Anesthetic management of a patient with Huntington's chorea: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Huntington's chorea is a rare hereditary disorder of the nervous system. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder and is characterized by progressive chorea, dementia and psychiatric disturbances. The best anesthetic technique is yet to be established for these patients with increased risk of aspiration due to involvement of pharyngeal muscles and an exaggerated response to sodium thiopental and succinylcholine. The primary goal in general anesthesia for these patients is to provide airway protection and a rapid and safe recovery. We report the anesthetic management of a 51-year-old patient with Huntington's chorea admitted for an emergency operation.

Pregnancy in Woman with Spinal Cord Stimulator for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used to manage chronic pain syndromes and it is accepted a cost-effective therapy. Child-bearing women who had SCS become or choose to become pregnant despite these policies pregnancy is a relative contraindication. A 32-year-old woman had SCS as a treatment for the CRPS I of the left lower extremity. During various check up tests, we happen to find out that her serum beta-hCG was positive and confirmed pregnancy. SCS is not recommended in pregnancy because the effects of SCS on pregnancy and nursing mothers had not been confirmed. However, many female patients suffering from chronic pain may expect future pregnancy and we think that they must be informed about the possibility of pregnancy and the effects of SCS device implantation in the course of pregnancy. First of all, a good outcome requires a multidisciplinary team approach, including obstetrics, neonatology, pain medicine and anesthesia, as was used from an early pregnancy. Unfortunately, she had a misabortrion after 6 weeks.

Retroperitoneal Hematoma Caused by Ruptured Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Aneurysm

A ruptured aneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal arteries is an emergency condition, with a high mortality rate. Therefore, early diagnosis and adequate management are needed. Recently, treatment with a transcatheter arterial embolization has decreased the mortality rate. A 68-year-old man presented with persistent abdominal pain and dyspnea. Contrast abdominal computed tomography revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma, with an actively bleeding focus. An urgent celiac and superior pancreaticoduodenal arteriogram showed a contrast extravasation, about 15 X 8 mm in size, with a saccular aneurysm of the distal anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery; therefore transcatheter arterial embolization was performed. The patient's condition improved without complication after the embolization.

Epilural Morphine in Treatment of Caneer Pain / 대한마취과학회지

Epidural injection of 2.0 mg morphine with distilled water or 0.9 % normal saline 10 ml were given to a bladder cancer patient with severe chronic intraetable pain which radiated from low abdomen to gluteal and low leg region. The patient had absolute pain relief which began 2~3 minutes to onset, with 3~5 minutes of peak of action and was effective for 20~25 hours (mean 24 hours) without complications or continuous care as an ambulatory patient. It is suggested that the morphine reached the subarachinoid space through the membrane and produced its effect by direct action on the specific opiate receptors in the substantia gelatinosa of the posterior horn of the spinal cord.

The Effect of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation / 대한마취과학회지

In 1965, Melzack and Well proposed the gate-control theory which is based on modern neurophysiological principles. Its clinical application in western medicine remains in the area of pain control to relieve pain in certain diseases such as in the neck, scapula, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle joint pain, low back pain, facial palsy, headache, etc. Recent study, gradually developed in the western countries, has reported that the mechanism of action is by the method of the opiate receptor binding -sites and the release of intrinsic morphine like substances two related pentapeptides, 5HT (5-Hvdr oxyltriptamine), Na-glutamate, and by bradykinine, serotonine, histamine and prostaglandine E, etc. by peripheral nerve stimulation. It seems that the mechanism of stimulation involves neuropliysiological and neurohumoral inhibitory effects at the level of the spinal cord, brain stem (thalamus) and cortex. As yet it is not clear, but further study will improve the understanding of pain mechanisms in developed countries in the near future. Since 1976, the pain clinic in Hanyang University Hospital has used peripheral electrical acupuncture stimulation and found it to relieve pain which had not responded to various drugs and other methods. Here, the techinic and procedure of the treatment are described. The results for the forty-seven cases showed: marked improvement in 27 cases(57. 4%), improvement in 17 cases (36. 2%) and transient improvement in 3 cases (6. 4%).

The Clinical Investigation of Gastric Volume and pH Under General Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in preoperative methods to reduce gastric acidity, thus lessening the risk of a serious pulmonary reactions following aspiration of gastric contents. Emergency obstetrical patients frequently have large volumes of gastric fluid. It is less commonly appreciated that patients fasting prior to elective surgery afterive in operating room with large gastric fluid volumes with a low pH. Prophylactic preoperative oral administration of antacids has been shown to reduce preoperative gastric acidity in significant percentage of patients, but aspiration of antacids can be associated with pulmonary complications, and there use may be associated with increased gastric volume. Preoperative adrpinistration of glycopyrrolate may decrease the frequency of surgical patients with a low gastric pH, and it appears that the volume of gastric fluid may be reduced by medication that relax the pylorus. However, none of these pharmacologic manuevers completely abolisbes the possibility of serious pulmonary damage with aspiration. Mendelson and Teabeat demonstrated the importance of pH in the etiology of acid aspiration and it is generally accepted that the critical pH is 2. 5 or less, i.e. the risk of aerious pulmonary reaction increases progressively as the pH of the aspirate falls below 2.5. A critical volume of acid aspirate is also necessary for widespread pulmonary damage to occur irrespective of a low gastric pH. The critical volume is rhesus monkeys has been shown to be 0.4 ml/kg, but the critical volume in man is less well difined. Several investigators have determined the patient to be at risk of serious pulmonary complications with aspiration if at least 25 ml of gastric fluid with a pH of 2.5 or less is aspirated. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects on the volume and pH of gastric juice under general anesthesia. The 35 patients were studied, and were divided. into 4 group account to the kind of premedicants, N.P.O. time, weight, and obstetric patients Gastric juice, aspirated through a Levine tube, was examined for pH and. volume under general anesthesia.

The Effects of Atropine and Neostigmine on Heart Rate and Electrocardiogram in Anesthetized Patients / 대한마취과학회지

Four modes of administrating atropine and neostigmine to reverse pancuronium block were studied in thirty-eight anesthetized patients, with special reference to their effects on heart rate and electrocardiogram. At the end of operation in group 1 a mixture of atropine (0. 5 mg) and neostigmine(1. 0 mg) was rapidly injected together. In group 2 the same mixture was slowly injected in 3 minutes. In group 3 atropine was rapidly injected and 2 minutes later neostigmine was rapidly injected. In group 4 neostigmine was slowly injected in 1 minute and then immediately atropine was rapidly injected. The results were as follows. 1) In all groups a transient increase in heart rate was followed by a decrease which continued over 30 minutes. 2) The changes in heart rate were most pronounced when atropine was given before neostigmin(group 3) On the other hand when atropine was given immediately after neostigmine the changes in heart rate seemed to be smallest. 3) A small number of cases showed transient ECG changes in each group. It is considered that one must be careful about arterial gas and ECG changes although the number of cases is small and certain correlation was not indicated but the ECG of the five of 38 patients are abnormal, four of these are among the abnormal cases in the gas study, two of the four abnormals are under PaO2, 60 mmHg.

The Clinical Investigation of Pediatric Caudal Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

Many studies have cited occurrences of severe and long-lasting emotional disturbances of almost every kind after surgical procedures, particularly due to the sedatives or narcotics which were administered to control the post-operative pain. In order to control this post-operative pain, pediatric caudal analgesia was performed in 15 infants and children from the age 2 months to 6 years, who were to undergo lower abdomen, perineum and lower extremity surgery. They were induced with inhalation anesthoeia, using nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane by mask before and during the block. Following the block, infants and children were turned to supine position and the initial concentration of halothane was reduced. All cases were given 10mg/kg of 1% solution of lidocaine. On examination of the level of the analgesia, 13 out of 15 cases had spread higher level than T10, with effective block for surgical procedures. The identification of the sacral cornu is easy and technical failureis lees in comparison than with the lumbar epidural block for infants and children. Thus we can perform this block successfully for infants and children without any complications or accidents. It is especially helpful in the management of postoperative cases due to the effect in control of the postoperative pain. Thus it gives satisfaction to their parents, nurses and doctors. Despite no follow-up study on postoperative emotional reactions, it was considered that there were minimal occurrences of emotional and behavioral sequelae following the hospital and surgical experiences.

A Review of Four Cases of Malignant Hyperpyrexia Reported in Korea / 대한마취과학회지

Four cases of malignant hyperpyrexia were reported in Korea since 197I and three of these cases expired. We discuss here the four cases of malignant hyperpyrexia with clinical features and management, and the importance of early recorgnition and aggressive treatment of malignant hyperpyrexia are stressed.

The Clinical Study of Ro 5-4200 (Flunitrazepam) / 대한마취과학회지

Benzodiazepine derivatives, chlordiazepoxide(Librium), diazepam(Valium), nitrazepam(Mogadon) and oxazepam(Serenid-D) are mainly used as hypnotics at present. Diazepam has been used mainly for premedication in anesthesia and as an intravenous anesthetic agent. The pharmacological actions of these drugs are tranquilizing effects for central nervous system, slight depression on the cardiovascular and respiratory system, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. A new benzodiazepine derivative, Flunitrazepam(Ro 5-4200) has strong hypnotic action, is anticonvulsant and antidepressant in spite of slight depression of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Furthermore the onset and duration of this drug are shorter than the others. In our clinical study, flunitrazepam in the dosage of 0.005mg/kg was administered intravenously, as an intravenous anesthetic induction agent, for 22 surgical adult patients. In each patient, the blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, minutes volume and arterial gas study were done, before and after administration of the Ro 5-4200. The results are as follows; 1. Dosage of this flunitrazepam is not constant as other benzodiazepines. 2. The effects of flunitrazepam on the cardiovascular system showed slight depression but no effect by one hour post-operation. 3. In respiratory system, the minute volume was depressed slightly and the respiratory rate was increased but negligibly. 4. Undesirable side effects attributed to this drug were not found, except the developing of cough (one case).

The Management of Intensive therapy Unit / 대한마취과학회지

Sine 1961, Dr. Safar postulated the new form of patient, so called "progressive patient care", the hospital service in all countries are fashioned with intensive therapy unit. Particulary the- World Federation Society of Anesthesiologists who have discusincerly at several International congress. we were interested from the literature and visited England, Denmark, United States. and Japan. Of course in Korea, the intensive therapy unit developed from the recovery room and is thus intimately oonnected with anesthesiologists. Here we reviewed with literature and introduced the activities af the intensive therapy unit of Hanyang University Hospital from May 1972 to October 1973, from the point view of the definition, building design, location, capacity, equipment, staff organization and charge of patient, several problems and regulations. Furthermore we recommended with the following new ideas for establishment in hospital of an intensive therapy. unit. a. The design should be arranged on the same floor (OR-RR-Anes.-1TU) and in central part of building. b. Several isolation rooms should be made in 1-T-U. c. One central monitoring system will serve each units. d. The 1-T-U equipment should be used with wall trolly system. e. The regulations of 1-T-U should be noted and advocated by all hospital members. f. The beds in 1-T-U should be arranged with open system.