No abstract available.
Paraparesis* ; Spine* ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Social Adjustment* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Veterans*

BACKGROUND: Unlike other diseases, the management of sepsis has not been fully integrated in our daily practice. The aim of this study was to determine whether repeated training could improve compliance with a 6-h resuscitation bundle in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. METHODS: Repeated education regarding a sepsis bundle was provided to the intensive care unit and emergency department residents, nurses, and faculties in a single university hospital. The educational program was led by a multidisciplinary team. A total of 175 adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock were identified (88 before and 87 after the educational program). Hemodynamic resuscitation bundle and timely antibiotics administration were measured for all cases and mortality at 28 days after sepsis diagnosis was evaluated. RESULTS: The compliance rate for the sepsis resuscitation bundle before the educational program was poor (0%), and repeated training improved it to 80% (p < 0.001). The 28-day mortality was significantly lower in the intervention group (16% vs. 32%, p = 0.040). Within the intervention group, patients for whom the resuscitation bundle was successfully completed had a significantly lower 28-day mortality than other patients (11% vs. 41%, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated education led by a multidisciplinary team and interdisciplinary communication improved the compliance rate of the 6-h resuscitation bundle in severe sepsis and septic shock patients. Compliance with the sepsis resuscitation bundle was associated with improved 28-day mortality in the study population.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Compliance ; Critical Pathways ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Interdisciplinary Communication ; Mortality ; Resuscitation* ; Sepsis* ; Shock, Septic

BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) that works by electrically inducing grand mal seizure is an effective therapy for patients with major psychosis and affective disorders. But ECT may produce intense stimulation of the central nervous system resulting in hypertension and tachycardia. Such an acute hyperdynamic state may be undesirable because of possible cardiovascular complications. We compared the ability of different bolus doses of esmolol to blunt the hemodynamic effects of ECT. METHODS: Twenty ASA physical status 1~2 patients were enrolled in a crossover design study to determine the effects of two standard esmolol bolus doses (0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg) on the hemodynamic response and seizure duration during ECT. In each patients receiving esmolol or placebo, arterial pressure, heart rate, seizure duration and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded. RESULTS: The seizure duration with placebo was 43 +/- 9 sec, esmolol 0.5 mg/kg bolus dose was 39 +/- 14 sec and esmolol 1.0 mg/kg bolus dose was 39 +/- 12 sec, but it was not significant. Compared with esmolol 0.5 mg/kg bolus dose, esmolol 1.0 mg/kg bolus dose decreased blood pressure and heart rate during ECT more effectively. CONCLUSIONS: Esmolol 1.0 mg/kg bolus dose was considered to be the better dose in blunting the hyperdynamic response during ECT without shortening of seizure duration.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure* ; Central Nervous System ; Cross-Over Studies ; Electroconvulsive Therapy* ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Mood Disorders ; Oxygen ; Psychotic Disorders ; Seizures ; Tachycardia

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia is a condition most often combined with cafe-au-lait spots and neurofibromatosis. It is notoriously difficult to attain a sound bony union. Compression plating and screw fixation with massive bone graft resulted in successful union in our case.
Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Neurofibromatoses ; Pseudarthrosis ; Tibia ; Transplants

Cranial fasciitis is a rare fibroblastic tumor which shows a predilection for the scalp of young children. We present a child with a rapidly growing mass and lytic skull lesion which on pathologic evaluation was diagnosed as cranial fasciitis. Histologically this lesion was identical to nodular fasciitis which was typically found in the trunk and extremities of adults. Cranial fasciitis is unique in that it may present as a lytic lesion in the skull, but this disease entity is not widely known to pathologists and radiologists, and should be included in the differential diagnosis of fibroblastic lesion occurring in the cranium of young children.
Adult ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Extremities ; Fasciitis* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Scalp ; Skull

