• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1026-1038
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• 1995

Although aloe lost a lot of its previous popularity in modern clinical uses as medicine numerous scientific researches still have claimed the beneficial properties(curing and general tonic effect) of aloe gel. Whereas considerable contradictory reports have helped to confuse the aloe gel issue and continually aroused controversy about aloe gel efficacy. However health food, cosmetic and medicinal products made from aloe gel are widely available in the world market especially in U.S.A. so the growing of Aloe plant and the processing of A. vera gel have become big industries in some countries. In some previous papers the salicylic acid, one of the common trace gel components, was thought to have an analgetic and antinflammatory effect. Large amount of Mg ion in the gel was suggested to act as anesthetic, Mg-lactate as antihistamic, and Aloctin A(a glycoprotein) as wound healer by promoting the cell growth. The carboxypeptidase and bradykinase activity in the gel were proposed to have the pain relieving and antiinflammatory effect. But any of thes etheories concerining the physiological action of the trace gel components has not been demonstrated by modern pharmacology, and failed to be supported by clinical research. It was suggested by some research workers that trace amount of anthraquinone compounds in the gel play an important role to act as false substrate inhibitors for PG and TX production(antiprostanoid effect), by which, they believed, inflammation, burn and frostbite, and infected wound could be healed. This hypothesis has not been substantiated. Butthe suggested antimicrobial action, antidiabetic, and antidotic effect of aloe gel are likely to be attributed to the trace anthraquinone compounds. In a lot of recent experimental reports it has been claimed that aloe gel polysaccharides(acetylglucomannan, acetylmannan, and glycoprotein) have the antimicrobial, antinflammatory, antitumour, and infected wound healing effect by immunoenhancement. It is hoped that these effects will be soon documented in clinical studies, then the controversy on aloe gel beneficial effect will cease. In the 30 days subchronic toxicity test the lowest observed adverse effect level of acemannan(acetylmannan) on dog was 5.0 mg/kg, IP. But the aloe gel is generally agreed to be harmless and non toxic even for the internal use such as health food. In the case of idiosynrasy one must keep the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction of aloe gel in mind. In conclusion it seem to be impossible to simply refuse a lot of evidences made by research workers who have claimed aloe gel's beneficial effects and to deny the fact that there had been long therapeutic histories of Aloe plants.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.502-508
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• 1998

Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$(TNF-$\alpha$) have been implicated in myocardial and organ dysfunction associated with postperfusion syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that cytokine productions are depressed by preoperative cortiosteroid injection for cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) and the postoperative courses will be better than without steriod pretreated cases. Cardiac surgery was performed in randomized blind fashion for 20 patients from June 1996 to September 1996. In the steroid group(n=10), corticosteroid(dexamethasone 1 mg/kg) was injected 1 hour before anesthetic induction, but in the control group(n=10), nothing was injected. Each of groups were sampled 11 times as scheduled for TNF-$\alpha$ bioassays. We have checked EKG, cardiac enzymes(CPK, LDH with isoenzyme), WBC count preoperative day, one day and three days after operation. Viatal signs were continuously monitored for three postoperaive days. In the postoperative period three patients in the control group had elevated body temperature and four patients had hypotension that required considerable intravenous fluid administration. But steroid injected patients showed normal body temperture and acceptable blood pressures without supportive treatment. CPK enzymes rose in control group higher than steroid group at postoperative 1st and 3rd day(CPK; 1122$\pm$465 vs 567$\pm$271, 864$\pm$42 vs 325$\pm$87), and CPK-MB enzymes rose in control group higher than steroid group at postoperative 1st day(106.4$\pm$115.1 vs 29.5$\pm$22.4)(P=0.02). Arterial tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ rose during cardiopulmonary bypass, peaking at 5 minutes before the end of aortic cross clamping(ACC-5min) in steroid group(11.9$\pm$4.7 pg/ml), and 5 minutes before the end of cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB-5min) in control group(22.3$\pm$6.8 pg/ml). The steroid pretreated patients had a shorter period of time in respirator suport time, ICU stay day, hospital admission day. We conclude that corticosteroid suppress cytokine production during and after cardiopulmonary bypass, and may improve the postoperative course through inhibition of reperfusion injury such as myocardial stunning and hemodynamic instability.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.806-812
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• 1999

