It has been well known that successful anesthesia is provided by rendering patients free from apprehension and fear prior to operation. This report is concerned with a new sedative compound which appears to reduce anxiety-tension and relax skeletal muscles. Preanesthetic usefulness of diazepam, which is a derivative of benzodia-zepine and has a high safety index as a preanesthetic medication agent, has been clinically assessed by a standard double blind study on 288 patients in this hospital. They received diazepam(0.3mg/ kg), meperidine hydrochloride (1.0~1.5mg/kg) or saline (1.0ml) via intramuscular route. The following are the results: 1) Diazepam was effective in producing a sound sleep during the preoperative night. 2) Diazepam was effective in reducing apprehension and fear immediately prior to induction of anesthesia. 3) Less nausea and vomiting as well as better sedation were produced by diazepam than by meperidine hydrochloride.
Anesthesia ; Diazepam* ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Meperidine ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nausea ; Preanesthetic Medication* ; Vomiting

The authors retrospectively analized the radiographs and medical records of 135 consecutive patients who underwent minimaly invasive spinal surgery from January, 1990 to December, 1994 at our institution. Among these, 72 patients have had chemonucleolysis and others percutaneous automated lumbar discectomy(PALD). The success rate was similar in both groups, ie, 75% in chemonucleolysis and 74.6% in PALD by Macnab's criteria. The higher success rate could be obtained in 1) younger age below 30, 2) predominant sciatica than lower back pain, 3) eccentric bulged disc with minimal degeneration, 4) abscent or minimal neurologic deficits. In conclusion, provided patients are carefully screened, minimal invasive spinal surgery is more preferable over conventional surgery, providing a safe and effective therapeutic alternative to many patients suffering from herniated lumbar disc.
Diskectomy* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis* ; Low Back Pain ; Medical Records ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Retrospective Studies ; Sciatica

Purpose: The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors represents a major advance in the treatment of lung cancer, allowing sustained recovery in a significant proportion of patients. Nivolumab is a monoclonal anti–programmed death cell protein 1 antibody licensed for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after prior chemotherapy. In this study, we describe the demographic and clinical outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab in the Korean expanded access program. Materials and Methods: Previously treated patients with advanced non-squamous and squamous NSCLC patients received nivolumab at 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks up to 36 months. Efficacy data including investigator-assessed tumor response, progression data, survival, and safety data were collected. Results: Two hundred ninety-nine patients were treated across 36 Korean centers. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 18% and 49%, respectively; the median progression-free survival was 2.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87 to 3.45), and the overall survival (OS) was 13.2 months (95% CI, 10.6 to 18.9). Patients with smoking history and patients who experienced immune-related adverse events showed a prolonged OS. Cox regression analysis identified smoking history, presence of immune-related adverse events as positive factors associated with OS, while liver metastasis was a negative factor associated with OS. The safety profile was generally comparable to previously reported data. Conclusion This real-world analysis supports the use of nivolumab for pretreated NSCLC patients, including those with an older age.