• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2022

Background: Open gastrectomy causes severe postoperative pain. Therefore, we investigated the opioid-sparing effect of the ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) after open gastrectomy. Methods: Adult patients undergoing open gastrectomy were randomly assigned to either the ESPB group (ESPB + fentanyl based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia [IV-PCA]) or a control group (fentanyl based IV-PCA only). The primary outcome was total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain intensities using a numeric rating scale at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hour postoperatively, and the amount of fentanyl equivalent consumption during the PACU stay and at 3, 6, and 12 hour postoperatively, and the time to the first request for rescue analgesia. Results: Fifty-eight patients were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively between the two groups (P = 0.471). Pain intensities were not significantly different between the groups except during the PACU stay and 3 hour postoperatively (P < 0.001, for both). Time to the first rescue analgesia in the ward was longer in the ESPB group than the control group (P = 0.045). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided ESPB did not decrease total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour after open gastrectomy. It only reduced postoperative pain intensity until 3 hour postoperatively compared with the control group. Ultrasound-guided single-shot ESPB cannot provide an efficient opioid-sparing effect after open gastrectomy.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.115-119
• /
• 2008

Purpose: Abrupt abstinence from alcohol in cause of chronic alcohol addiction can trigger alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The authors studied the effect of post-operative alcohol withdrawal syndrome in patients who require intensive care due to trauma. Methods: For the study group, we selected 70 patients who had undergone emergency surgery from May 2003 to March 2007 due to trauma and who had been treated with prophylactic thiamine. Data was collected retrospectively. We excluded those who extended their hospital stay for other than traumatic causes, those who died within 3 days of surgery after trauma, those who transferred to other institutions, and those who received a psychiatric diagnosis. Patient groups were determined by the existence or the non-existence of withdrawal syndrome. Age, sex, injury mechanism, mortality, complications, durations of hospital stay and intensive care, use of mechanical ventilator, and sedative use were investigated. A Chi-square test and The Mann-Whitney method were used for statistical analysis in this study. Results: Twenty-four (24) patients from the 58 who had an ISS of 16 or more showed alcohol withdrawal syndrome, and men were shown to be affected with the syndrome significantly more than women. Although ISS was higher in the group with alcohol withdrawal syndrome, statistically, the difference was not significant (P<0.08). The total hospital stay in the patient group with alcohol withdrawal syndrome was on average 10 days longer. However, the difference was not significant (P<0.054). The duration of intensive care in the patient group with alcohol withdrawal syndrome was significantly longer (P<0.029). The patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome showed no significant difference in the duration of mechanical ventilator use (P<0.783), or in the duration of sedative use (P<0.284). Respiratory distress, pneumonia, upper airway infection, sepsis, acute renal failure, and mortality in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome group were investigated, but no statistically significant difference were noted. Conclusion: We found that the duration of intensive care in chronic alcohol abusers was longer due to the development of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. We also discovered that, when the patients overcame the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome after intensive care, no difference was found in the frequency of developing complications, the morbidity, and the mortality. Therefore, we conclude that intensive care in trauma patients who are chronic alcohol abusers decreases the incidence of complications found in patients with post-operative alcohol withdrawal syndrome and does not adversely impact the prognoses for those patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.95-106
• /
• 1990

Between May 1979 and April 1989, 213 patients with esophageal injuries visited the Department of the Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Department, Yonsei University College of Medicine. There were 159 non perforated esophageal injuries accompanied by hematemesis, and 54 perforated esophageal injuries. The causes of non perforated esophageal injuries were Mallory-Weise Syndrome [%], corrosive esophagitis [54], esophageal carcinoma [4], foreign bodies [2], sclerotherapy due to esophageal varices [3]. The causes of perforated esophageal injuries were esophageal anastomosis[13], malignancies[17], esophagoscopy or bougienage[5], chest trauma[5], foreign bodies[5], paraesophageal surgery[3], others[6] In esophageal perforation due to foreign bodies, esophagoscopy or bougienage, there were 6 cervical esophageal perforations and 9 thoracic esophageal perforations. There were no mortalities in the treatment of the cervical esophageal perforations and 5 deaths resulted in the treatment of 9 thoracic esophageal perforations. And four of six patients with thoracic esophageal perforations died in the initiation of treatment over 24 hours, after trauma. There were another 12 deaths in the patients with chest trauma, malignancies or chronic inflammation except esophageal injuries due to foreign bodies or instruments during the hospital stay or less than 30 days after esophageal injuries. One patient with esophageal carcinoma died due to bleeding and respiratory failure after irradiation. Another patient with esophago gastrostomy due to esophageal carcinoma died of sepsis due to EG site leakage. One patient with a mastectomy due to breast cancer followed by irradiation died of sepsis due to an esophagopleural fistula. Two patients with Mallory-Weiss syndrome died; of hemorrhagic shock in one and of respiratory failure due to massive transfusion in the other. One patient with TEF died of respiratory failure and another died of pneumonia and respiratory failure. One patient with esophageal perforation due to blunt chest trauma died of brain damage accompanied with chest trauma.

• Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.249-255
• /
• 2018

Objective As aging progresses, clinical characteristics of elderly patients in the emergency department (ED) vary by age. We aimed to study differences among elderly patients in the ED by age group. Methods For 2 years, patients aged 65 and older were enrolled in the study and classified into three groups: youngest-old, ages 65 to 74 years; middle-old, 75 to 84 years; and oldest-old, ${\geq}85years$. Participants' sex, reason for ED visit, transfer from another hospital, results of treatment, type of admission, admission department and length of stay were recorded. Results During the study period, a total 64,287 patients visited the ED; 11,236 (17.5%) were aged 65 and older, of whom 14.4% were 85 and older. With increased age, the female ratio (51.5% vs. 54.9% vs. 69.1%, P<0.001), medical causes (79.5% vs. 81.3% vs. 81.7%, P=0.045), and admission rate (35.3% vs. 42.8% vs. 48.5%, P<0.001) increased. Admissions to internal medicine (57.5% vs. 59.3% vs. 64.7%, P<0.001) and orthopedic surgery (8.5% vs. 11.6% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001) also increased. The ratio of admission to intensive care unit showed no statistical significance (P=0.545). Patients over age 85 years had longer stays in the ED (330.9 vs. 378.9 vs. 407.2 minutes, P<0.001), were discharged home less (84.4% vs. 78.9% vs. 71.5%, P<0.001), and died more frequently (6.3% vs. 10.4% vs. 13.0%, P<0.001). Conclusion With increased age, the proportion of female patients and medical causes increased. Rates of admission and death increased with age and older patients had longer ED and hospital stays.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.60 no.9
• /
• pp.302-306
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was expressed in acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) that causes neuronal damage in children. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the pediatric neurology ward of Soetomo Hospital. Cases of AES with ages ranging from 1 month to 12 years were included. Cases that were categorized as simple and complex febrile seizures constituted the non-AES group. Blood was collected for the measurement of NSE within 24 hours of hemodynamic stabilization. The median NSE values of both groups were compared by using the Mann-Whitney U test. All statistical analyses were performed with SPSS version 12 for Windows. Results: In the study period, 30 patients were enrolled. Glasgow Coma Scale mostly decreased in the AES group by about 40% in the level ${\leq}8$. All patients in the AES group suffered from status epilepticus and 46.67% of them had body temperature >$40^{\circ}C$. Most of the cases in the AES group had longer duration of stay in the hospital. The median serum NSE level in the AES group was 157.86 ng/mL, and this value was significantly higher than that of the non-AES group (10.96 ng/mL; P<0.05). Conclusion: AES cases showed higher levels of serum NSE. These results indicate that serum NSE is a good indicator of neuronal brain injury.

• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.66-71
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Respiratory morbidity is the most common problem among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Therefore, the aim of this study was to make a differential diagnosis between transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and pneumonia through comparison of clinical features and test results. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 86 infants with TTN, RDS, or pneumonia. These were infants who had respiratory distress, were born after ${\geq}34$ weeks of gestation, and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit of Kosin University Gospel Hospital between June 1, 2011 and June 30, 2016. Results: The numbers (percentage) of infants with TTN, RDS, and pneumonia were 51 (59.3%), 20 (23.3%), and 15 (17.4%), respectively. Late-preterm and early-term newborns accounted for 65.1% of the infants. Tachypnea was observed in 74.4% of the neonates. The median age at admission was 4 hours (0 to 116) after birth. The infants with RDS had significantly lower birth weights, pH levels, base excess and oxygen saturation levels at admission, longer duration of total ventilator therapy, and hospital stay than those in the other two groups. The infants with pneumonia showed significantly high initial high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and significant chest radiographic findings. Conclusion: Early differential diagnosis for TTN, RDS, and pneumonia is challenging because they show similar respiratory symptoms at an early stage. Clinical features and test results can be used to determine the etiology of respiratory distress and early antibiotic treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.26 no.12
• /
• pp.915-919
• /
• 1993

