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Purpose@#We aimed to examine whether preoperative lifestyle factors are associated with mortality after cancer surgery. @*Methods@#This study used data from the National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea. We included all adult patients who underwent major cancer surgery between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. Three lifestyle factors were evaluated preoperatively: smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. @*Results@#A total of 48,557 patients who underwent major cancer surgery were included in the final analysis. In the multivariable logistic regression modeling, current smokers showed 1.40-fold higher odds of 90-day mortality after cancer surgery (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–1.71; P = 0.001) than never smokers. However, alcohol consumption and physical activity were not associated with 90-day mortality after cancer surgery. In the multivariable Cox regression modeling, current smokers showed 1.25-fold higher odds of 1-year mortality after cancer surgery (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.38; P < 0.001) than never smokers. However, alcohol consumption and physical activity were not associated with 1-year mortality after cancer surgery. @*Conclusion@#In conclusion, current smoking was associated with worse short- and long-term survival outcomes in South Korea, though preoperative alcohol consumption and physical activity levels were not associated with mortality after cancer surgery.
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Purpose@#Patients with pain conditions may experience depression that greatly complicates treatment. In this study, we examined risk factors for depression in patients with pain conditions and associations between depression and long-term mortality in such patients. @*Materials and Methods@#Data from the National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea were used in this cohort study. A total of 2.5% of adult patients diagnosed with pain conditions in 2010 were selected using a stratified random sampling technique and included for analysis. We performed multivariate logistic regression modelling to identify risk factors associated with depression and multivariate Cox regression modelling to determine whether depression is associated with 10-year survival outcomes in patients with pain conditions. @*Results@#In total, data from 1808043 patients with pain conditions in 2010 were analyzed. Among them, 70148 (3.9%) patients had depression. Multivariate logistic regression modelling identified older age, comorbidities, analgesics, female sex, living in an urban area, and other underlying psychiatric morbidities as potential risk factors for depression in patients with pain conditions. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that 10-year all-cause mortality in patients with depression was 1.13-fold (hazard ratio, 1.13;95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.16; p<0.001) higher than that in patients without depression and pain conditions. @*Conclusion@#We identified a few potential risk factors for depression among South Korean patients with pain conditions. Depression was associated with elevated 10-year all-cause mortality in patients with pain conditions.
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Objective@#Chronic pain increases the risk of suicide because it is often accompanied by depressive symptoms. However, the existing information regarding suicidal thinking in patients with chronic pain such as spinal conditions is insufficient. We aimed to examine the prevalence of suicidal thinking and the factors associated with it among patients with spinal conditions. @*Methods@#Data from the National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea were used in this population-based, cross-sectional study, and 2.5% of adult patients diagnosed with spinal conditions (low back pain and/or neck pain) between 2018 and 2019 were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was used to determine the presence of suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms. @*Results@#33,171 patients with spinal conditions were included in this study. Among them, 5.9% had suicidal thinking and 20.7% had depressive symptoms. In the multivariable logistic regression model, old age, male sex, and employment were associated with a decreased prevalence of suicidal thinking. Current smokers, previous smokers, medical aid program recipients, and patients with mild-to-moderate or severe disability showed increased suicidal thinking. Underlying depression, bipolar disorder, insomnia disorder, and substance abuse were also associated with increased suicidal thinking. @*Conclusion@#In South Korea, 5.9% and 20.7% of patients with spinal conditions had suicidal thoughts and depressive symptoms, respectively. Some factors were associated with an increased prevalence of suicidal thoughts among patients with spinal conditions. Our results suggest that screening for these factors can help prevent suicide in patients with spinal conditions.