Malignant hyperthermia is defined as a potentially fatal hypermetabolic syndrome characterized by hyperpyrexia, skeletal muscle rigidity, tachycardia, respiratory and metabolic acidosis, cyanosis etc. Any inhalation anesthetic agent or any skeletal muscle relaxant can trigger this acute catastrophic reaction. This case is presented of a 37 year old female patient in whom total gastrectomy was planed to perform under oxygen-nitrous oxide-isoflurane anesthesia with induction by thiopental sodium and succinylcholine. When administer of succinylcholine to induction, the jaw was very tight and the mouth was impossible to open. We retried with vecuronium and the jaw was slightly resistant to opening, but intubation was successfully performed. After induction, hyperpyrexia, tachycardia, increased end-tidal carbon dioxide developed. Anesthesia was terminated and vigorous emergency treatment was attempted. The patient was treated successfully with early detection and intensive care. According to decrease of temperature and normalization of arterial blood gas, the procedure continued with nontriggering agent, fentanyl. The etiologic factors, clinical features, treatment and preventive measures of malignant hyperthermia are discussed.
Acidosis ; Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics ; Carbon Dioxide ; Cyanosis ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Fever ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Critical Care ; Intubation ; Isoflurane ; Jaw ; Malignant Hyperthermia* ; Mouth ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Succinylcholine ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

Thelazia callipaeda, parasitic in the eye of 24 years old Korean male, was extracted from the left eye of the patient in Seoul, Korea. We confirmed that as T. callipeada morphologically, based on the descriptions of Hsu and other literature. We presents the 7th human thelaziasis case in Korea with the historical review of the literature.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Thelazia callipaeda ; thelaziasis ; case report

OBJECTIVE: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide, has been suggested to play a role in ovarian folliculogenesis. The present study evaluated the effect of PACAP on the growth of preantral follicles. METHODS: Preantral follicles were mechanically isolated from ovaries of 21-day-old rats and cultured in groups for 3 days in serum-free medium in the absence or presence of PACAP-38 (10-6 M). RESULTS: Treatment with PACAP-38 resulted in an increase in follicle diameter by 75% whereas treatment with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increased follicle diameter by 65%. PACAP-38 treatment enhanced the granulosa cell proliferation as measured by thymidine incorporation analysis. Furthermore, the production of progesterone by cultured granulosa cells and GFSHR-17 cell line was stimulated by PACAP-38. Interestingly, PACAP enhanced FSH action on stimulation of SF-1 and aromatase gene expression. CONCLUSION: The present results demonstrate that PACAP stimulated preantral follicle growth by potentiating proliferation and by stimulating steroidogenesis.
Animals ; Aromatase ; Cell Line ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone* ; Gene Expression ; Granulosa Cells ; Neuropeptides ; Ovarian Follicle* ; Ovary ; Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide* ; Progesterone ; Rats ; Thymidine

BACKGROUND: Laryngomicrosurgery has some special characteristics. It is stressful due to intubation and direct laryngoscopy during a short operation time. Therefore both adequate anesthesia and quick recovery for the slience therapy after the operation are needed. This study compared the cardiovascular responses and recovery pattern between propofol and Thiopental-Enflurane anesthesia. METHODS: Sixty outpatients of ASA class 1 or 2 for microlaryngoscopy were randomly assigned to receive either anesthesia with propofol (Group P, n = 30) and thiopental-enflurane (Group E, n = 30). Group P was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg and maintained with vecuronium 0.04 mg/kg, propofol 10 - 6 mg/kg/h, and N2:O2/3 L/min:2 L/min. Group E was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg and maintained with vecuronium 0.04 mg/kg, enflurane 1 3 vol%, and N2O:O2/3 L/min:2 L/min. Ketorolac (30 mg) and hydrocortisone (100 mg) were added for postoperative pain in both groups. The changes in blood pressure and heart rate, pre and post induction, were compared in both groups. In addition, we compared energence time and the state of recovery (Steward's score) 5 minutes and 15 minutes after extubation and the frequencies of other complications. RESULTS: No significant differences in age, wt, sex and anesthesia time of the two groups were observed. Mean arterial pressures were significantly different after anesthesia and after intubation between the two groups. However the heart rates were not different among the groups. The extubation time was significantly shorter in Group P. The recovery score at 5 min and 15 min after extubation was significantly higher in Group P. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that propofol with nitrous oxide may be useful in laryngeal microsurgery, especially, when silence therapy is needed.
Anesthesia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Enflurane ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Intubation ; Ketorolac ; Laryngoscopy ; Microsurgery ; Nitrous Oxide ; Outpatients ; Pain, Postoperative ; Propofol* ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide