Clinical Analysis of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Chest Trauma / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia continues to be the most common major infection in trauma patients. Despite the advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for pneumonia, it remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this retrospective study is to identify the risk factors and clinical features of ventilator-associated pneumonia among chest trauma patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study population consisted of 78 mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU of Chonnam National University Hospital between January, 2001, and December, 2006. The patients were divided into two groups: those with pneumonia (Group I) and without pneumonia (Group II). Clinical predictors of the occurrence and mortality for ventilator associated pneumonia were analyzed. RESULT: There were 57 men and 21 women, with a mean age of 48.3+/-19.9 years. Almost half of the patients, 48.7% (38 of 78), had pneumonia. The mortality rate was 21.0% (8 of 38) in Group I and 2.5% (1 of 40) in Group II. The predictors of ventilator-associated pneumonia were the duration of mechanical ventilation (17.4 days vs 6.5 days, p<0.001), the mean stay in the ICU (21.7 days vs 9.7 days, p<0.001), the use of inotropics due to hemodynamic instability (63.1% vs 25.0%, p=0.001), and the serum level of CRP (11.3+/-7.8 vs 6.4+/-7.3, p= 0.006). CONCLUSION: Posttraumatic ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly related with the duration of mechanical ventilation, the mean stay in ICU, and the use of inotropics due to hemodynamic instability. The serum level of CRP at admission was higher in the pneumonia group. Morbidity and mortality can be reduced by early identification of predictive factors for developing pneumonia in chest trauma patients.

Spontaneous Hemothorax in a Patient with Type I Neurofibromatosis / 대한흉부외과학회지

Vascular involvement is a rare and life threatening complication of type I neurofibromatosis. A twenty-eight years old female with a family history of type I neurofibromatosis had sudden onset of upper back pain and dyspnea. Chest CT showed right massive hemothorax with aneurysmal rupture of the intercostal artery. She underwent an emergency operation on unstable hemodynamic status. We report a case of surgical treatment of spontaneous hemothorax in a patient with type I neurofibromatosis.

Inflammatory Reponse of the Lung to Hypothermia and Fluid Therapy after Hemorrhagic Shock in Rats / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The dysfunction of multiple organs is found to be caused by reactive oxygen species as a major modulator of microvascular injury after hemorrhagic shock. Hemorrhagic shock, one of many causes inducing acute lung injury, is associated with increase in alveolocapillary permeability and characterized by edema, neutrophil infiltration, and hemorrhage in the interstitial and alveolar space. Aggressive and rapid fluid resuscitation potentially might increased the risk of pulmonary dysfunction by the interstitial edema. Therefore, in order to improve the pulmonary dysfunction induced by hemorrhagic shock, the present study was attempted to investigate how to reduce the inflammatory responses and edema in lung. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weight 300 to 350 gm were anesthetized with ketamine (7 mg/kg) intramuscular. Hemorrhagic Shock (HS) was induced by withdrawal of 3 mL/100 g over 10 min. through right jugular vein. Mean arterial pressure was then maintained at 35~40 mmHg by further blood withdrawal. At 60 min. after HS, the shed blood and Ringer's solution or 5% albumin was infused to restore mean carotid arterial pressure over 80 mmHg. Rats were divided into three groups according to rectal temperature level (37 degrees C [normothermia] vs 33degrees C [mild hypothermia]) and resuscitation fluid (lactate Ringer's solution vs 5% albumin solution). Group I consisted of rats with the normothermia and lactate Ringer's solution infusion. Group II consisted of rats with the systemic hypothermia and lactate Ringer's solution infusion. Group III consisted of rats with the systemic hypothermia and 5% albumin solution infusion. Hemodynamic parameters (heart rate, mean carotid arterial pressure), metabolism, and pulmonary tissue damage were observed for 4 hours. RESULT: In all experimental groups including 6 rats in group I, totally 26 rats were alive in 3rd stage. However, bleeding volume of group I in first stage was 3.2+/-0.5 mL/100 g less than those of group II (3.9+/-0.8 mL/100 g) and group III (4.1+/-0.7 mL/100 g). Fluid volume infused in 2nd stage was 28.6+/-6.0 mL (group I), 20.6+/-4.0 mL (group II) and 14.7+/-2.7 mL (group III), retrospectively in which there was statistically a significance between all groups (p <0.05). Plasma potassium level was markedly elevated in comparison with other groups (II and III), whereas glucose level was obviously reduced in 2nd stage of group I. Level of interleukine-8 in group I was obviously higher than that of group II or III (p <0.05). They were 1,834+/-437 pg/mL (group I), 1,006+/-532 pg/mL (group II), and 764+/-302 pg/mL (group III), retrospectively. In histologic score, the score of group III (1.6+/-0.6) was significantly lower than that of group I (2.8+/-1.2)(p <0.05). CONCLUSION: In pressure-controlled hemorrhagic shock model, it is suggested that hypothermia might inhibit the direct damage of ischemic tissue through reduction of basic metabolic rate in shock state compared to normothermia. It seems that hypothermia should be benefit to recovery pulmonary function by reducing replaced fluid volume, inhibiting anti-inflammatory agent (IL-8) and leukocyte infiltration in state of ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, it is considered that other changes in pulmonary damage and inflammatory responses might induce by not only kinds of fluid solutions but also hypothermia, and that the detailed evaluation should be study.