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Background@#The optimal anesthetic technique for cancer surgery remains a controversial issue. This study aimed to examine whether propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) was associated with survival outcomes after major cancer surgery in South Korea and compare its effectiveness with that of inhalation anesthesia. @*Methods@#This nationwide population-based cohort study included adult patients who were admitted to the hospital and underwent major cancer surgery between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. The major cancers included lung, gastric, colorectal, esophageal, small bowel, liver, pancreatic, and bile duct or gallbladder cancers. @*Results@#A total of 253,003 patients who underwent major cancer surgery were included in the analysis. After propensity score (PS) matching, 115,370 patients (57,685 in each group) were included in the final analysis. In the PS-matched cohort, the TIVA group showed 9% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.91, 95% CI [0.85, 0.98], P = 0.018) and 7% (HR: 0.93, 95% CI [0.89, 0.96], P < 0.001) lower 90-day and one-year mortality rates, respectively, than the inhalation group. In subgroup analyses, the TIVA group showed lower 90-day mortality than the inhalation group in the gastric (HR: 0.86, 95% CI [0.72, 0.97], P = 0.033), colorectal (HR: 0.64, 95% CI [0.56, 0.73], P < 0.001), and pancreatic (HR: 0.76, 95% CI [0.57, 0.94], P = 0.038) cancer surgery groups. @*Conclusions@#Propofol-based TIVA is associated with better survival outcomes after major cancer surgeries. Moreover, propofol-based TIVA was beneficial in patients who underwent gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer surgeries.
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Background@#Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were used to evaluate nutritional status and obesity. We aimed to examine whether preoperative BMI or WC was associated with mortality after cancer surgery. @*Methods@#This population-based cohort study used data extracted from the National Health Insurance Service database of South Korea. We included adult patients who underwent major cancer surgery with curative intent between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. @*Results@#A total of 87,220 patients were included in the final analysis, and 1,374 (1.6%) died within 90 days after cancer surgery. In the multiple logistic regression model, the BMI 35 kg/m 2 groups showed 1.98-fold (odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58–2.49; P 35 kg/m 2 is associated with an elevated risk of 90-day mortality after major cancer surgery. However, preoperative WC was not significantly associated with 90-day mortality after cancer surgery.
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Background@#Although lifestyle is an important and modifiable risk factor for health-related outcomes, no study has focused on the impact of prior lifestyle habits on mortality among critically ill patients after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether prior lifestyle factors affected short- and long-term survival after ICU admission. @*Methods@#In this population-based cohort study using a nationwide registration database in South Korea, we included all patients who were admitted to the ICU between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018 and who had undergone standardized health examinations in the year prior to ICU admission. Three lifestyle factors (smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity) were evaluated prior to ICU admission. @*Results@#In total, 585,383 patients admitted to the ICU between 2010 and 2018 were included in the analysis. Of them, 59,075 (10.1%) and 113,476 (19.4%) patients died within 30 days and 1 year after ICU admission, respectively. Current smoking, mild alcohol consumption, and heavy alcohol consumption were not associated with 30-day mortality after ICU admission.One to 3 days per week of intensive physical activity, 4–5 days and 6–7 days per week of moderate physical activity, and 1–3 days, 4–5 days, and 6–7 days per week of mild physical activity were associated with lower odds of 30-day mortality after ICU admission. Similar results were observed for the analyses of 1-year all-cause mortality after ICU admission. @*Conclusion@#Prior lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, were associated with the improvement of both short- and long-term survival outcomes in South Korea. This association was more evident for mild physical activities, such as walking, than for intensive physical activities.
