A statistical survey was made on 729 inpatients during the period of 4 years and 9 months, 1961-1965, in the Department of Urology, The First Army Hospital, in reference to age distribution, monthly distribution on various diseases of the genitourinary tracts and operative procedures.The tables in the text represent the result of the observation and are summarized as follows: The majority of the patients (85%) was distributed between the ages 21 and 26. Of 729 in patients, there were 270 cases (37%) of genito-urinary tuberculosis, 84 cases (11.5%) of urinary calculus,69 cases of trauma and 60 cases of non-specific urinary tract infection. There were 379 operative procedures including 91 nephrectomies, and 108 epididiymectomies.
Age Distribution ; Hospitals, Military ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Nephrectomy ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tuberculosis ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Urology

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that if performed without radiographic guidance, the loss of resistance (LOR) technique can result in inaccurate needle placement in up to 30% of lumbar epidural blocks. To date, no study has shown the efficacy of measuring the depth of the posterior complex (ligamentum flavum, epidural space, and posterior dura) ultrasonographically to distinguish true and false LOR. METHODS: 40 cervical epidural blocks were performed using the LOR technique and confirmed by epidurograms. Transverse ultrasound images of the C6/7 area were taken before each cervical epidural block, and the distances from the skin to the posterior complex, transverse process, and supraspinous ligament were measured on each ultrasound view. The number of LOR attempts was counted, and the depth of each LOR was measured with a standard ruler. Correlation of false and true positive LOR depth with ultrasonographically measured depth was also statistically analyzed. RESULTS: 76.5% of all cases (26 out of 34) showed false positive LOR. Concordance correlation coefficients between the measured distances on ultrasound (skin to ligamentum flavum) and actual needle depth were 0.8285 on true LOR. Depth of the true positive LOR correlated with height and weight, with a mean of 5.64 +/- 1.06 cm, while the mean depth of the false positive LOR was 4.08 +/- 1.00 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonographic measurement of the ligamentum flavum depth (or posterior complex) preceding cervical epidural block is beneficial in excluding false LOR and increasing success rates of cervical epidural blocks.
Epidural Space ; Ligaments ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Needles ; Skin

Although oral sodium phosphate, a colonic cleasing agent for colonoscopy, had been usually known to be safe, several cases have been reported on the development of acute renal failure(ARF) after the administration of this agent. Many authors suggested that the pathogenesis of ARF developed after sodium phosphate administration is related with hyperphosphatemia, which caused ARF by the deposition of phosphate and/or calcium in renal tubule or interstitium, or by the direct toxicity to renal tubular cells. Elderly patients or the patients with dehydration, underlying cardiovascular, renal, or hepatic disease predispose the development of adverse effects of sodium phosphate, such as water and electrolyte imbalance, especially hyperphosphatemia which may ultimately lead to ARF. We described here a case of acute renal failure associated with hyperphosphatemia after the administration of sodium phosphate. A review of the literatures is presented.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Aged ; Calcium ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Dehydration ; Humans ; Hyperphosphatemia ; Sodium*

Pendipronil(R) overdose is uncommon in Korea. Pendipronil(R) is a selective herbicide used to control most annual grasses and certain broadleaf weeds in field corn, potatoes, rice, etc. and is the substance including pendimethalin and propanil. Pendimethalin is slightly to practically nontoxic by ingestion but may be mildly to moderately irritating to the linings of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Propanil toxicity is evidenced by varying clinical pictures ranging from deep cyanosis in an otherwise alert normal appearing individual to restlessness, dyspnea, extensive hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, sulfhemoglobinemia and serious central nervous system dysfunction. For the treatment of methemoglobinemia, gastric lavage, activated charcoal, methylene blue and exchange transfusion should be used. We experienced a case of acute massive Pendipronil(R) intoxication in 31 years old woman due to voluntary ingestion of 48g of this drug as a suicide attempt. A moderate methemoglobinemia developed, accompanied by drowsy mental status, nausea, vomiting, headache, intensive cyanosis. The patient recovered completely after intravenous methylene blue injection and cellulose coated hemoperfusion charcoal (Adsorba 300C(R)) and conservative treatment.
Adult ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Cellulose ; Central Nervous System ; Charcoal ; Cyanosis ; Dyspnea ; Eating ; Female ; Gastric Lavage ; Headache ; Hemoperfusion* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Methemoglobinemia ; Methylene Blue* ; Mouth ; Nausea ; Nose ; Pharynx ; Poaceae ; Poisoning* ; Propanil ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Solanum tuberosum ; Suicide ; Sulfhemoglobinemia ; Vomiting ; Zea mays

