1.Effective blood transfusion for the symptomatic restless legs syndrome by anemia in the terminal stage of cancer: a case report
Hideaki Hasuo ; Tatsuhiko Ishihara ; Naoko Hata ; Mika Saigusa ; Midori Okada ; Hideyuki Kimura
Palliative Care Research 2011;6(2):344-349
We experienced a case in which a blood transfusion proved to be effective for the treatment of symptomatic restless legs syndrome that occurred in a patient demonstrating terminal stage cancer with iron-deficiency anemia due to hemorrhaging as a result of carcinomatous peritonitis. The patient was a female in her seventies who suffered from hepatocellular carcinoma. After undergoing blood transfusion, the symptoms of discomfort in her lower limbs dramatically improved. It was thought that it was expected the symptomatic restless leg syndrome was frequently amalgamated, and a positive diagnosis and appropriate treatment were necessary in the terminal stage of cancer. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(2): 344-349
2.Effective acetazolamide for the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure due to carcinomatous meningitis: a case report
Mika Saigusa ; Tatsuhiko Ishihara ; Junko Uemoto ; Naoko Hata ; Hideaki Hasuo ; Midori Okada ; Hideyuki Kimura
Palliative Care Research 2013;8(2):544-547
Introduction: We experienced a case in which acetazolamide proved to be effective for the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure due to carcinomatous meningitis. Case: The patient was a male in his fifties who was diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma. He was suffered from headache and vomiting due to carcinomatous meningitis after his admission to our palliative care unit, so he was prescribed steroids and a glycerin infusion. But only morning headache remained, and we added acetazolamide 500 mg per day and his morning headache improved. Conclusion: This morning headache is thought to reflect exacerbation of raised intracranial pressure through nocturnal hypoventilation with a rise in PaCO2, so it was thought that acetazolamide decreased PaCO2 and relieved morning headache.
3.Effects of Cervical Cancer Screening with a Combination of Cervical Cytology and HPV Testing
Akihiro KARUBE ; Fumiko SAITO ; Daisuke NAGAO ; Daisuke TAMURA ; Natsuki ONO ; Naoko KIMURA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2014;63(1):1-8
This study was conducted to clarify the benefits of using cervical cytological examinations and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in our cervical cancer screening program, which was carried out during the period from April 2012 through March 2013 in the Yuri-Honjo district of Akita Prefecture. A total of 772 women underwent this screening. About 11.3% (87/772) of the examinees tested positive for HPV, and of these 87 women, 64 were also positive for HPV DNA in the examinations subsequently conducted in the outpatient clinic. Of the HPV DNA-positive women who showed no sign of abnormalities in cytology, 67.6% had lesions cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 and above, and five women had l CIN 2/3. Compared with the conventional cytology which detected nine women with CIN 2/3, our screening method with a combination of cytology and HPV testing found 14 women with CIN 2 or 3. To upgrade the cervical cancer screening, we recommend HPV testing should be used in combination with cervical cytology.
4.Influence of the HPV16/18 Infection on the Age Distribution of Cervical Cancer Patients
Akihiro KARUBE ; Fumiko SAITO ; Daisuke NAGAO ; Megumi OTOMO ; Daisuke TAMURA ; Naoko KIMURA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2014;63(2):87-92
This study was conducted to document a correlation between the age distribution of patients with cervical cancers and their genotype patterns of human papilloma virus (HPV). Retrospective analysis was performed on 53 patients in the clinical stage of CIN 3 and above. The patients were treated in our hospital during the period between January 2008 and May 2011. The age distribution showed that the patients in their twenties accounted for 28.0%, those in their thirties 34.0%, those in their forties 24.0%, those in their fifties 4.0%, and those in their sixties and older 10.0%, the average of the subjects was 39.5 years. This distribution pattern also indicated that the women aged 49 and younger are prone to cervical cancer. The overall detection rate of positive HPV in the high risk group was 97.1%. The detection rates varied according to the HPV genotypes, being 41.2% in HPV16, 17.6% in HPV52, 13.2% in HPV58, and 5.9% in HPV18. The average ages of patients at the stage of CIN3 and above who demonstrated the positive and negative results for HPV16/18 were 35.4 years and 44.7 years, respectively. During the follow-up period of 40 months, 27 of 179 patients with positive HPV of the high risk group showed development of grades from below CIN2 to those CIN3 and above. Of the patients positive for HPV16/18, 30.9% demonstrated a further development of the lesions, whereas there were only 8.1% in the patients negative for HPV16/18. These studies suggested a significant connection between the viral infection of HPV16/18 and the development of cervical cancer in young women.
5.Community Study of the Health Care System of Children in Rural Districts of Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Tomoko Shimizu ; Kyoko Wakatsuki ; Kumiko Kimura ; Emiko Konaka ; Naoko Ochiai ; Yosuke Yamane
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1984;32(5):957-963
Problems in the school health care system of children were studied in rural districts of Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Questionaires which were concerned with the policy and the evaluation of school health care, present situation of health examination in schools, and cooperative activities in the field of school health care between schools and communities were sent to school nurses.