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Purpose@#Despite recent advances in the understanding and management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), trends in treatment, mortality, and healthcare costs following these advancements remain to be identified. In the present study, we aimed to investigate these trends using real-world data from a national cohort database in South Korea. @*Materials and Methods@#Using the National Health Insurance Service database, we collected and analyzed data for critically ill adult patients with ARDS who were admitted to intensive care units in South Korea between 2010 and 2019. @*Results@#The final analysis included 25431 patients with ARDS. The 30-, 90-, and 365-day mortality rates in 2010 were 43.8%, 56.5%, and 68.2%, respectively. These rates had gradually decreased to 36.6%, 50.2%, and 58.8%, respectively, by 2019. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for patients with ARDS started in 2014 at a rate of 5.1% (118/2309), which gradually increased to 8.3% (213/2568) by 2019. The rate of neuromuscular blockade treatment gradually increased from 22.6% (626/2771) in 2010 to 30.9% (793/2568) in 2019. The renal replacement therapy rate gradually increased from 5.7% (157/2771) in 2010 to 12.0% (307/2568) in 2019. The mean total cost of hospitalization increased from 5986.7 USD in 2010 to 12336.4 USD in 2019. @*Conclusion@#Real-world data for 2010–2019 indicate that patients with ARDS in South Korea have experienced changes in mortality, treatment, and healthcare costs. Despite the increased financial burden, mortality among patients with ARDS has decreased due to advances in disease management.
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Purpose@#Studies have reported mixed results on the association between benzodiazepine use and mortality. Here, we investigated whether benzodiazepine use is associated with a higher risk of 5-year all-cause mortality, and examined the association between benzodiazepine use and 5-year disease-specific mortality. @*Materials and Methods@#In this population-based cohort study, a nationally representative sample cohort in South Korea was examined. In 2010, benzodiazepine users were defined as individuals prescribed benzodiazepine continuously over 30 days for regular administration, and all other subjects were included in the control group. The primary endpoint was 5-year all-cause mortality, evaluated from 2011 to 2015. Propensity score (PS) matching and time-dependent Cox regression were performed for statistical analysis, which included benzodiazepine use during 2011–2015 as a time-dependent variable. @*Results@#A total of 822414 adult individuals were included in the final analysis, and the all-cause 5-year mortality was recorded in 20991 individuals (2.7%). The benzodiazepine group included 30837 patients and the control group comprised 791377 patients.After PS matching, 61672 individuals (30836 in each group) were included in the final analysis. After PS matching, the 5-year allcause mortality in the benzodiazepine group was 10.0% (3082/30836), whereas that in the control group was 9.4% (2893/30836).In time-dependent Cox regression analysis of the PS-matched cohort, the benzodiazepine group showed 1.15-fold higher 5-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.09–1.22; p<0.001) compared to the control group. @*Conclusion@#Benzodiazepine use was associated with increased 5-year all-cause mortality in the South Korean adult population.Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Purpose@#We aimed to investigate whether the use of cardiovascular drugs in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with hypertension as a comorbidity has a significant effect on the incidence and associated mortality rate of COVID-19. @*Materials and Methods@#Data covering the period between January 1, 2020 and June 4, 2020 were extracted from The National Health Insurance Service-COVID-19 (NHIS-COVID-19) database in South Korea and analyzed as a population-based cohort study. @*Results@#A total of 101657 hypertensive adults aged 20 years or older were included for final analysis. Among them, 1889 patients (1.9%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020 and June 4, 2020, and hospital mortality occurred in 193 patients (10.2%). In a multivariable model, the use of beta-blockers was associated with an 18% lower incidence of COVID-19 [odds ratio (OR): 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.98; p=0.029]. Among 1889 hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the use of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) was associated with a 42% lower hospital mortality rate (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.38–0.89; p=0.012). The use of other cardiovascular drugs was not associated with the incidence of COVID-19 or hospital mortality rate among COVID-19 patients. Similar results were observed in all 328374 adults in the NHIS-COVID-19 database, irrespective of the presence of hypertension. @*Conclusion@#In South Korea, beta-blockers exhibited potential benefits in lowering the incidence of COVID-19 among hypertensive patients. Furthermore, CCBs may lower the hospital mortality rate among hypertensive COVID-19 patients. These findings were also applied to the general adult population, regardless of hypertension.
