Ability of the integrated pulmonary index to predict impending respiratory events in the early postoperative period.

BACKGROUND: In the early postoperative period, respiratory compromise is a significant problem. Standard-of-care monitoring includes respiratory rate (RR) and pulse oximetry, which are helpful; however, low SpO2 is often a late sign during decompensation. The FDA-approved Capnostream-20p monitor records four variables (SpO2, RR, End-tidal CO2, heart rate), which are combined by fuzzy logic into a single, unit-less value (range 1-10) called the integrated pulmonary index (IPI). No published studies have assessed the performance of a low IPI to predict impending respiratory events. METHODS: In this investigator-initiated study, adult patients undergoing general anesthesia were monitored with the Capnostream-20p monitor for up to 2 h during their recovery room stay. The study coordinator, who along with clinicians, was blinded to IPI values, recorded the time of any respiratory event, defined a priori as any one of eight respiratory-related interventions/conditions. The primary sensitivity endpoint (early detection success) was defined as at least 80% of events predicted by at least 2 consecutive low IPI (≤ 7) values within 2-15 min before an event occurred. Late detection was defined as low IPI values occurring with 2 min prior to or 2 min after the event occurred. DISCUSSION: Of 358 patients, ≥ 1 respiratory event occurred in 183 (51.1%) patients. Of 802 total events, 606 were detected early (within 2-15 min prior to the event), and 653 were detected either early or late. Therefore, the sensitivity for early detection was 75.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.6-78.5%), which differed significantly from the 80% sensitivity goal by 4.4% (p = 0.0016). Sensitivity for total success (early or late) was 81.4% (95% CI: 78.7-84.1%), which was significantly different from the 90% on time sensitivity goal by 8.6% (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A low IPI was 75.6% sensitive for early detection (within 2-15 min) prior to respiratory events but did not achieve our preset threshold of 80% for success.

Infection control measures promoted by the public health center for "housing for the elderly" facilities during norovirus cluster outbreaks.

Objective: "Housing for the elderly" is a type of facility where a few healthcare staff and care workers provide long-term care to residents. This study aimed to explore the infection control measures promoted by the public health centers (PHC) when a cluster of norovirus cases occurred in this type of facility. Materials and Methods: This study involved a prefectural office in Japan and collected the records of PHC surveys/instructions of norovirus cluster cases that occurred in "housing for the elderly" facilities between 2017 and 2019. The records provided information about the case characteristics (cluster periods and number of infected individuals) and instructions for infection control by the PHC. We tabulated the case characteristics and performed a descriptive qualitative analysis to extract the instructions from the PHC. Results: Twelve clusters of cases were included in the study. Approximately 16% of the residents and care workers in each facility were infected, and it took an average of 23 days from the start of the outbreak to the end. Nine categories of PHC instructions emerged after the data analysis. "Collaboration with community healthcare workers" included instructions by the PHC to share information with external physicians and home-visiting nurses. In "precautions when caring for elderly residents with functional decline", the procedure for changing diapers and infection control measures considering the behavior of residents with dementia were advised. If the contents of the infection control manuals were deemed to be inadequate, an "improvement of the infection control manuals" was instructed. Conclusion: To implement effective infection control by care workers at "housing for the elderly" facilities, the PHC should promote the involvement of community physicians and nurses and advise on clear procedures based on residents' functional decline.

[Public health nurses' activities during normal times and factors associated with their promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters].

Objective　To clarify the actual state of activities conducted by public health nurses (PHNs) during normal times and assess factors related to the implementation of such activities for the promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters, across different municipalities in Japan.Methods　We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional self-report questionnaire survey of PHNs in 1,463 municipalities. The questionnaires included descriptions of municipalities, activities related to disaster prevention and the rationale for them, and the details of activities that were being conducted to promote residents' mutual support in times of disaster. We conducted multiple logistic analyses to examine the associated factors.Results　We analyzed 535 responses (valid response rate of 36.6%). The proportion of municipalities in which oriented district activity systems and oriented business activity systems were used jointly by PHNs was 81.7%. The proportion of municipalities in which PHNs participated in the formulation of regional disaster prevention plans was 31.6%. "Individual support" would be implemented for persons requiring support in evacuation activities in 41.7% of municipalities; "cooperative support for community organizations," in 34.8%; and other "activities for the purpose of residents' mutual support," in 29.9%. Reasons for not implementing such measures included "outside the division of duties" and "having no contact with residents' organizations." Logistic regression analyses showed that the oriented district activity system, participation of PHNs in the formulation of regional disaster prevention plans, and preparation of an activity manual on disaster countermeasures for PHNs were significantly associated with the performance of activities during normal times for promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters.Conclusion　Our findings clarified that the PHNs' activities during normal times for the promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters were not carried out sufficiently. It is important to review activities according to the district, to ensure supervisory PHNs play a greater role, to provide external support to municipalities for the participation of PHNs in the formulation of regional disaster prevention plans, and to prepare an activity manual on disaster countermeasures for PHNs.

