We investigated the effects of artificial mineral bathing in water containing sodium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate on venous blood gas, blood pressure, heart rate, and deep body temperature in 10 patients with hypertension or history of hypertension. After a 10-minute bathing at 40°C, the parameters described above were carefully checked. The pH and P_O2 levels in venous blood increased and the P_CO2 level decreased after the artificial mineral bathing in comparison with plain water bathing. However, these changes were not statistically significant. The systolic blood pressure tended to decrease up to 10 hours after the artificial mineral bathing. The heart rate markedly reduced after the artificial mineral bathing and remained at a low level for 10 hours. The deep body temperature began to decrease 40 minutes after the artificial mineral bathing. However, it increased over the base-line level 6 hours later. From the above result, it is considered that artificial mineral bathing is useful for patients with hypertension.

In the past 9 years, 37 patients with infective endocarditis underwent valve replacement. The aortic valve was involved in 17 patients, the mitral valve in 10, and both valves in 10, respectively. 35 patients had native valve and 2 had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Bacterial findings were Streptococcus in 20 patients (54%), Staphylococcus in 5 (13.5%), gram-negative in 3 (8%), and undetected in 10 (27%). 10 patients developed aortic annular abscess. After aggressive debridement of all apparently infected tissue of annular abscess, the defects left in the left ventricular outflow tract were repaired by interrupted mattress sutures with pledgets in 4 patients, by autologous pericardial patch in 4, and by valved conduit in 2 PVE patients, respectively. Retrograde cardioplegic infusion from the coronary sinus not only facilitated operative manipulation but also provided superior myocardial protection in such patients. Operative mortality was 11% (4/37). Reoperation was necessary in 2 patients; one for periprosthetic leak, and the other for newly developed severe left coronary ostial stenosis after the first operation, but both died eventually. Late mortality was 8% (3/37). Mean follow-up of 31 months was achieved in all 30 survivors, in whom there was no recurrence of infection and clinical improvement was excellent.