• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.169-174
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• 1988

Thoracic esophageal rupture caused by blunt trauma is often not recognized until late because of the vague symptoms in the initial state as well as its rare incidence, which can easily lead to fulminant mediastinitis with frequent fatal outcome. Once extensive mediastinitis occurs, the primary surgical repair of the esophageal tear is considered to be practically impossible. Various methods have been proposed for the management of these desperately ill patients, but no one provides an acceptable good result yet. The purpose of this article is to report the successful result obtained in the treatment of a patient with fulminant mediastinitis from traumatic esophageal rupture by continuous transesophageal irrigation. A 27 year-old male patient was brought to the emergency room of our hospital complaining of dyspnea and chest pain after blunt trauma. The diagnosis of esophageal rupture in the thorax was made late, about 46 hours after the initial injury, when mediastinitis had already progressed. The transesophageal irrigation method was immediately instituted which consisted of profuse transesophageal irrigation of the mediastinum with orally ingested fluid and/or by Levin tube, positioned proximal to the site of the rupture, and drainage of the irrigation fluid by thoracoscopically accurately positioned chest tubes connected to a well suctioning system. With subsiding inflammatory signs and symptoms, the esophagogram, obtained 54 days after the treatment, showed no evidence of the mediastinal leakage of contrast material which contrasted previous esophagograms with definitive dye collections in the mediastinum. Additional endoscopic finding confirmed complete healing of the esophageal mucosa, previously ruptured. He has been followed up without any problem until recently, 6 months after discharge.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.159-163
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• 1995

Accidental high epidural block is a rare but serious complication. It can result from many factors, which include the volume and concentration of drug, posture, puncture site, age, pregnancy or intra-abdominal mass, and patients' height and weight. We had a case of accidental high epidural block recently. This is a case report which was confirmed by an epiduragram. A healthy 50-year-old woman with a huge uterine myoma was scheduled for a total abdominal hysterectomy under continous epidural analgesia. Epidural catheterization was carried out smoothly. However, an unexpected hypotension was noticed after an epidural injection of 2% lidocaine 25 ml. Thereafter, the patient was intubated and her respiration was controlled during the operation. Using the 5mg of ephedrine, her blood pressure and pulse were well maintained. The scheduled operation was carried out for one hour uneventfully, but after the operation, she felt paresthesia on her hands in the recovery room. To differentiate between the high epidural and the subdural blocks. We injected 5 ml of a water soluble Niopam 300 through the catheter postoperatively. It was observed on the epiduragram that the catheter was placed in the epidural space. It was suggested that the high epidural block was induced from the widespread diffusion through the narrowed epidural space due to the engorgement of the epidural venous plexus by the patient's huge uterine myoma.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was carried out to investigate the effect of a decrease in indwelling catheter size and preoperative education on bladder discomfort and nursing needs. The study was conducted on patients in the recovery room after their surgery. Methods: This study is a randomized control trial. Data were collected from September 2011 to February 2012 at a university hospital in Bundang, Korea. The sample consisted of 75 patients, excluding one patient from the experimental group 2. From among the patients that were sent to the ICU, 24 were in experimental group 1, 24 were in experimental group 2, and 27 were in the control group. Data were collected and analyzed using a chi-square test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results: There were significant differences between the bladder discomfort experienced by patients in experimental group 1 and the control group, and experimental group 2 and the control group. Then nursing needs of the control group were higher than those of the experimental groups 1 and 2. Conclusion: The decrease in indwelling catheter size and preoperative nursing education is an effective nursing intervention in perioperative care.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2011

Vasovagal syncope accounts for the majority of adverse events that occur in dental offices and is normally related to emotional or somatic factors. The factors trigger intense parasympathetic state, leading to bradycardia and hypotension. We experienced a case of vasovagal syncope just before general anesthesia. A 49-year-old woman with alveolar bone deficiency on maxilla and mandible was planned to undergo an alveolar bone graft with mandibular body under general anesthesia. She didn't have any histories of disease, medication or syncope. Though she showed a little anxiety from admission, she had no pre-operative medication. After she was guided to the operating room, she had signs and symptoms of vasovagal syncope without any prodromes. The patient was resuscitated soon only by the conservative treatment and was operated under general anesthesia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 1970

A patient was 29 year old house wife who was admitted to the Yonsei University Medical Center on 6 th of Nov., in 1970, with chief complaints of complete loss of bilateral visual acuity, generalized weakness, frequent palpitations, claudication of masseter muscles and intermittent fainting. These symptoms were developed 5 years prior to admission. Physical finding on admission revealed complete loss of bilateral visual acuity, absence of both radial and carotid pulse, but there was good femoral and popliteal pulse. She couldn't open her mouth as she desired and had weakness of mastication. Radiological findings of plane chest PA were not significant. Aortogram(Cineangiogram) showed non-visualization of both carotid and subclavian arteries. It showed only innominate and interal mammary artery preoperatively. The operative findings were as follows: There were complete obliterative changes in both common carotid and subclavian arteries, and periarteritis in the innominate artery. Tube Dacron Prosthesis Bypass with V-arm between innominate artery and both common carotid arteries was performed after thromboendarterectomy. Histopathological finding of the thromboend arterectomy specimen was compatible with pulseless disease, which showed marked fibrous thickening of intima and a diffuse inflammatory cell infiltration of the whole layers. Her postopererative course was uneventful. Follow up aortogram(Cineangiogram) was taken on 11th postoperative day, which revealed both common carotid arteries patent. Her preoperative Subjective symtoms disappeared remarkably, such as her visual acuity improved much, fainting and vertigo disappeared completely and she can go to bath room without difficulty and help. Another patient was 34 year old house wife who was admitted on August, 1964 with chief complaints of frequent fainting and progresive visual loss. She was operated only thromboendarterectomy of both common carotid arteries. Postoperative course was smooth and subjective symptoms were disappeared.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.295-300
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• 2019

