Spinal epidural abscesses were evaluated using Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 19 surgically and clinically confirmed cases, including 13 with tuberculous spondylitis and 6 with pyogenic spondylitis. We observed rim enhancement patterns in 10 patients and diffuse enhancement patterns in 9 patients. The spread patterns were localized to ventral or dorsal epidural space and encircled entire epidural space. We conclude that rim enhancement indicates abscess and diffuse enhancement indicates granulation tissue and fibrosis. Tuberculous epidural abscess spreads to ventral epidural space and pyogenic epidural abscess encircles entire epidural space.
Abscess ; Epidural Abscess* ; Epidural Space ; Fibrosis ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spondylitis

No abstract available.
Diskectomy*

No abstract available.
Shoulder Fractures*

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Job Competency Scale (JCS) for insurance review nurses working in hospitals. Methods: The initial items were generated through a literature review and interviews with 10 experts. The content validity of the items was evaluated through content validity and face validity tests. Data from 301 insurance review nurses working in hospitals were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent validity; reliability was tested using Cronbach’s ⍺. Results: The final JCS consisted of 25 items and five factors (knowledge integration, professional ethics, communication and interpersonal relationship, information literacy and problem solving, self-development) that explained 72.4% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the theoretical model comprising 25 items satisfied all goodness-of-fit parameters. Convergent validity was confirmed by the Task Performance Scale for insurance review nurses (r=.53, p<.001). The total Cronbach’s ⍺ score for scale was .94. Conclusion The JCS was found to be a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to measure the job competency of insurance review nurses working in hospitals.

Myasthenia Gravis is a neuromuscular disorder manifested by increasing weakness and fatigability of voluntary muscles with exercise, and partial or complete restoration of function following rest or the administration of anticholinesterase drugs. The anesthesiologists may be called upon to assist in the diagnosis of myasthenis, in treating the patient by artificial ventilation during acute exacerbations, to anesthetise the patient for thymectomy or other surgery. Therefore, the anesthesiologists must be familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of myasthnia gravis to carry on the appropriate therapy. Two cases of anesthesia for thymectomy in myasthenia gravis without using muscle relaxants was experienced, and no respiratory problems were encountered postoperatively.
Anesthesia* ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Thymectomy* ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of hypnotics and analgesics on oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry in surgery patients under spinal anesthesia. METHODS: Sixty-five patients classified ASA physical status 1 or 2 scheduled for surgery under spinal anesthesia were studied. These patients were divided into three groups. The 22 subjects of the first group did not receive either midazolam or fentanyl. The 22 subjects of the second group received midazolam. The 21 subjects of the third group received midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) and fentanyl (1.0 microgram/ kg). Oxygen saturation was measured with a pulse oximetry. Measurements were made before spinal anesthesia, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after starting of spinal anesthesia, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes after the start of the operation or intravenous injection of drugs. In addition, measurements were made on arrival in the recovery room, and 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes after arrival in the recovery room. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in oxygen saturation at 5 minutes after the start of the operation or intravenous injection of drugs. The mean oxygen saturation for the first group was 98.2 +/- 1.8%, for the second group 97.9 +/- 2.6%, and for the third group 92.4 +/- 2.8%. Hypoxia cases at 5 minutes after the start of the operation or intravenous injection of a drug occurred in 4.5% of the first group, 9.1% of the second group, and 57.1% of the third group CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that oxygen saturation monitoring should be done routinely in patients receiving hypnotics and analgesics during spinal anesthesia, and oxygen should be administered to patients who develope hypoxia during spinal anesthesia.
Analgesics* ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anoxia* ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives* ; Incidence* ; Injections, Intravenous ; Midazolam ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Recovery Room

A questionnaire on a variety of ophthalmic topics was made up and sent to 150 members of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery-[KSCRS] in May, 1996. Forty percent [60/150] responded within the deadline in June, 1996. As the contents of the questionnaire were almost identical to the ones prepared in the USA [1994, 1995] and in Japan [1994], the answer to the questionnaire could be compared with those gathered from the USA and Japan. Over half of the respondents [57%] were in their forties. The average number of operations done per month was 26. Cataract operation accounted for over 60% of the total operations in 34% of KSCRS members. And more than 76% of the cataract operation were done using phacoemulsification technique in 31% of the respondents. There were no difference in the preferred method of local anesthesia for the cataract surgery in Korea compare to the USA or Japan. And there was less likelihood of using peribulbar anesthesia and no suture technique in Korea compared to the USA. Sixty-one percent of the Korean ophthalmic surgeon implanted the intraocular lenses even before the patients were younger than 20 years old whereas, 82% of ophthalmic surgeon in Japan did only when the patients were older than 20 years of age. For radial keratotomy as a means of correcting myopia, 91% of the Korean respondents were not performing the procedure any more, while 45% of the American respondents abandoned it. Fifty four percent of the Korean respondents and 46% of the American respondents have been doing excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy. There was no statistical difference between the two. From the answers to the qustionnaire, we found that our results did not differ significantly from those of the USA or Japan and we believe that these results reflect the present trends of cataract and refractive surgeries in Korea.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Local ; Cataract* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Japan ; Keratotomy, Radial ; Korea ; Lasers, Excimer ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Myopia ; Phacoemulsification ; Photorefractive Keratectomy ; Refractive Surgical Procedures* ; Suture Techniques ; Young Adult

This is the report of our clinical experience of 1365 cases of aneethesia for eelectroconvu lsive therapy at the Department of Anesthsiology, Maryknoll Hospital, during the period of March, 1989 to February, 1986. To prevent complications, suck as compressed fracture of the spine, and to improve doctor-patient relationship, softening electroconvulsive therapy is the preferred treatment for indicated cases.The results were as follows: 1) Diagnostic distribution of the patients treated by E.C,T. were schizophrenia 74.3%, affective disorder 15.0%, other psychosis 10.7$. 2) Average number of treatments given to a patient were average 6.7 times, for the entire group,7.8times for schizophrenia, 8.2 times for the patients with mania,5.5 times for the Patients with major depression, 5.6 times for the patients with the other psychosises. 3) Medication required was sufficient with half the dosage of uaual surgical procedu res ; ie, atropine sulfate 0.008 mg/kg, thiopental sodium 2.5 mg/kg, and succinylcholine 0.5 mg /kg. 4) Duration of apnea averaged 2 minutes 30 seconds, awakening averaged 10 minutes, and average duration per treatment was 15 min. 5) Few patients complained of discomfort or phobia, and less personnel and less effort were required. Complications and side effecta due to anesthesia were minimal.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Apnea ; Atropine ; Depression ; Electroconvulsive Therapy* ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Phobic Disorders ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Spine ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst