BACKGROUND: For a rapid transfusion, pressure is sometimes applied to packed red blood cells during the operation. However, there are neither standard guidelines nor reported data regarding adequate change interval of transfusion kits. The aim of this study is to present relevant data by simulating a surgical situation. METHODS: Each unit of packed red blood cells was mixed with 50 mL of normal saline. Pressure (250 mmHg) was applied to the mixed red blood cells. Each filtration time was measured without change of the transfusion kit. The weight of the mixed red blood cells was measured before and after administration. The passed blood was examined microscopically for detection of possible microaggregation. Eight transfusion sets were tested with 70 packed red blood cells. RESULTS: International guidelines have recommended replacement of the transfusion set if flow rate decreased to less than 100 mL/min. The flow rate of five transfusion sets was recorded as less than 100 mL/min. The flow rate of the third packed red blood cells decreased to less than 100 mL/min. No microaggregate was detected. CONCLUSION: Therefore, we recommended replacement of the blood filter after filtering two units of packed red blood cells with pressure under operation room circumstances.
Erythrocyte Transfusion ; Erythrocytes ; Filtration

BACKGROUND: Empirical use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in perioperative blood transfusion leads to high wastage of FFP. However, coordination of many related clinical departments is difficult. Therefore, quality improvement (QI) activities for establishment of appropriate use of FFP are needed. METHODS: Departments of surgery (all surgery departments except ophthalmology) and the departments of anesthesiology, clinical pathology, and nurses met each month from March, 2011 to October, 2011. Each department investigated the number of FFP usages, wastage, and coagulation tests. Primary measured variables and objectives were decrease of 50% of FFP wastage rate compared with the previous year and 50% increase of coagulation testing before using FFP. Secondary measured variables were total amount of FFP usage and report time for coagulation tests. RESULTS: After the QI activities (March, 2011~October, 2011), FFP wastage decreased, from 71.5 units during the second half of 2010 to 37.8 units during the second half of 2011 (-47.1%). Rate of coagulation testing before using FFP more than doubled during the second half of 2011 (57%) compared with the second half of 2010 (25%). The rate of less than 30 minutes report time for coagulation testing increased from 60% to 75%. FFP transfusion per 1,000 surgical cases decreased to from 190 units to 118 units. CONCLUSION: Rate of FFP wastage and transfusion decreased and rate of performance of the blood coagulation test was enhanced through education and training on transfusion and QI activities.
Anesthesiology ; Blood Coagulation Tests ; Blood Transfusion ; Pathology, Clinical ; Plasma ; Qi ; Quality Improvement

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the aorta. Because TA sometimes involves cerebral arteries, anesthetic debates focus on cerebral monitoring. There is limited evidence as to which cerebral monitoring method is most adequate. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence to determine which anesthetic technique is better for TA parturients. We experienced the case of a TA parturient who developed transient cerebral ischemia during cesarean section. The patient's TA involved her cerebral arteries, and her regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) was lower in the left side than in the right side. She complained of speech impairment, tinnitus, and stiffness of the posterior neck when the rSO2 levels dropped. The FloTrac/Vigileo(TM) system did not correlate with clinical symptoms, but the cerebral oximeter displayed the low oxygen saturation. We recommend the cerebral oximetry for cerebral monitoring in TA parturients who undergo cesarean sections, especially in hemodynamically unstable patients under regional anesthesia or unconscious patients under general anesthesia.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Aorta ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Neck ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Pregnancy ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Takayasu Arteritis ; Tinnitus ; Unconscious (Psychology)

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune*

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune*

BACKGROUND: The chemical reaction of carbon dioxide absorbent and sevoflurane is known to produce compound A. However, carbon dioxide absorbents are not controlled by the Food and Drug Administration, but are treated as industrial products in some nations. Moreover, carbon dioxide absorbents differ in their capacities to produce compound A, because their chemical compositions differ. In this study, we compared the renal safety between carbon dioxide absorbent products in patients under sevoflurane anesthesia. METHODS: Eighty patients with no preexisting renal disease undergoing elective gynecologic surgery were randomly assigned to receive sevoflurane or isoflurane anesthesia with one of four carbon dioxide absorbent products (Sodasorblime(R), Sodalyme(R), Sodasorb(R), Spherasorb(R)) at the same fresh gas flow of 2 L/min. The renal safety was evaluated by changes of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and urine N-acetyl-b-glucoseaminidase (NAG)-creatinine ratio at 24 hours and 72 hours after surgery from preoperative level. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the renal safety indicators between carbon dioxide absorbents during sevoflurane anesthesia (P > 0.05). However, the BUN and urine NAG-creatinine ratios at 72 hours after surgery were higher in isoflurane anesthesia in some carbon dioxide absorbent groups (P = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We could not find significant differences of renal safety indicators with carbon dioxide absorbents. Although the adverse effect of carbon dioxide absorbents on renal function was not proved, consideration should be given to their contol by the regulation on their efficacy and safety because carbon dioxide absorbents can produce compound A.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Carbon ; Carbon Dioxide ; Creatinine ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Isoflurane ; Kidney ; Methyl Ethers ; Pilot Projects ; United States Food and Drug Administration