Current status of delirium assessment tools in the intensive care unit: a prospective multicenter observational survey.

Delirium is a critical challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU) or high care unit (HCU) setting and is associated with poor outcomes. There is not much literature on how many patients in this setting are assessed for delirium and what tools are used. This study investigated the status of delirium assessment tools of patients in the ICU/HCU. We conducted a multicenter prospective observational study among 20 institutions. Data for patients who were admitted to and discharged from the ICU/HCU during a 1-month study period were collected from each institution using a survey sheet. The primary outcome was the usage rate of delirium assessment tools on an institution- and patient-basis. Secondary outcomes were the delirium prevalence assessed by each institution's assessment tool, comparison of delirium prevalence between delirium assessment tools, delirium prevalence at the end of ICH/HCU stay, and the relationship between potential factors related to delirium and the development of delirium. Result showed that 95% of institutions used the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) or the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) to assess delirium in their ICU/HCU, and the remaining one used another assessment scale. The usage rate (at least once during the ICU/HCU stay) of the ICDSC and the CAM-ICU among individual patients were 64.5% and 25.1%, and only 8.2% of enrolled patients were not assessed by any delirium assessment tool. The prevalence of delirium during ICU/HCU stay was 17.9%, and the prevalence of delirium at the end of the ICU/HCU stay was 5.9%. In conclusion, all institutions used delirium assessment tools in the ICU/HCU, and most patients received delirium assessment. The prevalence of delirium was 17.9%, and two-thirds of patients had recovered at discharge from ICU/HCU.Trial registration number: UMIN000037834.

Dopamine modulates the optomotor response to unreliable visual stimuli in Drosophila melanogaster.

State-dependent modulation of sensory systems has been studied in many organisms and is possibly mediated through neuromodulators such as monoamine neurotransmitters. Among these, dopamine is involved in many aspects of animal behaviour, including movement control, attention, motivation and cognition. However, the precise neural mechanism underlying dopaminergic modulation of behaviour induced by sensory stimuli remains poorly understood. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster to show that dopamine can modulate the optomotor response to moving visual stimuli including noise. The optomotor response is the head-turning response to moving objects, which is observed in most sight-reliant animals including mammals and insects. First, the effects of the dopamine system on the optomotor response were investigated in mutant flies deficient in dopamine receptors D1R1 or D1R2, which are involved in the modulation of sleep-arousal in flies. We examined the optomotor response in D1R1 knockout (D1R1 KO) and D1R2 knockout (D1R2 KO) flies and found that it was not affected in D1R1 KO flies; however, it was significantly reduced in D1R2 KO flies compared with the wild type. Using cell-type-specific expression of an RNA interference construct of D1R2, we identified the fan-shaped body, a part of the central complex, responsible for dopamine-mediated modulation of the optomotor response. In particular, pontine cells in the fan-shaped body seemed important in the modulation of the optomotor response, and their neural activity was required for the optomotor response. These results suggest a novel role of the central complex in the modulation of a behaviour based on the processing of sensory stimulations.

Effects of boundary conditions on magnetic friction.