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Background and Objectives@#Surgical quality is evaluated by measuring the annual hospital case volume; a higher case volume is associated with better survival after various surgeries.We aimed to investigate if the annual hospital case volume and the health care providers were associated with a 90-day mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). @*Methods@#For this population-based cohort study, we used data from a National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea. We included all adult patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease who underwent isolated CABG between January 2012 and December 2017. Data on the annual surgical volume for CABG in each hospital where the patients received CABG and the total number of health care providers (including physicians [trainees and specialists] from all department of the hospitals, nurses, and pharmacists) were collected. @*Results@#The final analysis included 15,790 adult patients; of these, 1,039 (6.6%) died within 90 days. The annual CABG volume was divided into 4 groups (Q1: ≤33, Q2: 34–86, Q3: 87– 223, and Q4: ≥224). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the 90-day mortality rates in the Q4, Q3, Q2 groups were 75%, 32%, and 31% lower than that in the Q1 group, respectively. Additionally, an increase in the ratio of the total number of specialist physicians to 100 hospital beds was associated with a 4% decrease in the 90-day mortality after CABG. @*Conclusion@#Both, a higher annual hospital case volume and overall specialist physician volume were associated with better 90-day mortality rates after isolated CABG.
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Purpose@#Studies have reported mixed results on the association between benzodiazepine use and mortality. Here, we investigated whether benzodiazepine use is associated with a higher risk of 5-year all-cause mortality, and examined the association between benzodiazepine use and 5-year disease-specific mortality. @*Materials and Methods@#In this population-based cohort study, a nationally representative sample cohort in South Korea was examined. In 2010, benzodiazepine users were defined as individuals prescribed benzodiazepine continuously over 30 days for regular administration, and all other subjects were included in the control group. The primary endpoint was 5-year all-cause mortality, evaluated from 2011 to 2015. Propensity score (PS) matching and time-dependent Cox regression were performed for statistical analysis, which included benzodiazepine use during 2011–2015 as a time-dependent variable. @*Results@#A total of 822414 adult individuals were included in the final analysis, and the all-cause 5-year mortality was recorded in 20991 individuals (2.7%). The benzodiazepine group included 30837 patients and the control group comprised 791377 patients.After PS matching, 61672 individuals (30836 in each group) were included in the final analysis. After PS matching, the 5-year allcause mortality in the benzodiazepine group was 10.0% (3082/30836), whereas that in the control group was 9.4% (2893/30836).In time-dependent Cox regression analysis of the PS-matched cohort, the benzodiazepine group showed 1.15-fold higher 5-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.09–1.22; p<0.001) compared to the control group. @*Conclusion@#Benzodiazepine use was associated with increased 5-year all-cause mortality in the South Korean adult population.Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Purpose@#We aimed to investigate whether the use of cardiovascular drugs in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with hypertension as a comorbidity has a significant effect on the incidence and associated mortality rate of COVID-19. @*Materials and Methods@#Data covering the period between January 1, 2020 and June 4, 2020 were extracted from The National Health Insurance Service-COVID-19 (NHIS-COVID-19) database in South Korea and analyzed as a population-based cohort study. @*Results@#A total of 101657 hypertensive adults aged 20 years or older were included for final analysis. Among them, 1889 patients (1.9%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020 and June 4, 2020, and hospital mortality occurred in 193 patients (10.2%). In a multivariable model, the use of beta-blockers was associated with an 18% lower incidence of COVID-19 [odds ratio (OR): 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.98; p=0.029]. Among 1889 hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the use of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) was associated with a 42% lower hospital mortality rate (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.38–0.89; p=0.012). The use of other cardiovascular drugs was not associated with the incidence of COVID-19 or hospital mortality rate among COVID-19 patients. Similar results were observed in all 328374 adults in the NHIS-COVID-19 database, irrespective of the presence of hypertension. @*Conclusion@#In South Korea, beta-blockers exhibited potential benefits in lowering the incidence of COVID-19 among hypertensive patients. Furthermore, CCBs may lower the hospital mortality rate among hypertensive COVID-19 patients. These findings were also applied to the general adult population, regardless of hypertension.