Changes in the Lung after Pulmonary Hypertension Induced by Obstruction of the Pulmonary Vein in Rats / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies of vascular remodeling in the pulmonary arteries have been performed actively. These models required a persistent vascular insult for intimal injury induced by chronic hypoxia, monocrotaline intoxication or chronic air embolism and characterized medial hypertrophy and neointimal formation by active synthesis of the extracellular matrix protein. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of pulmonary vascular remodeling after obstruction of the pulmonary vein. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Obstruction of the right pulmonary vein with a metal clip was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats (352+/-18 g, n=10) to cause pulmonary vascular disease. Fifteen days later, experimental studies were done and finally the both lungs and hearts were extirpated for experimental measurement. Pulmonary arterial pressure, weight ratio of right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle (LV) and ventricular septum (S) (RV/LV+S weight ratio), and pulmonary artery morphology (percent wall thickness, %WT) were evaluated and compared with normal control groups. RESULT: Pulmonary hypertension (38+/-12 mmHg vs 13+/-4 mmHg; p<0.05) and right ventricular hypertrophy (right ventricular/left ventricular and septal weight ratio, 0.52+/-0.07 vs 0.35+/-0.04; p<0.05) with hypertrophy of the muscular layer of the pulmonary arterial wall (percent wall thickness, 22.4+/-6.7% vs 6.7+/-3.4%; p<0.05) were developed by 15 days after obstruction of the pulmonary vein. CONCLUSION: Obstruction of the pulmonary vein developed elevation of pulmonary blood pressure and medial hypertrophy of the pulmonary artery. These results are a part of the characteristic vascular remodeling. Theses results demonstrate that obstruction of the pulmonary vein can develope not only high pulmoanry blood flow of contralateral lung but also intima injury inducing vascular remodeling.

Cardiac Tamponade Caused by Cardiac Hemangioma: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Cardiac hemangioma is an extremely rare benign tumor. A 65 years old woman was admitted due to epigastric and chest pain. After we confirmed cardiac tamponade with right atrial mass by chest CT, we performed surgical resection of the mass and identified hemangioma with capillary endothelial hyperplasia on pathologic examination. Therefore, we report the case with literature review.