Background: Selection of reconstruction route in esophageal cancer surgery is based on the patient's status, characteristics of tumor, surgeon's preference and experience. Of the various routes, it has been documented that subcutaneous or substernal route may prolong operation time and may be vulnerable to postoperative respiratory complications. This study was designed to evaluate whether the selection of reconstruction route affects the surgical outcomes. Material and Method: Of 131 patients who have undergone resection and reconstruction for esophageal cancer, posterior mediastinal route(Group I, n=34), substernal route (Group II, n=31), and subcutaneous route(Group III, n=21) were retrospectively reviewed in 86 patients. Results of early operations and morbidities were compared between the groups. Result: There was a male prevalence(79 of males vs. 7 of females). There were 81 squamous cell cancers and 5 adenocarcinomas. There were no differences between groups in weight, height, age, cancer staging and location, and in the preoperative anesthetic risk evaluation and pulmonary function test(p=NS). Postoperative mechanical ventilation time was longer in Group I(20.6 hours) than in Group II(7.8 hours) or III(3.4 hours)(p=0.005). Duration of stay in the intensive care unit was prolonged in Group III(6.4 days) compared to Group I (3.9 days) or II(3.1 days)(p=0.043). No differences were noted in the duration of hospital stay between the groups(p=NS). Blood transfusion was needed in 30 out of 34 patients in Group I compared to 14/31 in Group II or 15/21 in Group III(p=0.001). The mean amount of transfusion for each patient was also higher in Group I(3,833 mL) than in Group II(1535 mL) or Group III(1419 mL)(p=0.04), but there was no difference in the inreoperation due to bleeding. Ea ly mortality rate was substantially higher in Group I(17.6%) but the differences between the groups were insignificant(p=NS). Although sepsis was a more prevalent cause of death in Group I, it was not related to anastomotic leak. Other morbidities did not differ between the groups(p=NS). Conclusion: In above results show that the reconstruction route does not affect the outcome of esophageal cancer surgery. We believe that the selection of reconstruction route can be based on the surgeon's preference and experience.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-40
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• 2001

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to develop task guidelines for hospice team members. The task range of all personnel who work for hospice institutions was identified, and a tool describing roles and tasks of the hospice team members was developed based on review of related literature, both domestic and international. Methods : The content validity of the tool was assured by an expert panel through two phases of discussion. The first phase of the study included a survey conducted from December 1999 to January 2000 for a total of 126 hospice experts and practitioners affiliated with domestic hospice institutions. The second phase of the study included 35 subjects. The data were collected using a survey when the investigators visited each hospice institution. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results : 1) In the first phase of the study, all items scored over 80 points in CVI were selected as the roles and tasks of hospice coordinator, nurse, pastor, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionist, therapist, volunteer, and nurse aide. However, two items were excluded because they scored below 80 points: an item describing eligibility of a physician, a person who has a license for managing anesthetic agents was scored as 78.6 points, and an item describing the eligibility of the team leader of volunteers, a person educated at the graduate level was scored as 74.7 points. 2) In the second phase of the study, all items scored over 80 points in CVI were selected as the roles and tasks of hospice nurse, pastor, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionist, therapist, volunteer, and nurse aide. Of the roles of the hospice coordinator, however, the item scored as 77.9 points, assess and plan a patients physical, social, emotional, and spiritual status, and, of the roles of the team leaders of volunteers, the item scored as 78.6, attend a team meeting once a week and participate in building an standard nursing plan for patients were included in the tool since they scored over 80 points in the first phase of the study. Conclusion : The developed task guideline should be further modified and revised based on the findings of a preliminary application in the actual field. There is also a need of continuous research for developing more culturally-appropriate task guidelines for hospice team members.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.438-448
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• 2017

