BACKGROUND: Intrathecal morphine provides good pain relief after anorectal surgery, but often associated with unpleasant side effects. Ondansetron, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, have been introduced for the prevention and treatment of emesis after chemotherapy in cancer patients and after general anesthesia. METHODS: Thus we studied the effect of ondansetron on the postoperative analgesic and side effects of spinal morphine in 60 patiens. The patients were given subarachnoid injection of 0.5% tetracaine 5 mg mixed with morphine 0.3 mg and positioned to jack-knife after fixation of anesthetic level. Either simple 5% dextrose solution 1000 ml or dextrose solution 1000 ml mixed with ondansetron 8 mg was injected intravenously in a rate of 100 ml/hr. The visual analog scale (VAS) of pain and incidence and severity of postoperative nausea, vomiting, pruritus and urinary retention were evaluated at 12 hour, 24 hour and 48 hour after injection of spinal morphine. RESULTS: The number of patients who became nauseated or vomited did not differ significantly between groups. Also, the VAS and the incidence and severity of other side effects such as pruritus and urinary retention did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSION: Ondansetron administered intravenously, did not prevent side effects of intrathecal morphine.
Analgesics ; Anesthesia, General ; Drug Therapy ; Glucose ; Humans ; Incidence ; Morphine* ; Ondansetron* ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Pruritus ; Serotonin ; Tetracaine ; Urinary Retention ; Visual Analog Scale ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVE: In order to confirm the local production of total and specific IgE antibodies in the nasal polyp tissues. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We measured total IgE and house dust mite(Dermatophagoides pteronpssinus .' DP)-specific IgE antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in the supernatant of nasal polyp homogenates from 72 subjects undergoing nasal polypectomy. The subjects were divided into three groups according to skin reactivity to DP: 20 strongly atopic subjects to group I(mean wheal diameter) 3mm), 19 weakly atopic subjects to group II (mean wheal diameter 1-3mm) and 33 negative skin responders to group III. RESULT: Group I showed significantly higher levels of total and DP-specific IgE levels in the nasa
Antibodies ; Dust* ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Nasal Polyps* ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin ; United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor that improves the hemostatic function and modulates the anti-inflammatory responses. Recently, aprotinin has been widely used in various surgical procedures including open heart surgery. One of the complications of aprotinin is anaphylactic reaction and the incidence increases with re-exposure. We experienced a case of anaphylactic reaction in a 5-year-old female during open heart surgery. After cardiopulmonary bypass weaning, during aprotinin i.v. infusion for reducing blood loss, sudden hypotension and bradycardia occurred. After re-institution of CPB, the patient recovered. In the post-operative review of the chart and patient, we found that this patient had been exposed to aprotinin 20 days ago. In conclusion, we recommend some preventable methods for anaphylaxis of aprotinin; aprotinin should be used after a skin test or i.v. infusion test and used by mixing with CPB priming solution.
Anaphylaxis ; Aprotinin* ; Bradycardia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Serine Proteases ; Skin Tests ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Weaning

No abstract available.
Blood Pressure*

BACKGROUND: Acute isovolemic hemodilution is one of the autologous transfusion which diminishes intraoperative blood loss and avoids homologous transfusion. A method of assessment of hemostatic function by whole blood is thrombelastography, which is a sensitive indicator of platelet interreaction with protein coagulation cascade. We investigated the effect of intraoperative isovolemic hemodilution on blood coagulation as measured by thrombelastography. METHODS: We studied in twenty-one patients undergoing elective total hip replacement arthroplasty. Hemodilution was done with Hartmann's solution and pentastarch and prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and native whole blood thrombelastography were performed preoperatively, immediate postoperative and days 2 postoperatively. RESULTS: The Hb, Hct and platelet count decreased significantly after hemodilution. The thrombelastographic changes included decreases in r and k with concurrent increases in alpha angle and MA in immediate postoperative time. On days 2, there were further increase in alpha angle and MA. These changes indicate enhanced procoagulant activity and progressive increase in maximum clot strength. Conclusion: Acute isovolemic hemodilution with Hartmann's solution and pentastarch induced hypercoagulable state without any serious complication in total hip replacement arthroplastic surgery.
Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Blood Coagulation ; Blood Platelets ; Hemodilution* ; Humans ; Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time ; Thrombelastography*

BACKGROUND: All medical conduct should be practiced under the permission of patients or guardians. Because anesthetic procedures have high risk, every anesthesia practice is done under verbal and/or written consent. However, collecting anesthetic permission is not common in Korean medical anesthesiologists. The purpose of this article is to survey current anesthetic status and to provide some suggestions. METHODS: We had given questionnaire sheet to anesthesiologists participating in an annual meeting of the Korean Society of anesthesiologists. It included the percentage of receiving the anesthetic consent, the reasons why they received the informed consent or not, and the conditions to improve to receive it. RESULTS: The total number of responded anesthesiologists was 187. More than half of the responders had received the informed consents from less than 25% of their patients. And only thirty percent of them had taken the consents from more than 75% of their patients. To increase this rate, they replied, it is needed to strengthen the legal validity of the consent and to improve working conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of receiving the informed consent is very low for the anesthesia practice in Korea. There are some procedures that are needed to improve the current situation so that anesthesiologists can provide better quality to the patients.
Anesthesia* ; Humans ; Informed Consent* ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Patient Rights

