BACKGROUND: Scuba diving has become increasingly popular in Korea. Medical problems are common with dives, especially decompression sickness(DCS). This study was performed to obtain an useful information of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in DCS in Korea. METHOD: We reviewed the 62 cases of Korean divers, who were diagnosed as DCS and received recompression therapy according to U.S. Navy Standard Recompression Treatment Table at Ocean and Underwater Medical Research and Training Center of ROK Navy, for 6 years from Jan. 1993 to Nov. 1998. RESULT: 1) the mean no-decompression limit excess time between type I DCS group(72.7 min.) and type II DCS group(92.8min.) showed significant difference. 2) The rate of symptoms appeared on surfacing and within 10min. after surfacing of type I and type II DCS were 41.4%and 72.7% respectively. 3) The cure late of type I and type II were 75.9%and 42.4% respectively. In type II DCS group, the cure rate of the group within 12 hour-delayed recompression treatment and the group above 12 hour-delayed treatment were 64.3%and time 26.3% respectively, and in type I DCS group, 100% and 66.7% respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the education of safety, the strict observance of the standard decompression table, and the avoidance of excessive repeated diving are important for reducing the risk of diving related disease. And to offer proper management of DCS, there should be more multiplace hyperbaric oxygen chambers, the suitable transport system, and the specialist of diving medicine or hyperbaric medicine in Korea.
Decompression Sickness* ; Decompression* ; Diving ; Education ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation* ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Specialization

Succinylcholine (1.5mg/kg) without pretreatment, or succinylcholine (1.5mg/kg) with pretreatment by vecuronium (0.015 mg/kg, 0.045 mg/kg, 0.15 mg/kg) or d-tubocurarine (0.1 mg/kg, 0. 3 mg/ kg, 1mg/kg) was given to cats of the same genus (body weight 2.5-3.5kg) under subcutaneous urethane anesthesia to determine the effect of the intracrainal pressure increase in each method. The results are summarized as follows: 1) The intracranial pressure was significantly increased (0.005< p< 0.01)with the administration of succinylcholine(1.5mg/kg). 2)The intracranial pressure was not increased with the administration of vecuronium. 3)As the dosage of d-tubocuraine administration increased, the intracranial pressure was increased. 4)The increase of the intracranial pressure by succinylcholine was depressed dose-dependently by vecuronium pretreament. 5)The increase of the intracranial pressure by succinylcholine was depressed by d-tubocurarine(0.3mg/kg)pretreatment.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Cats* ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Succinylcholine* ; Tubocurarine ; Urethane ; Vecuronium Bromide

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication of a gynecologic laparoscopy. This study was designed to assess the effect of prophylactic droperidol 1 mg or propofol as the induction and maintenance anesthetic agent for prophylaxis of PONV in women undergoing a gynecologic laparoscopy. METHODS: Eighty ASA physical status 1, 2 patients undergoing an elective gynecologic laparoscopy were randomly allocated into four groups. Group 1 (n = 20) recieved an intravenous placebo of noraml saline 1 ml prior to induction of anesthesia and N2O-enflurane general anesthesia. Group 2 (n = 20) recieved an intravenous placebo of noraml saline 1 ml prior to induction of anesthesia and N2O-propofol general anesthesia. Group 3 (n = 20) recieved intravenous prophylactic droperidol 1 mg prior to induction of anesthesia and N2O-enflurane general anesthesia. Group 4 (n = 20) recieved intravenous prophylactic droperidol 1 mg prior to induction of anesthesia and N2O-propofol general anesthesia. RESULTS: The incidence and severity of PONV and sedation scores were assessed at 0, 30 min, 1, 3, 6, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. The incidence of PONV was 75% in group 1, 10% in group 2, 30% in group 3 and 20% in group 4. The incidence of PONV during the first 6 hours postoperatively was 70% in group 1, 0% in group 2, 10% in group 3 and 5% in group 4 and there were no statistical differences among the four groups in the 6 to 24 hour postoperative period. Sedation scores were significantly higher in group 3 and 4 than in 1 and 2 in the 3 to 6 hour postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol anesthesia, prophylactic droperidol 1 mg and a combination to prevent PONV were highly effective during the first 6 hours postoperatively.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Droperidol* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy* ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* ; Postoperative Period ; Propofol*

No abstract available.
Neuralgia* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Electrodes* ; Humans ; Neural Conduction*

The aim of this study was to compare with the effects of baclofen using an animal model of neuropathic pain. The sciatic nerve of rats was ligated unilaterally about dorsal half-portion in the tight according to the method of Seltzer and his colleague. After surgical operation, the rats showed painful symptoms of the ipsilateral hind paw, suggesting the possibility of spontaneous pain. And then, the paw withdrawal latency to the local heating on the paw through the glass plate and the frequency of paw withdrawal response to innocuous mechanical stimulation with modified von Frey filaments were determined to compare with the effects of pre-and post-medication of baclofen, respectively, at postoperative 3, 7, and 10 days. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia produced by partially tight ligation of sciatic nerve appeared continously postoperative 3 days later. 2) In the hyperesthetic rats, the thermal hyperalgesia was inhibited from the 3rd posroperative day with orally administered baclofen 0.2mg and 1.0mg. 3) In the hyperesthetic rats, the mechanical allodynia was inhibited with baclofen 0.2mg, but not with baclofen 1.0mg, These results suggest that baclofen have more specific effects on thermal hyperalgesia than mechanical allodynia.
Animals* ; Baclofen* ; Glass ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; Models, Animal* ; Neuralgia* ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve

Induction of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation is a routine procedure, but it can result in significant tachycardia, hypertension, and arrhythmia. Many approaches have been tried to blunt these circulatory responses. We selected randomly 45 adult patients undergoing elective surgery at Chungnam National University Hospital. They were divided into three groups. Group I: Thiopental 5 mg/kg (n=15) Group II: Fentanyl 3ug/kg+Thiopental 4mg/kg (n=15) Goup lII: Diazepam 0.1 mg/kg+Fentanyl 10ug/kg+Thiopental 2 mg/kg (n=15) Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured for 5 min after intubation. The results were as follow. Group I-intubation caused a significant rise in SBP, DBP, MAP, HR, (p<0.01) but each parameter except H.R, returned to normal within 5 min. Group II-intubation caused a significant rise in SBP, DBP, MAP, HR (p< 0.01), but each parameter returned to normal within 3 min. Group III-after intubation caused little cardiovascular change, but decreases significantly preintubation (p<0.01) It is concluded that diazepam and moderate dose of fentanyl can effectively prevent postintubation hypertension and tachycardia.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diazepam ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental

We report a first case of meningitis due to listeria monocytogenes after cardiac transplantation in Korea. This patient is a 40-year-old man with Dilated cardiomyopathy, he presented with intermittent dyspnea and abdominal distension for about 1 year. After cardiac transplantation, he was treated with azathioprine, cyclosporine and prednisolone for graft rejection. He was presented with intermittent fever, headache and lethargy for about 10days after cardiac transplantation. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from blood culture and CSF culture. He was treated with intravenous penicillin G for 10days successfully and changed with ampicillin for 10days, took oral ampicillin for 10days without any complication after discharge.
Adult ; Ampicillin ; Azathioprine ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Cyclosporine ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Graft Rejection ; Headache ; Heart Transplantation* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lethargy ; Listeria monocytogenes* ; Listeria* ; Meningitis* ; Penicillin G ; Prednisolone

Na-K-ATPase, which is activated by Na+ and K+ at physiologic concentrations, is most abundantly present in tissues which have a high capacity for sodium and potassium transport, and the activity of this enxyme is specifically inhibilted by ouabain. Dopamine, isoproterenol, and ephedrine are the sympathomimetic agonists which are used widely in the clinical field as the therapeatic drugs for hypotension, bradycardia, and arrhythmiss produced by local anesthetics, and also for bronchospasm. This study attempted to investigate the effects of pH changes in the solution of Tris-HCI buffer and the effects of the above sympathomimetic drugs on the Na-K-ATPase activity of re cell ghosts, and to compare the effects of the drug actions in the absence or presence of giaseng extract. The red cell ghosts were purified by the method of Rosenberg and Guidotti, and the amount of the decomposed inorganic phosphorus to be the indicator of Na-K-ATPase activity at 37 degrees C was measured by the method of Fiske and Subbarow. And all the experimental processes were carried out at 44 degrees C(or ice). The results are summarized as follows: 1) The optimal pH of Na-K-ATPase activity was 7.4 and the activities of total ATPase were 1.2125+/-0.0388 and 0.5400+/-0.0135mM/G cells/hr, respectively. 2) The optimal pH did not change in the presence of ginseng extract, and the extract significantly increased the activity of Na-K-ATPase: the activities of total ATPased and Na-K-ATPase were 1.4560+/-0.0615 and 0.6505+/-0.0115mM/L cell/hr, respectively. 3) Dopamine and ephedrine specifically inhibited the Na-K-ATPases activity: The activities of total ATPase and Na-K-ATPase were 1.0505+/-0.0280 and 0.2340+/-0.0240 mM/L cells hr in dopamine 10 mg/ml, and 0.9155+/-0.0210 and 0.0955+/-0.0175mM/L cells/hr in ephedrine 4 mg/ml, respectively. 4) Isoproterenol had no effect on the ATPase activity in the presence or absence of ginseng extract. 5) Ginsang extract significantly decreased the inhibited degree of Na-K-ATPase and was 1.535+/-0.0250 an 1 0.3690+/-0.0415 mM/L celle/hr in dopamine 10mg/ml, and was 1.1075+/-0.0275 and 0.2095+/-0.0370 mM/L cells/hr in ephedrine 4 mg/ml, respectively. 6) Mg-ATPase did not have any effect in the presence of dopamine and ephedrine with or without ginseng extract.
Adenosine Triphosphatases ; Anesthetics, Local ; Bradycardia ; Bronchial Spasm ; Dopamine* ; Ephedrine* ; Erythrocyte Membrane* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypotension ; Isoproterenol ; Ouabain ; Panax ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Rabbits* ; Sodium ; Sympathomimetics

This was done to measure the plasma catecholamine concentration esp. norepinephrine and epinephrine in the volunteers and in the operated patents after administration of thiopental sodium, after administration of pancuronium and after the inhalation of halothane. Also studied was the interrelation between blood pressure and pulse rate and catecholamine. Ten healthy subjects were studied under general anesthesia. When compared with the results from patients in the operating room. 1) In the operating room, plasma norepinephrine levels increased 55+/-7.2. pg/ml; The increase int plasma epinephrine was not statistically significant: The increases of the systolic and diastolic pressure were significant : The increase in heart rate was not significant. 2) After the administration of thiopental sodium, plasma concentration of norepinphrine was not significantly increased: the change of plasma eninephrine was not significantly decreased: the increase in systolic and diastolic pressure was less marked: the increase in pulse rate was significant. 3) After the administration of pancuronium, plasma norepinephrine levels were not increased significanty: the decrease in plasma epinephrine was not significant: the increase of systolic pressure was not significant: the diastolic pressure and pulse rate were significant. 4) After the inhalation of halothane, plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentration increased significant and the change of the pulse rate was significantly increased.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics, General* ; Blood Pressure ; Epinephrine* ; Halothane ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Norepinephrine* ; Operating Rooms ; Pancuronium ; Plasma* ; Thiopental ; Volunteers