Mivacurium is mainly metabolized by plasma cholinesterase, whereas atracurium is removed by Hofman elimination. The purpose of this study was to compare the infusion rate of atracurium and mivacurium in maintaining surgical relaxation, and to compare their recovery indices between parturients and non-pregnant women. Muscle relaxation was maintained by the continuous infusion of relaxants to retain the first response of train-of-four (TOF) at 5% of control. When mivacurium was used, Bolus-T5 (duration from the end of mivacurium bolus injection to 5% single twitch recovery) was measured. After discontinuing the infusion, the recovery index was measured. The infusion rate of mivacurium, not atracurium, was significantly lower in parturients and Bolus-T5 of parturients was significantly longer than that of non-pregnant women. There was no significant difference in the recovery indices of both relaxants. The authors concluded that the infusion rate of mivacurium in maintaining muscle relaxation in parturients should be reduced compared to the rate in non-pregnant women and measuring Bolus-T5 may be helpful in determining the infusion rate to maintain muscle relaxation.
Adult ; Atracurium/therapeutic use ; Atracurium/administration & dosage* ; Cesarean Section* ; Comparative Study ; Female ; Human ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Isoquinolines/therapeutic use ; Isoquinolines/administration & dosage* ; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents/therapeutic use ; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents/administration & dosage* ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The objective of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of com-mon bile duct stone extraction by conditions and methods. METHODS: Endoscopic sphinc-terotomies with stone extraction were practiced in 71 patients with common bile duct stones by basket extraction, balloon extraction and mechanical lithotripsy. RESULTS: 1) In 71 patients with CBD stone, sex distribution showed predominence in females (56.3%) and most of the cases were over 60 years old. 2) After sphincterotomy, the overall success rate of the stone extraction was 87.3% (with balloon and basket or mechanical lithotrispy). The removal methods of the stone extractions were varied, but the most commonly used method was basket extraction (50.7%). 3) The complications of sphicterotomy were noted in 10 cases and in 8 cases minor bleeding was stopped with a hypertonic saline epinephrine injection. 4) After the stone extraction, counts and levels of leukocyte, aspartate transami-nase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin were significantly improved (p <0.05). 5) Removal methods according to stone size did not show a signifi-cant difference, but the mean size of the stones was different. According to the several methods, the mean diameter of stones were different. The stone size was 1.1 cm in the case of spontaneous removal, 1.4 cm in balloon or basket removal, 1.9 cm in mechanical lithotripsy and 2.0 cm in surgical removal. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic stone extraction was effective and safe method with low rate of complications. However there were some significant difficulties in removing large or impacted stones, therefore EHL, ESWL or operation should be considered.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Aspartic Acid ; Bile Ducts ; Bilirubin ; Common Bile Duct* ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Lithotripsy ; Middle Aged ; Sex Distribution

BACKGROUND: We performed the study on the changes of beta2-microglobulin(beta2M) clearance and urea reduction ratio after reuse of dialyzers with three different membranes. METHODS: 9 patients who had received regular hemodialysis more than five years were enrolled. Three kinds of dialyzer membrane were used; i.e. : Two of them were high-flux and the other was low-flux. Dialyzer reprocessing was performed by an automated machine using glutaraldehyde and bleach. Each dialyzer was reused 10 times. Solute clearance was determined for each dialyzer after the 1st, 5th, 8th and 10th reuse. RESULTS: Urea clearance was well maintained after reuse with both high-flux and low-flux membrane but beta2M clearance was significantly greater with high-flux dialyzers than low-flux dialyzer. Effects of each dialyzer reuse on beta2M clearance showed no significant decrease until the 10th reuse and no significant difference in beta2M clearance between the two high-flux dialyzers(polyamide vs PEPA membrane, p= 0.197). CONCLUSION: Reuse of dialyzers was cost-effective. After reuse of dialyzer, clearance of solute was maintained in both small and large solutes until the 10 th reuse. Further study is needed regarding the maintenance of solute clearance with increased number of reuses.
Blood Urea Nitrogen* ; Cellulose ; Glutaral ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Nylons ; Renal Dialysis ; Urea

