The Cobb's and Ferguson's methods are widely used in order to measure scoliotic angle using the X-ray photograph. Since the scoliotic angle is detected on the bases of the positions of only two and three spines, the measured value includes various kinds of errors. Thus, the present study was designed to examine accuracy and reliability of the Cobb's and Ferguson's methods. The scoliotic angle corresponding to the Cobb's and Ferguson's method were computed using the least square approximating curve that was obtained on the basis of the positions of spines from thoracic to lumbar vertebrae.
As a result, it was found that the scoliotic angle by means of the clinical Cobb's method was closely correlated to that by the least square method with positive correlation coefficient of 0.98. On the other hands, the Ferguson's method showed less relation to the least square method. Thus, it was confirmed that the Cobb's method was more reliable for diagonsis of the scoliosis.

Purpose: Scheduled administration of intravenous acetaminophen improves catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) after urological surgery. However its efficacy for patients undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) remains unclear.This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of scheduled administration of intravenous acetaminophen after TURBT. Materials and Methods: At the end of surgery, patients in both the control (n=39) and the scheduled administration (n=45) groups received analgesics at the discretion of the anesthesiologists. In the scheduled administration group, intravenous acetaminophen was administered every 4 hours for 12 hours after the surgery. Both groups were administered on-demand analgesics as needed. The primary outcome was CRBD scores, and the secondary outcomes were the face rating scale for lower abdominal pain, administration rates of additional analgesics, durations of bladder catheterization, lengths of postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complication rate. Results: The scheduled administration group had significantly lower CRBD scores than those of the control group at 8 hours postoperatively (p=0.014), and lower administration rates of additional analgesics 4–8 hours (p=0.029) and 8–12 hours (p=0.027) postoperatively compared to those of the control group. Other secondary outcomes were not significantly different between the groups (all p>0.05). The scheduled administration group did not have postoperative complications related to the scheduled administration of intravenous acetaminophen. Conclusions Scheduled intravenous acetaminophen administration alleviated postoperative CRBD and reduced the need for additional analgesics in patients who underwent TURBT. These findings can be utilized to improve the quality of postoperative care.