• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2024

Since its outbreak in late 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly caused global morbidity and deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has major complications in cardiovascular and pulmonary system. The increased rate of mortality is due to delayed detection of certain biomarkers that are crucial in the development of disease. Furthermore, certain proteins and enzymes in cellular signaling pathways play an important role in replication of SARS-CoV-2. Most cases are mild to moderate symptoms, however severe cases of COVID-19 leads to death. Detecting the level of biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, cardiac troponin, creatine kinase, creatine kinaseMB, procalcitonin and Matrix metalloproteinases helps in early detection of the severity of disease. Similarly, through downregulating Renin-angiotensin system, interleukin, Mitogen-activated protein kinases and Phosphoinositide 3-kinases pathways, COVID-19 can be effectively controlled and mortality could be prevented. Ginseng and ginsenosides possess therapeutic potential in cardiac and pulmonary complications, there are several studies performed in which they have suppressed these biomarkers and downregulated the pathways, thereby inhibiting the further spread of disease. Supplementation with ginseng or ginsenoside could act on multiple pathways to reduce the level of biomarkers significantly and alleviate cardiac and pulmonary damage. Therefore, this review summarizes the potential of ginseng extract and ginsenosides in controlling the cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases by COVID-19.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.516-522
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• 2007

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications are important problems that prolong the length of the hospital stay and increase patient mortality. However, our knowledge of the postoperative factors that increase the risk of these complications is less than complete. Methods: We conducted a prospective study to determine the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications. A total of 199 patients were referred to the Pulmonology Department for preoperative pulmonary evaluation. We reviewed the perioperative variables according to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Postoperatively, we collected data on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications and we evaluated the relationship between the perioperative variables and outcomes. Results: Twenty two patients (11%) had pulmonary complications; 6 had respiratory failure, 4 had pneumonia, 13 had pleural effusion and, 2 had atelectasis. Five variables were statistically significantly associated with pulmonary complications on the bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that three of these variables were independently associated with an increased risk of pulmonary complications; a high cardiac risk index (OR 16.5, p=0.002), emergency surgery (OR 10.3, p=0.017), and thoracic/abdominal surgery (OR 3.8, p=0.047). Conclusion: The risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications are a high cardiac risk index, emergency surgery and thoracic/abdominal surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.613-619
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• 1993

As developing surgical techniques and postoperative cares, a pneumonectomy is a relatively popular surgical method in disease which is not treated completely with other type of pulmonary resection, but a postpneumonectomy complication is a life-threatening serious problem if it occurred. We performed one hundred twenty-five cases of pneumonectomy for treatment of various causes of pulmonary diseases in Kosin Medical College during about ten years, and we experienced 41 cases of postoperative complications in 29 patients, so we analyzed them. The most common complication is an empyema thoracis in 13 cases[10.4%], of which one case combined with bronchopleural fistula died on early postoperative day. Of them except one case, the early postoperative empyema thoracis[within 30 days] were 6 cases, and the late postoperative empyema thoracis[above 30 days] were 6 cases. The main etiologic pathogens were a staphylococcus in early postoperative empyema and a streptococcus in late postoperative empyema, but the most cases were mixed infections with pseudomonas, klebsiella, acinectobacter, and candida. The treatment of postoperative empyema thoracis were that 4 cases were treated with open drainage using chest tube, 7 cases with Clagett`s operation, and 1 case with thoracoplasty. The next common complication was a postoperative serious respiratory insufficiency in 7 cases. And the other complications were massive postoperative bleeding in 5 cases, of which 2 cases advanced to occurrence of postoperative empyema thoracis, and wound disruption in 4 cases, cardiac arrhythmia in 3 cases, contralateral pneumothorax and pneumonia in each of 2 cases, esophagopleural fistula in 1 case. The postoperative deaths were 9 cases[7.2%] of 125 cases, the causes of death were respiratory insufficiency in 6 cases, sepsis in 2 cases, and cardiac arrhythmia in 1 case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 1983

Thirty-two patients with a cyanotic cardiac malformations having more complex intracardiac defects than ones in a tetralogy of Fallot underwent complete intracardiac repairs in a-full-year period from July 1981 to June 1982. Twenty-two patients [68.8%] died within 30 days after surgery: Transposition of the great arteries, seven of 10 patients; Double-outlet right ventricle, four of 6 patients; Tricuspid atresia, four of 6 patients; Single ventricle, all of 4 patients; Pulmonary atresia, two of 3 patients; Double-outlet left ventricle, none of 2 patients; and Truncus arteriosus, one of a single patient. All deaths occurred with a low cardiac output syndrome or a failed off-bypass, and they were almost always accompanied with other grave postoperative complications. The complex intracardiac anatomy itself was one of the risk factors by making a complete intracardiac repair of the defects difficult in a small heart. The reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow carried a difficulty in balancing an adequate relief of the obstruction with an avoidance of making too much pulmonary valvular insufficiency as well. On the other hand, the presence of an elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and a high pulmonary vascular resistance was also the factors affecting the postoperative surviv als. The importance of detailed knowledge of intracardiac anatomy and hemodynamics from the careful preoperative evaluation of the patient was discussed along with the necessity of technical refinement of the correction.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.474-476
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• 2017

A 56-year-old woman, who underwent cardiac surgery 3 months previously, presented to the emergency room with pulmonary artery rupture due to the cytotoxic effects of BioGlue (CryoLife Inc., Kennesaw, GA, USA). She was successfully treated with surgical management. Although surgical glue can be effectively used for hemostasis, it can induce delayed vascular complications. Therefore, surgical glue should be used cautiously.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.780-785
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• 1984

