No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Tourniquet pain is probably mediated by C-fiber. The ability of fentanyl to interrupt this nociceptive conduction was studied by administering either fentanyl or saline intrathecally along with hyperbaric bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia. METHOD: The incidence of tourniquet pain was evaluated in 60 patients having orthopedic surgery of the lower extremities during spinal anesthesia by administering either 30 mcg fentanyl (group 2) or saline (group 1) along with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 10 mg. We measured the maximal sensory spread of analgesia to pinprick, the incidence of tourniquet pain, and the sensory anesthesia to pinprick at the onset of tourniquet pain. RESULTS: The average maximal sensory spread of analgesia was the same in both groups (T9). The incidence of tourniquet pain was significantly greater in group 1 (33%) than in group 2 (10%). The sensory levels of anesthesia at the onset of tourniquet pain were not different in two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal fentanyl was effective against tourniquet pain for 2 hours of the orthopedic surgery of the lower extremities.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Bupivacaine* ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Orthopedics ; Tourniquets*

OBJECTIVE: To verify the separate and combined effects of cadmium and nickel on blood pressure in rats. METHODS: Following the daily administration of cadmium chloride(CdCl2) and nickel chloride(NiCl2) to rats both individually and in combination with intraperitoneal injection method for one week, systolic blood pressure of the tail was measured at 1 day and 5, 10, 20, 30 days after administration. Each substance was injected into the rats with 0.1 mg/kg bw and 1.0 mg/kg bw concentration. RESULTS: After 0.1 mg/kg bw CdCl2 was injected, a statistically significant difference was found as compared with the control group(only saline) after 1, 5 and 10 days. After 0.1 mg/kg bw NiCl2 was injected, a statistically significant difference was not found compared with the control group. After 0.1 mg/kg bw CdCl2 and 0.1 mg/kg bw NiCl2 were injected simultaneously, a statistically significant difference was found as compared with the control group after 1, 5 and 10 days and compared with 0.1 mg/kg bw CdCl2 group after 5 days and as compared with 0.1 mg/kg bw NiCl2 group after 5 and 10 days. After 1.0 mg/kg bw CdCl2 was injected, a statistically significant difference was found as compared with the control group after 1, 5, 10 and 20 days. After 1.0 mg/kg bw NiCl2 was injected, a statistically significant difference was found as compared with the control group after 1 day and 5 days. After 1.0 mg/kg bw CdCl2 and 1.0 mg/kg bw NiCl2 were injected in combination, a statistically significant difference was found after 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 days as compared with 1.0 mg/kg bw CdCl2 after 10, 20 and 30 days and as compared with 1.0 mg/kg bw NiCl2 after 5, 10, 20 and 30 days. CONCLUSION: It was found that the effect of CdCl2 on blood pressure was much more than NiCl2 and a high concentration CdCl2 and NiCl2 in combination delayed the recovery of blood pressure.
Animals ; Blood Pressure* ; Cadmium Chloride ; Cadmium* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Nickel* ; Rats* ; Tail

OBJECTIVES: It is the objective of this study to compare hepatotoxicity of nickel chloride and cadmium chloride with each other through IPRL(Isolated Perfused Rat Liver) method. METHODS: Biochemical indicator of hepatic function such as AST(aspartate aminotransferase), ALT(alanine aminotransferase), LDH(lactate dehydrogenase) and perfusion flow rate were used as the indicator of hepatotoxicity. Oxygen consumption rate were used as viability indicator. 300(+/-50) g - weighted rats were allocated randomly to each group(0 micrometer, 50 micrometer, 200 micrometer NiCl2 and CdCl2 exposure) by 5, totally 25. After Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer solution flowed into the portal vein and passed the liver cell, it flowed out of vena cava. Liver was administered with each NiCl2 and CdCl2 of each concentration and observed with buffer solution sampling time. Buffer which got out of liver was sampled and then biochemical indicator of hepatotoxicity was measured. RESULTS: AST, ALT, and LDH in buffer increased with sampling time much more in CdCl2 exposure group than NiCl2 exposure group in both 50 and 200 micrometer and statistical significance was verified with 2-way repeated ANOVA. Viability was decreased more and more in all substances during passed time. CONCLUSIONS: It is inferred that CdCl2 has stronger hepatotoxicity than NiCl2. IPRL method would be used widely for acute hepatotoxicity when considerating the benefit of it.
Animals ; Cadmium Chloride ; Cadmium* ; Liver ; Nickel* ; Oxygen Consumption ; Perfusion ; Portal Vein ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: Pain on injection is one of the major disadvantages of propofol. To solve this problem, many investigations have been done. We postulated that the duration of pre-treatment of local anesthetics might affect the incidence and nature of injection pain. METHODS: Seventy seven patients were involved in our study. They were divided into control group (group C, n = 25); pre-treatment with normal saline and study group (n = 52); pre-treatment with 0.1% lidocaine 1 ml/kg/h for 30 min before propofol injection. The study group was subdivided into 2 groups, one receiving maintenance fluid (group LF, n = 28) and one not (group LS, n = 24). A vein on the dorsum of the hand was used for the intravenous line in all patients. Pain assessment was made twice, immediately after injection of first half dose of propofol and after injection of the remaining half dose. The speed of propofol injection was 0.5 ml/sec. After measuring pain with the visual analogue scale (VAS) and pain scoring (PS) during propofol injection, the highest score in each case was used for comparison. RESULTS: The values of VAS and PS of group LF were not different from group C. However the corresponding values of group LS were lower than those of group C (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: From our results, it can be suggested that the duration of 30 min pre-treatment of lidocaine without maintenance fluid is one method for reducing the incidence and nature of pain induced by propofol.
Anesthetics, Local ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lidocaine* ; Pain Measurement ; Propofol ; Veins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: QT dispersion (QTd) is defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum QT interval in any of the 12 leads of the surface ECG. QTd has been shown to reflect regional variations in ventricular repolarization. Ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may lead to more spatial and temporal dispersion in ventricular repolarization than idiopathic DCM. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference of QTd between patients who had ischemic and idiopathic DCM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population included 30 patients with ischemic DCM and 30 with idiopathic DCM. All standard 12-lead ECGs were examined prospectively by two observers who were unware of the patient's details. RESULTS: QTd in ischemic DCM was significantly higher than that in idiopathic DCM (63+/-32 vs. 44+/-26 msec, p=0.012) and JTd in ischemic DCM was significantly higher than that in idiopathic DCM (48+/-21 vs. 36+/-22 msec, p=0.036). Results did not change when Bazett's QTc and JTc was substituted for QT (QTcd:69+/-33 vs. 52+/-28 p=0.039) and JT (JTcd:56+/-21 vs. 41+/-25 p=0.043). CONCLUSION: Ischemic DCM has increased spatial inhomogeneity of repolarization probably due to more regional myocardial damages compared with idiopathic DCM. The value of QT dispersion as an easily accessible, non-invasive method in predicting the risk of life threatening arrhythmia and overall mortality in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy must be confirmed in prospective trials.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies

