• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.247-258
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• 2010

The objective of this research was to evaluate the relationships of preoperative (Pre-OP) levels of hematological and biochemical indices to perioperative variables in patients that underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Pre-OP levels of hematological factors [total white blood cells (T-WBC), erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), or platelet] were negatively or positively related with biochemical indices [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin, glucose, fructosamine, triglyceride, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)]. Pre-OP levels of hematological factors and biochemical indices were negatively or positively correlated with echocardiographic variables. Pre-OP level of HbA1c had a relationship with C-reactive protein. Pre-OP levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), ALT, HDL, glucose, fructosamine, or blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were positively or negatively associated with Pre-OP levels of cardiac markers (brain natriuretic peptide, troponin-I, creatine kinase isoenzyme 2, or CRP). Pre-OP levels of hematological factors (excepting T-WBC) related with operation time (OPT), postoperative mechanical ventilation time (POMVT), intensive care unit-period (ICU-period) or hospitalization. Pre-OP levels of AST, ALT, bilirubin, triglyceride, HDL, low dwensity lipoprotein, fructosamine, or BUN were positively or negatively correlated with OPT, graft numbers, POMVT, ICU-period or hospitalization. Retrospective this study reveals that Pre-OP levels of hematological and biochemical markers are associated with echocardiographic variables, several cardiac markers and postoperative outcomes, suggesting that Pre-OP levels of hematological and biochemical markers may be useful predictors for the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2012

Background: The purpose of this report is to describe the perioperative outcomes of standard carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with general anesthesia, routine shunting, and tissue patching in symptomatic carotid stenoses. Materials and Methods: Between October 2007 and July 2011, 22 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (male/female, 19/3; mean age, $67.2{\pm}9.4$ years) underwent a combined total of 23 CEAs using a standardized technique. The strict surgical protocol included general anesthesia and standard carotid bifurcation endarterectomy with routine shunting. The 8-French Pruitt-Inahara shunt was used in all the patients. Results: During the ischemic time, the shunts were inserted within 2.5 minutes, and 5 patients (22.7%) revealed ischemic cerebral signals (flat wave) in electroencephalographic monitoring but recovered soon after insertion of the shunt. The mean shunting time for CEA was $59.1{\pm}10.3$ minutes. There was no perioperative mortality or even minor stroke. All patients woke up in the operating room or the operative care room before being moved to the ward. One patient had difficulty swallowing due to hypoglossal nerve palsy, but had completely recovered by 1 month postsurgery. Conclusion: Routine shunting is suggested to be a safe and reliable method of brain perfusion and protection during CEA in symptomatic carotid stenoses.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2016

Background: We aimed to evaluate the incidence, predictive factors, and impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Methods: A total of 53 patients who underwent 57 TEVAR operations between 2008 and 2015 were reviewed for the incidence of AKI as defined by the RIFLE (risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage kidney disease risk) consensus criteria. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was determined in the perioperative period. Comorbidities and postoperative outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Underlying aortic pathologies included 21 degenerative aortic aneurysms, 20 blunt traumatic aortic injuries, six type B aortic dissections, five type B intramural hematomas, three endoleaks and two miscellaneous diseases. The mean age of the patients was $61.2{\pm}17.5years$ (range, 15 to 85 years). AKI was identified in 13 (22.8%) of 57 patients. There was an association of preoperative stroke and postoperative paraparesis and paraplegia with AKI. The average intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients with AKI was significantly longer than in patients without AKI (5.3 vs. 12.7 days, p=0.017). The 30-day mortality rate in patients with AKI was significantly higher than patients without AKI (23.1% vs. 4.5%, p=0.038); however, AKI did not impact long-term survival. Conclusion: Preoperative stroke and postoperative paraparesis and paraplegia were identified as predictors for AKI. Patients with AKI experienced longer average ICU stays and greater 30-day mortality than those without AKI. Perioperative identification of high-risk patients, as well as nephroprotective strategies to reduce the incidence of AKI, should be considered as important aspects of a successful TEVAR procedure.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.261-270
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• 2019

