• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.605-609
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• 2008

Background: It is well known that preoperative administration of combined antiplatelet agents can have an impact on the postoperative bleeding, the requirement for transfusion and the need for reexploration during on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Yet its effects have not been well evaluated in the case of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Material and Method: We performed a retrospective study of nineteen patients who underwent OPCAB from March 2003 to December 2004. All the patients had taken antiplatelet agents until 12 hours before operation. The patients were divided into bo groups as an aspirin group and a combined (aspirin+clopidogrel) group. The perioperative platelet count, the hemoglobin level, the hematocrit, the prothrombin time and the aPTT were compared between both groups. The amount of postoperative bleeding, the transfusion requirement and the need for re-exploration to control bleeding were also compared between both groups. Result: There was no difference of operation time and the intraoperative ACT between the aspirin group and the combined group. The amount of blood loss through the chest tube for 24 hours was not different between the aspirin group $(697{\pm}271mL)$ and the combined group $(944{\pm}432mL)$. The number of patients who received blood transfusion was also not different between both groups. There was no patient who required reexploration for bleeding control in both groups. The perioperative hemoglobin level and hematocrit were also not different between both groups, but the postoperative hemoglobin level and hematocrit were decreased significantly in the group. Conclusion: The Preoperative combined antiplatelet (aspirin+clopidogrel) therapy group was not different from the aspirin group for the amount of postoperative bleeding, the amount of blood transfusion and the need for reexploration during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. This subject needs further evaluation because of small population in our study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.11 s.256
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• pp.761-772
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• 2005

Background: Following the implantation of heart valve prostheses, it is important to maintain therapeutic INR to reduce the risk of thromboembolism. The objective of this study was to suggest a practical dosing guideline for Korean outpatients with prosthetic heart valves managed by a pharmacist-run anticoagulation service (ACS). Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was completed for all patients enrolled in the ACS at Seoul National University Hospital from March, 1997 to September, 2000. Patients who were at least 6 months post-valve replacement and had nontherapeutic INR value (less than 2.0 or greater than 3.0) were included. The data on 688 patients (1,782 visits) requiring dosing adjustment without any known drug or food interaction with warfarin were analyzed. The amount of adjusted dose and INR changes based on the INR at the time of the event were calculated. Aortic valve replacements (AVR) patients and mitral or double valve replacement (MVR/DVR) patients were evaluated separately. Result: Two methods for the warfarin dosage adjustment were suggested: Guideline I (mg-based total weekly dose (TWD) adjustment), Guideline II (percentage-based TWD adjustment). The effectiveness of Guideline 1 was superior to Guideline II overall in patients with both AVR and MVR/DVR. Conclusion: The guideline suggested in this study could be useful when the dosage adjustment of wafarin is necessary in outpatients with mechanical heart valves.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 2008

Background: All the patients with mechanical valves require warfarin therapy in order to prevent them from developing thromboembolic complications. According to the ACC/AHA practice guidelines, after AVR with bileaflet mechanical prostheses in patients with no risk factors, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.0 to 3.0. After MVR with any mechanical valve, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.5 to 3.5. But in our clinical experience, bleeding complications (epistaxis, hematuria, uterine bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage etc.) frequently developed in patients who maintained their INR within this value. So, we retrospectively reviewed the patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis and we determined the optimal anticoagulation value. Material and Method: From January 1984 to February 2007, 311 patients have been followed up at a national medical center. We classified the AVR patients (n=60) into three groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II and an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III. We classified the MVR (n=171) and DVR (n=80) patients into four groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II, an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III and an INR from 3.0 to 3.5 in Group III. We compared the groups for their thromboembolic and bleeding complications by means of the Kaplan Meier method. Result: In the AVR patients, 2 thromboembolic complications and 4 bleeding complications occurred and the log rank test failed to identify any statistical significance between the groups for thethromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates than did group III. Thirteen thromboembolic complication and 15 bleeding complication occurred in the MVR and DVR patients, and the log rank test also failed to identify statistical significance between the groups for the thromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates that did groups III and IV. Conclusion: The thromboembolic complication rate was not statistically different between groups I and II and groups III and IV, but the bleeding complication rates of groups I and II were lower than those of groups III and IV. So this outcome encouraged us to continue using our low intensive anticoagulation regime, that is, an INR of 1.5 to 2.5.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.300-305
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• 2004

Purpose: We underwent this study to evaluate the factors which influence labeling efficiency when modified in vivo erythrocyte labeling technique was used. Materials and methods: Thirty healthy volunteers (M:F=19:11, age:$25{\pm}2$ yrs) were enrolled in this study. Totally, two hundred ten samples were obtained from them. The 1 mg of stannous pyrophosphate was injected intravenously at the beginning of labeling. After suitable tinning time (5 min, 20 min, 35 min) passed by, blood (5 mL, 3 mL or 1 mL) was withdrawn into 10 mL syringe previously containing Tc-99m (740 MBq) and anticoagulant (heparin, ACD or CPDA) through 19-gauged scalp needle. The generator ingrowth time of Tc-99m was within 24 hrs in each case. The blood samples were placed on rotating invertor during incubation (10 min, 25 min, 40 min) but some of them were not. Immediately after the conclusion of incubation, the labeled blood specimens to analyze were centrifuged. and then %Unbound Tc-99m was calculated. Statical analysis was used paired T-test and one way ANOVA with SPSS 10.0. Results: The binding efficiency at 1 mL of blood volume was $73{\pm}32%,\;91{\pm}10%$ at 3 mL and $96{\pm}7%$ at 5 mL (p<0.01). The binding efficiency at 5 min of tinning time was $45{\pm}23%,\;98{\pm}6%$, at 20 min and $97{\pm}8%$ at 35 min (p<0.001). The binding efficiency at 10 min of incubation time was $96{\pm}7%,\;95{\pm}12%$ at 25 min and $98{\pm}3%$ at 40 min (p>0.05). The binding efficiency in case of using rotating invertor was $96{\pm}7%$ and the binding efficiency in case of not using it was $87{\pm}18%$ (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between them. In binding efficiency according to kinds of anticoagulants, ACD was $98{\pm}4%$, CPDA was $97{\pm}6%$ and heparin was $89{\pm}20%$ (p<0.001). Conclusion: When modified in vivo erythrocyte labeling technique is used with Tc-99m, the methods to obtain the highest labeling efficiency are as follow. The withdrawing blood volume should be over 3 mL, tinning time should be kept between 20 min and 35 min, and incubation time should be kept between 10 min and 40 min. ACD or CPDA have to be used as a anticoagulant except heparin and the blood samples should be placed on rotating invertor during incubation.