Background: Fluvastatin is the first entirely synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A(HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. Clinical data indicate that this agent exhibits the proven efficacy of its class and also has some theoretical advantages in safety for long-term use because of its unique pharmacololgic property consistent with hepatoselectivity(i.e., low systemic exposure). This study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of fluvastatin in hypercholesterolemic patients in Korea. Methods: An open clinical trial with fluvastatin was conducted in 31 subjects who continued to have high blood cholesterol levels of 6.21 mmol/L(240 mg/dl) or greater after 1 month of lipid-lowering diet plus single blind placebo period. Fluvastatin was administered for 8 weeks with the initial dose of 20 mg per day and if serum cholesterol levels did not fall below 5.20 mmol/L(200 mg/dl) after 4 weeks the dose was increased to 40 mg per day for the second 4 weeks. On each visit every 4 weeks they underwent interview and laboratory tests about side effects and tolerability. Results: The mean % changes in plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol from baseline were
Cholesterol ; Creatine Kinase ; Diet ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Korea ; Oxidoreductases ; Plasma ; Sleep Stages ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Byssinosis*

BACKGROUND: For most patients, recovery from anesthesia is a smooth uneventful. But for some, recovery can be life threatening. To prevent this, adequate and prompt evaluation of patients on recovery state is essential. Activity, respiration, circulation, awareness, and color are comprehensively assessed by PAR score. So we performed this clinical study to compare ongoing changes in PAR score and the effects of age, physical status, operation site and operation time on PAR score were evaluated. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-four patients (ASA 1, 2) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia were evaluated in our recovery room. They were anesthetized with enflurane or isoflurane, and nitrous oxide, and were transferred to the recovery room when SpO2 was more than 97% and there was no supplemental oxygen during transport. Once there, O2 5 l/min was administered via a face mask to all the patients. Assessment of each patient's PAR score was made at ten-minute intervals by the same anesthesiologist. RESULTS: Emergence from anesthesia was significantly dependent on patient's age, preoperative physical status but not on operation site and time. PAR score was significantly increased according to PAR-stay time regardless of age, physical status, operation site or time. CONCLUSION: In evaluating the postanesthetic recovery state, it seems to be important to consider patient's age and physical status.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Enflurane ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; Masks ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Recovery Room ; Respiration

Schwannomas are neurogenic tumors that arise from Schwann cells of the neural sheath. They are most often benign and solitary. Ancient schwannoma is a rare variant of schwannoma with a typical characteristics of a slow growing benign tumor. A case of ancient schwannoma which originated from the lingual nerve has not been reported in the literature yet. The clinical and histological aspects of this tumor are discussed and the literature regarding this rare entity is reviewed.
Lingual Nerve* ; Neurilemmoma* ; Schwann Cells

The surgical and anesthetic management for giant cerebral aneurysm is difficult because of their great size or lack of an anatomic neck. Recently, total circulatory arrest, profound hypothermia using cardiopulmonary bypass and the cerebral protection of barbiturate are able to manage the difficult cerebral aneurysm operation due to the ease of the surgical approach and the decreased post operative neurological injury. These techniques were successfully utilized in the patient of the diamerer-3 cm sized giant cerebral aneurysm located at the bifurcation between the right internal carotid artery and the anterior cerebral artery, and the surgical and anesthetic considerations are reviewed.
Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Neck

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation can cause sympathetic stimulation such as hypertension and tachycardia. Many drug are used for reducing the incidence of hypertension and tachycardia induced by intubation. Among these drugs, fentanyl can be used with good result. The purpose of this study was to find the appropriate fentanyl injection time before intubation when a small dose (3 microgram/kg) was used. METHODS: We studied 82 ASA class 1 2 patients, scheduled for gynecological elective surgery, randomized into 5 groups. Group 1 received no fentanyl before intubation, and groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 received 3 microgram/kg fentanyl at 7 min, 5 min, 3 min and 1 min before intubation, respectively. The blood pressure and heart rate were checked at preinduction and post-intubation periods for 5 minutes. RESULTS: The increase of the heart rate was significantly lower in groups 2 and 3 than in group 5 just after intubation. Furthermore the increase of the mean blood pressure was significantly lower in groups 2, 3 and 4 than in group 5 just after intubation. The incidence of tachycardia and hypertension was significantly lower in groups 2, 3 and 4 than in group 5 just after intubation. CONCLUSIONS: When a small dose of fentanyl was used to blunt the intubation induced sympathetic stimulation, the appropriate time was prior to 3 minutes before intubation.
Blood Pressure ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Incidence* ; Intubation* ; Tachycardia*

