Purpose: Accelerated atherosclerosis is a major complication in patients with end-stage renal disease and it plays an important role in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED). However, the association between aortic calcification burden and the severity of ED remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate this association in men undergoing dialysis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 71 men undergoing peritoneal dialysis and/or hemodialysis between July 2016 and May 2018 at Mutsu General Hospital. ED was assessed with the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM). Patients were divided into the mild/moderate (SHIM score ≥8) and severe ED groups (SHIM score ≤7). Aortic calcification index (ACI) was examined as a clinical indicator of abdominal aortic calcification. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the significant factors associated with severe ED. Results: The median age of the study participants was 64 years; all had ED, with 64.8% having severe ED. In the multivariable analyses, a slight association was observed between ankle-brachial index and severe ED (odds ratio [OR], 0.058; p=0.072), whereas ACI was significantly associated with severe ED (OR, 1.022; p=0.022). Conclusions Aortic calcification burden was independently associated with severe ED.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of severe erectile dysfunction (ED) on future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in men on dialysis. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 71 men on dialysis. ED was assessed using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM). Men were divided into the mild/moderate ED (SHIM score ≥8) and severe ED (SHIM score ≤7) groups. The primary endpoint was MACE-free survival. MACE was a composite of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death, and stroke. The secondary endpoints were cardiac event-free survival and overall survival (OS). Moreover, the predictive abilities of severe ED for 5-year MACE, 5-year cardiac events, and 5-year overall mortality were evaluated. Results: The median age and follow-up period of the included men were 64 years and 58 months, respectively. The median SHIM score was 4.0; all had a degree of ED, and 64.7% had severe ED. In the background-adjusted multivariable analyses, severe ED was not significantly associated with shorter MACE-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.890; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.533–6.706; p=0.324), cardiac event-free survival (HR, 2.081; 95% CI, 0.687–6.304; p=0.195), and OS (HR, 0.817; 95% CI, 0.358–1.863; p=0.630). Severe ED did not significantly improve the predictive abilities for 5-year MACE, 5-year cardiac events, and 5-year overall mortality (p=0.110, p=0.101, and p=0.740, respectively). Conclusions ED severity was not associated with shorter MACE-free survival, cardiac event-free survival, or OS, and ED severity could not improve the predictive abilities for these outcomes in men undergoing dialysis.

Objectives: The purpose of this research is to describe the social demographics and chief complaints of users of a free medical consultation application in Ibaraki Prefecture, where a free medical consultation application was released.Methods: The present study included users of a telehealth application in Ibaraki Prefecture between April 9 and May 17, 2020, during the state of emergency. User background characteristics were descriptively analyzed to clarify individual factors with the potential to act as barriers to equally using innovative solutions. Additionally, the age and consultation time distribution by sex were examined for those who used the application for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 issues.Results: Most of the participants were in their thirties. Moreover, 72% were female, with most being in their thirties (86%) and the least being in their sixties (45%). The number of consultations was concentrated between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., with the least between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The telehealth application users were mainly females in their thirties and forties.Conclusions: To prevent the widening of health disparities due to the rapid introduction of telehealth, further research is required to identify why the use of the application did not spread beyond the aforementioned user groups.

There are no clear guidelines on thromboprophylaxis in patients following Fontan surgery. In addition, most reports on thromboprophylaxis refer to systemic thromboembolism. Therefore, there are few reports on thromboprophylaxis for extracardiac conduits. We experienced a case of thrombus in extracardiac conduit leading to liver damage after the Fontan completion. The patient was an 11-year-old girl, who underwent the Fontan procedure at 3 years of age. She was on aspirin for thromboprophylaxis. Eight years postoperatively, cardiac catheterization demonstrated severe conduit stenosis, and chronic liver damage was seen at that time. The patient successfully underwent conduit replacement. Subsequently, ascites disappeared and platelet count improved. Conduit stenosis after Fontan completion is a rare but serious complication, therefore we should always keep it in mind and aspire to early detection.