BACKGROUND: To analyze how lidocaine 40 mg mixed prevents injection pain of propofol affects the onset time of rocuronium, tracheal intubating conditions and intubation related hemodynamic changes. METHODS: This study consisted of 70 patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class 1 or 2 for general anesthesia. All the patients were randomly allocated into two groups: propofol 2 mg/kg plus normal saline 2 ml (Group C) and propofol 2 mg/kg plus 2% lidocaine 40 mg (Group L). Each group was administrated intravenously during induction and the patient was intubated 1 minute after an injection of 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium. The time at disappearance of the first twitch and intubation scores were recorded. Also, blood pressure and heart rate were measured at the baseline, after intravenous injection of propofol, before intubation, and at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 5 minutes after intubation. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between group C and L (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 40 mg of lidocaine mixed with propofol to prevent injection pain did not affect the onset time of rocuronium, intubating conditions and intubation related hemodynamic changes.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Intubation ; Lidocaine ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Propofol

PURPOSE: Magnetocardiography (MCG) has been proposed as a noninvasive, diagnostic tool for risk-stratifying patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study evaluated whether MCG predicts long-term prognosis in AMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 124 AMI patients (95 males, mean age 60±11 years), including 39 with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, a 64-channel MCG was performed within 2 days after AMI. During a mean follow-up period of 6.1 years, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were evaluated. RESULTS: MACE occurred in 31 (25%) patients, including 20 revascularizations, 8 deaths, and 3 re-infarctions. Non-dipole patterns were observed at the end of the T wave in every patients. However, they were observed at T-peak in 77% (24/31) and 54% (50/93) of patients with and without MACE, respectively (p=0.03). Maximum current, field map angles, and distance dynamics were not different between groups. In the multivariate analysis, patients with non-dipole patterns at T-peak had increased age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratios for MACE (hazard ratio 2.89, 95% confidence interval 1.20–6.97, p=0.02) and lower cumulative MACE-free survival than those with dipole patterns (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Non-dipole patterns at T-peak were more frequently observed in patients with MACE and were related to poor long-term prognosis. Thus, repolarization heterogeneity measured by MCG may be a useful predictor for AMI prognosis.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetocardiography* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Population Characteristics* ; Prognosis*

BACKGROUND: Esmolol and remifentanil are widely used drugs that minimize the increase of the blood pressure and the heart rate in response to endotracheal intubation during the induction of anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of esmolol and remifentanil on the cardiovascular and catecholamine responses to endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Sixty ASA I and II patients were randomly allocated to three groups. Anesthesia was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.9 mg/kg and this was maintained with 2 vol% sevoflurane and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. The patients received 10 ml intravenous saline (control group), 1.5 mg/kg esmolol (esmolol group) or 1microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg/min (remifentanil group) before intubation. The noninvasive blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before induction (baseline), before intubation and at 1, 2, 3 and 5 minutes after intubation. The blood catecholamine level (epinephrine and norepinephrine) was measured before induction and at 1 and 5 minutes after intubation. RESULTS: The systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures after endotracheal intubation were similar in the control and esmolol groups, but they were lower in the remifentanil group (P < 0.05). The heart rate after endotracheal intubation was lower in the remifentanil group than that in the esmolol group. No significant differences of the catecholamine responses to endotracheal intubation were observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 1microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg/min is more effective than 1.5 mg/kg esmolol for inhibiting the cardiovascular responses following endotrachal intubation during the induction of general anesthesia.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Methyl Ethers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Piperidines ; Propanolamines ; Propofol

