Asthma attack difficulty breathing rapidly worsens the condition over time. Especially when the condition worsens before surgery, general anesthesia (GA) may be indicated depending on the type of surgery. In Japan, there is a tendency to avoid GA in cesarean section (C/S) due to the risk of difficult intubation, adverse effects on the fetus, and concerns about resuscitation of the newborn. This time, foreign body sensation in the throat (baikakuki) was found in a case of asthma-like attack accompanied by difficulty breathing caused by disturbance symptoms on the day of C/S and in a case of difficulty breathing due to preoperative antibiotic intravenous drip. After oral administration of hangekobokuto to the patients, dyspnea disappeared in either case, and I was able to avoid GA and perform C/S with combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. Considering asthma in Kampo medicine, it is thought that psychoactive predispositions such as anxiety and impatience are the triggers that cause qi counter flow and qi stagnation, which causes phlegm to condense, resulting in baikakuki and symptoms. Therefore, it was thought that hangekobokuto, which remove phlegm, was adapted.

After percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the patient developed symptoms of pain, sensory impairment, paralysis, pallor of the skin, and pain during passive extension, and was diagnosed with PCI-induced antebrachial compartment syndrome. Since it was considered to be blood stasis and water stasis in Oriental medicine, we administered jidabokuippo and keishibukuryogan to the patient. Then the subjective and objective symptoms improved promptly, and the symptoms disappeared by the 10th day after the operation. The patient was able to discontinue jidabokuippo 14 days after the operation. It was suggested that the symptomatic treatment with Kampo medicine is effective for compartment syndrome.

Mokuboito is a Kampo formulation consisting of four flavors of Sinomeni Caulis Radix (防已), Gypsum Fi­brosum (石膏), Cinnamomi Cortex (桂皮) and Ginseng Radix (人参). From a modern medical interpretation of the source “Kinkiyoryaku” it can be indicated for pulmonary edema, and if administered early in the onset, respiratory management by tracheal intubation can be avoided, which may contribute to improving the pa­tient's QOL. We experienced 10 cases of pulmonary edema that occurred during the postpartum period and were able to avoid tracheal intubation with mokuboito already. All patients complained of dyspnea and moist rales were heard. Their chest X-­rays showed decreased permeability of the lung field and increased pulmonary vascular shadow, increased cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), costophrenic angle (CP angle) blunting, therefore, they were diagnosed as pulmonary edema. After X-­ray confirmation, mokuboito was administered, and in 6 cases,the subjective symptoms decreased from 7 to 4 in NRS (numerical rating scale), the CTR decreased from 60 to 40%, and CP angle, lung field findings, moist rales also improved. In 3 cases, mokuboito+choreito or mokuboito+choreito+choijokito were administered, and the X-­ray findings were similarly improved. Mokuboito was useful for respiratory management of pulmonary edema during puerperium.

A 51-­year-­old woman with a 10-­year history of diabetes visited our clinic for treatment of stiff shoulder and constipation. She was 156 cm tall and weighed 68 kg. The blood pressure was normal. Physical examination revealed no significant abnormalities. After she took the usual amount of tokakujokito for 3 days, hypertension and facial edema, legs edema, weight gain, and headache were observed. Pseudoaldosteronism inhibits 11 β-­hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 2, which is an active glycyrrhizin (GL) and its metabolites glycyrrhizic acid, 3-­monoglucuronyl-­glycyrrhizic acid metabolize and inactivate cortisol to cortisone. As a result, excessive cortisol acts on the mineralocorticoid receptor and promotes sodium reabsorption and excretion of potassium (K+), resulting in water retention and hypokalemia in the body. Insulin also causes hypokalemia because it also takes K+ at the same time as it takes blood glucose in the cell. As a result of these two different processes, it was thought that pseudoaldosteronism developed in low dose licorice. Glycyrrhizin-­containing preparation should be careful used in patients receiving insulin.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the relationship between residual walking ability and monthly care cost as well as long-term care insurance (LTCI) certification level in elderly patients after surgical treatment for hip fractures in Japan. METHODS: Elderly patients aged >75 years who underwent surgical treatment for hip fractures in our hospital were included. The preand post-surgical (6-month) walking ability and LTCI certification and the presence or absence of dementia was determined from medical records and questionnaires. Walking ability was classified into 6 levels used in our daily medical practice. Based on these data, we correlated the relationship between walking ability and the LTCI certification level. Further, based on the official statistics pertaining to the average monthly costs per person at each LTCI certification level, we evaluated the relationship between walking ability and monthly care cost. RESULTS: A total of 105 cases (mean age, 80.2 years; 16 men; 39 patients with dementia) were included. The correlation between walking ability and average monthly cost per person as well as LTCI certification level at 6 months postoperatively (r=0.58) was demonstrated. The correlation was found in both groups with and without dementia. CONCLUSION: The ability to walk reduced the cost of care in elderly patients who experienced hip fracture, regardless of the presence of dementia.
Aged* ; Certification ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Dementia ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Insurance, Long-Term Care ; Japan ; Long-Term Care ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mobility Limitation ; Walking*

For the purpose of investigating weights in the era when the Shan Han Lun was set forth, the weight and measures described in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu, written in the period slightly after the Shan Han Lun, were studied. Some descriptions of the metrological standards are confusing in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu. We focused on the measuring container, whose volume is equal to that of the one cun square spoon (fang cun bi), shown in the dun huang version of the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu. The volume of this measuring container was calculated on the assumption that the measures in this text follow those of the Han Shu Li Li Shi, and a result of 5.07 cm³ was obtained. The result was confirmed by using the actual measured values of the crude drugs. The result was also considered to support measurements of the volume in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu as following the Han Shu Li Li Shi. With those results, descriptions of the density of honey and lard were examined, and the weight in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu was clarified to follow that in the Han Shu Li Li Shi.