PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the asthma management educational program given to the allergic asthmatics receiving immunotherapy due to house dust mite on the disease related to knowledge, stress, and self-efficacy. METHOD: The subjects of this study were the patients received immunotherapy to house dust mite at a week interval after being diagnosed for house dust mite allergic asthma at the respiratory center of a hospital affiliated to the university. They were divided into the experimental group of 29 patients who received asthma management education, the control group of 32 patients, and 61 patients in total. Experimental treatment, as an asthma management educational program, was the group education of one time and the reinforcement education of three times with environmental therapy and immunotherapy to house dust mite. RESULTS: The results revealed that the improvement in disease related knowledge, the improvement in self-efficacy and the decrease in stress, were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The asthma management educational program had an effect on improving the disease related knowledge and self-efficacy, and decreasing the stress of the patients asthmatics allergic to house dust mite.
Asthma* ; Dust* ; Education ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Respiratory Center

BACKGROUND: Since 1992, we developed the technique for video endoscopic sympathectomy to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It was soon proven to be a simple and effective therapy for essential hyperhidrosis. Compensatory hyperhidrosis, however, is the main cause of patient dissatisfaction after video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy. According to many authors, initial satisfaction rate was high(94-98%), but it was declined with time (66%) due to mainly to embarrassing side effects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January 1992 to February 1998, the thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy, T2 sympathectomy and T2-4 sympathectomy were performed in 315 patients suffering from Essential hyperhidrosis in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center of Yongdong Severance Hospital Seoul, Korea. Eighty-nine patients underwent T2 sympathicotomy, and Eighty-eight patients underwent division T2 sympathectomy. RESULT: All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of essential hyperhidrosis. The global rate of compensatory sweating were ; 64.0% in T2 sympathicotomy, 73.8% in T2 sympathectomy and 87.8% in T2-4 sympathectomy. The rate of embarrassing or disabling compensatory sweating was significantly higher in T2 sympathicotomy 15.7%(14/89) and in T2 sympathectomy 32.8%(28/88) than in T2-4 sympathectomy 58.0%(80/138) with significancy in statistic analysis(p<0.05). Video- assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy is an effective minimally invasive and effective procedure. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the incidence and degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis was closely related to the extent of thoracic sympathectomy.
Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Incidence ; Korea ; Respiratory Center ; Seoul ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sympathectomy*

BACKGROUND: Shivering is a common postanesthetic complication. Because all shivering patients feel uncomfortable and increase oxygen consumption, various attempts have been made to prevent its occurrence or to control it. Among the pharmacological methods of treating shivering, meperidine has been known to be the most effective. This study was designed to evaluate whether there was any difference among meperidine, fentanyl, doxapram and normal saline in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering. METHODS: Forty patients (ASA class I or II) who showed postoperative shivering were randomly assigned into four groups (n=10): Normal saline group: normal saline 5 ml, Doxapram group: doxapram 1.5 mg/kg, Meperidine group: meperidine 25 mg, Fentanyl group: fentanyl 25 microgram. And all patients received routine care: oxygen by T-piece and heat-reflective blanketrol (cincinati Subzero, U.S.A.). Evaluation of the state of shivering was done every 5 minutes from the beginning of the treatment by the same investigator who had injected the drugs intravenously for treatment of shivering. The age, sex, weight and duration of surgery were recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant statistical differences in age, sex, weight and duration of surgery among the four groups. By 5 minutes, 90% of doxapram group and 30% of meperidine group had stopped shivering. By 10 minutes, 90% of doxapram group and 70% of meperidine group had stopped shivering. But in fentanyl and normal saline group, only 20% had stoppd shivering by 10 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that both meperidine and doxapram are effective on post-anesthetic shivering. In cases of patient with respiratory depression, doxapram is especially effective because it stimulates the respiratory center.
Doxapram* ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Meperidine* ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Consumption ; Research Personnel ; Respiratory Center ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Shivering*

