Objective: Beginning in October 2014 a drug risk management plan (RMP) will be authorized as a condition for drug approval and for this and other reasons the role the medical representatives (MRs) play regarding drug information will become even greater. We therefore decided to conduct drug information awareness surveys of the MRs who visit our hospital.
Methods: We first conducted a questionnaire survey on RMP, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and postmarketing surveillance (PMS).　Following the survey we held a seminar for MRs in relation to RMPs, after which we conducted a questionnaire again.
Results: The surveys revealed that most of the MRs were not actively gathering information provided by the PMDA.　They also revealed that after the seminar their knowledge regarding RMPs had increased and their understanding of the relationship between RMPs and PMS had deepened.
Conclusion: Considering that the MRs gained a significantly deeper understanding after the seminar, participation by medical institutions, which are the recipients of the information, in the education of MRs can be said to be meaningful as a means of supporting proper information‐providing activities.

Aortic valve replacement was carried out for aortic regurgitation in Behçet's disease. A prosthetic valve was fixed using reinforced felt-strip mattress sutures. Difficulty to ensure adequate myocardial protection due to ostial stenosis in the right coronary artery resulted in the occurrence of intraoperative myocardial infarction. Right ventricular assist with the help of a centrifugal pump was employed to obtain successful recovery from right cardiac failure. It was noted that at operation attention should have been paid to the aortic valve and also to abnormalities of the coronary artery and that control of the inflammatory reaction by steroids was essential before and after the operation.

Many acute and subacute complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported. However, the recovery process in severely ill patients is not clear. Here, we report three patients with favorable physical function after severe COVID-19. All three patients were older than 65 years and had comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and smoking habits. During respiratory failure, they received mechanical ventilation support for more than 4 days. Two patients had undergone tracheostomy, and one had undergone extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). At the time of transfer to our hospital, they had lower-limb muscle weakness, respiratory distress on exertion, exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH), and complications from immobility, such as peroneal nerve palsy. During rehabilitation, we monitored peripheral blood oxygen saturation, adjusted the workload, and administered temporary orthotic therapy. The patients improved within 150 days after the onset of the disease, and they were discharged home and were able to walk as a practical means of transportation. Even after severe COVID-19, the patients achieved good physical function. Interventions for EIH and complications due to immobility were additionally necessary. In the future, we must examine the relationship between improvements in physical function and rehabilitation.

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown origin. Rarely, BD occurs together with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Interestingly, it is speculated that these are not simple coexistence but that the etiology of intestinal BD is at least partly derived from MDS itself. Furthermore, there is a relationship between MDS in patients with intestinal BD and trisomy 8. Immunosuppressive agents alone are insufficient to control MDS-associated BD, and many of these patients die of infection or hemorrhage. Surgery is considered for intestinal BD patients who are unresponsive to medical treatment or those with bowel complications such as perforation or persistent bleeding. We report a case of intestinal BD associated with MDS and trisomy 8. The patient was unresponsive to oral steroids and immunosuppressive treatment; the patient improved by surgical repair of a bowel perforation. Five years after the surgery, the patient is free of recurrence and not on medication. Our experience suggests that surgery may provide an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of MDS-related BD.

Objective: In late 1970s, occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents was reported. Various countries, including Japan, have published guidelines for handling antineoplastic agents. Surveys are still being conducted to determine the levels of environmental exposure to antineoplastic agents at individual hospitals, and incidents of contamination are often reported. This study provides details regarding a literature survey conducted to evaluate the actual state of environmental contamination by antineoplastic agents and identify the related issues in order to promote environmental monitoring.Methods: The literature search was carried out from January 1, 1990 to July 31, 2017. PubMed and Ichushi-Web were searched with the following keywords: “antineoplastic agents,” “occupational exposure,” “surface contamination,” and “environmental monitoring.”Results: Following the literature search, 117 papers were included in the analysis. The findings showed that contamination by antineoplastic agents was widely reported in hospitals and places where antineoplastic drugs were not handled. The findings of this study regarding the actual state of environmental exposure are partial, as there is a lack of information on retail pharmacies and homes of outpatients who have received chemotherapy.Discussion: Therefore, further investigation is warranted. In addition, according to the current Japanese guidelines, published in 2015, environmental surveillance is not required to reduce contamination by antineoplastic agents. To promote environmental monitoring, we feel that it is necessary to determine a new survey method and the clarify optimum interval of environmental monitoring.