BACKGROUND: Desflurane is known to causes hypertension and tachycardia when its inspired concentration is rapidly increased. We determined whether nitrous oxide (N2O) or remifentanil alters cardiovascular responses to intubation and/or inhalation of high concentrations of desflurane during induction of anesthesia. METHODS: Sixty patients were assigned randomly into three groups (n = 20 each). Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg followed by saline (control and N2O groups) or remifentanil 1microg/kg (remifentanil group). Tracheal intubation was facilitated with intravenous vecuronium 0.12 mg/kg and 12% desflurane was given soon after the intubation. In addition, 75% N2O was given beginning 3 min before the intubation in the N2O group. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR), and plasma catecholamine concentrations were determined. RESULTS: The intubation resulted in an immediate increase and an additional second increase of SAP and HR at 3 to 5 min after intubation in all groups. SAP but not HR in the N2O group and both SAP and HR in the remifentanil group at first and second peak responses were lower than in the control group. Norepinephrine increased at 1 min after intubation and increased further at 5 min in the control and N2O groups but only increased at 5 min in the remifentanil group. CONCLUSIONS: A biphasic pressor and tachycardiac response in response to intubation and desflurane were noted. Although N2O did not affect tachycardiac response, it suppressed the pressor responses and augmented norepinephrine release. However, remifentanil significantly attenuated hemodynamic and catecholamine responses to endotracheal intubation and desflurane.
Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inhalation ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Isoflurane ; Nitrous Oxide ; Norepinephrine ; Piperidines ; Plasma ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

Undifferentiated sarcoma is one of the rare primary malignant tumor of the liver typically occur ring in later childhood. It has also been referred to embryonal sarcoma or malignant mesenchymoma. In Korea, three child and two adult cases have been reported to date in liter ature. We experienced a case of undifferentiated sarcoma in a 65- year- old female who presented with abdominal pain and right upper quadrant mass . Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan revealed a well demarcated mass with low at tenuation and sept ation at left lobe of the liver and the mass showed hypovas cular pattern on hepatic angiography. On cross section, the tumor was well demarcated from the adjacent liver by afibr ouspseudocapsule and showed cystic degener ation. Pathologically, the tumor was consistent with an undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult* ; Angiography ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver* ; Mesenchymoma ; Sarcoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare, autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by the clinical triad of indifference of pain, anhidrosis and heat intolerance.Because of their lack of autonomic response to noxious stimuli, the determination of adequate depth of anesthesia in the CIPA patient undergoing surgery is a major challenge.We experienced a patient with CIPA who had minor procedures three times under the general anesthesia, in which bispectral index (BIS) was maintained at 40-50 by adjusting sevoflurane concentrations with 50% nitrous oxide.The low end-tidal sevoflurane concentrations (<1.2 vol%) were required to keep the target BIS while vital signs remained stable throughout the surgery in each operation.BIS monitor may be a valuable tool to guide the depth of anesthesia in patients with CIPA.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathies ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis ; Indoles ; Methyl Ethers ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Propionates ; Vital Signs

Ingested foreign bodies usually pass through the digestive system uneventfully. The diagnosis of inadvertently swallowed foreign bodies is usually delayed. It often induces serious complications, such as perforation, enterocolic fistula, abscess formation, or aortointestinal fistula. Therapeutic colonoscopy has replaced to a significant degree the need for traditional open surgical procedures to extract foreign bodies from the colon. Various foreign bodies may be extracted from the colon by a number of endoscopic techniques. We describe a case of a patient who presented with abdominal pain, loose stool during 3 months due to the impaction of a chicken bone in the sigmoid colon. The chicken bone was successfully removed by using balloon dilatation during colonoscopy.
Abdominal Pain ; Abscess ; Chickens* ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Digestive System ; Dilatation* ; Fistula ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Efficacy of triple therapy with omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin (OAC) for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) varies among different geographic regions and patient populations. And, there is no full consensus on how long this treatment should be maintained. We assessed the efficacy of the OAC regimen according to the treatment duration (7, 10 or 14 days) using 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT). METHODS: Two hundred fifty five H. pylori positive patients with peptic ulcer were randomly assigned to a OAC (omeprazole 20 mg b.d., amoxicillin 1.0 g b.d. and clarithromycin 500 mg b.d.) 7, 10 or 14 days regimen. Eradication of H. pylori was assessed by 13C-UBT 4 weeks after the completion of therapy. RESULTS: 140 male and 115 female (mean age, 51.3) patients were enrolled. The overall eradication rate of H. pylori in each group was significantly higher in OAC 14 days regimen than OAC 7 and 10 days regimen (91.9% in OAC 14 days, 74.4% in OAC 7 days, and 80.2% in OAC 10 days, respectively, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall eradication rate of H. pylori was highest in OAC 14 days regimen in our study. We have found significant differences in eradication rates with previous reports, using CLO and histology, in Korea. Thus, further studies focusing on the treatment period may be warranted.
Amoxicillin ; Breath Tests* ; Clarithromycin ; Consensus ; Female ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Omeprazole ; Peptic Ulcer