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Background and Objectives@#Surgical quality is evaluated by measuring the annual hospital case volume; a higher case volume is associated with better survival after various surgeries.We aimed to investigate if the annual hospital case volume and the health care providers were associated with a 90-day mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). @*Methods@#For this population-based cohort study, we used data from a National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea. We included all adult patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease who underwent isolated CABG between January 2012 and December 2017. Data on the annual surgical volume for CABG in each hospital where the patients received CABG and the total number of health care providers (including physicians [trainees and specialists] from all department of the hospitals, nurses, and pharmacists) were collected. @*Results@#The final analysis included 15,790 adult patients; of these, 1,039 (6.6%) died within 90 days. The annual CABG volume was divided into 4 groups (Q1: ≤33, Q2: 34–86, Q3: 87– 223, and Q4: ≥224). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the 90-day mortality rates in the Q4, Q3, Q2 groups were 75%, 32%, and 31% lower than that in the Q1 group, respectively. Additionally, an increase in the ratio of the total number of specialist physicians to 100 hospital beds was associated with a 4% decrease in the 90-day mortality after CABG. @*Conclusion@#Both, a higher annual hospital case volume and overall specialist physician volume were associated with better 90-day mortality rates after isolated CABG.
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Objective@#We investigated the prevalence and associated factors of insomnia disorder among survivors of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). @*Methods@#This population-based cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Service COVID-19 cohort database from January 1 to June 4, 2020. COVID-19 patients were defined as individuals whose test confirmed that they were infected, regardless of the severity, and survivors were defined as individuals who recovered from the infection. @*Results@#A total of 299,968 individuals were included in the final analysis, and 6,934 were considered as COVID-19 survivors, while the control group comprised 292,764 individuals. In the multivariable model after covariate adjustment, COVID-19 survivors had a 3.33-fold higher prevalence of insomnia disorder than the control group (odds ratio [OR]: 3.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.98–3.73; p<0.001). In the sensitivity analysis, the COVID-19 survivors with no specific treatment and the survivors with specific treatment were associated with a 3.16-fold (OR: 3.16, 95% CI: 2.77–3.59; p<0.001) and 3.89-fold (OR: 3.89, 95% CI: 3.17–4.78; p<0.001) higher prevalence of insomnia disorder than the control group. @*Conclusion@#In South Korea, 5.4% of COVID-19 survivors were diagnosed with insomnia disorder at 6 months follow-up. Thus, insomnia disorder is a public health issue for COVID-19 survivors.
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Purpose@#We investigated whether long-term aspirin use is associated with 5-year all-cause mortality. @*Materials and Methods@#Participants were individuals aged ≥40 years who were registered in the 2010 sample cohort database of the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. Aspirin users were divided into three groups: continuous users (2006– 2010), previous users (2006–2009), and new users (2010). Individuals with a history of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease were excluded. Five-year all-cause mortality was defined as mortality due to any cause from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2015. Data were analyzed by multivariable Cox regression. @*Results@#In total, 424444 individuals were included. Five-year all-cause mortality was 9% lower in continuous aspirin users than in unexposed individuals [hazard ratio (HR): 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86–0.97; p=0.003]. Five-year all-cause mortality rates in the new aspirin users (HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.90–1.11; p=0.995) and previous aspirin users (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.94–1.09; p=0.776) were not significantly different from that in unexposed individuals. In the 40–60-year age group, 5-year all-cause mortality in the continuous aspirin users was 24% lower (HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.64–0.90; p=0.002) than that in unexposed individuals. However, in the >60-year age group, there was no significant association between aspirin use and 5-year all-cause mortality (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.90–1.02; p=0.199). @*Conclusion@#Long-term aspirin use is associated with reduced 5-year all-cause mortality in healthy adults, especially those aged <60 years.
