No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Recently, there are so many newly developed equipments to detect blood gas analysis with serum electrolytes. And then, so many important parameters are quickly reported from laboratory department. So, many clinicians use the data to manage the critical patient. We attempted to detemine the correlation coefficient and adjustment equation. METHODS: Total 68 patients results of Na, K that are cheked using arterial whole blood(288 blood gas system) and venous serum electrolytes analyzer(NOVA 6) were evaluated and we detemined the coefficient of two methods from April to September, 1995. RESULTS: The correlations between the results obtained with NOVA 6 and that of 288 blood gas system were excellent for both Sodium and potassium(r>0.95, p<0.001 in both). In this study, we make the regression equation to adjust the differences between the two methods. Na : y=1.004190X+7.656643(r=0.9637, p<0.001) y=venous serum Na, x=arterial whole blood Na K: y=0.994831X+0.489631(r=0.9545, p<0.001) y=venous serum K, x=arterial whole blood K. CONCLUSIONS: Specimen(whole blood, serum), kind and content of heparin also affect the results of electrolytes. And then, the report of the result after adjustment of them using above equation will provide reinforcement of the efficacy of the results using arterial whole blood specmen. We recommend it especially for emergency laboratories for critical test.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Electrolytes* ; Emergencies ; Heparin ; Humans ; Sodium

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pneumothorax*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cardioplegic Solutions* ; Oxygen* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels*

No Abstract Available.
Achilles Tendon* ; Allografts* ; Autografts*

PURPOSE: Electrophysiologically assess conduction pathways of the pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems in rats and predict the pathways involved in spinal cord injuries. METHOD: The motor area of the cerebral cortex, medullary reticular nucleus, lateral vestibular nucleus, and red nucleus of adult Sprague-Dawley rats were stimulated with microelectrodes. Laminectomies were performed at the C6, T10 and L2 cord level. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of the cerebral cortex and the three motor nuclei were recorded with a glass microelectrode of 1.5~2.5 Mohm filled with 0.2M NaCl. To construct a cross-sectional map of field potentials, recording was made in 7 tracks equally spaced across the spinal cord. In each track, field potentials were recorded at seven equally spaced points from the ventral to dorsal cord. RESULT: Stimulation of the cerebral motor cortex evoked 5 wanes, such as P1, P2, P3, P4, P5. P1 was monitored mainly in the bilateral dorsal half of the spinal cord and other wades mainly in the ventral half of the spinal cord. With lateral vestibular nucleus stimulation, 1 or 2 short duration biphasic waves followed by a longer duration positive wave were monitored mainly in the ipsilateral ventrolateral funiculus of the cord. Field potentials produced by stimulating the medullary reticular nucleus were shown mainly in the ventromedial funiculus, and their latencies were longer than those from the vestibular nucleus stimulation. Field potentials generated by the stimulation of the red nucleus were monitored mainly in the dorsolateral funiculus. CONCLUSION: motor evoked potential is clinically useful to evaluate the descending pathways of the spinal cord.
Adult ; Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Glass ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Microelectrodes ; Motor Cortex ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Red Nucleus ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Vestibular Nucleus, Lateral

BACKGROUND: Despite the clinical clues of bronchial asthma, some chronic coughers fail to be diagnosed due to negative test results. This study was aimed at evaluating the diagnostic performance of routine objective tests and identifying a cost-effective approach for asthmatics with a chronic cough. METHODS: Patients with a chronic cough of more than 3 weeks duration, and showing normal chest radiograph and spirometry were enrolled. On the first visit, objective tests, composed of serum total IgE, peripheral blood eosinophil count, spontaneous sputum eosinophil count, methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT) and paranasal sinus radiograph, were performed, with the simultaneous administration of oral prednisolone (0.5mg/kg) for one week. The final diagnoses were made on the basis of the test results, and the patients grouped according to their steroid responsiveness. The role of the etiologic diagnosis tests was evaluated, and the medical costs of the final management plan simulated with respect to three assumed models. RESULTS: Sixty chronic coughers were finally analyzed. The final diagnoses were as follows: bronchial asthma 21.7%, eosinophilic bronchitis 6.7%, paranasal sinusitis 18.3%, presumptive allergy 8.3% and non-diagnostic case 45.0%. Ninety percent were steroid responder. With the bronchial asthma cases, the positive rate of MBPT was 38.5%, with sputum eosinophil count in 84.6%, serum total IgE in 38.5%, and a peripheral blood eosinophil count rate of 30.8%. When the test results and steroid responsiveness data were applied to the 3 models, the chest radiograph, spirometry, sputum eosinophil count and paranasal sinus radiograph test results, and simultaneous short term steroid treatment seemed to have acceptable diagnostic performances, which could be used as a further guide to cost-effective planning. Conclusion:Objective tests, composed of chest radiograph, spirometry, paranasal sinus radiograph and sputum eosinophil count, with simultaneous short term steroid treatment, are suggested as cost-effective approaches for asthmatics with a chronic cough.
Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Bronchitis ; Cough* ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Prednisolone ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sinusitis ; Spirometry ; Sputum