Analysis of Body Mass Index in 4,966 Patients Undergoing Operations / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Obesity is defined as an excess accumulation of body fat. To measure body fat accurately is difficult, but body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) is easily available for routine clinical use. METHODS: A total of 4,966 (male; 2,580, female; 2,386) patients from January to September in 1997 and aged up to 90 years old were studied for BMI. Among these subjects, obstetric patients were excluded in our study. We calculated the BMI as weight (kg) per height squared (m2). The heights and weights of study subjects were obtained from anesthesia records. The BMI was analyzed by 4 different age groups: group 1 (less than 3 years), group 2 (between 3 to 7 years), group 3 (between 8 to 17 years), and group 4 (18 years or more), decade of age, 4 obesity categories according to BMI levels: underweight (less than 18 kg/m2), normal weight (19-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (30 kg/m2 or more), and surgical departments. RESULTS: Mean BMI values of group 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 16.1+/-2.9 kg/m2, 16.2+/-2.4 kg/m2, 19.2+/-3.7 kg/m2 and 23.3+/-4.6 kg/m2 in males and 15.7+/-3.9 kg/m2, 15.8+/-2.7 kg/m2, 19.4+/-3.5 kg/m2 and 23.6+/-3.7 kg/m2 in females, respectively. According to generations, the BMI under teen-age was 16.3+/-2.7 kg/m2 and 14.3+/-2.9 kg/m2 in males and females respectively while it was between 20.4+/-3.3 kg/m2 to 25.0+/-3.6 kg/m2 from 1st to 7th decade patients in both sex. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were nearly zero in group 1 and 2, but males in group 3 had them of 4.6% and 1.4% while 6.9% and 0.8% in females, respectively. In group 4 they were 25.3% and 2.2% in males and 28.8% and 4.8% in females, respectively. Obese patients increased in the order of neurosurgery, gynecology, orthopedic surgery, urology, and general surgery departments. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the guidelines of BMI of operating patients. We recognized that the prevalence of overweight and obesity of preschool aged and adolescent patients were nearly zero. Adult patients were the highest at 4th decade in males and 6th decade in females and the obesity rates were 27.4% and 33.6% in males and females, respectively.

Clinical Study of the Duration of CO2 Absorption of ROK and USA-produced Soda Lime and Their Re-use Time after Being Exhausted / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: In a circle system, gas that is to be reused is cleared of carbon dioxide by passing through a canister containing a chemical CO2 absorbent. In anesthesia textbooks the utilization time of carbon dioxide is nearly always specified to last about 5 hours. The soda lime used was noted to regenerate its efficiency for CO2 absorption after being exhausted. Two different types of soda lime (a ROK product and USA product) were analyzed in patients for their duration of carbon dioxide absorption from the anesthetic closed circle system and re-use time after being exhausted. METHODS: General inhalation anesthesia was performed using a PhysioFlex anesthesia machine. To determine the duration of carbon dioxide absorption by soda lime and the re-use time after being exhausted, twenty seven (ROK; 20 and USA; 7) and fifty (ROK; 22 and USA; 28) adult patients were studied. Duration of CO2 absorption was determined as the time for the inspired CO2 concentration to reach 0.5%. The color change of ethyl violet in soda lime was observed throughout the study. Duration of CO2 absorption was compared by unpaired t-test. Re-use time of each group was analysed by simple regression; p less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Duration of CO2 absorption was 2.67 +/- 2.12 hrs for the ROK product and 9.52 +/- 0.68 hrs of USA product, and they were different significantly (P < 0.05). Regression equations of ROK- and USA-products werey (min) = 5.761x + 45.701 (r2 = 0.0438, P = 0.3496, x means day after being exhausted) and y = 0.6x + 33.179 (r2 = 0.0158, P = 0.5233) respectively. A color change of ethyl violet in ROK soda lime was not observed throughout the chemical reaction. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results we suggest that ROK soda lime is not effective yet to use for CO2 absorption in clinical anesthesia. It is marked shorter than that of the USA soda lime. A color change of ethyl violet was not observed throughout the chemical absorption reaction in ROK soda lime. Re-use time of both soda limes were not related with the duration after being exhausted.