Therapeutic procedure

Medicine, Kampo ; Recent ; Therapeutic procedure

Progress in chemotherapeutic strategy has significantly decreased side effects of the drugs used and greatly added to survival rates for ovarian cancer. On the other hand, the occurrence of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been reported after long-term chemotherapy. We encountered a case of therapy-related MDS that developed as a consequence of chemotherapy. A 59-year-old woman (gravida 2, para 2) stage IIIc ovarian cancer received three courses of paclitaxel and carboplatin therapy (TC) prior to primary surgery, and 16 courses of weekly TC as adjuvant chemotherapy. She exhibited pacritaxel-associated hypersensitivity reactions in the last course, so that chemotherapy was discontinued. Following three mouths of remission, a sudden rise in her tumor markers and an increase in the size of her pelvic lymphonode were discovered on PET-CT. She recieved multiple courses of chemotherary of docetaxel/carboplatin, weekly docetaxel, docetaxel/briplatin and Gemcitabin/Irinotecan between four months. In 30 months after diagnosis, complete blood count showed hemoglobin 7.7 g/dl; white cell count 4,310/μl; and platelet 7.9×104/μl. A bone marrow examination revealed MDS. She then decided against further chemotherapy, opting instead for palliative care. Fortunately, up to the present, she has not developed AML.
Therapeutic procedure ; Chemotherapy-Oncologic Procedure ; Carboplatin ; Ovarian Cancer ; L

Having provided chemotherapy at its outpatients clinics since 2002, the Saku Central Hospital in February 2006 established a Chemotherapy Center for Patients Discharged from Hospital. At this center, pharmacists check doctors' prescriptions, review all medications patients have been taking and dispense the prescriptions in a sterilized state. In addition, they are assigned on a daily basis to collect information on, and give guidance to, the patients. At the outpatient clinics, the length of time that can be set aside for the tabulation of information from patients' case records and for contact with the patients is inevitably likited. Given this situation, we began case study meetings in order to share information about patients between pharmacists in charge of guidance on the control of drugs at the time of their hospitalization and those who are in charge of chemotherapy at the Center. Later, these case study meetings were joined by physicians and nurses who thought it necessary to share information, thus leading to the establishment of a Conference at the Center. At this conference, pharmacists introduce information about patients at the time of their hospital admission and a discussion begins with the participation of various hospital staff members to solve given problems. By so doing, it has become possible to come to grips with the conditions of inpatients, enabling us to shift to services at the Center smoothly and give proper guidance when a medication produces undesirable effects. We consider the Conference signifies a step forward to the practice of medical care by teams.
Central ; Hospitals ; Chemotherapy-Oncologic Procedure ; Information ; Therapeutic procedure

Medicine, Kampo ; Viral ; Acute ; Therapeutic procedure ; Gastroenteritis

In Kampo medicine, chronic dermatitis is considered to be associated with unstable interaction among Ki, Ketsu and Sui. Urticaria is resistant to standard treatments in modern western medicine, so we applied a Kampo approach to improve imbalance among Ki, Ketsu and Sui. In this paper, we report three cases of chronic urticaria treated with Kampo medicines, i.e., main prescriptions with goshakusan for urticaria with anemia, keishikaryukotsuboreito for urticaria with stress, and bukuryoshigyakuto for cold urticaria with stress. We examined changes in palmoplantar sweating in response to the treatments to evaluate improvement in the circulation of Ki.The importance of Ki, Ketsu and Sui in chronic diseases was emphasized by Nangai Yoshimasu and Gonzan Goto as early as the Edo period. Urticaria is regarded as being due to disturbances of Ketsu and Sui that are often caused by systemic Ki disorders. Therefore, we consider that it is important to improve Ki stagnation in “spleen”, “lung” and “kidney” in the treatment of urticaria.
Urticaria ; Medicine, Kampo ; Systemic ; Dermatologic ; Therapeutic procedure

Medicine, Kampo ; Pulmonary evaluation ; Therapeutic procedure ; Geriatrics

Recently, the number of athletes who receive acupuncture therapy is increasing. However, most of these athletes receive acupuncture therapy with single-acupuncture and/or electro-acupuncture to a local point, or a trigger point. We experienced two water polo athletes who were improved using acupuncture and moxibustion therapy with “zuisho” therapy. Case 1 was 16 year old man. He became aware of pain in his right thumb after training, which continued with extended training time, a numbness in his left hand appeared more, and he received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. These symptoms disappeared immediately with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods, such as contact needling to a yuan point, and in situ acupuncture to a back shu point, etc. Case 2 was 17 year old man. He received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for lumbago and stiffness of the neck. These symptoms disappeared immediately after acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods such as contact needling to a yuan point, and inserting needles into a back shu point, an extra meridian, etc. In these two cases, symptoms were improved with “zuisho” therapy, and both could continue with longer and more strenuous training. This suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy using the standard traditional methods are useful for athletes.
Acupuncture ; Therapeutic procedure ; symptoms <1> ; Training ; Water

We evaluated the efficacy of yokukansan-based prescriptions for patients with headache. Forty-five patients with headache (34 migraine, 6 tension-type, and 5 combined headaches), or 6 males and 39 females, mean age 38 (25 to 68) years were treated with yokukansan-based prescriptions according to their Sho diagnosis, for 1 to 24 months. Relationships between headache improvement, and 31 factors including age, sex, height, body weight and other symptoms at first examination, were qualified with multi-dimensional analysis. Factors such as painful eye sensation, back stiffness, eyestrain and irritability were significant indicators of headache improvement. Three of these factors (painful eye sensation, back stiffness and irritability) were the best subset of explanatory variables. Yokukansan-based prescriptions seemed to be effective for “liver-related” headache, and were thought to be useful to relieve a triggering or worsening of headache factors. And to our knowledge, this is the first paper to propose the importance of examinations of the back, when considering yokukansan-based prescriptions.
Headache ; Back ; Therapeutic procedure ; Esthesia ; Prescriptions

We evaluated the clinical effects of acupuncture/moxibustion therapy in 7 patients with vertigo that was uncontrollable with western medicine. The observation period was 6-15 months. The 7 patients consisted of 1 male and 6 females aged 29-73 years (mean, 44.7 years). More than 4 courses or more of acupuncture/moxibustion treatment (acupuncture + warm moxibustion) were performed in each patient, and the effects were evaluated based on the results of a daily living disability questionnaire before and after treatment. In practice, these effects were classified into 4 grades (cure, improvement, no change, aggravation). Cure was observed in1patient, improvement in 5 patients, and no change in1patient, indicating this therapy was effective in 85% of the patients. None of the patients showed aggravation of their condition. In addition, no adverse effects were observed.Our results suggest that acupuncture/moxibustion therapy has certain effects on intractable vertigo. Therefore, in patients with vertigo who do not respond to western medical care, such as the administration of anti-vertigo drugs, a beneficial effect of acupuncture/moxibustion as a complementary therapy can be expected.
Acupuncture ; Therapeutic procedure ; Vertigo ; Patients ; Effective