The phase of the menstrual cycle was demonstrated to have an influence on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery, but little was known for breast surgery, which was shown to have relatively higher incidence of PONV, >60%. We performed this study to investigate the influence of the phase of menstrual cycle on PONV after breast cancer surgery.

A total of 103 patients, who were scheduled for breast cancer surgery under general anesthesia, were recruited, and patients with irregular menstrual cycles, history of previous history of PONV were excluded. Groups were divided in two ways as follows: 1) gynecologic classification: premenstrual and menstrual (days 25 to 6), follicular (days 8 to 12), ovulation (days 13 to 15), and luteal phase (days 20 to 24); 2) menstrual classification: menstrual (days 1 to 8) and non-menstrual (days 9 to 28). PONV were recorded using Rhodes index of nausea, vomiting and retching at postoperative 6 and 24 hours.

The overall incidence of PONV during postoperative 24 hours was 35.4%. At the menstrual classification, the incidence of PONV at postoperative 24 hours was higher in the menstrual group than that in the non-menstrual group (16.7% vs. 4.2%, P=0.057). The severity of PONV, measured with Rhodes index of nausea, vomiting and retching was significantly different between menstrual and non-menstrual groups (P=0.034).

The duration and severity of the PONV after breast cancer surgery were demonstrated to be prolonged and aggravated during menstruation, respectively. Therefore, consideration of menstrual cycle for scheduling breast cancer surgery could effectively prevent the PONV and reduce medical cost.

The insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) regulate the bioavailability and bioactivity of insulin-like growth factor. We aimed to evaluate whether the IGFBP-3 level undergo major changes during perioperative periods according to the different kind of anesthetic agents.

Eighteen adults scheduled for elective total abdominal hysterectomy were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to have either propofol or isoflurane for maintenance of general anesthesia. A venous sample was taken for analysis of IGFBP-3 at the following time points: before induction, at the time of peritoneal closure, 1 hour after extubation at recovery room, and 2 and 5 postoperative days. The samples were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosolvent assay.

Demographic data were similar between groups. In the both groups, the IGFBP-3 concentration decreased after anesthesia induction, reaching a nadir at the time of peritoneal closure without a significant difference between groups. In analysis between groups, the IGFBP-3 concentration in the isoflurane group on the postoperative 5th day was recovered to preoperative value and significantly higher than that in the propofol group (P<0.05).

This is the first study to show that the anesthetics used for general anesthesia affect the IGFBP-3 level during perioperative periods. The decrease of IGFBP-3 level following anesthesia induction in the isoflurane group was recovered to preoperative value, whereas that observed in the propofol group was not recovered on the postoperative 5th day. Further study is needed to establish the definitive effect of general anesthetics on IGFBP-3 and provide a comprehensive interpretation.

We analyzed retrospectively incidence, management, and predictors of difficult intubation, which have been known through practical cases.

A total of 217 cases of difficult intubation (DI) between 2010 and 2014 were investigated. Risk factors such as age, body mass index, Mallampati score, thyromental distance, degree of mouth opening and range of neck motion, Cormack-Lehane grade, intubation and airway management techniques were investigated. The cases of each department were analyzed and the airway management techniques according to simplified risk scores (SRS) were also investigated.

The average incidence of DI was 0.49%. Patients undergoing surgery in the departments of oro-maxillo-facial surgery (1.35%), ophthalmologic surgery (0.96%), urologic surgery (0.80%), and head and neck surgery of ear-nose-throat (0.62%) showed the higher incidence of DI. Difficult mask ventilation (10 of 217, 4.6%) was occurred with DI. Higher SRS were related to high rates of video laryngoscope use and fiberoptic guided intubation. There was a decrease in the use of McCoy blades after 2013, an increase in the use of video laryngoscope, and a consistent rate of fiberoptic intubation.

It is not easy to check all the predictors of DI in a preanesthetic evaluation and the predictors are not accurate. The role of clinical preparation and practical management is important, and the most important thing is to establish a planned induction strategy. Multiple factors system, such as simplified risk factors should be used to evaluate patients to prepare for appropriate airway management techniques in case of DI.

Preoxygenation is recommended in order to prevent hypoxemia with hypoventilation or apnea during induction of anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the duration of preoxygenation required to achieve an end-tidal oxygen fraction(FE'O₂) of 0.9 in children and adults.

