• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2004

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent cessation of breathing due to complete or partial upper airway occlusion during sleep. The incompetent tone of palatal, pharngeal, and glossal muscles which fail to maintain airway patency during sleep causes narrowing of the airway dimension and increased resistance of breathing. The identification of the sites of upper airway obstruction in patients with OSA is important in understanding the pathogenesis and deciding the treatment modality of snoring and/or OSA. Various upper airway imaging modalities have been used to assess upper airway size and precise localization of the sites of upper airway obstruction during sleep. Dynamic imaging modalities enabled assessment of dimensional changes in the upper airway during respiration and sleep. This article focused on reviews of various upper airway imaging modalities, especially dynamic upper airway imaging studies providing important information on the pathogenesis of OSA.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.179-192
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• 2023

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-breathing disorder associated with significant comorbidities and perioperative complications. This narrative review is aimed at comprehensively overviewing preoperative risk evaluation and perioperative management strategies for patients with OSA. OSA is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep leading to hypoxemia and arousal. Anatomical features, such as upper airway narrowing and obesity, contribute to the development of OSA. OSA can be diagnosed based on polysomnography findings, and positive airway pressure therapy is the mainstay of treatment. However, alternative therapies, such as oral appliances or upper airway surgery, can be considered for patients with intolerance. Patients with OSA face perioperative challenges due to difficult airway management, comorbidities, and effects of sedatives and analgesics. Anatomical changes, reduced upper airway muscle tone, and obesity increase the risks of airway obstruction, and difficulties in intubation and mask ventilation. OSA-related comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, further increase perioperative risks. Sedatives and opioids can exacerbate respiratory depression and compromise airway patency. Therefore, careful consideration of alternative pain management options is necessary. Although the association between OSA and postoperative mortality remains controversial, concerns exist regarding adverse outcomes in patients with OSA. Understanding the pathophysiology of OSA, implementing appropriate preoperative evaluations, and tailoring perioperative management strategies are vital to ensure patient safety and optimize surgical outcomes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 1991

Endobronchial tuberculosis is a serious disase because it frequently leaves airway obstruction as the complication, and the treatment of airway obstruction is generally troublesome. In the tumorous type of endobonchial tuberculosis, the bronchial patency is partially or completely compromised with lymph node contents when the necrotic focus of the lymph node ruptures into the bronchial lumen to form a bronchoglandular fistula. To investigate the transition of endobronchial lesion and to evaluate the therapeutic role of bronchoscopic electrocautery in the tumorous type of endobronchial tuberculosis, we performed electrocautery in addition to the combination chemotherapy with steroid and anti-tuberculous drugs in two cases which had airway obstruction proximal to lobar bronchus with the impairment of pulmonary function. We also treated another two cases only with chemotherapy and we have followed up four cases over a 36-month period. In cases that bronchoscopic electrocautery was done, the bronchial patency was completely restored and the impairment of pulmonary function disappeared just after cautery and these effects have remained for 12 months or more. But in cases of medical treatment only, bronchial stenosis was inevitable as the tumorous type of endobronchial tuberculosis changed to the stenotic type with fibrosis. It can be concluded that bronchoscopic electrocautery can nip the occurence of bronchial stenosis in the bud when it is applied in addition to combination chemotherapy with steroid and antituberculous drugs in the tumorous type of endobronchial tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.6
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• pp.292-294
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• 2014

Primary tracheal amyloidosis (PTA) can lead to airway obstructions, and patients with severe PTA should undergo bronchoscopic interventions in order to maintain airway patency. Focal airway involvements with amyloidosis can only be treated with mechanical dilatation. However, the PTA with diffused airway involvements and concomitant cartilage destructions requires stent placement. Limited information regarding the usefulness of silicone stents in patients with PTA has been released. Therefore, we report a case of diffused PTA with tracheomalacia causing severe cartilage destruction, which is being successfully managed with bronchoscopic interventions and silicone stent placements.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.4
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• pp.245-250
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• 2023

The healing process of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TB) results in tracheobronchial fibrosis causing airway stenosis in 11% to 42% of patients. In Korea, where pulmonary TB is still prevalent, post-TB tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS) is one of the main causes of benign airway stenosis causing progressive dyspnea, hypoxemia, and often life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. The development of rigid bronchoscopy replaced surgical management 30 years ago, and nowadays PTTS is mainly managed by bronchoscopic intervention in Korea. Similar to pulmonary TB, tracheobronchial TB is treated with combination of anti-TB medications. The indication of rigid bronchoscopy is more than American Thoracic Society (ATS) grade 3 dyspnea in PTTS patients. First, the narrowed airway is dilated by multiple techniques including ballooning, laser resection, and bougienation under general anesthesia. Then, most of the patients need silicone stenting to maintain the patency of dilated airway; 1.5 to 2 years after indwelling, the stent could be removed, this has shown a 70% success rate. Acute complications without mortality develop in less than 10% of patients. Subgroup analysis showed successful removal of the stent was significantly associated with male sex, young age, good baseline lung function and absence of complete one lobe collapse. In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy could be applied to PTTS patients with acceptable efficacy and tolerable safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 1997