The vascular actions of local anesthetics are important in determining the uptake and distribution of these agents from their site of injection as well as influencing their hemodynamic effects once absorbed. Because of the importance of the endothelium in determining of modulating the vascular response of a wide variety of agents, cumulative dose-dependent vasular effects of lidocaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine on isolated rings of thoracic aorta in normotensive rats(NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) were studied in the presence and absence of intact endothelium. The results were as follows ; The body weight of NTR and SHR averaged 274.71+/-55.80(N = 38) and 241.43+/-17.73gm(N = 18) and mean arterial pressure was 74.4l+/-3.60 and 129.34+/-2.89mmHg respectively. The mean absolute value of the contraction induced by 5Xl0(-6) M phenylephrine was 3.27+/-0.98(N = 18) and 2.3l+/-50.64gm(N = 18) with intact endothelium and 3.12+/-0.92 and 2.46+/-0.87 gm without intact endothelium in aortic rings of NTR and SHR respectively. In the response to local anesthetics in preparation with resting tension(1.0 gm), lidocaine and mepivacaine in concentration of 10(-3) to 1.25X10(-2) M not produced dose dependent contraction in aortic ring with intact endothelium from NTR. but bupivacaine produced dose-dependent contraction in aortic rings with intact endothelium from NTR. In the aortic rings from NTR and SHR previously contracted with phenylephrine, lidocaine in contraction of 10(-3) to 1.25X10(-2) M caused dose related relaxation in aortic rings with or without endothelium but in concentration of 10(-3) to 510(-3) M, aortic rings with endothelium were more relaxed than those af without endothelium in NTR. In SHR, aortic rings without endothelium in concentration of 5X10(-3) to 1.25X10 M were more significantly relaxed than those of with endothelium. In aortic rings from NTR previously contracted with phenylephrine, mepivacaine caused dose-related relaxation, which was more profound in SHR. In aortic rings with endothelium from NTR previously contracted with phenylephrine, bupivacaine in concentration of 10(-3) to 1.5X10(-3) M caused a relaxation and in concentration of 2.5X10(-3) to 7.5X10(-3) M and 1.25X10(-3) M caused a relaxation again. But in the aortic rings without intact endothelium, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation. In the aortic rings without intact endothelium, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation in NTR. In the aortic rings from SHR previously contracted with phenylephrine, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation, which was more profound than those of NTR. The local anesthetics appear to exert their relaxant effect on endothelium independently and more profoundly in SHR.
Anesthetics, Local* ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Arterial Pressure ; Body Weight ; Bupivacaine ; Endothelium ; Hemodynamics ; Lidocaine ; Mepivacaine ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Phenylephrine ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Relaxation

No abstract available.
Humans ; Polyamines*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the continuous infusion of ketamine on recovery characteristics after total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol. METHODS: Fifty-six patients undergoing tympanoplasty were randomly allocated to group I (control, n = 20), group II (ketamine 0.3 microgram/ml, n = 16) or group III (ketamine 0.6 microgram/ml, n = 20). Ketamine and propofol were continuously administered by using target-controlled infusion (TCI) at different ketamine steady-state concentrations. Blood pressure, heart rate and the time interval from the discontinuation of propofol to eye opening and discharge were measured. RESULTS: The changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate before and after auditory ossicles movement examination were larger in group I than in group II or in group III (P <0.05). And, the times to eye opening and to discharge from the recovery room were longer in group II and group III than in group I (P <0.05). Hallucination occurred only in seven patients of group III. CONCLUSIONS: Groups II and III were more stable hemodynamically than group I, but patients in groups II and III required a longer recovery time than group I. No hallucination was found in groups I and II. We conclude that when ketamine is administered in combination with propofol, a lesser concentration than 0.3 microgram/ml of ketamine or early discontinuation of ketamine infusion appear to be appropriate.
Anesthesia, Intravenous* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Ear Ossicles ; Hallucinations ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Ketamine* ; Propofol* ; Recovery Room ; Tympanoplasty

BACKGROUND: False positive rate of 17-OHP screening test was higher more than other screening tests due to use same cutoff value both term and preterm infants in Korea. The purpose of this study is to set cutoff value of 17-OHP on the basis of birth weight in neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. METHODS: 17-OHP was measured in filter paper blood spots obtained by heel puncture between 3 and 7 days after birth. 17-OHP values were analyzed with respect to birth weight in order to decide the appropriate cutoff values in a neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of 17-OHP according to birth weight groups were as follows : 12.6, 7.0, 5.1, 3.7, 3.0, 2.5 ng/mL for birth weight of 1.50 or less, 1.50-1.99, 2.00-2.49, 2.50-2.99, 3.00-3.49, 3.50 kg or more, respectively. The cutoff values for determining the 17-OHP for recall were decided as follows : 55, 35, 18, 11, 8, 8 ng/mL for birth weight of 1.50 or less, 1.50-1.99, 2.00-2.49, 2.50-2.99, 3.00-3.49, 3.50 kg or more, respectively. Application of the new cutoff values according to birth weight dropped the total recall rate from 3.3% to 1.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The cutoff values of 17-OHP on the basis of birth weight should be used in the neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. We believe that the recall rate due to false positive can be reduced using this method in low birth weight infants.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Birth Weight ; Heel ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening ; Parturition ; Punctures