In 24 healthy children and adults breathing 100% oxygen, end tidal oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration have been measured at 15 seconds interval from the start of liter per minute. The gas sampling line of the Capnomac II(Datex, Helsinki, Finland) was placed in the nasal cavity.

The study showed that all children attained an FE'O₂ of 0.9 within 75s of preoxygenation, but adults had not reached an FE'O₂ of 0.9 within 180s.

More oxygen wash-in would be expected in children. We suggested that at least 3 min of preoxygenation should be performed before intravenous induction of anesthesia in children.

The head-down tilt(HDT) position infuses changes in cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure, hemodynamic and respiratory system. This study was performed to evaluate the changes in cerebral blood flow and the onset of autoregulation according to the different degree of HDT.

The subjects were 12 healthy adult female volunteers. They were divided two groups : 10° HDT(group 1) and 15° HDT(group 2). The systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure, heart rate, end-tidal CO₂ concentration and cerebral blood flow velocity on middle cerebral artery by transcranial Doppler were measured before positioning and 1,2,3,5,7,9,11 minute after positioning.

There was no significant changes in cerebral blood flow velocities statistically according to the HDT under 15 degrees. In group 1, vean arterial blood pressure were increased at 5 minutes and returned to control value at 7 minutes after HDT with statistical significances. Diastolic blood pressure in group 1 were increased at 1 and 2 minutes after HDT with statistical significances. In froup 2, systolic blood pressure were increased at 5,7,9,11 minutes after HDT statistically significantly.

There were no significant changes of cerebral blood flow under less than 15° HDT. But systolic blood pressure were increased with 15° HDT in the healthy adults statistically significantly(p<0.05) not but clinically. So, we suggested that if HDT is required, we should take care of the partients more than 10 minutes after HDT.

Pneumocephalus is a pathologic collection of gas within the cranial cavity. Patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures may be at increased risk for the development of tension paneumocephalus if nitrous oxide(N₂O) is used during a subsequent anesthetic.

Thirty-seven patients undergoing cerebral aneurysm surgery had a computed tomographic scan of the head performed on or after the day of their surgery. 64 scans were examined for the presence of intracranial air. The magnitude of pneumocephalus was recorded as A-P(mm), width(m),& numbers of section.

Air was seen in all scans obtained in the first three postoperative days, During the second postoperative weeks, the incidence and the size of pneumocephalus decreased. A significant number of patients have an intracranial air collection in the first two weeks after the procedure.

These data indicate that all patients have pneumocephalus immediately after a cerebral aneurysm surgery. This information should be considered in the evaluation of the patient and the selection of anesthetic agents during a second anesthetic in the first 2 weeks after the first procedure.

There are controversies about the analgesic effects of intraaarticular morphine and local anethetics bupivacaine. This study sought to compare the effects of saline with mor-phine, bupivacaine with or without epinephrine, administrated intraarticularly upon pos-toperative pan following arthroscopic knee surgery under general anesthesia.

In a double-blined, randommized manner, 40 patients received one of saline(20ml, n=10), morphine(1mg in 20ml NaCl, n=10), bupivacaine(0.25%, 20ml, n=10), bu-pivacaine with epinephrine(0.25%, 20ml, 200ug of epinephrine, n=10) intaarticularly at the completion of surgery. The pain scores by VAS were determined after 1,2,3,4 and 24 hours after intraarticular administration.

There were no significant statistical differences between four groups in the pain score. The maximal pain scores were 37.5 in control group, 48.0 in morphine group, 33.6 in bupivacaine group postoperative 1 hour and 32.9 in bupivacaine with epinephrine group pos-toperative 2 hours. The pain scores were decreased as the time went by and were minimin as 21.4 in control group, 17.6 in morphine group, 11.2 in bupivacaine group and 12.3 in bu-pivacaine with epinephrine group 24 hour postoperatively.

Though there were no significant statistical significances with those doses, there were tendencies that the bupivacaine group with or without epinephrine had the postoperative analgesic effect rather than control group, and morphine group had a slow onset of analgesic ef-fect. So, we should study to decide the dose or volume of the drugs and appropriate time to evaluate for the anagesic effects after knee arthroscopy further.