[Objective]Using cotton to cover needle shafts when removing acupuncture needles is recommended in order to prevent blood contamination. However, the effect of risk reduction has not been confirmed by experimental studies. We, therefore, observed spreads of fluorescent agent, assumed as blood, with or without alcohol cotton to avoid direct contact between fingers and needle shaft.
[Methods]Subjects were two blind acupuncturists and two acupuncture students. We asked them to insert acupuncture needles to people who played a role of a patient. Of the five acupoints needled, we put the fluorescent agent to one point, and asked the subjects to remove the needles. After all the needles were removed, we took photographs of all points needled and the subjects'hands in order to assess the spread of the fluorescent agent. 'We performed two sessions. In Session A, the subjects used alcohol cotton to cover a needle shaft so that their fingers did not contact the needles directly. In Session B, they did not use alcohol cotton. The subjects were not told that we used the fluorescent agent.
[Results](1) In the forearm of those who were needled, adhesion of the fluorescent agent was not seen in three out of four subjects, in Session A. (2) In two of the four subjects who inserted the needles, the adhesion area of the fluorescent agent in the needle-supporting hands was smaller in Session A compared with Session B. (3) In three of the four subjects who inserted the needles, the adhesion area of the fluorescent agent in the needle-stimulating hands was smaller in Session A compared with Session B.
[Conclusion]It is suggested that covering needle shaft with alcohol cotton during needle withdrawal suppresses the spread of blood contamination.

Objectives: To optimize the treatment of patients on tube feeding, it is important to ascertain whether medicines are appropriate for administration by gastrostomy and nasogastric tubes.  In this study, we evaluated the drug information services provided to medical staff by clinical pharmacists related to 109 patients administered medication via a feeding tube in a neurological ward.
Design and Methods: We analyzed the records of drug information services provided to medical staff from January 2006 to December 2007 at the Higashi Nagoya Hospital.  We classified drug information services for avoiding obstruction of the feeding tube and chemical changes into four categories: ‘formulation changes’, ‘medication changes’, ‘incompatibilities’ and ‘administration method’, and evaluated the acceptance rate of the pharmacists’ recommendations for drug therapy via feeding tube.
Results: Drug information related to formulation and medication changes accounted for 130 and 88 cases, respectively.  Information related to incompatibilities accounted for 19 cases, involving anticipated chemical changes related to concurrent administration of drugs.  Information related to administration methods accounted for 24 cases.  The acceptance rate for information by medical staff was 92.0%.
Conclusions: Drug information to medical staff by pharmacists contributes to improved safety for patients administered medication via feeding tubes.  The acceptance rate for drug information was high, and the provision of drug information by pharmacists in the neurological ward was considered useful.

The purpose of this study is to investigate stroke patients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward of an acute stroke center. We collected data on 314 stroke patients discharged from the convalescent rehabilitation ward between January 2004 and December 2005. In total, 108 patients were classified as our regional inter-hospital referral model group. Alternately, 206 patients were classified as our intra-hospital referral model group. The regional inter-hospital referral model group took a longer time for transferring and discharging as compared with the intra-hospital referral model group. There was a significant difference in the days between onset of stroke and transfer, and the days between onset of stroke and discharge returned home. In conclusion, we should have a better opinion of the intra-hospital referral model in order to improve the quality of rehabilitation medicine.

We report a case of a 67-year-old man with left thalamic hemorrhage. He had right hemiplegia, aphasia, and higher brain dysfunction. The hemiplegia and aphasia improved with rehabilitation treatment；however, he was unable to perform activities of daily living. Visual and tactile agnosia was suspected using the visual perception test for agnosia 1 month after the hemorrhage. The patient was able to recognize common objects, such as chopsticks and a shaver, by labeling them with their names because he could read words. He was able to use these objects as a result. Multimodal agnosia with combined visual-tactile agnosia usually occurs as lesions in and around the left lateral occipital complex where the ventral stream of somatosensory information processing merges with that of visual information processing. Concurrently, the present case seems very unusual because multimodal agnosia was likely to have occurred as a lesion of the left thalamus. The compensatory strategy to put objects into words was effective in this case. We repeatedly assessed and analyzed his higher brain dysfunction in detail, which led to effective rehabilitation treatment. The present case highlights the importance of planning an appropriate treatment based on detailed evaluation and accurate diagnosis of the higher brain dysfunction in patients with neurological deficits.

We report a case of a 67-year-old man with left thalamic hemorrhage. He had right hemiplegia, aphasia, and higher brain dysfunction. The hemiplegia and aphasia improved with rehabilitation treatment；however, he was unable to perform activities of daily living. Visual and tactile agnosia was suspected using the visual perception test for agnosia 1 month after the hemorrhage. The patient was able to recognize common objects, such as chopsticks and a shaver, by labeling them with their names because he could read words. He was able to use these objects as a result. Multimodal agnosia with combined visual-tactile agnosia usually occurs as lesions in and around the left lateral occipital complex where the ventral stream of somatosensory information processing merges with that of visual information processing. Concurrently, the present case seems very unusual because multimodal agnosia was likely to have occurred as a lesion of the left thalamus. The compensatory strategy to put objects into words was effective in this case. We repeatedly assessed and analyzed his higher brain dysfunction in detail, which led to effective rehabilitation treatment. The present case highlights the importance of planning an appropriate treatment based on detailed evaluation and accurate diagnosis of the higher brain dysfunction in patients with neurological deficits.

OBJECTIVESThe purposes of this paper were to evaluate the serum leptin levels in healthy adolescents and to establish standard age variation curves.

METHODSNine hundred six (414 boys and 492 girls) healthy adolescents were investigated. The maximum increment age in height (MIA) was identified in 124 boys and 130 girls. The menarcheal age (MA) was obtained for 130 girls. Fasting leptin levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The MIA was calculated by proportional allotment of yearly height increments.

RESULTSSerum leptin levels did not change in boys and girls from the ages of 9 to 11. They decreased after the age of 11 in boys, while they increased in girls. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that serum leptin levels were closely related to pubertal stage. The levels decreased remarkably after MIA in boys and increased remarkably after MA in girls. We drew standard age variation curves of serum leptin levels by calculating the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles for each age in both boys and girls. The percentile curves for boys were divided into pre-MIA and post-MIA curves. Those for girls were divided into pre-MA and post-MA curves.

CONCLUSIONWe have devised a potentially useful method for evaluating serum leptin levels in adolescents considering the effects of gender and growth.

Objectives: Elucidate recognition of end-of-life care by nursing care staff in elderly care facilities, and factors influencing such recognition. Methods: We conducted an internet questionnaire with 500 nursing care staff working at elderly care facilities across Japan, and an interview with 10 nursing care staff out of 500. Results: In the questionnaire, facility policies (41%) and cooperation with medical staff (38%) were selected as facilities and systems that are important for end-of-life care, and as a concern, sudden change in the condition of the patient, leading to death (53%) was selected. The interview showed that nursing care staff had a certain level of anxiety regardless of their experience with end-of-life care, with participants discussing their thoughts on how systematic learning of, and actual experience in, end-of-life care changed end-of-life care. Conclusion: Our study showed that systematic learning and experience of end-of-life care were important factors in recognition of end-of-life care by nursing care staff when providing such care in elderly care facilities.