We consider magnetic friction between two square lattices of the ferromagnetic Ising model of finite thickness. We analyze the dependence on the boundary conditions and the sample thickness. Monte Carlo results indicate that the setup enables us to control the frictional force by magnetic fields on the boundaries. In addition, we confirm that the temperature derivative of the frictional force as well as that of the boundary energy has singularity at a velocity-dependent critical temperature.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for lumbar spine fusion.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of literature regarding the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for open lumbar spine fusions. We implemented an ERAS program for 1-2-level lumbar spine fusion surgery and identified areas that might benefit from perioperative interventions to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. METHODS: This institutionally approved quality improvement (QI) ERAS program for lumbar spine fusion was designed for all neurosurgical patients 18 years and older scheduled for 1 or 2 level primary lumbar fusions. The ERAS bundle contained elements such as multimodal analgesia including preoperative oral acetaminophen and gabapentin, postoperative early mobilization and physical therapy, and a prophylactic multimodal antiemetic regimen to decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting. No fluid management or hemodynamic parameters were included. Pre-ERAS and post-ERAS data were compared with regard to potential confounders, compliance with the ERAS bundle, and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were included from October 2013 to May 2017. The pre-ERAS phase consisted of 123 patients, 11 patients during the transition period, and 96 serving as post-ERAS patients. The pre-ERAS and post-ERAS groups had comparable demographics and comorbidities. Compliance with preoperative and intraoperative medication interventions was relatively good (~ 80%). Compliance with postoperative elements such as early physical therapy, early mobilization, and early removal of the urinary catheter was poor with no significant improvement in post-ERAS patients. There was no significant change in the amount of short-acting opioids used, but there was a decrease in the use of long-acting opioids in the post-ERAS phase (14.6 to 5.2%, p = 0.025). Post-ERAS patients required fewer rescue antiemetic medications in the recovery room compared to pre-ERAS patients (40 to 24%). There was no significant difference in postoperative pain scores or hospital length of stay between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing an ERAS bundle for 1-2-level lumbar fusion had minimal effect in decreasing length of stay, but a significant decrease in postoperative opioid and rescue antiemetic use. This ERAS bundle showed mixed results likely secondary to poor ERAS protocol compliance. Going forward, this QI project will look to improve post-operative ERAS implementation to improve patient outcomes.

The Incidence of Desaturation during Anesthesia in Adult and Pediatric Patients: A Retrospective Study.

We investigated the incidence of desaturation during general anesthesia in preoperatively hypoxic (< 92%), and nonhypoxic (≥ 92%) pediatric (n=1,090) and adult (n=5,138) patients. We plotted the patients' SpO2 value time-courses and assessed desaturation in 6,228 patients. The crude overall incidence (95%CI) for desaturation was 11.1% (9.4-13.1) in the pediatric patients and 0.9% (0.6-1.2) in the adults. The crude incidence of desaturation in the hypoxic pediatric patients was 2.5 times the risk in the nonhypoxic patients: risk ratio (RR) 2.5 (1.8-3.5), p<0.001. The risk of desaturation in the hypoxic adult patients was 20.1 times the risk in the nonhypoxic adult patients: RR 20.1 (10.3-39.2), p<0.001. When the patients were separately stratified by American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) and by age, the directly adjusted risk-ratio (RRS) showed that the hypoxic pediatric patients had 1.8 and 1.6 times the risk in the nonhypoxic pediatric patients: ASA-PS adjusted RRS 1.6 (1.8-2.2), p<0.001; age-adjusted RRS 1.8 (1.3-2.5), p<0.001, and the hypoxic adult patients had 13.8 times the risk in the nonhypoxic adult patients: RRS 13.8 (6.9-27.6), p<0.001. A pulse-oximeter check before the start of general anesthesia could ensure timely preparation to avoid intraoperative desaturation.

Factors promoting resident deaths at aged care facilities in Japan: a review.

Due to an increasingly ageing population, the Japanese government has promoted elderly deaths in aged care facilities. However, existing facilities were not designed to provide resident end-of-life care and the proportion of aged care facility deaths is currently less than 10%. Consequently, the present review evaluated the factors that promote aged care facility resident deaths in Japan from individual- and facility-level perspectives to exploring factors associated with increased resident deaths. To achieve this, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Ichushi databases were searched on 23 January 2016. Influential factors were reviewed for two healthcare services (insourcing and outsourcing facilities) as well as external healthcare agencies operating outside facilities. Of the original 2324 studies retrieved, 42 were included in analysis. Of these studies, five focused on insourcing, two on outsourcing, seven on external agencies and observed facility/agency-level factors. The other 28 studies identified individual-level factors related to death in aged care facilities. The present review found that at both facility and individual levels, in-facility resident deaths were associated with healthcare service provision, confirmation of resident/family end-of-life care preference and staff education. Additionally, while outsourcing facilities did not require employment of physicians/nursing staff to accommodate resident death, these facilities required visits by physicians and nursing staff from external healthcare agencies as well as residents' healthcare input. This review also found few studies examining outsourcing facilities. The number of healthcare outsourcing facilities is rapidly increasing as a result of the Japanese government's new tax incentives. Consequently, there may be an increase in elderly deaths in outsourcing healthcare facilities. Accordingly, it is necessary to identify the factors associated with residents' deaths at outsourcing facilities.