This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the results of research on the pain reduction effects of lidocaine gel for urethral catheterization in adults. A literature search was conducted using seven electronic databases, gray literature and other resources based on the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). A Risk of Bias (RoB) tool was applied to assess the quality of selected studies. Data were analyzed using the RevMan 5.3.-program. Sixteen randomized controlled trials involving 1904 adults were included. RoB was not observed in the funnel plot. Overall, lidocaine gel was effective for pain reduction during urethral catheterization (Standard Mean Difference[SMD] -0.96;95% CI: -1.43, -0.49). To explore the cause of heterogeneity (I2=95%, p<.001), subgroup analysis was conducted according to three catheter types (urinary catheter, flexible cystoscopy, and rigid cystoscopy) and the SMDs were -0.88 (95% CI:-1.51, -0.26), -0.31 (95% CI:-0.63, 0.01), and -1.93 (95% CI:-2.88, -0.97), respectively. A significant pain reduction effect was observed regardless of gender in urinary catheterization. However, in rigid cystoscopy, a significant pain reduction effect was observed only in male subjects. Pain reduction effects were observed when 10~11ml lidocaine gel was used during rigid cystoscopy and when lubrication was used during urinary catheterization, irrespective of application time. These findings suggest that lidocaine gel is a useful anesthetic lubricant for urinary catheterization and rigid cystoscopy in male adults.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.513-521
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and complications of an ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block performed by orthopedic surgeons. Materials and Methods: From March to May 2017, an ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block was performed on a total of 103 cases of surgery. A VF13-5 transducer from Siemens Acuson X300 was used. The surgical site was included in the range of the anatomic sensory distribution of the blocked nerve, except for the case where an operation time of more than 2 hours was expected due to multiple injuries and the operation of the upper arm. The procedure was performed by 2 orthopedic surgeons in the same method using 50 ml of solution (20 ml of lidocaine HCl in 2%, 20 ml of ropivacaine in 0.75%, 10 ml of normal saline in 0.9%). The success rate of anesthesia induction during surgery, anesthetic induction time, anatomical range of operation, duration of postoperative analgesia and complications were investigated. Results: The results from the 2 practices were similar. The anesthesia was successful in 100 out of 103 patients (97.1%). In these patients, the average needling time was 5.5 minutes (2.5-13.2 minutes), the average induction time to complete anesthesia was 18.4 minutes (5-40 minutes), and the average duration of postoperative analgesia was 402.8 minutes (141-540 minutes). The post-anesthesia immediate complications were dizziness in 1 case, nausea and vomiting in 4 cases, and peri-oral numbness in 2 cases, but surgery was performed without problems. All these 7 cases with complications recovered on the same day. A total of 3 cases failed with anesthesia, and they were treated by an injection with local anesthesia in the operation room in 2 cases and switched to general anesthesia in 1 case. Conclusion: An ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block, which was performed by orthopedic surgeons allows anesthesia in a brief period and the high success rates of anesthesia for certain surgeries of the elbow and surgeries on forearm, wrist and hand. Therefore, it can reduce the waiting time to the operating room. This technique is a relatively safe procedure and dose selective anesthesia is possible.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.471-478
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• 1997

Introduction: The use of rabbits as a cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) animal model is extremely dif%cult mainly due to technical problems. On the other hand, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest(CA) is used to facilitate surgical repair in a variety of cardiac diseases. Although steroids are generally known to be effective in the treatment of cerebral edema, the protective effects of steroids on the brain during CA are not conclusively established. Objectives of this study are twofold: the establishment of CPB technique in rabbits and the evaluation of preventive effect of steroid on the development of brain edema during CA. Material '||'&'||' Methods: Fifteen New Zealan white rabbits(average body weight 3.5kg) were divided into three experimental groups; control CA group(n=5), CA with Trendelenberg position group(n=5), and CA with Trendelenberg position + steroid(methylprednisolone 30 mglkg) administration group(n=5). After anesthetic induction and tracheostomy, a median sternotomy was performed. An aortic cannula(3.3mm) and a venous ncannula(14 Fr) were inserted, respectively in the ascending aorta and the right atrium. The CPB circuit consisted of a roller pump and a bubble oxygenator. Priming volume of the circuit was approximately 450m1 with 120" 150ml of blood. CPB was initiated at a flow rate of 80~85ml/kg/min, Ten min after the start of CPB, CA was established with duration of 40min at $20^{\circ}C$ of rectal temperature. After CA, CPB was restarted with 20min period of rewarming. Ten min after weaning, the animal was sacrif;cod. One-to-2g portions of the following tissues were rapidly d:ssected and water contents were examined and compared among gr ups: brain, cervical spinal cord, kidney, duodenum, lung, heart, liver, spleen, pancreas. stomach. Statistical significances were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. Results: CPB with CA was successfully performed in all cases. Flow rate of 60-100 mlfkgfmin was able to be maintained throughout CPB. During CPB, no significant metabolic acidosis was detected and aortic pressure ranged between 35-55 mmHg. After weaning from CPB, all hearts resumed normal beating spontaneously. There were no statistically significant differences in the water contents of tissues including brain among the three experimental groups. Conclusion: These results indicate (1) CPB can be reliably administered in rabbits if proper technique is used, (2) the effect of steroid on the protection of brain edema related to Trendelenburg position during CA is not established within the scope of this experiment.