BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many systems including the cardiovascular system (ischemic heart diseases, heart failure, and hypertension) may act as comorbidities that can be seen during the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Comorbidities affect the severity and prognosis of COPD negatively. Nearly 25% of patients with COPD die due to cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the blood pressure, inflammation, hypoxia, hypercapnia, and the severity of airway obstruction. METHODS: We included 75 COPD patients in the study with 45 control cases. We evaluated age, sex, body mass index, smoking history, C-reactive protein levels, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure Holter monitoring, arterial blood gas, and respiratory function tests of the patient and the control groups. RESULTS: In COPD patients, the night time systolic, diastolic blood pressures and pulse per minute and the mean blood pressures readings were significantly elevated compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In the correlation analysis, night time systolic pressure was associated with all the parameters except forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁%). Diastolic blood pressure was associated with pH and HCO₃ levels. The mean night time, day time pulse pressures and 24-hour pulse per minute values were also associated with all the parameters except FEV₁%. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we found that parameters of systolic and diastolic blood pressures and pulse pressures were significantly elevated in COPD patients compared to the control groups. Blood pressure was associated blood gas parameters and inflammation parameters in COPD patients. This, in turn, may cause understanding of the pathophysiology of COPD and its complications.
Airway Obstruction ; Anoxia ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Comorbidity ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypercapnia ; Inflammation* ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Reading ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spirometry*

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. OSA in middle-aged men is often associated with decreased testosterone secretion, together with obesity and aging. Although OSA treatment does not reliably increase testosterone levels in most studies, OSA treatment with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may not only improve hypogonadism, but can also alleviate erectile/sexual dysfunction. However, because TRT may exacerbate OSA in some patients, patients should be asked about OSA symptoms before and after starting TRT. Furthermore, TRT should probably be avoided in patients with severe untreated OSA.
Aging ; Anoxia ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Male ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Obesity ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep Deprivation ; Testosterone*

Varicocele is the dilatation of the scrotal portion of pampiniform plexus and the internal spermatic venous system. About 15% of men suffer from scrotal varicocele and 2% to 10% of them complain of pain. The probable mechanisms for pain include compression of the surrounding neural fibers by the dilated venous complex, elevated testicular temperature, increased venous pressure, hypoxia, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalances, and the reflux of toxic metabolites of adrenal or renal origin. Testicular pain associated with varicoceles is typically described as a dull, aching, or throbbing pain in the testicle, scrotum, or groin; rarely, it can be acute, sharp, or stabbing. The management of testicular pain associated with varicocele starts with a conservative, non-surgical approach and a period of observation. Varicocelectomy in carefully selected candidates with clinically palpable varicocele resolves nearly 80% of all cases of testicular pain. Microsurgical techniques for varicocelectomy have gained popularity with minimal complication rates and favorable outcomes. The grade of varicocele, the nature and duration of pain, body mass index, prior conservative management, and the type of surgical method used, are predictors for the success of varicocelectomy.
Anoxia ; Body Mass Index ; Dilatation ; Groin ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Oxidative Stress ; Review Literature as Topic ; Scrotum ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Testis ; Varicocele* ; Venous Pressure

A 37-year-old male visited the hospital with multiple trauma after traffic accident. Fractures of ribs, left femur, and right humerus and spleen rupture with hemoperitoneum were founded on image studies. He was moved to operation room and general anesthesia was performed for splenectomy. During the operation, excessive high peak inspiratory pressure was observed. After abdominal closure, hypoxia, hypercapnia, and respiratory acidosis were worsened. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated after the operation. Status of the patient were improved after the application of ECMO. The patient was discharged without significant complication. Despite of several limitations in applying ECMO to patients with abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and multiple trauma, severe pulmonary dysfunction in ACS patients may be rescued without open abdomen treatment.
Abdomen ; Accidents, Traffic ; Acidosis, Respiratory ; Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Anoxia ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Femur ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Humerus ; Hypercapnia ; Intra-Abdominal Hypertension ; Male ; Multiple Trauma ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Ribs ; Rupture ; Spleen ; Splenectomy

