Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is performed after oxygen therapy and breathing therapy. The usefulness of HBO therapy in emergency treatment has been reported. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of HBO for CO poisoning that was performed at our hospital over the past 5 years. Subjects were 23 patients who had HBO therapy for CO poisoning in the period January 2008-November 2013. The male to female ratio of the cases was 14:9 and the mean age was 54.6±20.8 years. The cause was suicide in 39.1% of cases and accident in 60.9%. The mean number of treatments was 5.4±6.8. The atmosphere absolute was 2ATA:2.8ATA=12:11. The ratio of direct conveyance of the patient to our hospital to indirect conveyance of the patient from another hospital was 15:8. The effectiveness of HBO therapy at the time of discharge was 73.9%. However, delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) was detected in 3 of the 23 cases of CO poisoning. No correlations were found between elapsed time after CO inhalation and various blood parameters. However, time to start of therapy is important for DNS, and our results suggest that early treatment at a hospital with a hyperbaric chamber is necessary.

The goal of the present study was to test the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) scale. Correlations between the QOLIBRI and Glasgow Coma Scale scores, anxiety, depression, general quality of life (QOL), and demographic characteristics were examined to assess scale validity. The structure of the QOLIBRI was investigated with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as the Partial Credit Model. Test–retest reliability was assessed over a 2-week interval. Participants were 129 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) recruited from rehabilitation centers in Japan. The QOLIBRI showed good-to-excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α: 0.82–0.96), test–retest reliability, and validity (r = 0.77–0.90). Factor analyses revealed a 6-factor structure. Compared to an international sample (IS), Japanese patients had lower QOLIBRI scores and lower satisfaction in several domains. There were positive correlations between the QOLIBRI scales and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (r = 0.22–0.41). The Japanese version of the QOLIBRI showed good-to-excellent psychometric properties. Differences between JS and IS may reflect sampling bias and cultural norms regarding self-evaluation. The QOLIBRI could be a useful tool for assessing health-related QOL in individuals with TBI.
Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Brain Injuries ; Brain ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Japan ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Reproducibility of Results ; Selection Bias ; Weights and Measures

In 2000, an equine Yamakagashi (Rhabdophis tigrinus) antivenom (Lot 0001) was testmanufactured as an unapproved drug for treatment of Yamakagashi bites. It was stocked on the premise of super-legal use from the viewpoint of emergency health crisis management. The antivenom showed a strong neutralizing ability against the hemorrhagic and coagulation activity of the Yamakagashi venom in its potency test. One vial of the antivenom can effectively neutralize at least about 4 mg of Yamakagashi venom. Its efficacy has also been confirmed in patients with severe cases of R. tigrinus bite that has been used in emergency. In 2020, this antivenom (Lot 0001) has reached 20 years after its production. To evaluate the integrity and potency of the antivenom, quality control, safety and potency tests had been conducted almost every year since 2012. Physical and chemical tests (property test, moisture content test, insoluble foreign matter test, osmotic pressure ratio test, pH test, protein content test, endotoxin test, sterility test) of the antivenom, showed no significant changes throughout the years, when compared to the results immediately after its production in 2000. All the parameters measured were also within the standard values. In animal safety tests (test for absence of toxicity and pyrogen), there was no change in the test results during the storage period and no abnormalities were observed. The potency test (anti-coagulant activity) after 20 years of the product, showed the same potency as those recorded immediately after production. Therefore, in all of the stability monitoring tests conducted so far, the product did not show any significant change compared to the results immediately after production. This confirms the stability of the product during the stockpiling period to the present, that is, 20 years after production.