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural relation of H. pylori and gastric epithelial cells in their adhesion. METHODS: Endoscopic biopsy of gastric antrum and body was performed from 15 patients (9 men, 6 women) with chronic gastritis. These specimens were processed and observed by transmission electron microscope (Hitachi H-600). RESULTS: On the basis of morphological appearances, the different types of adhesion of the organism with the epithelial cells were categorized as filamentous connection, adhesion pedestals, membrane fusion. Coccoid and intermediate forms were associated with filamentous connection whereas bacillary forms were associated with adhesion pedestals and membrane fusion. CONCLUSION: Various types of adhesion were associated with H. pylori and gastric epithelium. Further studies are needed to investigate biophysiologic influence to epithelial cells by ultrastructural relationship.(Korean J Med 60:16-21, 2001)
Biopsy ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Fusion ; Microscopy, Electron ; Pyloric Antrum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Carcinoid tumor of the rectum is relatively uncommon lesion with malignant potential, representing 17-27% of gastrointestinal tract carcinoid. The selection of treatment in rectal carcinoid tumor is determined by the depth of invasion and the presence of metastasis. In this study, we evaluated the clinical utility of EUS in selecting the management of the rectal carcinoid tumor. METHODS: Total 8 patients with rectal carcinoid tumor diagnosed by means of colonoscopy and EUS from 1994 to 1999 were included in this study. None had specific symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. The treatment modality of all tumors were selected by EUS before resection. We examined histologic feature after resection of tumors in order to evaluate the effectiveness of EUS. RESULTS: In total 8 patients, the image of tumors was oval to round. The internal echo was generally hypoechoic and homogenous. The margins were clearly visualized, and the contour was somewhat smooth. All tumor were resected completely. The overall accuracy of determining the depth of invasion using endoscopic ultrasonography was 87% (7 of 8 lesions). CONCLUSIONS: EUS is considered to be helpful in evaluating the malignant behavior of rectal carcinoid tumor. It is suggested that the criteria of the selection based on the EUS findings is available in the choice of treatment for rectal carcinoid tumor.
Carcinoid Tumor* ; Colonoscopy ; Endosonography* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rectum

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was effective in differentiating between reinfection and recrudescence of H. pylori strains. Following a 1-2 week regimen of omeprazole 20 mg, amoxicillin 1.0 g, and clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily, twenty patients with duodenal ulcer were enrolled in the study. Ten patients (group 1, control) were not successfully treated, and another 10 patients (group 2) exhibited recurrence of infection 6-24 months following the therapy. Follow-up diagnosis was performed by Giemsa stain and CLO test. RFLP profiles of antral and midbody biopsy specimens were compared before and after therapy. PCR products using the ureC gene were digested with restriction enzymes Hha I, Mbo I, and Hind III, and the fragments generated were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Hha I, Mbo I, and Hind III digestion produced 13, 7, and 2 distinguishable digestion patterns, respectively. There was no difference in RFLP profiles seen before and after the therapy in 17 duodenal ulcer patients, while different RFLP profiles were discovered in 3 patients. Following treatment, one (group 2) patient differed in Mbo I, and two (one each from both groups) patients differed in Hha I and Mbo I RFLP patterns. Eight of group 2 patients showed recrudescence of previous infection and two patients had reinfection by another strain. This study supports the hypothesis that PCR-based RFLP analysis can be effective for differentiating reinfection and recrudescence of H. pylori strains following triple therapy.
Adult ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy ; Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis* ; Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification* ; Helicobacter pylori/genetics ; Human ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length* ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Follow-up studies with low sensitivity and specificity make it difficult to predict precisely long-term effect of H. pylori eradication therapy. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of Giemsa staining and CLO test following eradication therapy. METHODS: In this study, H. pylori eradication therapy was done in 99 consecutive peptic ulcer patients and followed at 1, 6, and 12 months. Follow-up diagnosis was performed by Giemsa staining and CLO test using 6 specimens taken from the gastric antrum and midbody. Eradication was considered if the results of the two tests were negative. RESULTS: Overall the results of 63 (64%) patients among 99 patients who followed more than 6 months did not changed including 9 persistent positive, and 54 negative. However, the result of 36 patients changed to 21 positive and 15 negative conversion after 6 months. The estimated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of the Giemsa staining and CLO test, using PCR and culture as 'gold standard', were 67%, 85%, 82%, 70%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sensitivity and specificity of Giemsa staining and CLO test following eradication therapy are lower than other reports. It is suggested that the large, multicenter prospective study is necessary to prove diagnostic accuracy of those follow-up studies.
Azure Stains* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prospective Studies ; Pyloric Antrum ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic value of pancreatic elastase-1(PE-1) in patients with pancreatic diseases and compare the significance of PE-1 with that of pancreatic exocrine function test by pure pancreatic juice (PPJ) collection. METHODS: For evaluation of PE-1, seventy nine patients with pancreatic diseases were examined. For evaluation of exocrine pancreatic function by PPJ, twenty three patients with Chronic pancreatitis(CP) were examined. PPJ was collected by endoscopic cannulation of main pancreatic duct under the intravenous bolus injection of secretin (0.25 CU/kg body weight) and cholecystokinin (CCK, 40 ng/kg body weight). RESULTS: Pancreatic exocrine functions were significantly decreased in patients with CP showing moderate and severe ductal changes on pancreatogram. The mean concentration of fecal PE-1 was significantly decreased in patients with CP and pancreatic cancer, but not in patients with acute pancreatitis. When we analyzed the PE-1 concentration according to Cambridge classification, the concentration of fecal PE-1 was significantly decreased only in patients with moderate and severe CP. With a cut off of 200 ug fecal PE-1/g, the sensitivity of PE-1 was 25%, 60%, and 100%, respectively, for mild, moderate and severe CP, and the specificity was 88.1%. The mean concentration of serum PE-1 was increased both in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis, but there was no difference between both group. CONCLUSION: Fecal PE-1 is useful for diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in patients with CP, especially in moderate and severe grade of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. The diagnostic value of fecal PE-1 was also similar to secretin-CCK test in pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.
Catheterization ; Cholecystokinin ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Pancreatic Diseases* ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Juice ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Secretin ; Sensitivity and Specificity