This study was carried out to assess the effect of economic depression on psychosocial distress, and to assess the relationship between differences of psychosocial distress and job characteristics (job strain), and to find out the effect of social support on psychosocial distress. We measured job characteristics(job demand, job control), and social support(coworker support, supervisor supports) at work by a self-administered questionnaire. Psychosocial distress was measured by PWI(Psychosocial Well-being Index), a 45-item self-administered instrument. Among the 152 respondents, the prevalence of high job strain was 27% (41 persons). The Odds ratio of high job strain was 3.11 (95% CI; 2.12~4.11), and those of passive group and active group were 2.01(95% CI; 0.83~2.76) and 1.80(95% CI; 0.83~2.76), respectively. Our results supported the association between psychosocial distress and job strain. The odds ratio of high strain isolates group (high strain group+low social support) was 3.59 (95% CI; 2.05~5.13), but the odds ratio of high strain collective group was 1.32 (95% CI; 0.23~2.41). Social support at work was modifying factor of the association between psychosocial distress and job strain. Therefore we reviewed the evidence that economic depression was associated with psychosocial distress in this study, and that the strength of the social support was important in maintain health.
Data Collection ; Economic Recession* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Urapidil is a new antihypertensive agent known to diminish total peripheral vascular resistance by postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenergic blockade and central sympatholytic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine its effectiveness and safety in preventing hemodynamic responses to endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia. METHODS: Thirty normotensive, ASA physical status I patients for elective surgery were selected randomly. They were divided into three groups(Group 1: control group with saline, Group 2: urapidil 0.4 mg/kg, Group 3: urapidil 0.5 mg/kg, n=10 in each group). The drugs were injected 3 minutes before induction with thiopental sodium(4 mg/kg) and succinylcholine(1 mg/kg). Endotracheal intubation was performed 5 minutes after the drugs injection. After endotracheal intubation, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg was injected and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen and 2Vol% enflurane were inhaled. We measured the blood pressure and the heart rate with noninvasive method at one minute interval for 5 minutes. RESULTS: In group 3, no significant increase in systolic blood pressure after endotracheal intubation was noted(p<0.05). Urapidil groups showed increase in heart rate at 1, 2 minutes after urapidil injection(p<0.05) and did not blunt increase in heart rate after endotracheal intubation. The side effects of urapidil(hypotension, dizziness, headache and chest tightness) occured in a patient of group 3. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the blood pressure response was effectively controlled, but the change in heart rate was not controlled by urapidil 0.5 mg/kg injection before induction.
Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure* ; Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Enflurane ; Headache ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Thiopental ; Thorax ; Vascular Resistance ; Vecuronium Bromide

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of estrogen on cognitive functions in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Neuropsychological tests such as Paired Associate Learning Test, Complex Figure Test, Trail Making B Test, Performance IQ Test Subscales were applied to 15 normal controls, 16 estrogen treated schizophrenic patients and 15 control schizophrenic patients. The schizophrenic patients were retested with the same instruments after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of study period and psychopathology was assessed in the same patients before and at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks of study using BPRS and PANSS. RESULTS: Cognitive impairment was found in each measure of memory, attention, executive function in schizophrenic patients as compared with the normal controls. After 8 weeks of estrogen treatment, significant improvement occurred in executive function and probable improvement occurred in memory and attention in schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment with estrogen may possibly improve parts cognitive functions of schizophrenic patients and we expect, schizophrenic patients with long term estrogen treatment will be improved in other cognitive fuctions.
Estrogens* ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Memory ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Paired-Associate Learning ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia ; Trail Making Test