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PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate whether financial coverage by the national insurance system for patients with lower economic conditions can improve their 1-year mortality after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study, conducted in a single tertiary hospital, used a retrospective cohort design to investigate discharged ICU survivors between January 2012 and December 2016. ICU survivors were classified into two groups according to the National Health Insurance (NHI) system in Korea: medical aid program (MAP) group, including people who have difficulty paying their insurance premium or receive medical aid from the government due to a poor economic status; and NHI group consisting of people who receive government subsidy for approximately 2/3 of their medical expenses. RESULTS: After propensity score (PS) matching, a total of 2495 ICU survivors (1859 in NHI group and 636 in MAP group) were included in the analysis. Stratified Cox regression analysis of PS-matched cohorts showed that 1-year mortality was 1.31-fold higher in MAP group than in NHI group (hazard ratio: 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.61; p=0.012). According to Kaplan-Meir estimation, MAP group also showed significantly poorer survival probability than NHI group after PS matching (p=0.011). CONCLUSION: This study showed that 1-year mortality was higher in ICU survivors with low economic status, even if financial coverage was provided by the government. Our result suggests the necessity of a more nuanced and multifaceted approach to policy for ICU survivors with low economic status.
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Humans , Cohort Studies , Critical Care , Financing, Government , Insurance , Intensive Care Units , Korea , Mortality , National Health Programs , Propensity Score , Retrospective Studies , Survivors , Tertiary Care CentersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: During cesarean delivery, hypotension is a frequently occurring adverse effect following spinal anesthesia. Our hypothesis was that hypotension could be avoided or delayed with a lateral decubitus position for 10 minutes after intrathecal injection, by reducing the detrimental effects of the aortocaval compression. METHODS: Spinal anesthesia was performed in the lateral decubitus position with 8 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 15 µg of fentanyl. Forty-one patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the experimental group, patients were maintained in the lateral position for 10 minutes following intrathecal injection (group Decubitus). In the control group, patients were repositioned to supine immediately after the injection (group Supine). Incidence of hypotension, the required dose of ephedrine, and characteristics of the sensory blockade, were subsequently investigated. RESULTS: The incidence of hypotension, the incidence of nausea, and total amount of ephedrine, were not statistically different between the two groups. In group Decubitus, the onset of hypotension was delayed significantly (5.6 ± 1.7 min vs. 13.8 ± 1.7 min, P < 0.001), and the maximal blockade level was more cephalad (T3 [T1–T4] vs. T4 [T3–T5], P < 0.001) when compared to that of group Supine. Apgar scores were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining the lateral position for 10 min following intrathecal injection during cesarean delivery did not influence the incidence of maternal hypotension. However, it caused delayed onset of hypotension and higher cephalad spread of sensory block.
Subject(s)
Humans , Anesthesia, Spinal , Bupivacaine , Ephedrine , Fentanyl , Hypotension , Incidence , Injections, Spinal , NauseaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Endotracheal suctioning is associated with complications that include bleeding, infection, hypoxemia, cardiovascular instability, and tracheal mucosal injury. Recently, a closed-suction catheter with a pressure valve (Acetrachcare, AceMedical Co., Republic of Korea) was developed. We hypothesized that this new catheter might reduce tracheal mucosal injury compared to a conventional closed-suction catheter (Trachcare, Kimberly-balla RD, USA). METHODS: This prospective, randomized study enrolled medical and surgical patients who required mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. Patients were randomized into two groups: one group was suctioned with the conventional closed-suction catheter (CCC) and the other group was suctioned with the closed-suction catheter with pressure valve (CCPV). Bronchoscopy was performed 48 hours later, and the severity of tracheal mucosal injury was graded on a 5-point scale, as follows: 0 = normal; 1 = erythema or edema; 2 = erosion; 3 = hemorrhage; and 4 = ulceration or necrosis. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients (37 with CCPV and 39 with CCC) were included. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding demographic characteristics, changes in hemodynamic parameters during suction, incidence of pneumonia, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, or ICU mortality. On bronchoscopic evaluation, the use of the CCPV led to a significant decrease in tracheal mucosal injury (median tracheal mucosal injury grade 1 [IQR 0-1] vs. 2 [IQR 1-3], p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the novel closed-suction catheter with pressure valve may reduce tracheal mucosal injury compared to conventional catheters.