BACKGROUND: Esmolol and remifentanil are widely used drugs that minimize the increase of the blood pressure and the heart rate in response to endotracheal intubation during the induction of anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of esmolol and remifentanil on the cardiovascular and catecholamine responses to endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Sixty ASA I and II patients were randomly allocated to three groups. Anesthesia was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.9 mg/kg and this was maintained with 2 vol% sevoflurane and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. The patients received 10 ml intravenous saline (control group), 1.5 mg/kg esmolol (esmolol group) or 1microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg/min (remifentanil group) before intubation. The noninvasive blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before induction (baseline), before intubation and at 1, 2, 3 and 5 minutes after intubation. The blood catecholamine level (epinephrine and norepinephrine) was measured before induction and at 1 and 5 minutes after intubation. RESULTS: The systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures after endotracheal intubation were similar in the control and esmolol groups, but they were lower in the remifentanil group (P < 0.05). The heart rate after endotracheal intubation was lower in the remifentanil group than that in the esmolol group. No significant differences of the catecholamine responses to endotracheal intubation were observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 1microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg/min is more effective than 1.5 mg/kg esmolol for inhibiting the cardiovascular responses following endotrachal intubation during the induction of general anesthesia.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Methyl Ethers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Piperidines ; Propanolamines ; Propofol

Background: Various regional analgesia techniques are used to reduce postoperative pain in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This study aimed to determine the relative efficacy of regional analgesic interventions for VATS using a network meta-analysis (NMA). Methods: We searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the analgesic effects of the following interventions: control, thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB), erector spinae plane block (ESPB), serratus plane block (SPB), and intercostal nerve block (INB). The primary outcome was opioid consumption during the first 24-h postoperative period. Pain scores were also collected during three different postoperative periods: the early (0–6 h), middle (6–18 h), and late (18–24 h) periods. Results: A total of 21 RCTs (1391 patients) were included. TPVB showed the greatest effect on opioid consumption compared with the control (mean difference [MD] = −13.2 mg; 95% CI [−16.2, −10.1]). In terms of pain scores in the early period, ESPB had the greatest effect compared to control (MD = −1.6; 95% CI [−2.3, −0.9]). In the middle and late periods, pain scores showed that TPVB, ESPB and INB had superior analgesic effects compared to controls, while SPB did not. Conclusions TPVB had the best analgesic efficacy following VATS, though the analgesic efficacy of ESPBs was comparable. However, further studies are needed to determine the optimal regional analgesia technique to improve postoperative pain control following VATS.

Purpose: This study aimed to construct a database of the effective doses (ED) from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) torso positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in Korea to provide data that supports the reduction of the CT dose of PET/CT and optimization of PET/CT protocols in Korea. Methods: We investigated data of ED and CT parameters of FDG PET/CT. The data were analyzed by body weight groups. Results: A total of 31 hospitals participated in the survey (99 adults). The mean total EDs (± SD) were 8.77 ± 2.76, 10.93 ± 3.14, and 12.57 ± 3.79 mSv for the 55-, 70-, and 85-kg groups, respectively. The FDG EDs were 4.80 ± 0.98, 6.05 ± 1.15, and 6.89 ± 1.52 mSv, and the CT EDs were 4.00 ± 2.12, 4.88 ± 2.51, and 5.68 ± 2.89 mSv, respectively. Of the enrolled hospitals, 54.5% used ultra-low-dose CT protocols, and their CT ED was significantly lower than low-dose CT group in all groups (2.9 ± 1.0, 3.2 ± 1.1, and 3.3 ± 1.0 mSv vs. 6.6 ± 1.6, 7.2 ± 2.1, and 7.9 ± 2.2 mSv, all p < 0.001, respectively). In the ultra-low-dose CT group, the CT ED with the iterative reconstruction was significantly lower than that of CT without iterative reconstruction in the 55-kg group (2.4 ± 0.9 vs. 3.3 ± 0.9, p = 0.04). Conclusions These results and current recommendations can be helpful for optimizing PET/CT diagnostic reference level (DRL) and reducing unnecessary PET/CT radiation exposure.