[The Implication of Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines in Perioperative Period].

Total sales of dietary supplements and herbal medi- cines exceed two trillion yen in Japan. Approximately 60% of Japanese use dietary supplements or herbal medicines. In general, many people believe that dietary supple- ments and herbal medicines are safe natural prod- ucts; however, they could induce serious adverse events (bleeding, myocardial infarction stroke and glucose intolerance) in perioperative period.

Feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale: a first pilot study.

The Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale (PQRS) is a multi-domain tracking scale to assess recovery after surgery. The PQRS is used in seven countries and five languages; however, the Japanese version of the PQRS (PQRSj) has not been established. We therefore translated the PQRS into Japanese, and examined the feasibility, reliability and validity of the PQRSj.

Fluoroscopically guided epidural blood patch with subsequent spinal CT scans in the treatment of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid hypovolemia.

Object: Recent evidence has indicated that the efficacy of the epidural blood patch (EBP) in the treatment of spontaneous CSF hypovolemia (SCH) is still limited. Therefore, further improvement of the EBP technique is an important clinical challenge. The authors describe a series of cases of SCH treated with fluoroscopically guided placement of an EBP and followed up with subsequent spinal CT scans.

Effects of neuromuscular block on systemic and cerebral hemodynamics and bispectral index during moderate or deep sedation in critically ill patients.

Objective: To investigate whether neuromuscular block can affect bispectral index (BIS) or cerebral hemodynamics under moderate or deep sedation produced by propofol.

Design And Setting: Prospective, controlled study in a university hospital affiliated intensive care unit.

Patients: Seventeen surgical patients undergoing elective esophagectomy.

Evaluation of relatively low dose of oral transmucosal ketamine premedication in children: a comparison with oral midazolam.

Background: Oral Transmucosal ketamine (lollipop) has been shown to be an effective, harmless preoperative medication for children. However, its efficacy was not compared with commonly used premedication drugs. We, therefore, compared the efficacy of oral transmucosal ketamine with oral midazolam for premedication in children.

[Ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block for pediatric inguinal herniorrhaphy; evaluation of the dose of ropivacaine].

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the appropriate dose of ropivacaine in efficacy and safety when administered for ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block in children undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Methods: Forty six children (aged 1-8 yr, classified ASA I-II) undergoing ambulatory surgery for inguinal herniotomy were randomly assigned to one of the three groups, according to the dosage of ropivacaine: group I (n = 15), group II (n = 16) and III (n = 15) received 1.875, 0.

[Patient dissatisfaction with anesthetic care].

Background: The evaluation of services by patients is an essential component of quality improvement in anesthesiology. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors for patient dissatisfaction.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 9974 consecutive patients who had received spinal or general anesthesia for elective surgery between 1999 and 2002.

[The effects of propofol on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function during induction of anesthesia--a transthoracic echocardiographic study].

Background: The effects of clinical doses of propofol on left ventricular (LV) systolic function remain controversial and LV diastolic function has not been evaluated during induction of anesthesia with propofol. We assessed the effects of propofol on LV systolic and diastolic function during induction of anesthesia in adult patients with transthoracic echocardiography.

Methods: Twenty-three patients, ASA 1-2 and age < 70 y.

[The effect of inhalation induction with sevoflurane on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. A transthoracic echocardiographic study].

Background: The effect of inhalation induction with sevoflurane on left ventricular(LV) function has not been evaluated in adults. We assessed the effect of inhalation induction with sevoflurane on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in adult patients using transthoracic echocardiography.

Methods: Twenty-five patients (ASA 1-2 and age < 70 years) received inhalation induction with 5% of sevoflurane.

Intravenous administration of flurbiprofen does not affect cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebral oxygenation under isoflurane and propofol anesthesia.

Unlabelled: Flurbiprofen, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), has been used to treat rheumatic and osteoarthritic pain and to reduce postoperative pain. Although other NSAIDs, such as indomethacin, reduce cerebral blood flow (CBF), the effect of flurbiprofen on CBF is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of flurbiprofen on cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) and cerebral oxygenation under isoflurane or propofol anesthesia.

[Anesthetic management of an infant with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome].

We report the anesthetic management of Freeman-Sheldon (whistling face) syndrome in a two-month-old boy scheduled for lateral canthoplasty. He had features of the syndrome including blepharophimosis, hypertelorism, a flat nose, microstomia with a limited opening, micrognathia, a very short webbed neck, scoliosis and multiple arthrogryposis. He was fed with a naso-gastric tube and suffered from several episodes of aspiration and oxygen desaturation.