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious complication of a number of lung and heart diseases that is characterized by peripheral vascular structural remodeling and loss of vascular tone. Nitric oxide can modulate vascular injury and interrupt elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance selectively; however, it can also produce cytotoxic oxygen radicals and exert cytotoxic and antiplatelet effects. The balance between the protective and adverse effects of nitric oxide is determined by the relative amount of nitric oxide and reactive radicals. Nitric oxide has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of congenital heart disease, mitrial valvular disease combined with pulmonary hypertension and in orthotropic cardiac transplantation patients. Additionally, new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, natriuretic peptides and aqueous nitric oxide are also effective for treatment of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.
Heart Diseases ; Heart Transplantation ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Natriuretic Peptides ; Nitric Oxide ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Vascular Resistance ; Vascular System Injuries

BACKGROUND: The arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide tension difference(Pa-ETCO2) can be increased in patients with congenital heart disease(CHD) and, therefore, end-tidal carbon dioxide tension(PETCO2) does not accurately approximates arterial carbon dioxide tension(PaCO2). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of the Pa-ETCO2 in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing open heart surgery. METHODS: Forty three children with CHD were studied: twenty two were acyanotic and twenty one were cyanotic. Simultaneous PETCO2 and PaCO2 measurements, as well as pulse rate, blood pressure, pH and arterial oxygen tension(PaO2) were obtained for each patient during four intraoperative events: (1) after induction of anesthesia and before sternotomy, (2) after sternotomy and before cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB), (3) after weaning of CPB, and (4) after closure of sternotomy. RESULTS: The PETCO2 of cyanotic group were lower than that of acyanotic group throughout operation period, and did not change significantly after CPB. Cyanotic children demonstrated a greater Pa-ETCO2 difference before CPB as compared with acyanotic group. In acyanotic group, Pa-ETCO2 difference increased significantly after CPB(P <0.05), whereas it remained unchanged in cyanotic group. CONCLUSIONS: Since cyanotic children had higher Pa-ETCO2 differences intraoperatively and acyanotic children showed an increase in Pa-ETCO2 after CPB, the PETCO2 cannot be the alternative value to estimate reliably the PaCO2 during open heart surgery of pediatric CHD.
Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide ; Child ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Oxygen ; Sternotomy ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Weaning

Eisenmenger's syndrome is defined as pulmonary hypertension with right-to-left or bidirectional shunting of blood through an intracardiac or aorto-pulmonary commumication. It can occur with complex congenital cardiac malformations, such as septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Parturients with Eisenmenger's syndrome are at high risk for peripartum morbidity and mortality. We experienced a case of parturient for cesarean section with Eisenmenger's syndrome and performed epidural anesthesia with fractionated doses of 2% lidocaine and fentanyl. The sensory block reached to T10 level and blood pressure was maintained with intravenous phenylephrine. After baby out, sudden hypotension with severe bradycardia developed and arterial oxygen saturation dropped. Immediate intubation and resuscitation was done, but cardiac rhythm disturbance, hypoxemia, and acidosis did not corrected. Cardiac standstill developed and stopped resuscitation. The neonate's Apgar score was 7 and he was transferred to pediatric ICU.
Acidosis ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anoxia ; Apgar Score ; Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Cesarean Section* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Eisenmenger Complex* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Hypotension ; Intubation ; Lidocaine ; Mortality ; Oxygen ; Peripartum Period ; Phenylephrine ; Pregnancy ; Resuscitation

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide concentration is easily controlled by respiratory ventilation. It suppresses bone marrow via the inhibition of thymidylate synthesis. The aim of this work was to determine the optimal pressure and exposure duration of nitrous oxide, as well as methotrexate concentration that maximizes the suppression of 4 cancer cells: CCRF-CEM, K562, A549 and MDA-MB-231. METHODS: Each cancer cell was cultured in a hyperbaric chamber at 1, 2 and 3 atmosphere of 74% nitrous oxide for 24, 48, and 72 hours at 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1, 2, 5 and 10 microM methotrexate (MTX), respectively. The results were expressed in the ratio of the number of cancer cells cultured under specific conditions (S cells) to that under normal conditions (N cells). RESULTS: The S/N ratio of CCRF-CEM cells was 87.4% in 24-hour culture, 95.0% in 48-hour culture and 115.9% in 72-hour culture (P < 0.05). The S/N ratio of K562 cells was 103.6% at 1 atm, 102.4% at 2 atm and 115.6% at 3 atm (P < 0.05). The S/N ratio of A549 cells was 94.3% at 1 atm, 94.1% at 2 atm, 99.3% at 3 atm, 96.2% in 24-hour culture, 99.2% in 48-hour culture and 99.3% in 72-hour culture (P > 0.05). However, the S/N ratio of MDA-MB 231 cells was 66.9% in 24-hour culture, 83.1% in 48 hour culture and 87.8% in 72-hour culture (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Only the growth of the MDA-MB-231 cells was significantly reduced after a longer exposure time to nitrous oxide, but those of the other cells were not.
Atmosphere ; Bone Marrow ; K562 Cells ; Methotrexate ; Nitrous Oxide ; Ventilation