The Utility of Chest CTinStagingof Esophageal Cancer / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The decision of staging of esophageal cancer have great effect on the resectability of the lesion and estimation of the patient's prognosis. Today, CT is one of the most popular modality for staging of esophageal cancer. However, it has some limitations because of false-positive or false-negative findings on cancer staging. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy of CT in preoperative staging of esophageal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We retrospectively analysed the difference of staging of esophageal cancer between CT and histopathological findings for the 114 patients with histologically proven esophageal cancer who underwent operation at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chonnam national university hospital, between January 1999 and June 2003. We evaluated the efficacy of chest CT in the staging of esophageal cancer compared to postoperative histopathologic findings by calculating sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and reproducibility of chest CT to detect abnormality. RESULT: The reproducibilities between chest CT and histopathologic findings were 0.32 (p<0.01) for primary tumor (T), 0.36 (p<0.01) for lymph node invasion (N), and 0.62 (p<0.01) for distant metastasis (M). The reproducibilities between chest CT and histopathologic findings for lymph node invasion (N) and distant metastasis (M) were superior to that of primary tumor (T). The accuracy of primary tumor (T) was 65.8% and 98.2% in group III and IV, which was significantly higher than that of group I and II (78.9% and 62.3%). In general, specificity of chest CT for TNM staging was superior to sensitivity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, preoperative CT scanning can provide important information on lymph node invasion and metastasis of lesion than primary tumor invasion.

Ruptured Mature Cystic Teratoma Involving Pulmonary Artery: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

We report a case of mature cystic teratoma of the anterior mediastinum that ruptured into the pulmonary artery requiring an emergent surgical treatment. A 39-year-old woman presented an episode of massive hemoptysis and treated with bronchial artery embolization (BAE). On the 10th day after BAE, however, she developed sudden massive hemoptysis and had a deteriorated mental status. For a definitive treatment, she underwent the left pneumonectomy and the tumor resection in the anterior mediastinum. On histologic examination, the tumor disclosed cystic structures composed of mature squamous epithelium, pilosebaceous glands, mature fat tissue, cartilage and bone tissue. Also, there was intrapulmonary hemorrhage due to left pulmonary artery invasion of the tumor.

Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery with Dysphagia and Recurrent Pneumonia: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is an anomaly with a reported incidence of 0.5% to 2%. Most patients with an ARSA remain asymptomatic; however about 10% of adult patients have compressive symptoms. A case is reported of a 64-year old female patient who had a few years of history of dysphagia and recurrent pneumonia. Angiography was performed, which demonstrated an ARSA with common origin of the right and left carotid arteries. Surgical correction was performed via right thoracotomy. The proximal aberrant artery was mobilized behind the esophagus. The distal, right subclavian artery was exposed, transected, and transposed with reimplantation into the aortic root by graft bypass.

A Case of Pulmonary Endometriosis Causing Catamenial Hemoptysis / 대한흉부외과학회지

Pulmonary endometriosis is a rare disorder. We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with a 10-year history of catamenial hemoptysis due to pulmonary endometriosis which was diagnosed by CT during menstruation and treated successfully by wedge-resection of the right middle lobe. Medical therapy with hormones was not performed. There is no evidence of recurrence 5 months after the operation.

Hemostasis of Anastomotic Site by Wrapping with Artificial Vascular Graft / 대한흉부외과학회지

Bleeding from anastomotic site in operation for aorta has been troublesome, because it has influence on postoperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, hemostasis is very important. We describe a simple and effective method for achieving hemostasis of the anastomotic site in aortic surgery. By wrapping around anastomotic site with remnant artificial vascular graft, we have acquired good results.

The Effects of alpha-Adrenergic Drugs on the Myocardial Preconditioning in Rats / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Ischemic preconditioning(IP) is known to be effective in the protection of myocardial necrosis, arrhythmia, and the restoration of the myocardial function in the ischemia-reperfusion state of the heart. However the exact mechanism is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the trigger mechanism of IP on the restoration of the myocardial function after ischemia-reperfusion. MATERIAL AND METHOD: By connecting a Langendorff perfusion apparatus with an isolated heart of a rat, the normal temperature of the heart was maintained. The experiment was conducted in seven groups, which were divided according to the preconditioning stimuli and blockage methods: Group I(n=10) was a group without IP, Group II(n=10) a group of three-minute IP, Group III(n=10) a group of PEIP, Group IV(n=10) a group of clonidine IP, Group V(n=10) a group of IP after reserpine, Group VI(n=10) a group of PE & prazosin IP, and Group VII(n=10) a group of clonidine & yohimbine IP. Hemodynamic parameters of DP, LVEDP, +/-dP/dT and the changes of perfusion in the coronary artery were evaluated. RESULT: Developed pressure and +dP/dT changed per unit time. After 20 minutes of reperfusion, those of Group II and III were 63.1+/-3.7%, 64.8+/-4.6% and 64.5+/-4.6%, 63.8+/-4.4%, which improved more significantly than those of Group I(P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the Groups V and VI, and Group I. CONCLUSION: The Brief ischemic preconditioning and pharmacological preconditioning using alpha-receptor sympathomimetics have protecting effects on the restoration of myocardial function after reperfusion. And the protecting effect of preconditioning seems to be related to sympathetic neurotransmitters and to the selective action of the alpha1-adrenergic receptor.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Using Sequential Graft of the Left Internal Mammary Artery / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: As the internal mammary artery is far superior to the vein in the patency rate recently there has been a tendency to use the arterial graft as much as possible in coronary artery bypass grafts with the expectation of better the short- and long-term patency rate. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We sequentially grafted the diagonal and the left anterior descending artery significantly influencing the cardiac function with the internal mammary artery. There were 32 cases of sequential grafts from July 1993 to December 1998: 21 men and 11 women. The age range was from 43 to 69 years with a mean age of 56.64+/-6.41 years. There were 22 unstable angina 7 stable angina and 3 acute myocardial infarction. 8 cases of them were accompanied by stenosis of the left main coronary artery. The grafts for coronary artery bypass surgery included the great saphenous vein at 60 the right gastroepiploci artery at 5 and the left internal mammary artery at 64 coronary arteries. RESULT: One patient died from sepsis and multiorgan failure. Complications included wound infections in two cases and gastrointestinal bleeding in one patient. All patients showed decrease or disappearance of angina after operation. The postoperative coronary angiogram performed in 9 patients showed neither occlusion nor stenosis of the grafts. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that sequential anastomosis of the internal mammary artery to the diagonal and the left anterior descending artery may result in excellent short-term patency diagonal and the left anterior descending artery may result in excellent short-term patency rate and be useful for the coronary artery bypass graft using only arterial grafts.

Extracardiac Aneurysm of the Sinus of Valsalva: A Case Report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva on mostly congenital disease that develops more frequently in Orientals, is very low in incidence. In most cases, aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva extends to intracardiac and results in ruptures into the right ventricle or atrium. The likelihood of extracardiac aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva is very low. Cases of extracardiac aneurysm are usually accompanied by aortic regurgitation and can cause right ventricle outflow tract obstruction, myocardial ischemia, and myocardial infarction due to compression by aneurysm. Since the aneurysm can rupture in the intrapericardium and cause cardiogenic shock or sudden death, definite diagnosis and management are important. If confirmed, it is preferable operform a surgical correction. We report here, with a literature review, a case where myocardial ischemia and aortic egurgitation caused by aneurysm developed in the left coronary and noncoronary sinus, and were surgically corrected with satisfactory esults.

Clinical Results of Mitral Valve Replacement with St. Jude Medical Valve / 대한흉부외과학회지

A total of 172 cases of MVR using the St. Jude Medical valve was conducted in the period from August 1986 to May 1996. The hospital mortality rate was 3.5% (n=6) and the late mortality rate was 3.3% (n=5). According to the follow-up of 161 surviving patients, the average length of survival was 50.23+/-0.27 months. Three cases of prosthetic valve related complication deaths were identified. Two cases could be ascribed to left atrial thrombi and resulting cerebral infarction, and one case was prosthetic valve endocarditis. Two cases were caused by hemorrhagic complications that we presume to have been accompanied by anti-coagulation therapy. The actuarial survival rate of all cases at 10 years was 92.3%. We conclude that good clinical results and a low complication rate could be achieved through mitral valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve. We also conclude that mid-term and long-term follow-ups were instrumental and necessary.