The management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus[PDA] with heart failure and cardiac cachexia in premature infants have been a disturbing and controversial problem in the field of pediatric cardiovascular surgery.We analysed our experiences to determine the rationale of surgical closure of PDA in infants . During a period of 7 years from January 1986 to December 1992, 12 infants under 2 months of age underwent operations for "hemodynamically significant" PDA which had caused severe heart failure.There were 6 male and 6 female patients. Their mean gestational age was 33.8 weeks and their mean body weight was 1990 g. ranged from 710 g. to 2900 g. Mean age at operation was 28.5days. Seven patients had history of Indomethacin trial. All patients were operated with double ligation technique under general anesthesia.There was no mortality and blood transfusion was not necessary in any patient during the operation.In all cases, we could confirm the complete closure of PDA after operation by follow-up echocardiography.Two patients died during their hospital stay and 1 patient died at 6 months after operation. The causes of death were sepsis with congestive heart failure, necrotizing entero colitis and pneumonia respectively.We can not detect any operation related complication which resulted in permanent sequelae as well as delayed complications related to nerve damage. These results indicate that surgical ligation of PDA in infants with severe heart failure is relatively safe and effective.effective.

• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2011

People spend most of their time inside buildings recently, so the indoor air quality is one of the most important factors to human health. Furthermore, minimum energy use with proper ventilation systems for pleasant indoor environment is necessary because of energy shortage over the world. The concern to maintain proper indoor air quality at home has been increased, and a proper indoor air quality is continuously requested by the residents. By measuring and analyzing the density fluctuation of $CO_2$ through indoor humidity and testing personal reactions regarding comfort condition, we can obtain a way to effective ventilation. Heat and carbon dioxide emissions from resident's metabolism and construction materials could be the causes of indoor air pollution. If these materials stay indoors for a long time, it could directly influence the resident's health condition with diseases. It also leads massive energy use. Therefore, the way to save energy and to have effective control of indoor ventilation is needed. This study presented the control method of bedroom ventilation by $CO_2$ concentration change and subjective evaluation.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.171-176
• /
• 1998

Postoperative pain following tonsillectomy remains a significant obstacle to speedy recovery and smooth convalescence. Inadequate analgesia causes poor oral intake and influences the length of hospital stay and ability to return to normal activity. Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) is a method of analgesia adminstration that consists of a computer driven pump with a button that the patient may press to adminster a small dose of analgesic drug. The aim of this study was to examine whether Intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia (IV-PCA) can reduce postoperative pain after tonsillectomy. The 100 patients undergoing tonsillectomy with general anesthesia were divided into two groups. The PCA group patients (n=80) received a mixture of nalbuphine and ketorolac by Walkmed PCA infusor during first 48 postoperative hours. In control group (n=20), the patients received oral acetoaminophen (Tyrenol) regularly and tiaprofenic acid (Surgam) intramuscularly on a p.r.n basis. Analgesic efficacy was evaluated with visual linear analogue scale (VAS) and the adverse effects were evaluated with 4 point scale. The patients of PCA group had less pain than those of control group. The adverse effects in the PCA group were nausea and vomiting. This study suggests that IV-PCA may be safe and effective method of pain control after adult tonsillectomy and is better accepted than oral or intramuscular pain medications.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.29 no.1 s.232
• /
• pp.139-150
• /
• 2005

The present study has numerically investigated two-dimensional laminar flow over a circular cylinder with a uniform planar shear, where the free-stream velocity varies linearly across the cylinder. Numerical simulations using the immersed boundary method are performed for the ranges of $50{\le}Re{\le}160,\;K{\le}0.2$, and B=0.1 and 0.05 where Re, K and B are the Reynolds number, the non-dimensionalized velocity gradient and the blockage ratio, respectively. Results show that the flow depends significantly on B as well as Re and K. It is found, especially, that the blockage effect accounts for some causes of apparent discrepancies among previous studies on the flow. With increasing K, the vortex shedding frequency and the mean drag stay nearly constant or slightly decrease whereas the mean lift, acting from the higher-velocity side to the lower, increases linearly. Flow statistics as well as instantaneous flow fields are presented to identify the characteristics of the flow and then to understand the underlying mechanism.