Factors associated with deaths in 'Elderly Housing with Care Services' in Japan: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although the Japanese government has expanded its 'Elderly Housing with Care Services' (EHCS) to ensure sufficient places of death for the elderly, resident deaths have occurred in less than 30% of the facilities. Our purpose was to identify the factors associated with residents' deaths in the EHCS, especially within the areas that are expected to have a large increase in the number of deaths. METHODS: Our cross-sectional study involved all EHCS (N = 412) in Japan's Tokyo, Kanagawa prefecture and used self-administered questionnaire data that the EHCS directors completed. In addition, we accessed the national statistics related to the municipal characteristics of the cities where the EHCS were located. These sources provided information about health care provision for the residents as well as facility/resident/regional characteristics that could potentially be associated with residents' deaths in the EHCS. Based on this information, a sequential multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. First, we included in-facility health care provision (presence of nursing staff) and facility/residents/regional characteristics in Model 1. Next, visiting nurse agency's care provision was included in Model 2. Finally, we included community hospitals or clinical care provision in Model 3. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-four facilities answered the questionnaire (response rate: 37.4%). A total of 114 facilities were analysed. In-facility residents' deaths occurred in more than half (54.4%) of the facilities. After adjusting for all variables (Model 3), end-of-life (EOL) care provision from community hospitals or clinics, the number of years since establishment and the number of residents were significantly associated with residents' deaths. In Model 2, visiting nurse's EOL care provision was significantly associated with residents' death. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in order to accommodate residents' deaths, the government or the facility's directors should promote the cooperation between EHCS facilities and community hospitals or clinics for in-residents' EOL care. Furthermore, as the results suggest that community nurses contribute to the occurrences of death by collaborating with the physician, promoting cooperation with visiting nurse agencies may be also needed.

AKI after pediatric cardiac surgery for congenital heart diseases-recent developments in diagnostic criteria and early diagnosis by biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery in children with congenital heart disease is a common complication. AKI is also associated with high morbidity and mortality. The Kidney Diseases Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria for AKI classification are now widely used for the definition of AKI. It is noteworthy that a statement about children was added to the criteria. Many studies aimed at finding useful biomarkers are now being performed by using these criteria. Clinicians should be aware of the recent progress in understanding AKI in children. MAIN CONTENTS: Unlike adult patients, young age is one of the major risk factors for AKI in pediatric cardiac surgery. The mechanism of the development of AKI in children might be different from that in adults because the surgical procedure and CPB technique in pediatric patients are greatly different from those in adult patients. There are many biomarkers for early detection of AKI, and some of them are widely used in hospitals. One of the major benefits of such biomarkers is the rapidness of expression for detecting increases in their expression levels. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1, cystatin C, and albumin have been investigated in some studies, and the usefulness of these biomarkers for detection of AKI and diagnosis of disease severity has been shown. Although there are many interventions for preventing and treating AKI after cardiac surgery in children, there is still no specific effective treatment. Peritoneal dialysis is effective for only maintaining a negative fluid balance early after cardiac surgery. The long-term prognosis of AKI is an issue of interest. Although mortality and morbidity of AKI in the acute phase of disease remain high, the long-term condition in pediatric patients is relatively acceptable unlike in adults. CONCLUSIONS: KDIGO criteria are advocated as a diagnostic tool for common perception. Early recognition and intervention for AKI can be achieved by using several biomarkers. Further studies are needed to establish effective treatment for AKI.

Physiological impact of high-flow nasal cannula therapy on postextubation acute respiratory failure after pediatric cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Reintubation after pediatric cardiac surgery is associated with a high rate of mortality. Therefore, adequate respiratory support for postextubation acute respiratory failure (ARF) is important. However, little is known about the physiological impact of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy on ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery. Our working hypothesis was that HFNC therapy for postextubation ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery improves hemodynamic and respiratory parameters. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study conducted at a single university hospital. Children less than 48 months of age who had postextubation ARF after cardiac surgery were included in this study. HFNC therapy was started immediately after diagnosis of postextubation ARF. Data obtained just before starting HFNC therapy were used for pre-HFNC analysis, and data obtained 1 h after starting HFNC therapy were used for post-HFNC analysis. We compared hemodynamic and respiratory parameters between pre-HFNC and post-HFNC periods. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze these indices. RESULTS: Twenty children were included in this study. The median age and body weight were 4.5 (2.3-14.0) months and 4.3 (3.1-7.1) kg, respectively. Respiratory rate (RR) significantly decreased from 43.5 (32.0-54.8) to 28.5 (21.0-40.5) breaths per minute (p = 0.0008) 1 h after the start of HFNC therapy. Systolic blood pressure also decreased from 87.5 (77.8-103.5) to 76.0 (70.3-85.0) mmHg (p = 0.003). Oxygen saturation, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, heart rate, and lactate showed no remarkable changes. There was no adverse event caused by HFNC therapy. CONCLUSIONS: HFNC therapy improves the RR of patients who have postextubation ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery without any adverse events.

