Correction to: Awake fiberoptic intubation with an epidural catheter in a morbidly obese patient.

In the original publication of the article, the acknowledgment section was not included and provided in this correction.

Awake fiberoptic intubation with an epidural catheter in a morbidly obese patient.

We report successful awake intubation in a morbidly obese patient (body mass index of 61.2) using an epidural catheter inserted through the external forceps channel of the fiberscope for delivery of local anesthetic. Direct application of local anesthetic to the pharyngolaryngeal area and proximal tracheal, through the use of a relatively firm epidural catheter. We conclude that awake intubation can be achieved by this method which spares the subsequent use of any sedative drugs.

Effects of General Anesthesia on Ocular Refraction.

PURPOSE: General anesthesia alters the autonomic nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of general anesthesia on objective ocular refraction. METHODS: A total of 57 patients (112 eyes) under 15 years of age who underwent strabismus surgery under general anesthesia were included in this study. Objective refraction values, corneal refraction values, and pupil diameter were measured using a HandyRef-K, a hand-held refractive keratometer, in the operating room before and during general anesthesia before strabismus surgery. RESULTS: The spherical power of the myopic eye increased from -0.75 D to -2.29 D (diopter); the cylindrical power increased from -0.90 D to -1.39 D (p < .01 for all). The corneal refractive power decreased by an average of 0.25 D (p < .01). The spherical refractive power was negatively correlated with the age and the amount of change between cycloplegia before general anesthesia and during general anesthesia (r = -0.32, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: General anesthesia resulted in manifestation of myopia as noted by the objective refraction values. Corneal refractive values flatten under the same conditions, suggesting that the contraction of the ciliary muscles was the main cause of myopia. We speculate that this change was due to parasympathetic dominance and contraction of the ciliary muscles during general anesthesia.

[Preventive effect of aprepitant, an oral NK1 receptor antagonist, on acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting for colorectal cancer].

A standard therapeutic regimen of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetic agent+dexamethasone was administered as antiemetic therapy for 29 patients who received chemotherapy for colorectal cancer in the Department of Surgery at Gunma Saiseikai Maebashi Hospital, from January to March 2010. For 13 patients with delayed nausea, the therapy was changed to an aprepitant regimen (aprepitant+5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetic agent+dexamethasone)to evaluate the preventive effect of aprepitant on acute and delayed nausea and vomiting. This aprepitant regimen produced a significant improvement in the primary endpoint, based on a complete response (CR) of no vomiting and no rescue treatment throughout the administration period, and in the secondary endpoint of CR in the delayed phase, with no delayed nausea. In addition, a tendency for improvement was found in other secondary endpoints: complete protection (CP) based on no vomiting, no rescue treatment, and no significant nausea throughout the observation period; no vomiting; and no significant nausea. These findings suggest that using aprepitant as an antiemetic therapy during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer may be effective for patients with nausea and vomiting that are intractable to standard therapeutic regimens.