PURPOSE: Several studies have suggested that many children have no symptoms before hospitalization with asthma exacerbations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how many asymptomatic children were hospitalized for asthma exacerbation, and to analyze their prior symptoms. METHODS: Children over 3 years old, hospitalized for acute asthma exacerbation in the Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Centers in the Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital from January 2003 to December 2006 were enrolled, and their medical records reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Among 142 identified patients (median age 5+/-2.5 yr), the group who developed asthmatic symptoms within four weeks before admission occupied about 18.5%. And the group who developed asthmatic symptoms in four weeks or acute exacerbation in six weeks before admission occupied about 23.2%. And group who had asthmatic symptoms in four weeks or acute exacerbation in six weeks or acute exacerbation one year before admission occupied about 31.6%. In September, the group who had no symptom before admission was larger than the group who had asthmatic symptom. The baseline characteristics of each group were not significantly different with respect to age, sex, past history or family history of allergic disease, UniCAP, total IgE and eosinophil count. CONCLUSION: Many children had no symptoms before admission for acute asthma exacerbation. Therefore, we suggest considering that a large number of patients with no previous symptoms are at great risk of acute exacerbation in September, when maintenance therapy is determined.
Asthma* ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Eosinophils ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Medical Records ; Respiratory Center ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: We aim to compare clinical severity of atopic and non-atopic eczema in children and examine the relationship between total-IgE, eosinophil counts, Eosinophil, Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and clinical severity of atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: A total of 271 children diagnosed with AD at the Pediatric Allergy Respiratory Center in Soonchunhyang University Hospital from October 2005 to March 2008 were enrolled for this study and divided into 2 groups: atopic and non-atopic eczema. Serum concentrations of total- and specific-IgE, eosinophil counts and ECP were measured. Allergy skin tests were also performed and the SCORAD index was used to evaluate clinical severity. Comparisons the SCORAD index and serum total-IgE, eosinophil count and ECP between the 2 groups were made. RESULTS: Of the 271 patients, 162 (59.8%) were included in the atopic eczema group, while 109 (40.2%) were included in the non-atopic group according to the laboratory results. Serum total- IgE, eosinophil counts, ECP, the SCORAD index and the frequency of a family history of eczema were relatively higher in the atopic group. In the atopic group, serum total-IgE, eosinophil counts and ECP each had a statistically significant correlation with the SCORAD index with eosinophil counts showing the highest correlation. However, only eosinophil counts had a statistically significant correlation with the SCORAD index in the non-atopic group. CONCLUSION: Serum total-IgE, eosinophil counts, and ECP can be used as markers for clinical severity in patients with atopic eczema, while eosinophil counts be used as marker for clinical severity in those with non-atopic eczema.
Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eczema ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Respiratory Center ; Skin Tests

PURPOSE: We attempted to investigate clinical characteristics of children with severe atopic dermatitis. METHODS: A total of 204 children diagnosed with Atopic dermatitis at the Pediatric Allergy Respiratory Center in Busan St. Mary's Medical Center from June 2006 to June 2008 were enrolled in this study. Cases were divided into 3 groups according to SCORAD index: severe, moderate and mild groups. We collected birth, environment, and allergic family history, and tested serum IgE, total eosinophil count, specific IgE, ECP (Eosinophil Cationic Protein) and the SCORAD index between the 3 groups. RESULTS: Of the 204 patients, 100 (49.02%) were included in the severe group, 51 (25.0%) in the moderate group, and 53 (25.98%) in the mild group. There were no differences in serum total IgE, serum total eosinophil counts and ECP between the severe and moderate groups. Serum total IgE, serum total eosinophil counts and ECP were relatively higher in the severe group than mild group. Food allergen sensitization rate was relatively higher in the infantile severe group than in the childhood severe group, while inhalant allergen sensitization rate was relatively higher in the childhood severe group than in the infantile severe group. There was no correlation between serum total IgE, serum total eosinophil counts, ECP and the number of sensitized allergens relative to SCORAD index in the severe group. CONCLUSION: Serum IgE, total eosinophil count, specific IgE and ECP may be specific indicators of children with severe atopic dermatitis. Further studies are needed to determine a clear distinction between severe and moderate atopic dermatitis patients.
Allergens ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Parturition ; Respiratory Center