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of ultrasounddetermined testicular volume in the evaluation of the infertile men with azoospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A computerized search from October 2005 to June 2010 generated a list of 45 infertile men with azoospermia (mean age, 34 years; age range, 26-44 years) who underwent both scrotal ultrasound and testis biopsy. Ultrasounddetermined testicular volumes were compared between infertile men with obstructive azoospermia and those with non-obstructive azoospermia. RESULTS: Testicular volume for obstructive azoospermia ranged from 6.4 ml to 26.9 ml, with a median volume of 14.0 ml. This volume was significantly larger than that of those with non-obstructive azoospermia, which ranged from 1.0 ml to 12.8 ml, with a median volume of 6.1 ml (p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve for distinguishing non-obstructive azoospermia from obstructive azoospermia using testicular volume was 0.91. A cutoff value of less than or equal to 11.4 ml could distinguish non-obstructive azoospermia from obstructive azoospermia, with a sensitivity of 94.1% (95% CI; 71.3-99.9%) and a specificity of 73.3% (95% CI; 54.1-87.7%). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-determined testicular volume can be helpful in the differentiation of obstructive azoospermia from non-obstructive azoospermia.
Azoospermia ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Testis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Various gastric and duodenal lesions with gastrofiberscopy were observed in patients with obstructive biliary disease. METHODS: A clinical analysis of the endoscopic findings was carried out on 88 patients with obstructive biliary disease, from February 1994 to January 1998, in the department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital. RESULTS: 1) In the 88 patients, sex distribution showed predominance in the males (47/41) and most of the cases involved those in their 60's. 2) The obstructive biliary diseases were included, common bile duct stones (53.4%), common bile duct cancer (18.2%), pancreatic cancer (18.2%), Klatskin tumor (4.5%) and common hepatic duct cancer (3.4%). 3) The gastroduodenal lesions involved in the obstructive biliary diseases were, erosive gastritis (22.7%), duodenal ulcer (8.0%), gastric ulcer (5.7%), and acute duodenitis (3.4%) in orders. CONCLUSIONS: Significant upper gastrointestinal lesions were found in obstructive biliary disease.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Common Bile Duct ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenitis ; Gastritis ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Klatskin's Tumor ; Male ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Sex Distribution ; Stomach Ulcer

Pancreatic metastasis of gastric cancer almost takes the form of direct continous invasion to the pancreas from the primary lesions or dissemination. Isolated lymphogenous pancreatic metastasis of stomach cancer is rare. A 39-year-old woman was admitted to our institution due to high serum CA 19-9 level. Abdominal computed tomography showed a diffusely enlarged pancreas, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed a segmental stricture of pancreatic duct on mid-body. Ultrasonography guided pancreatic biopsy revealed a metastatic poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphatic tumor emboli. We perfomed esophagogastroduodenoscopy and total colonoscopy. There was a ulcerative lesion at the posterior wall of high body with clubbing change of surrounding mucosal folds. Endoscopic biopsy of the stomach lesion revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan revealed bone metastasis in the sternum. Herein, we report a case of 39 year old female with the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma, with lymphogenous pancreatic metastasis and solitary sternal metastasis detected by elevated serum CA 19-9 level.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Colonoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Electrons ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Sternum ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Ulcer ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to compare lipid peroxide level, total peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidative parameter (TRAP) value, and antioxidant vitamin level in the maternal venous plasma between normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. METHODS: Samples of venous plasma were obtained from 38 normal and 24 preeclamptic women. Lipid peroxides levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid reaction. The TRAP values were measured by Wayner's method, although some reaction conditions were modified. Ascorbic acid, retinol, alpah-tocopherol, and gamma-tocopherol were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between the lipid peroxides level in the maternal venous plasma and gestational age in normal pregnancy (n=38, r=0.04, p=NS). The lipid peroxide level in the maternal venous plasma of preeclampsia (n=24) was significantly higher than that of gestational age-matched normal pregnancy (n=26), (4.39 +/- 0.38 vs. 3.23 +/- 0.15 nmol/mg protein, p<0.01). There was no significant correlation between the TRAP value in the maternal venous plasma and gestational age in normal pregnancy (n=38, r=0.02, p=NS). The TRAP value in the maternal venous plasma of preeclampsia (n=24) was significantly lower than that of gestational age-matched normal pregnancy (n=26), (0.33 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.02 mM, p<0.05). Ascorbic acid level in the maternal venous plasma of preeclampsia was significantly lower than that of normal pregnancy (377.8 +/- 23.6 vs. 552.2 +/- 52.1 nmol/mL, p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in maternal venous plasma retinol, alpah-tocopherol, and gamma-tocopherol levels between normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that the imbalance of increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant activity were in the maternal blood of preeclampsia, and an antioxidant vitamin, ascorbic acid, may be decreased result from counteracting free radical-mediated cell disturbance.
Antioxidants ; Ascorbic Acid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Female ; gamma-Tocopherol ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Lipid Peroxides ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma* ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Vitamin A ; Vitamins*