A comparative study on spa bathing alone and bathing in combination with herbar medicine was carried out on 21 patients with vibration syndrome of grades III and IV.
Eleven patients (group A) were treated with spa bathing alone; the other ten patients (group B) were treated with spa bathing in combination with herbar medicine (“Goshajin-kigan, ” “Bushi-powder” or “Touki shigyaku kago syuusyo syoukyoutou, ” “Bushi-powder”). All patients were male from 55 to 73 years old.
Subjective symptoms, capillary blood flow volume, skin temperature, and velocity of peripheral nerve conduction were examined before and after each treatment.
In subjective symptoms, the ratio of improvement in group B was significantly higher than that in group A, especially in “numbness, ” “coldness, ” and “discoloration.”
Volume of capillary blood flow in group B was significantly larger than that in group A. Skin temperature in group B was significantly higher than that in group A. However, no significant difference was found in the velocity of peripheral nerve conduction before and after treatment or between group A and group B.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese language version of the Liverpool Care Pathway － Home (LCP－H), and to examine the feasibility of the LCP－H in a pilot study. Methods: LCP－H was administered to cancer patients who were predicted to be in their last few days. We evaluated the achieved care goals of LCP－H. A cross－sectional anonymous questionnaire was administered to home nurses who used LCP－H to evaluate usefulness in using LCP－H. Results: LCP－H was used to 35 patients. The care goals of LCP－H were achieved in almost 80%. The nurses evaluated the usefulness of LCP－H: Providing to continuous end－of－life care each staff, Communication well between home nurses and co－medical home staff, and Education for home nurses with limited experience with end－of－life care. Conclusion: The feasibility of LCP－H was confirmed. Therefore, LCP－H should help home nurses to care for dying patients and their families as guide for end－of－life care in home, and improve the quality of end－of－life care in home. However, because the LCP is now being phased out in the UK, it may be necessary to develop an original education tool to assist in care for dying patients and their families in Japan.

Mohs paste (MP) is a topical treatment that can help relieve the symptoms of self-destructive skin lesions caused by malignant tumors. Despite the potential benefits of MP in improving the quality of life of patients, its use in home-based care is limited due to various obstacles. In this study, we developed a 1-mm-thick MP gauze sheet, which allowed us to apply the MP treatment at home to a patient with breast cancer. After three weekly treatments, the patient’s main symptoms, including itchiness, odor caused by exudates, and mobility issues, showed improvement. By using MP as a sheet, we overcame the obstacles associated with its use, such as alterations in the physical properties and the risk of damage to healthy skin tissue. Additionally, we reduced the treatment duration and need for trained personnel. Our findings suggest that the MP treatment can effectively control the symptoms of patients in home-based care, consistent with prior research.

A 31-year-old pregnant woman with no remarkable past medical history presented with mild hypoxemia, which worsened after she underwent cesarean section. To determine the cause of hypoxemia, we performed chest computed tomography after the cesarean section and found a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula of the A10-V10 shunt in the lower lobe of the right lung and V10 had expanded to 12 mm. Forty-nine days after giving birth, the patient underwent thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy. The results of blood gas analysis improved after surgery; before surgery, the partial pressure of oxygen was 66.4 Torr, which increased to 98.4 Torr after surgery. The patient was discharged on the ninth day after surgery. 　　Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula may be exacerbated by changes in cardiac output and circulating blood volume during pregnancy. If hypoxemia progresses after pregnancy, pulmonary artery fistula must be identified.

Purpose: The albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) is a recognized chronic inflammation marker. No evidence regarding the relationship between AGR level and ulcerative colitis (UC) exists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between AGR and clinical outcomes among Japanese subjects with UC. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 273 Japanese individuals with UC. AGR was divided into 4 categories (low, moderate, high, and very high). The definition of complete mucosal healing (MH) was based on the Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0. Clinical remission (CR) was defined as no rectal bleeding and no abnormally high stool frequency (<3 times per day). Results: The percentage of MH was 26.4%. High AGR and very high AGR were significantly positively correlated with CR (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.52–14.18 and adjusted OR, 4.97; 95% CI, 2.14–12.04) and complete MH (adjusted OR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.56–11.51 and adjusted OR, 5.22; 95% CI, 1.97–14.89), respectively after adjustment for confounding factors (P for trend=0.001). Only in the low C-reactive protein (CRP) group (≤0.1 mg/dL), very high AGR was significantly positively correlated with complete MH but not CR (adjusted OR, 4.38; 95% CI, 1.06–21.77; P for trend=0.017). In the high CRP group, no correlation between AGR and complete MH was found. Conclusion Among Japanese patients with UC, AGR may be independently positively correlated with complete MH. In particular, among UC patients with low CRP, AGR might be a useful complementary marker for complete MH.