Owing to the recent changes of the general life conditions in rural districts, the life style and the health conditions of children in rural districts became somewhat similar to those in cities. Psychological complaints, psychosomatic diseases, school phobia, obesity and adult diseases such as peptic duodenal ulcer became common in many schools in rural districts.
An inadequate understanding about school health care in teachers and in families, lack of specialists and school nurses in school health care system, few epidemiological studies on the health conditions of children, and the insufficient cooperative activities among schools, families and communities were revealed as important problems to be solved. The scientific health education in schools, adequate health counselling system and the complete health care should be established on the basis of actual living conditions of children and cooperation between school health care and community health care.
6.The effects of hyperoxia on exercise tolerance in serious ischemic heart disease patient.
KAZUO TSUYUKI ; NAOKO ONO ; SUSUMU IKEDA ; SACHIKO KAMEDA ; TAMAE OGATA ; YASUO KIMURA ; HIROKI HASE ; TAKAHIRO OKUDA ; MASAHIKO AIHARA ; KENJI NINOMIYA ; KWANGCHOL CHANG ; KUNIO EBINE
Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine 1996;45(2):319-328
A study was conducted to clarify the effect of hyperoxia (HO) on exercise tolerance andhemodynamics in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) . The subjects were 10 patients with serious IHD who showed ischemic ST depression during low-intensity exercise testing. In all subjects, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) was performed using two types of inhalation : normoxia (NO) and HO (O2: 60%, N2: 40%) . Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), elapsed exercise duration and pressure rate product (PRP) were measured, and ECG was recorded during CPX according to the Bruce protocol. The peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was calculated using the appropriate formula. These data were compared between the NO and HO groups, and the following results were obtained.
ST depressions on ECG, BP, HR and PRP after 20 min of rest showed no changes under NO. The other hand, only ST depression was improved after 20 min of rest under HO. The exercise duration in HO group was longer than in the NO group, and the VO2peak in the HO group was higher than in the NO group. However, peak RPE showed no significant difference between the HO and NO groups. The incidence of ST depression as an endpoint of CPX showed no significant difference between the two groups. BP, HR and PRP at the CPX endpoint showed no significant differences between the HO and NO groups. In patients whose exercise duration was prolonged beyond the mean value by HO, peak HR and PRP were increased significantly. However, this tendency was not seen in patients whose exercise was prolonged for less than the mean value.
In conclusion, these results suggest that an increase in the oxygen supply to peripheral working muscles may play an important role in increasing exercise tolerance under HO in IHD patients.
7.Four-year survey of the quality of antimicrobial medicines in Cambodia
Md. Rafiqul ISLAM ; Naoko YOSHIDA ; Hirohito TSUBOI ; Tey SOVANNARITH ; Eav DARARATH ; Heng Bun KIET ; Uy SOKCHAMROEUN ; Tep KEILA ; Tsuyoshi TANIMOTO ; Kazuko KIMURA
Journal of International Health 2017;32(4):233-242
Background and Objectives Falsified or substandard antimicrobials present a health hazard to patients, and may promote antimicrobials resistance. We conducted a four-year study to evaluate the quality of selected antimicrobials and to examine the prevalence of falsified or substandard antimicrobials in Cambodia, aiming to promote efforts to improve the quality of medicines in Cambodia.Methods We collected samples of clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, levofloxacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole, nalidixic acid, ofloxacin, phenoxymethyl penicillin and roxithromycin products from several different types of drug outlets in five provinces (rural areas) and Phnom Penh (an urban area), during 2011 to 2014. The authenticity of the collected medicines was investigated, and the medicines were analyzed to determine whether they met the appropriate pharmacopoeial standards.Results We collected 647 samples, produced by 179 manufacturers, from 353 outlets. Only 51 (15%) of the outlets were air-conditioned. We found different-coloured packaging of the same brand (different lots) of products from some manufacturers. The insert information of one sample was different from the package information. Twelve (1.9%) samples were not officially registered with Department of Drug and Food (DDF). In authenticity investigation, 43 of 179 manufacturers replied and confirmed the authenticity of 154 samples (out of 647); also, 18 out of 40 Medicine Regulatory Authority (MRA) replied to enquiries about whether products were licensed or not (one was not). Among the samples, 424 (80.4%), 406 (86%) and 533 (90.6%) passed in dissolution, content uniformity and quantity tests, respectively. Samples of cefuroxime and roxithromycin that failed were significantly cheaper than those that passed.Conclusion Poor-quality antimicrobials were found in Cambodian markets, though no falsified medicines were detected. Result of samples were not confirmed in authenticity, so it was possible to include falsified medicines. Manufacturers should be encouraged to improve GMP implementation. Storage conditions in the distribution chain may also need to be improved. Continuous efforts by stakeholders are needed to ensure that medicines are properly licensed.