Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disorder. The characteristic of HAE is recurrent angioedema episodes due to low C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) level. HAE symptoms, especially those affecting oropharynx or larynx may develop respiratory distress syndrome due to impaired airway, which can be potentially fatal. Case: We report a clinical case of a 57 year-old woman, with type I HAE, scheduled for total laparoscopic hysterectomy under general endotracheal anesthesia, which was done successfully without inducing airway edema. Danazol, which increases liver synthesis of C1-INH, was administered and fresh frozen plasma (FFP), which contained C1-INH, was transfused after induction. Conclusions For HAE patients, the greatest concern is that general anesthesia can induces upper airway edema by direct mucosal irritation by the endotracheal tube. The perioperative management should include both prophylactic increase of C1-INH production and on-demand administration of C1-INH or FFP.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is unusual but can potentially progress to overwhelming liver failure, resulting in maternal and fetal death. AFLP is characterized by the accumulation of microvesicular fat within hepatocytes. We report the case of a 37-year-old woman at 36 weeks' gestation with a twin pregnancy who was admitted with the diagnosis of intrauterine fetal death of one baby. The patient showed profile of AFLP on her laboratory findings and underwent emergency cesarean section. Then she progressed to cryptogenic fulminant hepatic failure and underwent successful orthotopic liver transplantation on 9th day of admission. This case demonstrates that liver transplantation is a feasible therapeutic option for the treatment of patients with this condition.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Cesarean Section ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Fatty Liver ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin

A recent achalasia guideline suggests that peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a safe option for achalasia that is as effective as Heller myotomy. It is recommended that POEM should be performed under general anesthesia. The incidence of adverse events such as bleeding, perforation, and carbon dioxide insufflation-related complications was lower in POEM under endotracheal general anesthesia than in POEM under sedation. Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, and accompanying hemodynamic instability can be caused by carbon dioxide insufflation. Treatment of possible physiological changes and adverse events during the POEM procedure from the point of view of anesthesiologists may give endoscopists a new perspective on improving patient safety. The territory of therapeutic endoscopy can be expanded through cooperation with other departments, including anesthesia services. Efforts to understand different perspectives will certainly help not only secure patient safety but also expand the area of treatment.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Carbon Dioxide ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Achalasia ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Incidence ; Insufflation ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Patient Safety ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Pneumothorax ; Subcutaneous Emphysema

Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a painful mononeuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneouse nerve (LFCN) characterized by localized symptoms of numbness, tingling, pain and paresthesia along the anterolateral thigh area. L4 and L5 radiculopathy is set of symptoms that include sharp, burning or shooting pain, which is usually localized to anterolateral leg area and along the dermatomal distribution. When symptoms of MP and lumbar disc disease occur together it is not easy to diagnose MP. We report a case of synchronous post-traumatic MP and radiculopathy due to intervertebral disc herniation at L3–4 and 4–5. A 59-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency room with symptoms of low back pain with left severe L4, L5 radiculopathy. This patient also complained of numbness and paresthesia in the left anterolateral thigh. After detailed history taking and lateral femoral cutaneouse nerve block, he was diagnosed with MP.
Burns ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Intervertebral Disc ; Leg* ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mononeuropathies ; Nerve Block ; Paresthesia ; Radiculopathy* ; Thigh

BACKGROUND: In cirrhotic patients, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is associated with poor outcomes. Diastolic wall strain (DWS) is a new index of left ventricular diastolic function that correlates with the myocardial stiffness. In this study, we aimed to determine whether DWS calculated from preoperative transthoracic echocardiography can predict the survival of liver transplantation recipients. METHODS: A total of 981 patients who underwent liver transplantation were enrolled. We collected the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic data retrospectively. The left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-systole (LVPWs) and end-diastole (LVPWd) were measured using M-mode imaging. DWS was calculated as follows: DWS = (LVPWs – LVPWd) / LVPWs. As previously reported, DWS ≤ 0.33 was defined as low DWS and DWS > 0.33 was defined as normal DWS. The primary outcome of this study was 2-years survival after liver transplantation. RESULTS: The 2-years mortality rate following liver transplantation was higher in low DWS group than normal DWS group (14.6% vs.10.0%, P = 0.038). In univariate Cox regression analysis, age, model for end-stage liver disease score, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, creatinine, b-type natriuretic peptide, heart rate, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, left ventricular stroke volume index, left ventricular ejection fraction, E/A ratio, e′, E/e′ ratio, and DWS were associated with 2-years survival after liver transplantation. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, DWS was an independent predictor of 2-years survival after adjusting significant univariate covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This study results indicated that the DWS is an independent prognostic predictor in liver transplantation recipients.
Creatinine ; Diastole ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Mortality ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke Volume ; Survival Rate*

