Medicine, Kampo ; Viral ; Acute ; Therapeutic procedure ; Gastroenteritis

A 72-year-old female who had been experiencing chest pain after slight exertion for over one month was admitted to our hospital. An electrocardiogram after exercise revealed a myocardial ischemic change. We diagnosed Ketsu-kyo on the basis of symptoms such as extreme tenderness in the epigastric region (Shinka-hiko) and also tenderness in the anterior chest wall. After prescribing Dai-kankyo-to, which was made by boiling with Daio, Bosyo and Kantsui, the expected diarrhea did not occur. We then made Dai-kankyo-to according to the original method of Sho-kan-ron and administered it. The chest pain disappeared and severe diarrhea occurred. A coronary angiogram did not reveal a stenotic lesion and the patient was diagnosed with microvascular angina pectoris. This suggests that Dai-kankyo-to may be an effective treatment of microvascular angina in its acute stage.

Norovirus infection is a common cause of epidemic winter vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms that present, such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, normally disappear within 1 to 3 days, although some fatal cases are reported in the elderly.During the two months from December 1, 2005 to January 31, 2006, we prescribed ogonto to twenty patients who presented with vomiting or diarrhea in a nursing home, and examined prescription times and illness durations, other drugs used, and whether there were any transfusion or complications.The number of ogonto doses given was from 1 to 12. Fifteen cases (75%) were dosed 3 times or less, and four cases were only dosed once. In terms of illness duration: eleven cases were cured in less than 24 hours; six cases were cured from 24 hours to less than 48 hours; two cases were cured from 48 hours to less than 72 hours; and one case was cured from 72 hours to less than 96 hours. Overall, seventeen cases (85%) were cured in less than 48 hours.Regarding the other treatment and complications: domperidone was used in four cases; and a transfusion was given in six cases. Aspiration pneumonia occurred in one case, but no patient required hospital treatment. Norovirus infection is usually treated only with symptomatic therapy, so we think Kampo therapy should be available because when started at an early stage, it can prevent this disease from becoming severe.

We report a case of recrudescent cholangitis successfully treated with Kampo medicine. The patient was a 31-year-old female. She was diagnosed with congenital biliary dilatation, and underwent an operation for partial resection of the liver, and a choledocho-jejunostomy. However, the cholangitis returned two years ago, when she was 29 years old. She had repeated abdominal pain and fever, and at that time received treatment with antibiotics. She desired pregnancy, and was hoping that Kampo treatment would enable her to decrease the amount of antibiotic she was taking. We prescribed inchinkoto as a base treatment and added to daisaikoto or shosaikoto. We changed the prescription according to her symptoms. As a result, her antibiotic quantity was reduced markedly, she safely conceived, and kept taking Kampo medicine while she was pregnant. She remained in good condition throughout her pregnancy. Thus, we consider that Kampo medicine may be useful for treating recrudescent cholangitis after an operation for reconstruction of the biliary tract.

Cerebral protection during surgical procedure of aortic arch aneurysm is one of the most important factor which limits the time of surgical repair of the aortic arch and arch branches. We introduced the selective cerebral perfusion system by gravity with cold blood for repair of aortic arch aneurysm from 1988. This study was undertaken to determine whether this new selective cold blood cerebral perfusion system is usefull for repair of aortic arch aneurysm. From July 1988 to May 1991, twenty-three patients with aortic arch aneurysms were repaired using the selective cerebral perfusion system with cold blood. Both carotid arteries were selectively perfused with oxygenated cold blood (16°C) via the reservoir combined with heat-exchanger fixed 1.5 meter high from the head of the patient. Surgical repair was performed under moderate core hypothermia (20-25°C) avoiding prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass to rewarm the patient. Cerebral perfusion pressure was 45 mmHg (mean) and perfusion flow via the carotid arteries was 400ml/min. Mean selective cerebral perfusion time was 60min and mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 193min. Emergency operations were performed in seven of 23 patients because of ruptured aortic arch aneurysms. There was no intraoperative death. Three of 23 patients (13%) died due to postoperative complication. Nineteen of 20 survivors discharged from the hospital and are good clinical condition. One patient needs the care for rehabilitation in the hospital due to cerebral infarction. Although our experience is limited, successful cerebral protection and avoidance of prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass were achieved. Selective low pressure cerebral perfusion with cold blood may be a useful method for repair of aortic arch aneurysm.