PURPOSE: To evaluated the patterns of failure, survival rate, treatment-related toxicity and prognostic factors in postoperative radiotherapy of patients with ependymoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for ependymoma between the period of June 1994 and June 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. The age of patients ranged from 21 months to 66 years (median, 19 years). Seventeen patients had grade II ependymoma, and 13 had grade III anaplastic ependymoma according to the World Health Organization grading system. The postoperative irradiation was performed with 4 or 6 MV photon beam with median dose of 52.8 Gy (range, 45 to 63 Gy), and radiation field including 2 cm beyond the preoperative tumor volume. Median follow-up period was 51 months (range, 12 to 172 months). RESULTS: Fourteen out of 30 (46.7%) patients experienced recurrence, and 12 of those died. Among those 14 patients who experienced recurrence, 11 were in-field and 3 were out-of-field recurrence. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 66.7% and 56.1%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor grade was a statistically significant prognostic factor for OS and PFS. There were two complications after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, including short stature and facial palsy on the left side. CONCLUSION: We observed good survival rates, and histologic grade was a prognostic factor affecting the OS and PFS. Almost all recurrence occurred in primary tumor site, thus we suggest further evaluation on intensity-modulated radiotherapy or stereotatic radiosurgery for high-risk patients such as who have anaplastic ependymoma.
Disease-Free Survival ; Ependymoma ; Facial Paralysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Radiosurgery ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden ; World Health Organization

PURPOSE: To evaluated the patterns of failure, survival rate, treatment-related toxicity and prognostic factors in postoperative radiotherapy of patients with ependymoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for ependymoma between the period of June 1994 and June 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. The age of patients ranged from 21 months to 66 years (median, 19 years). Seventeen patients had grade II ependymoma, and 13 had grade III anaplastic ependymoma according to the World Health Organization grading system. The postoperative irradiation was performed with 4 or 6 MV photon beam with median dose of 52.8 Gy (range, 45 to 63 Gy), and radiation field including 2 cm beyond the preoperative tumor volume. Median follow-up period was 51 months (range, 12 to 172 months). RESULTS: Fourteen out of 30 (46.7%) patients experienced recurrence, and 12 of those died. Among those 14 patients who experienced recurrence, 11 were in-field and 3 were out-of-field recurrence. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 66.7% and 56.1%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor grade was a statistically significant prognostic factor for OS and PFS. There were two complications after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, including short stature and facial palsy on the left side. CONCLUSION: We observed good survival rates, and histologic grade was a prognostic factor affecting the OS and PFS. Almost all recurrence occurred in primary tumor site, thus we suggest further evaluation on intensity-modulated radiotherapy or stereotatic radiosurgery for high-risk patients such as who have anaplastic ependymoma.
Disease-Free Survival ; Ependymoma ; Facial Paralysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Radiosurgery ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden ; World Health Organization

Opioids are widely used as painkillers and anesthetics. Though we use opioids to relieve pain, these drugs can induce mood elevation, dependency, and withdrawal symptoms. This is why opioids are controlled-substances. Most physicians think that some substances should be controlled if they have opioid-like pharmacological properties, especially a long duration, preservation of respiration, and dependency. It is noteworthy that short-acting substances, such as midazolam and thiopental, are included in controlled substances. Their abuse is very dangerous because they frequently induce severe respiratory depression due to a narrow therapeutic window. Teaching point of this article is that designation of a new drug as a controlled substance requires scientific evidence of its link to dependency and/or withdrawal symptoms. However, this does not require abusers' convenience (long duration) or safety (maintenance of respiration). The authors present the addiction and abuse patterns of propofol as an reasons for the Korean Food and Drug Administration to designate propofol as a controlled substance. As a future study, an animal and/or a clinical model for dependency is needed to identify addictive substances. Though several neurotransmitters and their loci in the central nervous system have been studied, the precise mechanism for addiction is unknown. Also, it should be recognized that the potential for drug addiction and abuse could be masked in the early marketing period of a new drug. Physicians should monitor patients' responses carefully when they deal with the drug.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Anesthetics ; Animals ; Carbonates ; Central Nervous System ; Controlled Substances ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Drug and Narcotic Control ; Marketing ; Masks ; Midazolam ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Propofol ; Respiration ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Thiopental ; United States Food and Drug Administration

No abstract available.
Humans ; Jehovah's Witnesses