Brugada syndrome is an arrhythmic syndrome characterized by right bundle branch block, ST segment elevation in the precordial lead (V1-V3), and sudden death caused by ventricular fibrillation, which is not effectively prevented by anti-arrhythmic drug therapy. We are reporting a 30-year-old male patient with Brugada syndrome who got an exploratory laparotomy and a tenorrhaphy due to stab wound which was managed with general anesthesia and brachial plexus block without any complications.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Brachial Plexus Block* ; Brachial Plexus* ; Brugada Syndrome* ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Death, Sudden ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Ventricular Fibrillation ; Wounds, Stab

Thalamic pain is a primary cause of central post-stroke pain (CPSP). Clinical symptoms vary depending on the location of the infarction and frequently accompany several pain symptoms. Therefore, correct diagnosis and proper examination are not easy. We report a case of CPSP due to a left acute thalamic infarction with central disc protrusion at C5-6. A 45-year-old-male patient experiencing a tingling sensation in his right arm was referred to our pain clinic under the diagnosis of cervical disc herniation. This patient also complained of right cramp-like abdominal pain. After further evaluations, he was diagnosed with an acute thalamic infarction. Therefore detailed history taking should be performed and examiners should always be aware of other symptoms that could suggest a more dangerous disease.
Abdominal Pain ; Arm ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infarction ; Pain Clinics ; Sensation

BACKGROUND: Various regimens have been studied in extension of a preexisting labor epidural for emergency cesarean section. Lumbar epidural analgesia for delivery is safe and efficient. We compared retrospectively 0.5% ropivacaine with fentanyl and 0.75% ropivacaine in extension of a preexisting labor epidural for emergency cesarean section. METHODS: We investigated medical records of 61 parturients in extension of a preexisting labor epidural for emergency cesarean section. There were two regimens which was 0.5% ropivacaine with fentanyl (group 1) and 0.75% ropivacaine (group 2). We recorded demographic data, local anesthetic dose, surgical readiness time, maximum level of sensory block, surgery time, intravenous supplementation, number of hypotension and total dose of ephedrine between two groups. RESULTS: There were no differences between the study groups in demographic data, surgical readiness time, maximum sensory block level, intravenous supplementation, incidence of hypotension and total dose of ephedrine. Local anesthetic volume was larger in group 1 than group 2, but local anesthetic doses were lower in group 1 than group 2. CONCLUSIONS: 0.5% Ropivacaine with fentanyl regimen is as fast and efficacious as 0.75% ropivacaine in extension of a preexisting labor epidural for cesarean section and reduces the requiring total local anesthetic dose.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Cesarean Section* ; Emergencies* ; Ephedrine ; Female ; Fentanyl* ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies*

Epidural analgesia is frequently used for control of labor pain. Seizure of parturient could be misdiagnosed as eclampsia. A parturient presented a generalized tonic clonic seizure during first stage of labor in two and a half hour after dural puncture and epidural blood patch. She had received an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia and had another seizure during transfer to the intensive care unit. A brain computed tomography showed intracerebral hemorrhage and pneumocephalus. After conservative treatment, she could discharge without any sequelae in 13 days. The anesthesiologists should be aware of the possibility of intracerebral hemorrhage when they confront a seizure of parturient although there is no evidence of relation between dural puncture and intracerebral hemorrhage.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Patch, Epidural ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cesarean Section ; Eclampsia ; Emergencies ; Female ; Intensive Care Units ; Labor Pain ; Pneumocephalus ; Pregnancy ; Punctures ; Seizures

This study estimated the number of Korean adults aged 50 years or more with osteoarthritis (OA) based on the data from fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (K-NHANES). We analyzed the knee X-ray finding and symptom questionnaire data obtained from the fifth K-NHANES conducted in 2010. The number of Korean adults aged 50 years or more with radiographic OA (those who had grade II or higher Kellgren-Lawrence score for OA) and symptomatic OA (those who had grade II or higher Kellgren-Lawrence score for OA and knee pain) were estimated using surveyfreq procedure of the SAS statistical package. It was estimated that there were 5,294,073 (proportion, 37.8%; 95% confidence interval, 4,739,995 to 5,848,150) patients with radiographic OA and 2,003,471 (proportion, 14.3%; 95% confidence interval, 1,693,239 to 2,313,703) patients with symptomatic OA among 14,010,367 Korean adults aged 50 years or more in 2010. This study has a limitation that symptomatic OA based on only the self report of symptom questionnaire. So, it is important that the physician do a physical examination to diagnose OA. Also, further efforts to investigate large-scale prospective studies are needed.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Knee ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Phenothiazines ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Report