This report describes a rare case of postoperative hyperventilation attack after an endoscopic third ventriculostomy in a 46-year-old woman. About 60 min after the termination of the operation, an intractable hyperventilation started with respiratory rate of 65 breaths/min and EtCO2, 16.3 mm Hg. Sedation with benzodiazepine, thiopental sodium, fentanyl, and propofol/remifentanil infusion was tried under a rebreathing mask at a 4 L/min of oxygen. With aggressive sedative challenges, ventilation pattern was gradually returned to normal during the 22 hrs of time after the surgery. A central neurogenic hyperventilation was suspected due to the stimulating central respiratory center by cold acidic irrigation solution during the neuroendoscopic procedure.
Benzodiazepines ; Cold Temperature ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Masks ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Respiratory Center ; Respiratory Rate ; Thiopental ; Ventilation ; Ventriculostomy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) on the patient-ventilator synchrony, gas exchange, and ventilatory parameters in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) during mechanical ventilation.

METHODSTen preterm infants with RDS received mechanical ventilation in NAVA mode for 60 minutes and in synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) mode for 60 minutes, and the two modes were given in a random order. The vital signs, patient-ventilator synchrony, blood gas values, and ventilatory parameters were compared between the two ventilation modes.

RESULTSInspiratory trigger delay was significantly shorter with NAVA than with SIMV (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in arterial pH, PaCO2, PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 between the two modes. The spontaneous respiratory rate, peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), electrical activity of the diaphragm and work of breathing were significantly lower in NAVA than in SIMV (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with SIMV, NAVA appears to improve patient-ventilator synchrony, decrease PIP, and reduce diaphragmatic muscle load and work of breathing in preterm infants with RDS during mechanical ventilation.

Diaphragm ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Male ; Respiration, Artificial ; methods ; Respiratory Center ; physiology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; therapy

Remeflin is known as an analeptic which stimulates the bulbar respiratory center, thereby causing an increase in pulmonary ventilation. The author observed the effect of Remeflin upon respiration i.e. tidal volume, minute volume and respiratory rate, and circulation, i.e. blood pressure and pulse rate, in postanesthetic patients. Ventilatory and circulatory changes were measured at 2 minutes. intervals up to 30 minutes. after intravenous injection of the drug (0. 25 mg/kg) to 40 patients in the recovery room. The results were as follows: 1) Remeflin significantly increased tidal volume and minute volume. 2) Remeflin did not significantly alter respiratory rate, blood pressure and pulse rste. 3) Improvement in the respiratory function by Remeflin was due to an increase in the depth of respiration. 4) Side effects by Remeflin were absent except for navsea or vomiting in a few cases.
Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Pulmonary Ventilation ; Recovery Room ; Respiration* ; Respiratory Center ; Respiratory Rate ; Tidal Volume ; Vomiting

To ten male volunteers, 25 to 35 years old and without any known disease, physiological saline solution (placebo) 1 ml, morphine 10mg, and Remeflin 16 mg were administered intramuscularly. Effects of tbese agents upon ventilation at rest and respiratory response to carbon dioxide rebreathing were studied. The results are as follows: 1) Morphine significantly decreased respiratory rate, minute volume, and Pao2 and increased Paco2 without significantly affecting either tidal volume or arterial pH. 2) In morphine-induced respiratory depression, Remeflin improved ventilation by significantly increasing tidal volume and minute volume with resultant increase in Pao2 and decrease in Paco2, Remeflin did not significantly alter respiratory rate and arterial pH 3) Morphine displaced respiratory response curve to carbon dioxide obtained with placebo 7 torr to the right and Remeflin 6 torr to the left. No changes in slope of the curves were observed. 4) It is concluded that Remeflin stimlulatea respiration by directly acting upon the respiratory center.
Adult ; Carbon Dioxide ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Morphine ; Respiration ; Respiratory Center ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Rate ; Sodium Chloride ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilation ; Volunteers