Yonsei medical journal
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By analyzing the data of 459 patients who completed the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS), the prevalence, medical and non-medical predictors of unmet needs were investigated. Breast cancer patients in Korea experienced high levels of unmet needs across the needs domains, particularly in the health system and information domain (56.9%). ⋯ By multivariate analyses, several predictors were identified across the domains including; less education (< or = 9 years) in the psychologic, chemotherapy, short post-surgical interval, and less education in the physical and daily living, younger age (< 50 years) in the sexuality, larger tumor size (> 2 cm) and younger age in the health system and information, and more education (> or = 13 years) in the care and support domain. The results of this study suggest medical professional should consider the complexity and dynamics of meeting patients' needs in providing supportive care services.
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Peripheral nerve injury often results in abnormal neuropathic pain such as allodynia or hyperalgesia. Acupuncture, a traditional Oriental medicine, has been used to relieve pain and related symptoms. However, the efficiency of acupuncture in relieving neuropathic pain is not clear. ⋯ Mechanical and cold allodynia were significantly reduced after acupuncture treatment at the Zusanli and Yinlingquan acupoints, respectively. Electrophysiological neural responses to von Frey and acetone tests were also reduced after acupuncture at the same two acupoints. These results suggest that acupuncture may be beneficial in relieving neuropathic pain.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jun 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of metoclopramide and ranitidine on preoperative gastric contents in day-case surgery.
This prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was performed to evaluate the effects of intravenous metoclopramide and ranitidine on preoperative gastric contents in outpatients receiving intravenous anesthesia for laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Fifteen minutes before the induction of anesthesia, the Z-M group (n=20) received 50 mg ranitidine and 10 mg metoclopramide intravenously and the control group (n=20) received the same volume of normal saline. Before the surgery, a 14-F multiorifice nasogastric tube was inserted to aspirate the gastric contents of patients under sedation with propofol and midazolam. ⋯ The mean aspirated volumes (mL) were 15.3 +/- 10.4 (SD) [median 11.0 (range: 5.0-44.0)] in the control group, and 6.9 +/- 10.0 (SD) [median 4.5 (range: 0-38.0)] in the Z-M group. There were significantly more high-risk (gastric fluid volumes > 25 mL and pH < 2.5) patients in the control group (4/20, 20%) than in the Z-M group (1/20, 5%). In conclusion, intravenous prophylactic ranitidine and metoclopramide may be an easy and useful method to decrease the volume while increasing the pH of gastric contents, and therefore may reduce the number of patients at risk for aspiration pneumonitis in ambulatory laparoscopic procedures who receive an anesthesia.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jun 2006
Case ReportsTearing of the mitral valve during vent removal after a successful mitral valve repair: a beneficial role of transesophageal echocardiography.
In this case, a successful mitral valve repair was confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at the end of a cardiopulmonary bypass. The left ventricular vent was placed through the mitral valve to remove the air after the TEE examination, and on its way out, the left ventricular vent damaged the anterior mitral leaflet (AML). ⋯ The CPB was reinstituted, and tearing of the lateral third part of the anterior mitral leaflet was found. This case emphasizes the importance of TEE in the operating room as a continuous monitor, not only to evaluate the result of the cardiac surgery, but also to detect any unpredictable events during the surgery.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jun 2006
Postoperative spinal epidural hematoma: risk factor and clinical outcome.
We report a series of epidural hematomas which cause neurologic deterioration after spinal surgery, and have taken risk factors and prognostic factors into consideration. We retrospectively reviewed the database of 3720 cases of spine operation in a single institute over 7 years (1998 April- 2005 July). Nine patients who demonstrated neurologic deterioration after surgery and required surgical decompression were identified. ⋯ The time interval to evacuation of complete recovery group (29.3 hours) was shorter than incomplete recovery group (66.3 hours). Patients with coagulopathy and highly vascularized tumor were more vulnerable to spinal epidural hematoma. The postoperative outcome was related to the preoperative neurological deficit and the time interval to the decompression.