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is defined as a new episode of acute lung injury that occurs during or within 6 hours of a completed transfusion, which is one of the leading causes of transfusion-related morbidity and mortality. We present a case of TRALI in a 29-year-old parturient with myelodysplastic syndrome scheduled for cesarean section. The parturient developed hypoxemia and dyspnea after preoperative transfusion of platelets following apheresis to eliminate a unit of leucocyte in order to correct thrombocytopenia. She underwent emergent caesarean section for fetal distress. After surgery, the chest radiograph showed diffuse haziness of both lung fields. Direct and indirect antiglobulin tests were negative, and hemolytic transfusion reaction was ruled out. Pro-BNP 347.3 pg/ml also excluded transfusion-associated circulatory overload. The parturient completely recovered after oxygen support for 2 days. It is important to recognize TRALI as soon as possible to minimize perioperative morbidity and mortality.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Adult ; Anoxia ; Blood Component Removal ; Cesarean Section ; Coombs Test ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Lung ; Mortality ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Oxygen ; Pregnancy ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thrombocytopenia ; Transfusion Reaction

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon medical condition resulting from aspiration or inhalation of oily material. Generally, lipoid pneumonia has nonspecific clinical and radiological presentations, and may be misdiagnosed as bacterial pneumonia or lung cancer. We describe an unusual case of exogenous lipoid pneumonia accompanied by peripheral blood and pulmonary eosinophilia. A 63-year-old man was admitted with progressively worsening exertional dyspnea and productive cough for 5 days. A chest radiograph showed abnormalities in the lower lobe of the right lung, and a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was made; intravenous antibiotics were administered. However, dyspnea and hypoxia gradually worsened and peripheral blood eosinophilia developed. A bronchoscopy was performed and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis showed markedly increased numbers of eosinophils (40%). Subsequently, a comprehensive review of history revealed that he fell asleep with camellia oil in his mouth for 2 weeks to relieve foreign body sensation of the throat. Sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology showed the presence of lipid-laden macrophages. He was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia and acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Chest radiograph and symptom were rapidly improved after treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone.
Anoxia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Bronchoscopy ; Camellia ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Macrophages ; Methylprednisolone ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Pharynx ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Bacterial ; Pneumonia, Lipid ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Aspiration ; Sensation ; Sputum