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is rare, characterized by pain from diverse causes, and presents as extreme pain even with minor irritation. General anesthesia may be required for dental treatment because the pain may not be controlled with local anesthesia. However, treatment under general anesthesia is also challenging. A 38-year-old woman with CRPS arrived for outpatient dental treatment under general anesthesia. At the fourth general anesthesia induction, she experienced severe pain resulting from her right toe touching the dental chair. Anesthesia was induced to calm her and continue the treatment. After 55 minutes of general anesthesia, the patient still complained of extreme toe pain. Subsequently, two administrations for intravenous sedation were performed, and discharge was possible in the recovery room approximately 5 h after the pain onset. The pain was not located at the dental treatment site. Although the major factor causing pain relief was unknown, ketamine may have played a role.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to contribute to the activation of comprehensive nursing care services by comparing and analyzing the working environment and operational status of comprehensive nursing care wards with general wards. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted at hospitals operating comprehensive nursing care services. We collected data on patient characteristics, workforce, working environment, and work support facilities of 40 hospitals voluntarily participating in the survey. The collected data were analyzed by dividing it into an comprehensive nursing care ward and a general ward. Results: Compared with the general ward, the comprehensive nursing care ward had fewer hospitalized patients, but the severity of the patients and the need for nursing were high. The number of nurses, assistant nurses, and ward support workers per patient was higher in the comprehensive nursing care ward than in the general ward, and the implementation rate of night shift fixed system, the fixed shift system, and the preceptor system were higher. In terms of structural environment, comprehensive nursing care wards had more room for interviews. Conclusion: The comprehensive nursing care ward had more nursing staff and provided a better working environment than the general ward, but required additional support for the structural environment.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2023

Background: Like many other countries, falls and related injuries in older adults are great concerns in South Korea. In particular, falls are common in medical institutions, often causing the increase of the length of hospitalization. Objects: The purpose of this review was to help understand and address falls in hospitalized individuals in South Korea. Methods: The review was conducted on literature published in Korean from 2010 to 2022, searched in the Korea Citation Index and PubMed. Keywords used for the search were as follows: falls, fall risk, fall risk assessment, hospital, inpatient, intervention, Korea, and prevention. Results: A total of 54 articles were found and reviewed. The most common place of fall accidents was the inpatient room, where there were many cases of falls while walking. Loss of balance was the most common cause of falls, and many falls occurred in patients admitted to the internal medicine. Furthermore, a risk of falling increased with the type of medications taken. In terms of tools to assess patients' fall risk, the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) was commonly used. Patient-specific fall prevention activities were common to address falls, and they decreased the frequency of falls and the fear of falling. Factors influencing the effectiveness of the fall prevention activities included attitudes toward falls, education, environmental factors, patient safety culture, and self-efficacy in preventing falls. Conclusion: Our results should help understand and address falls and injuries in medical institutions.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.134-138
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• 2024

Lung retransplantation (LRT) involves a second or subsequent lung transplant (LT) in a patient whose first transplanted graft has failed. LRT is the only treatment option for irreversible lung allograft failure caused by acute graft failure, chronic lung allograft dysfunction, or postoperative complications of bronchial anastomosis. Prehabilitation (rehabilitation before LT), while patients are on the waiting list, is recognized as an essential component of the therapeutic regimen and should be offered throughout the waiting period from the moment of listing until transplantation. LRT is particularly fraught with challenges, and prehabilitation to reduce frailty is one of the few opportunities to address modifiable risk factors (such as functional and motor impairments) in a patient population in which there is clearly room to improve outcomes. Although rehabilitative outcomes and quality of life in patients receiving or awaiting LT have gained increased interest, there is a paucity of data on rehabilitation in patients undergoing LRT. Frailty is one of the few modifiable risk factors of retransplantation that is potentially preventable. As such, it is imperative that professionals involved in the field of retransplantation conduct research specifically exploring rehabilitative techniques and outcomes of value for patients receiving LRT, because this area remains unexplored.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.151-155
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• 2023

Licorice is a perennial herb belonging to the legume family that mainly grows in northeastern China, Mongolia, Siberia, and other regions. It is used in traditional medicine in the form of dried roots in the East and the West. The main active component of licorice, glycyrrhizin, is known to produce mineralocorticoid effects when consumed chronically, which can lead to apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome. Herein, we present the case of a 72-year-old woman who was admitted to the emergency room with severe generalized weakness and difficulty keeping her neck upright, which had developed after daily consumption of licorice-infused water for the past 2 months. Blood tests revealed metabolic alkalosis and severe hypokalemia, and an electrocardiogram showed ventricular bigeminy. The patient was treated with daily potassium and spironolactone supplements, leading to a significant improvement in muscle strength after a week. One week later, the patient was discharged, showing rare ventricular premature contractions on electrocardiography, but with no specific complaints. Chronic licorice ingestion leading to hypokalemia and muscle weakness can be life-threatening, necessitating the discontinuation of the causative agent, close monitoring, and cautious supplementation of potassium and spironolactone as treatment.