Predictors of preferred location of care in middle-aged individuals of a municipality in Japan: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Japan has the highest rate of aging. To contain Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance costs, the Japanese government is attempting to increase the proportion of individuals receiving home care services. However, demand for institutional care is increasing. These circumstances will decrease the sustainability of the LTC Insurance System. The objective of the present study was to identify predictors of the location of preference for LTC (home or a facility) in middle-aged individuals in a municipality. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of middle-aged individuals (n = 906) in Tsukuba, Japan. Data primarily included individual or social factors (sex, age, household size, experience with caring for family, information sources about social services or municipality policy), factors about care prevention (self-reported health, efforts to promote health, motivation in life), and the preferred location of care. These variables were analysed with multiple logistic regression, using preferred location of care as the dependent variable. RESULTS: A total of 693 respondents were analysed. Of these, 440 (63.5%) preferred home and 253 (36.5%) preferred a facility. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that a preference for facility was significantly associated with female sex, younger age, experience with caring for family, fewer information sources about social services or municipality policies, selecting 'go to culture lessons/study to satisfy interests', and not selecting 'spending time happily with family' under motivation in life. CONCLUSIONS: To support the selection of receiving home care services, municipalities must consider improving policies that reduce the burdens of present middle-aged caregivers, and promote the provision of care service information from multiple sources.

Perioperative Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Patients: Its Association With Postoperative Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perioperative brain natriuretic peptide levels and the incidence of postoperative serious adverse events (SAEs) in pediatric cardiac patients. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A single-institution university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Children under 15 years old who underwent cardiac surgery that required cardiopulmonary bypass from December 21, 2012 to February 26, 2014. The Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1 category less than 1 was excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured preoperatively (BNPpre) and on postoperative day 1 (BNPPOD1) and postoperative day 3 (BNPPOD3). METHODS AND RESULTS: Primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative SAEs; (1) death in the intensive care unit, (2) requirement of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, (3) cardiac arrest, and (4) requirement of reoperation for hemodynamic instability. The authors included 71 patients in this study. There were 8 patients (11%) who had at least 1 SAE. Median preoperative BNP level in patients with SAEs was significantly higher than in those without SAEs (1,541 pg/mL [IQR: 121-5,962] v 122 pg/mL [QR: 34-342], p = 0.01). From the receiver operating characteristic curve of BNPpre for the incidence of SAEs, an area under the curve was 0.77 (95%CI 0.55-0.91). The best cutoff BNPpre number was 1,000 pg/mL. From the multivariate logistic regression model, BNPpre>1,000 pg/mL was associated independently with risk of SAEs (adjusted odds ratio = 8.5, 95% CI [1.3, 59.3], p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the authors' study showed that increased preoperative brain natriuretic peptide concentration, especially a concentration of more than 1,000 pg/mL, was associated with risk of SAEs in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.

Urinary Albumin Levels Predict Development of Acute Kidney Injury After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Mortality and morbidity of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery still remain high. The authors undertook the present study to evaluate the utility of early postoperative urinary albumin (uAlb) as a diagnostic marker for predicting occurrence of AKI and its severity in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A single-institution university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All patients<18 years of age who underwent repair of congenital heart disease with cardiopulmonary bypass between July 2010 and July 2012 were included in the study. Neonates age<1 month were excluded from the study population. INTERVENTIONS: The association between uAlb and occurrence of AKI within 3 days after admission to the intensive care unit was investigated. Criteria from pediatric-modified Risk Injury Failure Loss and End-stage kidney disease (pRIFLE) were used to determine the occurrence of AKI. The value of uAlb was measured at intensive care unit admission immediately after cardiac surgery in all participants from whom a 5-mL urine sample was obtained. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 376 patients, AKI assessed by pRIFLE was identified in 243 (64.6%): 172 for risk (R; 45.7%), 44 for injury (I; 11.7%), and 27 for failure (F; 7.2%). One hundred thirty-three patients (35.4%) were classified as being without AKI (normal [N]) by pRIFLE. The concentration of uAlb was significantly higher in AKI patients than in non-AKI patients (median [interquartile range]): uAlb (µg/mL): 13.5 (6.4-39.6) v 6.0 (3.4-16), p<0.001; uAlb/Cr (mg/gCr): 325 (138-760) v 121 (53-269), p< 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The utility of uAlb for prompt diagnosis of AKI was shown. Obtaining uAlb measurements early after pediatric cardiac surgery may be useful for predicting the occurrence and severity of AKI.