Background: People with the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS), a group of heritable disorders of connective tissue, often report experiencing dental procedure pain despite local anesthetic (LA) use. Clinicians have been uncertain how to interpret this apparent LA resistance, as comparison of EDS and non-EDS patient experience is limited to anecdotal evidence and small case series. The primary goal of this hypothesis-generating study was to investigate the recalled adequacy of pain prevention with LA administered during dental procedures in a large cohort of people with and without EDS. A secondary exploratory aim asked people with EDS to recall comparative LA experiences. Methods: We administered an online survey through various social media platforms to people with EDS and their friends without EDS, asking about past dental procedures, LA exposures, and the adequacy of procedure pain prevention. Among EDS respondents who both received LA and recalled the specific LA used, we compared agent-specific pain prevention for lidocaine, procaine, bupivacaine, mepivacaine, and articaine. Results: Among the 980 EDS respondents who had undergone a dental procedure LA, 88% (n = 860) recalled inadequate pain prevention. Among 249 non EDS respondents only 33% (n = 83) recalled inadequate pain prevention (P < 0.001 compared to EDS respondents). The agent with the highest EDS-respondent reported success rate was articaine (30%), followed by bupivacaine (25%), and mepivacaine (22%). Conclusions: EDS survey respondents reported nearly three times the rate of LA non-response compared to non-EDS respondents, suggesting that LAs were less effective in preventing their pain associated with routine office dental procedures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 1995

Forty-eight patients with significant left main coronary artery obstruction underwent coronary artery bypass graft between September,1989 and September,1993. They consisted of 29 males and 19 females with the mean age of 58 [range 33 - 78 . Seventeen patients[35% had stenosis in left main coronary artery only and twenty-nine[61% had associated lesions in other coronary artery systems as well.Two[4% had isolated left coronary ostial lesion. The operative mortality was 4.17% [2/48 which is comparable to the mortality of overall coronary artery bypass surgery cases during the same period[p >0.05 . Perioperative myocardial infarction was occurred in two patients[4.17% . And the infarction rates between the two groups also showed no difference[p >0.05 . The forty-six survivors showed significant improvement in exercise tolerance as well as symptomatology. We conclude that surgery for left main coronary artery disease can be done with no increased risk through careful anesthesia,surgery, and aggressive postoperative care in the critical period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.122-133
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• 1986

Thirteen patients with cyanotic cardiac malformations having more complex intracardiac defects, hemodynamics and operative procedures than ones in Tetralogy of Fallot undertaken total surgical corrections from July 1981 to August 1985. The cases of corrective surgery for complex cardiac malformations were 3.9% of all congenital cardiac malformations and 12.6% of cyanotic cardiac malformations. Six patients died within 30 days after surgery. So operative mortality was 46%; Transposition of the great arteries, two of 4 patients, due to low cardiac output syndrome and tracheal bleeding ; Univentricular heart, one of 3 patients, due to bleeding; Corrected transposition of the great arteries, one of 2 patients, due to acute heart failure; Tricuspid atresia, one of 2 patients, due to low cardiac output syndrome; Double outlet right ventricle, one of single patient, due to respiratory failure. The cases of surgical correction for complex cardiac malformations are progressively increasing in numbers. The more accurate evaluation of anatomical condition and hemodynamics in preoperative diagnosis, studies on applicable surgical procedure and perioperative care of patients are necessary in the improvement of clinical and surgical results.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.96-102
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• 2006

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse a transfusion of blood or blood products because of religious beliefs; this refusal at times presents a dilemma for the treating physician. We report a case of a 25-year-old Jehovah's Witness patient who underwent a reoperation for a previous proximal humerus shaft fracture and experienced unexpected massive hemorrhage intraoperatively and postoperatively. The postoperative lowest hemoglobin level was 2.9 g/dl. The patient recovered from the severe anemia without any clinical sequala. We review the legal, ethical and religious issues and suggest the best possible medical care that Jehovah's Witness patient would permit.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.827-833
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• 2020