A 44-year-old male with cyclic neutropenia who had suffered from repeated general fatigue and severe abdominal pain over twenty-six years was admitted to our hospital. Various active treatments such as steroid, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and immunosuppressive regimen had been attempted, but a lasting cure could not obtained. In addition, the cycle of neutropenia had gradually been disturbed and abdominal pain occurred even at the period of normal neutrocyte. The patient fell into severe asthenia and cold syndrome judging from Japanese traditional Kampo medicine. Tsumyaku-shigyaku-to and Dai-kenchu-to combined with Busi-koubei-to were administered alternately, and then abdominal pain was reduced, accompanied by improvement of his cold and strengthening of his constitution. Furthermore, several Kampo formulas such as modifications of Chu-kenchu-to were administered on the basis of abdominal symptom and the cycle of neutropenia was regularized. This suggests that the genus Kenchu-to may be an effective treatment for cyclic neutropenia.

We administered Seki-gan-ryo to 24 patients with severe asthenia and cold syndrome as judging by Japanese traditional Kampo medicine. The patients were separated into responder, and non-responder groups. There were 12 patients in the non-responding group. We investigated the clinical indicators of Seki-gan-ryo with special reference to the type of cold and pulse diagnosis. The type of cold wass divided into three groups; heat in the upper and cold in the lower, and limbs type. Pulses superficialis-profundus and excess-efficiency were graded from the diagram.
Seven of the 11 patients in the non-responder group appeared to have a general type of cold. There was, however, no statistical difference between the responders and the non-responders, in their type of cold. All patients in the responder group presented with relatively strong pulses (excess: 1, relative excess: 4, and balance: 5). On the other hand, the strength of pulses in the non-responder group appeared to vary.
If patients with severe asthenia and cold syndrome present with a relatively strong pulse, Seki-gan-ryo may be thought of as discriminating formula.

A 68-year-old female who had suffered from lumbar vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis six years before was admitted to our hospital because of thoracodorsal pain of an unknown origin, and systemic contact dermatitis, on November 2000. The patient had been forced into a bedridden state due to severe pain. A bone scintigram showed multiple high accumulations in the thoracispinal region, but malignant disease could not be detected. Furthermore, a MRI demonstrated multiple thoracolumber vertebral compression fractures. Keishi-bushi-to was administered to control severe and superficial pain, and the presence of cold limbs. Pain was gradually diminished and the patient could be started on rehabilitation one month after treatment. Furthermore, several Kampo formulas, such as Ogi-kenchu-to, Keikyososo-oshinbu-to and Hachimi-jio-gan were administered on the basis of pain and skin condition. In the end, the patient could stand up with support eleven months after treatment.
Based on this experience, it is suggested that Keishi-bushi-to may be an effective treatment for severe pain arising from multiple fractures with osteoporosis.

We report a situation involving Kampo therapies on an isolated island and three cases treated with Kampo medicine on the island. The first author received outpatient training at the department of Japanese Oriental Medicine in Iizuka Hospital and provided medical care on the island for 3 years, using Kampo therapies.
About one quarter of patients (total, 134) were prescribed Kampo therapies in April 2009, and we surveyed the number of patients who had taken each Kampo medicine for 2 years from April of 2008 to March of 2010. As to prescriptions of less than 4 weeks, Kampo medicines used for a cold ranked high. As to prescriptions exceeding 4 weeks, hachimijiogan, daiokanzoto and keishibukuryogan were the most prescribed medications, in descending order.
We consider Kampo therapies to have been effective on this isolated island where there are many elderly people, and patients who must be treated comprehensively while giving consideration to their familial states. We also presume the environment of an isolated island to cause certain clinical conditions, water imbalances included, such that Kampo medicines for water imbalances tended to be prescribed frequently.
Finally, learning Kampo therapies has highly motivated the first author to practice community medicine.