decreased at deflation of the pneumoperitoneum and 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum (p=.012). MAP in the hypertensive group was not different from the normotensive group (p=.756). CO in hypertensive group was significantly lower than normotensive group (p<.001) from immediately after pneumoperitoneum to 5 min after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery does not lead to clinically negative hemodynamic changes in heart rate, mean arterial pressure or cardiac output of hypertensive patients, who have taken antihypertensive drugs for more than 1 month.
Aged ; Anesthesia/methods ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure/*physiology ; Cardiac Output/*physiology ; Colectomy ; Colonic Neoplasms/surgery ; Female ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Humans ; Hypertension/drug therapy/*physiopathology ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Pneumoperitoneum, Artificial