[Increase in serum vecuronium concentration following sugammadex administration in a pediatric patient after prolonged sedation].

It is known that blood concentration of rocuronium increases after administration of sugammadex, but this is not clear in the case of vecuronium. We report a pediatric case in which serum vecuronium concentration increased following sugammadex administration after prolonged sedation using vecuronium. A 19-month-old girl weighing 7.8 kg had a history of aortic valvuloplasty at 4 months of age due to truncus arteriosus. She presented again to our hospital due to aortic regurgitation. She underwent aortic valvuloplasty and then aortic valve replacement. The postoperative course was complicated with severe heart failure and acute kidney injury requiring peritoneal dialysis. For that reason she required long-term sedation including administration of a large amount of muscle relaxant due to severe low cardiac output syndrome after aortic valvuloplasty. A total of 615 mg (79 mg x kg(-1)) of vecuronium was administered over a period of 24 days. On weaning from mechanical ventilation, 125 mg (16 mg x kg(-1)) of sugammadex was given. Vecuronium concentration measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was 5.03 ng x ml(-1) before sugammadex administration and increase to 13.98 ng x ml(-1) after that. However, blood concentration of metabolic products of vecuronium did not exceed the lower limits of measurement in each sample. She was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation without recurarizarion. Serum concentration of vecuronium increased after administration of sugammadex because extravascular vecuronium was redistributed to intravascular space according to the concentration gradient induced by binding and clathration of vecuronium. The measured values of vecuronium after sugammadex administration on HPLC represented the total amount of free vecuronium and vecuronium combined with sugammadex. Recurarization might occur after sugammadex reversal in patients after long-term administration of vecuronium, especially if relatively smaller doses of sugammadex were given. We experienced a pediatric case in which serum vecuronium concentration increased following sugammadex administration after prolonged sedation using vecuronium. There is a risk of recurarization after sugammadex reversal in patients after long-term administration of vecuronium.

[Pacing lead extraction using an excimer laser sheath under general anesthesia].

An excimer laser sheath has recently been used for extraction of pacing and ICD leads. By using this technique, leads are removed more easily and it has to take a shorter time to extract leads. Although lead extraction with this method can cause fatal complications such as large vessel injury, little has been reported regarding anesthetic management during the lead extraction. We experienced two cases of pacing lead extraction using an excimer laser sheath under general anesthesia. The procedures were mainly performed by cardiologists in the operating theater. A wide area was prepared with sterile drapes as for cardiac surgery with cardiovascular surgeons standing by. Vascular access catheters were placed in the right femoral artery as well as vein, and in the right internal jugular vein so that immediate PCPS introduction could be performed in case of sudden hemodynamic collapse by massive bleeding. In the first case, lead extraction was completed without any complication, but in the second case sternotomy was performed by cardiac surgeons for safe separation of leads from vessels. There were also no bleeding episodes in the second case. Preparation for bleeding and cooperation among cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, medical engineers and anesthesiologists are necessary from the safety point of view of this procedure under general anesthesia.

Avidin/PSS membrane microcapsules with biotin-binding activity.

Polyelectrolyte microcapsules with avidin-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) membrane were prepared by a layer-by-layer deposition technique. The uptake and release of biotin-labeled fluorescein (b-FITC) as well as immobilization of biotin-labeled glucose oxidase (b-GOx) to the microcapsule were studied. The polyelectrolyte microcapsules were prepared by coating the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) microparticles with an avidin/PSS multilayer membrane, followed by dissolution of CaCO(3) core in an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solution. Inner and outer poly(allylamine)/PSS films were required to isolate the microcapsules, whereas microcapsules could not be formed without the support. The uptake of b-FITC into the microcapsule was highly enhanced through a strong binding of b-FITC to avidin as compared with the uptake of biotin-free FITC. Release of b-FITC from the microcapsule was accelerated upon addition of biotin due to a competitive binding of the added biotin to the binding site of avidin. Similarly, the surface of microcapsule was modified with b-GOx with retaining its catalytic activity.