We present a rare case of stent graft infection. A 69-year-old man, who had undergone endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm with an Inoue stent graft 5 years previously, was admitted with high-grade fever. An abscess around an abdominal aortic aneurysm was found on abdominal computed tomography (CT) and he was given a diagnosis of stent graft infection. The stent graft was removed and vascular reconstruction was performed using a Gelweave graft bonded with rifampicin. The graft was then covered with the greater omentum, and he was discharged on the 27th postoperative day.

Purpose: We report two patients receiving high doses of systemic opioids in whom gradual switching of the opioid administration route from systemic to intrathecal provided satisfactory pain relief without excessive sedation or withdrawal symptoms. Case reports: In one of the patients, who was already receiving 500mg morphine intravenously but still suffered from right upper quadrant pain, it was difficult to increase the opioid dosage according to the WHO guidelines because of intolerable side effects. The other patient, in spite of taking a combination of systemic opioids equivalent to 760mg oral morphine, had inadequate pain relief and could not continue receiving home medical care. In both cases we could successfully change from systemic to intrathecal opioid administration in a step-wise manner without deterioration of pain control, adverse effects due to over dosage, or withdrawal symptoms. Intrathecal opioid administration also reduced drowsiness and improved daily activity. Conclusion: Currently, there are no guidelines for change of route of opioid administration from systemic to intrathecal administration and few published reports have concretely documented opioid route switching in Japan. A carefully planned, step-wise switching of opioid administration route from systemic to intrathecal should be considered in patients who are already taking high doses of systemic opioids. Palliat Care Res 2009; 4(1): 317-320

Introduction : As one of the strategies for the introduction of collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) into a community healthcare system in Japan, we constructed a ‘positive list’ which was agreed by a family physician in advance, and subsequently validated the effects on healthcare insurance fees, the number of prescription question and the changes of utilization rate for generic drugs.
Methods : The items that replaced prescription questions with regard to ex post facto approval were defined as ‘Resolved Questions’ in our constructed positive list. By adopting the ‘Resolved Questions’, we then examined the effect on healthcare insurance fees, prescription questions and the changes of utilization rates for generic drugs.
Results : Among all prescription questions accepted from January through May 2012 inclusive, 178 (22.7%) were ‘Resolved Questions’, without there being change in the therapeutic strategies by the prescribing physicians. During this period, 17,455 healthcare insurance fees were reduced. In addition, the utilization rate for generic drugs were increased up to 46.6%.
Conclusion : The reduction of healthcare insurance fees, prescription questions and the increased utilization rates of generic drugs were facilitated by prudent pharmacist judgements based on ‘Resolved Questions’.

Purpose: Despite annual endoscopy, patients with metachronous remnant gastric cancer (MRGC) following proximal gastrectomy (PG) are at times ineligible for endoscopic resection (ER). This study aimed to clarify the clinical risk factors for ER inapplicability. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 203 patients who underwent PG for cT1 gastric cancer between 2006 and 2015. The remnant stomach was categorized as a pseudofornix, corpus, or antrum. Results: Thirty-two MRGCs were identified in the 29 patients. Twenty MRGCs were classified as ER (ER group, 62.5%), whereas 12 were not (non-ER group, 37.5%). MRGCs were located in the pseudo-fornix in 1, corpus in 5, and antrum in 14 in the ER group, and in the pseudofornix in 6, corpus in 4, and antrum in 2 in the non-ER group (P=0.019). Multivariate analysis revealed that the pseudo-fornix was an independent risk factor for non-ER (P=0.014). In the non-ER group, MRGCs at the pseudo-fornix (n=6) had more frequent undifferentiated-type histology (4/6 vs. 0/6), deeper (≥pT1b2; 6/6 vs. 2/6) and nodal metastasis (3/6 vs. 0/6) than non-pseudo-fornix lesions (n=6). We examined the visibility of the region developing MRGC on an annual follow-up endoscopy one year before MRGC detection. In seven lesions at the pseudofornix, visibility was only secured in two (28.6%) because of food residues. Of the 25 lesions in the non-pseudo-fornix, visibility was secured in 21 lesions (84%; P=0.010). Conclusions Endoscopic visibility increases the chances of ER applicability. Special preparation is required to ensure the complete clearance of food residues in the pseudo-fornix.

Background: Imprinting tablet bodies is an essential element for the safe use of pharmaceuticals. It has been observed that reports on tablet imprint design that incorporate pharmacists’ perspectives are scarce. Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the concept of universal design in tablet body identification and differentiation, specifically in two scenarios: normal handling of tablets and encountering tablets with similar appearances. Methods: A survey was conducted among pharmacists registered with the Yamaguchi Prefecture Pharmaceutical Association to collect data on optimal tablet imprint designs from a dispensing perspective. Results: Analysis of the survey results indicated that: 1. In normal use of tablets, a simple design with “horizontal Kana notation without emphasis on one character” was most preferred. 2. In cases where tablets were similar in appearance, designs such as “horizontal Kana notation with an underline on one character” and “horizontal Kana notation with emphasis on one character” were preferred. Conclusions: The study may indicate that certain tablet imprint designs may enhance the ability to differentiate and recognize pharmaceuticals, particularly in cases where tablets have similar appearances. To aid in distinguishing tablets with similar appearances, it is suggested that the design should incorporate ‘horizontal Kana notation’ and give emphasis to one character. This design has been shown to result in a clear improvement in identification. It is recommended that tablet imprint designs prioritize high readability for pharmacists and provide appropriate pharmaceutical information. When considering similarity with other tablets, it may be advisable to use ‘emphasis on one character’ as a universal design for differentiating and identifying tablet bodies.

Background: This study surveyed pharmacists registered with the Yamaguchi Prefectural Pharmacists Association to determine the key elements of tablet printing design that enhance visibility and distinguishability during dispensing.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify suitable design components for tablets that enhance visibility and distinguishability by utilizing text data.Methods: Given the high risk of medication errors due to similar-looking tablets, the study employed KH Coder for text mining analysis of free-text responses.Results: Results indicated that design elements such as "horizontal writing," "straight lines, " and "emphasis on characters" significantly improve visibility and distinguishability, particularly for similar-looking tablets. The findings from this study provide specific guidelines for optimal tablet design, aiming to improve pharmacists' efficiency and enhance medication safety.Conclusions: KH Coder proved to be a valuable tool for analyzing qualitative data in the medical field. While the study focused on pharmacists in Yamaguchi Prefecture, expanding the survey to a national scale is recommended to validate and generalize the findings. This research supports the development of standardized tablet designs that can minimize dispensing errors and ensure patient safety, highlighting the importance of effective tablet printing design in pharmaceutical practice.