BACKGROUND: Bronchoscopy is a useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool. However, the clinical use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in adults with acute respiratory failure for diagnostic and invasive procedures has not been well evaluated. We present our experiences of well-tolerated diagnostic bronchoscopy as well as cases of improved saturation in hypoxaemic patients after a therapeutic bronchoscopic procedure. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of hypoxaemic patients who had undergone bronchoscopy for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes from October 2015 to February 2017. RESULTS: Ten patients (44–75 years of age) were enrolled. The clinical purposes of bronchoscopy were for diagnosis in seven patients and for intervention in three patients. For the diagnoses, we performed bronchoalveolar lavage in six patients. One patient underwent endobronchial ultrasonography with transbronchial needle aspiration of a lymph node to investigate tumour involvement. Patients who underwent bronchoscopy for therapeutic interventions had endobronchial mass or blood clot removal with cryotherapy for bleeding control. The mean saturation (SpO2) of pre-bronchoscopy in room air was 84.1%. The lowest and highest mean saturation with HFNC during the procedure was 95% and 99.4, respectively. The mean saturation in room air post-bronchoscopy was 87.4%, which was 3.3% higher than the mean room air SpO2 pre-bronchoscopy. Seven patients with diagnostic bronchoscopy had no hypoxic event. Three patients with interventional bronchoscopy showed improvement in saturation after the procedure. Bronchoscopy was well tolerated in all 10 cases. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the use of HFNC in hypoxaemic patients during diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy procedures has clinical effectiveness.
Adult ; Anoxia ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Bronchoscopy ; Catheters* ; Cryotherapy ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Needles ; Oxygen ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome* ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Face transplantation has naturally evolved from reconstructive procedures. However, few institutions perform face transplantations, because it is time-consuming and it is necessary to justify non-vital organ transplantation. We investigated the process of organ donation from brain-dead patients and the possibility of incorporating face transplantation into the donation process. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 1,074 brain-dead patients from January 2015 to December 2016 in Korea. We analyzed the time intervals from admission to brain death decisions (first, second, and final), the causes of brain death, and the state of the transplanted organs. RESULTS: The patient base (n=1,074) was composed of 747 males and 327 females. The average period between admission to the first brain death decision was 8.5 days (±15.3). The average time intervals between the first brain death decision and medical confirmation using electroencephalography and between the first brain death decision and the final determination of brain death were 16 hours 58 minutes (±14 hours 50 minutes) and 22 hours 57 minutes (±16 hours 16 minutes), respectively. The most common cause of brain death was cerebral hemorrhage/stroke (42.3%), followed by hypoxia (30.1%), and head trauma (25.2%). CONCLUSIONS: When face transplantation is performed, the transplantation team has 22 hours 57 minutes on average to prepare after the first brain death decision. The cause of brain death was head trauma in approximately one-fourth of cases. Although head trauma does not always imply facial trauma, surgeons should be aware that the facial tissue may be compromised in such cases.
Anoxia ; Brain Death ; Brain ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Electroencephalography ; Facial Transplantation ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Organ Transplantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgeons ; Tissue and Organ Procurement ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: The cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) has been known to increase in response to acute hypoxia. However, how CBFV might respond to exercise in hypoxic conditions and be associated with electroencephalogram (EEG) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of exercise in hypoxic conditions corresponding to altitudes of 4,000 m on CBFV and EEG. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, balanced crossover study, ten healthy volunteers (19.8±0.4 years) were asked to perform the incremental bicycle ergometer exercise twice in hypoxic and control (sea level) conditions with a 1-week interval, respectively. Exercise intensity was set initially at 50 W and increased by 25 W every 2 minutes to 125 W. Acute normobaric hypoxic condition was maintained for 45 minutes using low oxygen gas mixture. CBFV in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and EEG were measured at rest 5 minutes, rest 15 minutes, immediately after exercise, and 15 minutes recovery using transcranial-Doppler sonography and EEG signal was recorded from 6 scalp sites leading to analysis of alpha and beta wave relative activities. All data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: CBFV in the MCA in the hypoxic condition was significantly higher than that in the control condition at rest 5 minutes (83±9 vs. 69±9 cm/s, P<0.01), rest 15 minutes (87±8 vs. 67±7 cm/s, P<0.001), immediately after exercise (112±9 vs. 97±9 cm/s, P<0.01), and 15 minutes recovery (91±11 vs. 74±7 cm/s, P<0.01). However, no significant correlation was found between the changes of CBFV and EEG wave activities. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the drastic change of CBFV observed during exercise with hypoxia might appear independently with EEG wave activities.
Altitude ; Anoxia ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Cross-Over Studies ; Electroencephalography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Oxygen ; Scalp

PURPOSE: Various publications on the use of sedation and anesthesia for diagnostic procedures in children have demonstrated that no ideal agent is available. Although propofol has been widely used for sedation during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in children, adverse events including hypoxia and hypotension, are concerns in propofol-based sedation. Propofol is used in combination with other sedatives in order to reduce potential complications. We aimed to analyze whether the administration of midazolam would improve the safety and efficacy of propofol-based sedation in diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies in children. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of children who underwent diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies during a 30-month period. Demographic characteristics, vital signs, medication dosages, induction times, sedation times, recovery times, and any complications observed, were examined. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics did not differ between the midazolam-propofol and propofol alone groups. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of induction times, sedation times, recovery times, or the proportion of satisfactory endoscopist responses. No major procedural complications, such as cardiac arrest, apnea, or laryngospasm, occurred in any case. However, minor complications developed in 22 patients (10.7%), 17 (16.2%) in the midazolam-propofol group and five (5.0%) in the propofol alone group (p=0.010). CONCLUSION: The sedation protocol with propofol was safe and efficient. The administration of midazolam provided no additional benefit in propofol-based sedation.
Anesthesia ; Anoxia ; Apnea ; Child ; Conscious Sedation ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Heart Arrest ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Hypotension ; Laryngismus ; Midazolam ; Propofol ; Retrospective Studies ; Vital Signs