To review the outcome of our vaccination program against influenza, an investigation was made into the incidence of this acute infectious disease in our community from 2002 through 2004.Enrolled for this retrospective study were 1) all vaccinated individuals, 2) those who underwent nasal examinations by use of the swab, and 3) patients diagnosed as contracting influenza.The number of those administered with influenza virus vaccines increased year after year during the period under review. Over 70% of them were those aged 65years or above. The mean age of those who caught influenza was 42.9±21.3 in 2002, 34.9±20.4 in 2003 and 45.4±20.2 in 2004. Compared with unvaccinated old people, many unvaccinated young and middle-aged people contracted influenza, but among the vaccinated old people, there were some who came down with the flu.Morbidity was low for the old people whose vaccination rate was high.Therefore, it can be said that vaccination was effective in achieving adequate immunity. Nonetheless, for all the preventive injection, the fact that people of advanced age could be infected should be taken note of.
Influenza ; Vaccination ; Retrospective Studies ; Review [Publication Type] ; Hospitals

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of blood components of middle and old aged runners in marathon running. The results were as follows.
1) Mean running time of marathon was 250 min. Some of subjects did last spurt.
2) Change of body weight was -4.8%. RBC, Hct, and Hb were changed by -4.8%, -4.4%, and -4.7% respectively. The decrease of plasma volume was 7.8% according to Dill's method.
3) Blood glucose was 112 mg/dl at rest and decreased to 70 mg/dl after running. The glucose level of five subjects was in range from 59 to 50 mg/dl.
4) The increase of L.A. was 52%. The L.A. after running tended to correlate to the running speed at last spurt.
5) T.G. significantly decreased after running. On the contrast, FFA increased by 323%. This increment of FFA correlated to mean running speed (r=0.681, P<0.05) .
6) The increments of GOT, GPT, and LDH were 71%, 62%, and 61% respectively, The decreases of LDH-1, 2 and increases of LDH-4, 5 were found after running. Furthermore, AGOT and 4GPT correlated to the running speed at last spurt or L.A. after running.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of multiple recurrences and repeated surgeries of Hunner lesions on bladder capacity under general anesthesia in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of Hunner-type IC (HIC) patients who underwent transurethral fulguration or resection of Hunner lesions combined with hydrodistension by a single surgeon between 2011 and 2020. Recurrence was defined as reappearance of uncontrolled urinary symptoms in association with new Hunner lesions identified by cystoscopy. Recurrent Hunner lesions were then treated by transurethral surgeries. The recurrence-free rate, potential predictive factors of recurrence, and changes in bladder capacity under anesthesia were examined at each surgical procedure. Results: A total of 92 surgeries were performed in 47 HIC patients, 23 (49%) of whom required multiple procedures (range, 1–5 times). The mean recurrence-free time after the first surgery was 21.7 months. The recurrence-free rate was 53% at 24 months, and decreased to 32% at 48 months. There were no significant differences in age, sex, bladder capacity under anesthesia at the first surgery, duration from symptom onset to the first surgery, O’Leary-Sant questionnaire including symptom and problem indexes, visual analogue scale pain score, and the number of comorbidities between the cases with or without recurrence. Bladder capacity under anesthesia was gradually decreased as the number of surgeries was increased, and bladder capacity at the fourth procedure was significantly decreased to 80% of the capacity at the first surgery. Conclusions These results suggest that multiple recurrences and repeated surgeries of Hunner lesions result in a reduction of bladder capacity under anesthesia in HIC patients although no predictive factors for recurrence of Hunner lesions were detected.

This article summarizes anatomical, neurophysiological, and pharmacological studies in humans and animals to provide insights into the neural circuitry and neurotransmitter mechanisms controlling the lower urinary tract and alterations in these mechanisms in lower urinary tract dysfunction. The functions of the lower urinary tract, to store and periodically release urine, are dependent on the activity of smooth and striated muscles in the bladder, urethra, and external urethral sphincter. During urine storage, the outlet is closed and the bladder smooth muscle is quiescent. When bladder volume reaches the micturition threshold, activation of a micturition center in the dorsolateral pons (the pontine micturition center) induces a bladder contraction and a reciprocal relaxation of the urethra, leading to bladder emptying. During voiding, sacral parasympathetic (pelvic) nerves provide an excitatory input (cholinergic and purinergic) to the bladder and inhibitory input (nitrergic) to the urethra. These peripheral systems are integrated by excitatory and inhibitory regulation at the levels of the spinal cord and the brain. Therefore, injury or diseases of the nervous system, as well as disorders of the peripheral organs, can produce lower urinary tract dysfunction, leading to lower urinary tract symptoms, including both storage and voiding symptoms, and pelvic pain. Neuroplasticity underlying pathological changes in lower urinary tract function is discussed.
Animals ; Brain ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Striated ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Nervous System ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Pelvic Pain ; Pons ; Relaxation ; Spinal Cord ; Urethra ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; Urinary Tract* ; Urination

To promote the stockpiling of regular medicines for disasters (SMD), we investigated SMD rates and clarified the relationship between SMD status (Yes or No) and the characteristics of patients with chronic diseases. A survey was provided to patients visiting the pharmacies in Hokkaido. SMD was defined as a patient having a supply of regular medicine for 7 days or more and replacing with new medicine within one year. Of a total of 537 participants (51.0% male; mean age 65.8 years), 61.1% had experienced a major disaster. The SMD rate was extremely low at 15.3%. The median score for a patient’s understanding of the regular medicine names (5-point scale: 1＝hardly understood, 5＝almost understood) was 2. The median number of monthly pharmacy visits was 0.8. 5.4% were recommended SMD by physicians or pharmacists. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that positive patient characteristics included age (OR＝1.154, 95%CI [1.026-1.298], P＝0.017), understanding of the regular medicine names (1.724, [1.039-2.859], P＝0.035), and recommendation of SMD by physicians or pharmacists (5.991, [2.616-13.722], P<0.001). A negative patient characteristic was the number of pharmacy visits (0.587, [0.383-0.899], P＝0.014). The most influential positive factor was the recommendation of SMD by physicians or pharmacists; however, only 5.4% of the participants had experienced this. The findings of this study indicated important that health care providers and the government to work together to devise easy-to-understand measures to inform local residents about the importance of SMD and how to them, conduct educational activities.