Objective : Spine surgery is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates in elderly patients. The modified Frailty Index (mFI) is an evaluation tool to determine the frailty of an individual and how preoperative status may impact postoperative survival and outcomes. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of mFI in predicting postoperative complications in patients aged ≥75 years undergoing surgery with instrumentation. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the perioperative course of 137 patients who underwent thoracolumbar-instrumentation spine surgery between 2011 and 2016. The preoperative risk factors were the 11 variables of the mFI, as well as body mass index (kg/㎠), preoperative hemoglobin, platelet, albumin, creatinine, anesthesia time, operation time, estimated blood loss, and transfusion amount. The 60-day occurrences of complication rates were used for outcome assessment. Results : Major complications after spinal instrumentation surgery occurred in 34 of 138 patients (24.6%). The mean mFI score was 0.18±0.12. When we divided patients into a pre-frail group (mFI, 0.09-0.18; n=94) and a frail group (mFI ≥0.27; n=44), only the rate of sepsis was statistically higher in the frail group than in the pre-frail group. There were significantly more major complications in patients with low albumin levels or in patients with infection or who had experienced trauma. The mFI was a more useful predictor of postoperative complications than the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score. Conclusion : The mFI can successfully predict postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients aged ≥75 years undergoing spine surgery. The mFI improves perioperative risk stratification that provides important information to assist in the preoperative counselling of patients and their families.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.307-318
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was to identify topics for evidence-based clinical nursing practice guidelines in Korea. Methods: Data were collected from 330 staff nurses from 10 general hospitals and 53 nurses in charge of nursing education in 110 hospitals with over 500 beds. Using open questions, the nurses identified activities which could not be verified, which lacked consistency among nurses, clinical units and/or hospitals, which were not based on the up-to-date knowledge and which needed reform. The data were analysed by content analysis using a qualitative methodology. Results: Collected data consisted of 1882 clinical topics, which were classified into 50 topics, 207 mid-categories, and 456 sub-categories. The most frequent topics in order of frequency were medications, central line management, intravenous injections, urinary catheterization, perioperative nursing care, skin tests, pressure ulcer care, blood transfusions, laboratory examination-culture, respiratory care which were performed routinely in clinical setting by staff nurses. Conclusion: The research findings indicate the urgent need to develop evidence-based clinical nursing practice guidelines related to these research findings. Further research is needed to identify topics related to health promotion, and symptom/management of health problem.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of dental hygienists in Japan. The study explicated the history, core curriculum, National Examination for Dental Hygienists, work roles of dental hygienists, and workplaces of dental hygienists. This study was based on the government policy report on dental hygienists and the information published by each public institution. The latest statistics presented by the institutions were collected through official websites. The employment information of graduates from Hiroshima University was analyzed based on actual field study. The results of the study revealed that social demand for dental hygienists has steadily increased and policies and education have been revised accordingly. The work roles of dental hygienists have expanded to meet the needs of the treatment and those of public health fields. In line with major policy changes, the educational period has been extended from 1 year to 3 or 4 years, while the mandatory credits for graduation have been established. Licensing examinations were being performed by the local governments since 1948 due to the different situations of dental hygienists in different areas. In 1992, they were converted into a single national examination. The work roles have expanded from assisting dental treatments to health guidance, home care, and perioperative care. Consequently, the number of dental hygienists has increased, especially in healthcare facilities for the elderly. Dental hygienists perform various roles. However, the most essential role is to provide the best oral care services to the patient. The expected role of dental hygienists has expanded in alignment with public healthcare needs and support for the elderly. The government and universities are expected to bring about improvements such as diversifying the channels of education and establishing policies to respond to growing patient needs by cultivating excellent dental hygiene professionals.