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This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, trends, and risk factors of early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by using a nationally representative sample. The datasets of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2019 were used, where 80,860 individuals were identified; of these, 9,045 participants aged 40–49 years who underwent spirometry with no missing data were analyzed. Early COPD was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s /forced vital capacity ratio

Background The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a simple screening tool with high sensitivity for the detection of severe obstructive sleep apnea. Predicting airway obstruction would allow the safe management of sedative patients to prevent intraoperative hypoxia. This study was designed to check the correlation between the STOP-Bang score and oxygen saturation (SpO2) during sedation and confirm the availability of the STOP-Bang questionnaire as a preoperative exam for predicting the incidence of hypoxia in sedative patient management. Methods This study included 56 patients who received spinal anesthesia. The pre-anesthesia evaluation was conducted using the STOP-Bang questionnaire. The patients were under spinal anesthesia with an average block level of T10. Dexmedetomidine was infused with a loading dose of 1 μg/kg over 10 min and a maintenance dose of 0.5 μg/kg/h until the end of the procedure. The SpO2 of the patients was recorded every 5 min. Results The STOP-Bang score was negatively correlated with the lowest SpO2 (coefficient = –0.774, 95% confidence interval [CI]: –0.855 to –0.649, standard error [SE] = 0.054, P < 0.001). The item of “observed apnea” was the most correlated one with hypoxic events (odds ratio = 6.00, 95% CI: 1.086 to 33.145). Conclusions The STOP-Bang score was significantly correlated with the lowest SpO2 during spinal anesthesia, which enabled the prediction of meaningful hypoxia before it occurred in the sedated patients.

This article presents the findings of a study on the outcomes of thoracic sympathetic ganglion blocks (TSGB) in 207 chronic pain patients. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the technical success of TSGB and pain reduction, as well as identify clinical factors relevant to a positive outcome. The results showed that 55.5% of patients reported pain reduction and 67.1% achieved temperature rises after TSGB. However, there was no significant relationship between pain reduction and temperature increase. Factors such as comorbid diabetes and adjuvant intake were positively associated with TSGB outcome, while psychiatric comorbidity and pain duration were negatively associated. The study suggests that further research is needed to identify significant factors associated with TSGB outcomes in patients with complex regional pain syndrome and neuropathic pain diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Background: An unintentional large dose of dexmedetomidine during sedation can lead to increased side effects such as bradycardia and hypotension. We investigated whether the frequency of bradycardia in patients undergoing surgery under spinal anesthesia and sedation with dexmedetomidine was effected if bispectral index (BIS) was used to monitor the sedation. Methodology: Fifty patients between 20 and 60 y of age, who underwent spinal anesthesia, were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups (control and BIS groups). Patients in the control group were administered a loading dose of 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine for the first 10 min without BIS monitoring, followed by a maintenance dose of 0.2 µg/kg/h. Patients in the BIS group received a loading dose of 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine for the first 10 min. The maintenance dose in this group was administered at the discretion of the anesthesiologist to maintain the BIS score between 50 and 70. The baseline heart rate (HR), lowest HR, and the difference between baseline and the lowest HR were calculated. Results: The baseline HR was 74.4 ± 11.0 beats per minute (bpm) and 80.9 ± 16.0 bpm, in the control and BIS groups respectively (p = 0.098). The difference between the baseline and lowest HR in the control and BIS groups was 19.4 ± 7.6 bpm and 25.5 ± 8.8 bpm, respectively (p = 0.011). Low baseline HR was positively correlated with a reduced lowest HR. Conclusions: The frequency of bradycardia during sedation with dexmedetomidine decreased with BIS monitoring. Patients with a low baseline HR were more likely to develop bradycardia during sedation with dexmedetomidine. Therefore, BIS monitoring may be helpful in patients with low baseline HR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]