Background : The rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry can assess e nasal passage dynamically and statically Recently, analytic methods such as nasometer and sound spectrogram are gaining wide attention to evaluate the nasality objectively. Objectives : firstly to determine if ere was a relationship between the new methods and nasal airway resistance, and secondly to establish if the measurement of nasalance and sound spectrum could be used as an alternative to rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Materials and Methods : Thirty two patients who underwent either septoplasty and turbinectomy for nasal obstruction were studied. And their ages ranged form 15 to 45 years, with an average of 26.1 years. The rhinomanometry, nasometer, sound spectrogram were performed at preoperative and postoperative 4 weeks day. Results : After operation, subjective symptoms and rhinomanometric results were significantly improved but nasalance and slope of nana, mama and mamma passage had not meningful change. The significnat changes were noted in nasalance and first nasal formant frequency of nasal consonant of velum(angang). Conclusion : Nasometer and sound spectrogram had a limitation for the measure of nasal patency.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.10-16
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• 2008

Surgical resection and reanastomosis has been the treatment of choice in patients with tracheobronchial stenosis. Recent development of bronchoscopic intervention has been replacing the role of surgery in these patients. After summarizing the upto date data of bronchoscopic intervention, the proper management of tracheobronchial stenosis will be presented. Bronchoscopic intervention would be much effective when performed under rigid bron- choscopy, due to the stable patients' condition and endoscopic view. The usual method of intervention includes ballooning, Nd-YAG laser resection, bougienation, mechanical airway dilatation, stenting and photodynamic therapy. Silicone stents are very effective in patients with tracheobronchial stenosis to maintain airway patency. Bronchoscopic intervention provided immediate symptomatic relief and improved lung function in most of patients. After airway stabilization, stents were removed successfully in 2/3 of the patients at a 12-18 months post-insertion. Less than 5% of patients eventually needs surgical management. Acute complications, including excessive bleeding, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum develops in less than 5% of patients but managed without mortality. Stent-related late complications, such as, migration, granuloma formation, mucostasis, and restenosis are relatively high but usually controlled by follow-up bronchoscopy. In conclusion, bronchoscopic intervention, including silicone stenting could be a useful and safe method for treating tracheobronchial stenosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.664-666
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• 1993

A technique for insertion of a long silicone T-tube in patient with critical stenosis and high-risk resection and primary anastomosis of long segment of the distal trachea is presented. It was not easy to insert a long T-tube by existing methods because of flexibility of a T-tube and tightness of stenosis. So we used a silastic endotracheal tube and guiding wire as stylet of a T-tube. During insertion, ventilation was normally maintained through the lumen of endotracheal tube. This provided rapid relief from airway obstruction and asphyxation and is a easy, safe and effective method to restore patency of the major airways.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics in emergency endotracheal intubation between patients with acute drug intoxication and medical disease. Methods: Data for airway registry collected in two emergency departments (ED) between April 2006 and March 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. The airway registry data included patient's demographic information and variables such as Cormack-Lehane grade, 3-3-2 finger analysis, success rate, the number of attempts at intubation, complications of intubation, and clinical outcomes after intubation. Results: A total of 1480 patients were enrolled; 62 patients were classified as belonging to the intubation group after the drug intoxication group. No significant differences in Cormack-Lehane grade, 3-3-2 finger analysis, success rate, the number of attempts at intubation, and complications after intubation were observed between patients with acute drug intoxication and medical disease. However, significant difference was observed for indication of emergency endotracheal intubation. While emergency endotracheal intubations were usually performed in medical patients because of failure of airway patency, they were performed in intoxicated patients with the goal of preventing serious complications. Conclusion: Anatomical structures related to endotracheal intubation, the process and clinical outcome of intoxicated patients are not significantly different from those for medical patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.53-55
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• 2010

A thyroid cartilage fracture is a rare entity and can be overlooked easily. Such cases are difficult to diagnose, and assessment and treatment guidelines are difficult to determine. CT of the neck region may be useful when acute airway intervention is not required or when more information regarding the neck's anatomy is required for management decisions. We describe a case of a thyroid cartilage fracture with displacement. In the emergency department (ED), neck CT and fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy were used to assess the status of the patient's (a male) vocal chords immediately. He remained unable to phonate continuously. After an immediate assessment, we decided to use steroid and conservative therapy. The patient had a good recovery and was without symptoms one month after injury. There is no question that early surgical repair of neck injuries affords the best results for airway and voice patency in most cases however, we suspect that surgical repair is not needed in all cases. Early recognition and an accurate therapy plan for a thyroid fracture with displacement are essential. Therefore, the emergency physician's immediate and careful decision based on endoscopy and neck CT is important for the patient's long-term recovery.