We had studied 20 cases of VSD patients whose murmur was sustained after open heart surgery from 1977 to 1984. The postoperative cardiac catheterization was performed on post-op. 20th day. Their ages ranged from 5 to 25 years old. Among them, 4 patients had significant residual shunt which required reoperation. [1 patient; re-op, 3 patient; refused]. Sex ratio was 13:7 in male and female. Associated anomalies were PDA, ASD, Pulmonary stenosis, Mitral insufficiency. Except 1 case, all of them was Kirklin type II VSD. Postoperative complications were I RBBB, residual shunt, cardiac tamponade due to bleeding, wound infection. Preoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure was highly related to residual shunt in our study. Postoperative LVEDV returned to normal range on the 3rd week.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.149-152
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• 2018

A 76-day-old infant weighing 3.4 kg was referred for surgical intervention for severe mitral valve stenoinsufficiency caused by leaflet fibrosis and calcification. He had ex perienced a cerebral infarction in the left middle cerebral artery territory, which was deemed attributable to an embolism of a calcified particle from the dysmorphic mitral valve. Because mitral valve replacement using a prosthetic valve was not feasible in this small baby, mitral valve replacement with a pulmonary autograft was performed. After a brief period of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, he was weaned from ECMO and was discharged home without further cardiovascular complications.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.99-102
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• 2009

Objective: Cardiac dysfunction after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with elevation of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnl) levels. Elevation of cTnl predicts cardiopulmonary and neurological complications, and poor outcome. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical and radiologic records of 114 (male: 30, female: 84) patients who developed aneurysmal SAH between January 2006 and June 2007 and had no history of previous cardiac problems. We evaluated their electrocardiography and cTnl level, which had been measured at admission. A cTnl level above 0.5 $\mu$g/L was defined as an indicator of cardiac injury following SAH. We examined various clinical factors for their association with cTnl elevation and analyzed data using chi-square test, t-test and logistic regression test with SPSS version 12.0. The results were considered significant at p< 0.05. Results: The following parameters shows a correlation with cTnl elevation: higher Hunt-Hess (H-H) grade (p = 0.000), poor Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score (p = 0.000), profound pulmonary complication (p = 0.043), higher heart rate during initial three days following SAH (p = 0.029), ruptured aneurysm on communicating segment of internal carotid artery (p = 0.025), incidence of vasospasm (p = 0.421), and duration of hyperdynamic therapy for vasospasm (p = 0.292). A significant determinants for outcome were cTnl elevation (p = 0.046) and H-H grade (p = 0.000) in a multivariate study. Conclusion: A cTnl is a good indicator for cardiopulmonary and neurologic complications and outcome following SAH. Consideration of variable clinical factors that related with cTnl elevation may be useful tactics for treatment of SAH and concomitant complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.528-535
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• 1987

A clinical study was performed on 164 cases of PDA experienced at the Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Pusan National University Hospital during 6 years from Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1986. It was shown that the PDA was a female-dominant heart disease [male to female ratio, 1:2.8] and two most common symptoms were frequent URI [45.6%] and exertional dyspnea [36.7%]. Continuous machinery murmurs were detected in 143 cases [87.2%], increased pulmonary vascularities [89.0%] and cardiomegalies [63.4%] by chest X-ray. The signs of LVH [43.9%], RVH [3.7%] and BVH [4.9%] were noted on the EKG. Cardiac catheterizations were performed on 67 out of 164 patients and the mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure was 48mmHg [range: 18-131mmHg] and the mean Qp/Qs was 3.1 [range:1.2-8.5] and Rp/Rs below 0.25 was 83.6%. Associated cardiac anomalies were VSD [7.9%], ASD [3.0%], pulmonary valvular stenosis [2.4%] and left persistent SVC [2.4%]. Operative methods were as follows; ligations [145; 88.4%] and divisions [6;3.7%] were performed through the left posterolateral thoracotomies without mortality and the remained cases [13;8.0%] were managed under the cardiopulmonary bypass because of the associated cardiac anomalies. Atelectasis [4.9%] and pneumonia [4.3%] were most frequent postoperative complications and the overall mortality rate was 2.4% [4 out of 164 cases].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.346-352
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• 2023

Background: A significant proportion of cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU) patients require long-term ventilation, necessitating tracheostomy placement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term postoperative outcomes and complications associated with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in CSICU patients. Methods: All patients undergoing PDT after cardiac, thoracic, or vascular operations in the CSICU between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2021 were identified. They were evaluated for mortality, decannulation time, and complications including bleeding, infection, and need for surgical intervention. Multivariable regression models were used to identify predictors of early decannulation and the complication rate. Results: Ninety-three patients were identified for this study (70 [75.3%] male and 23 [24.7%] female). Furthermore, 18.3% of patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 21.5% had history of stroke, 7.5% had end-stage renal disease, 33.3% had diabetes, and 59.1% were current smokers. The mean time from PDT to decannulation was 39 days. Roughly one-fifth (20.4%) of patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy and 81.7% had anticoagulation restarted 8 hours post-tracheostomy. Eight complications were noted, including 5 instances of bleeding requiring packing and 1 case of mediastinitis. There were no significant predictors of decannulation prior to discharge. Only COPD was identified as a negative predictor of decannulation at any point in time (hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.95; p=0.04). Conclusion: Percutaneous tracheostomy is a safe and viable alternative to surgical tracheostomy in cardiac surgery ICU patients. Patients who undergo PDT have a relatively short duration of tracheostomy and do not have major post-procedural complications.