Cardiac Imaging Techniques ; Cohort Studies ; Cytidine Triphosphate ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; Myocardium ; Perfusion Imaging ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiation Exposure ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: Distigmine can cause cholinergic crisis as the side effect.  In 2010, the safety information of distigmine was announced and its dosage was changed up to 5 mg per day.  However, the malpractice that a pharmacist dispensed over dose of distigmine caused severe health damages in a community pharmacy.  Therefore, we made the protocol with the urologists for the appropriate use of distigmine, including contents of monitoring the side effects.  The purpose of this study was to measure using the protocol was useful for the propulsion of proper use of distigmine.
Methods: The protocol was introduced in 10 community pharmacies and 1 hospital pharmacy from December 2013 to April 2014, and the patients and pharmacists were filled out the answer to the questions that we have made.  The protocol consisted of five main checks; the dosage, lower urinary tract symptom, presence of renal disease, combined drugs, and signs of the side effects.  Each patient was filled out the checklist given by the pharmacist to monitor the signs of the side effects for 2 weeks.
Results: The 3 prescriptions of distigmine (18.8%) were more than 10 mg per day.  Although 2 patients were confirmed diarrhea and sweating etc., they were mild.  The pharmacists significantly more (p<0.05) answered that the protocol made their motivation to do the pharmaceutical interventions.  All of the patients answered that the pharmaceutical interventions made them relieved.
Conclusion: The use of protocol that we made supported pharmacists to do the pharmaceutical interventions and patients welcome them.

Objective: For safe use of drugs, it is indispensable to carry out proper and continuous risk management throughout preclinical to post-marketing phases.  In Japan, denosumab, a novel anti-RANKL antibody for treatment of bone metastasis, was approved in April 2012.  Since beginning of clinical use, severe hypocalcemia has been reported as adverse drug reactions.  In this study, the role of pharmacists in minimization of risks of newly introduced drugs was examined using denosumab as an example.
Methods: Firstly, the description on prevention of hypocalcemia in approval review report and different versions of drug package inserts of denosumab were compared.  Secondly, the differences in ratio of hypocalcemia in patients using denosumab with or without concomitant use of Ca and vitamin D preparations in Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital between April 2012 and July 2013 were examined.
Results: During the few months after beginning of clinical use of denosumab, many cases on the onset of severe hypocalcemia induced by denosumab had been reported.  Therefore, drug package insert was revised to enhance and recommend Ca and vitamin D supplementation.  Before the in-house enforcement in our hospital, of 26 patients, 6 patients were administered with denosumab without Ca and vitamin D preparations and 2 of them developed hypocalcemia over Grade 3.  After the in-house enforcement, no significant changed in serum Ca level in the 20 patients with Ca and vitamin D preparations were observed.
Discussion: Severe side effects can be avoided if hospital pharmacists take appropriate measures based on rational evaluation of proper information.
Conclusions: For risk minimization, pharmacists must evaluate and manage the risks of newly introduced drugs.

Objective : By extracting and modeling the component factors that community pharmacists have for “YARIGAI”—a Japanese colloquial expression commonly defined as “something worthwhile doing”—and by re-defining “YARIGAI,” we sought to help improve the quality of work lives of community pharmacists. Methods : All of 139 employee pharmacists participated in a workshop of the COMPASS Project (May 2011) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Responses were collected on the scene. The seventeen, 6-point-scale questions focused on the “patient-pharmacist relationship,” which may be related to “YARIGAI.” Then “YARIGAI” factors were extracted using factor analysis, and modeled using covariance structure analysis. IBM SPSS (ver. 20) and Amos 5.0J were used for the analyses. Results : To the item “I feel ‘YARIGAI’ with pharmacy work,” 12.2% of the 139 respondents said, “Strongly agree”, followed by “Agree” (41.0%) and “Somewhat agree” (33.8%). A factor analysis extracted three factors related to “YARIGAI” (knowledge, patient counseling management, and sense of personal growth). After modeling (AGFI : 0.903, RMSEA : 0.048) with these factors as latent variables and items in them as observable variables, a positive correlation was indicated for all the following factor pairs : “knowledge” and “patient counseling management”, “knowledge” and “sense of personal growth”, and “sense of personal growth” and “patient counseling management” (standardized points of estimate : 0.71, 0.55, and 0.42, respectively). Standardized coefficients for all latent and observable variables were 0.7 or higher, showing a good fit. Conclusion : “YARIGAI” of pharmacists employed by community pharmacies can consist of “knowledge,” “patient counseling management,” and “sense of personal growth”. Our results suggest that the improvement of communication skills and knowledge can lead to improvement of “YARIGAI” of pharmacists working for community pharmacies.

Exposure of the surgical field and bleeding control are main problems of distal anastomosis during an operation for distal arch aneurysms. The open-stent technique and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) are useful techniques for the resolution of these problems. Recently, TEVAR has progressively expanded in the treatment of various complex thoracic aortic diseases. However, complications such as endoleaks and graft migrations have still remained an issue. Although some patients who have late distal endoleaks can be almost treated successfully with additional TEVAR, some of them cannot. We report 3 cases of graft replacement of descending aorta after open-stent technique due to stent migrations and endoleaks. All of them were previously performed by total arch replacement with open-stent technique for distal aortic arch aneurysms. The follow-up CT after the first operation revealed graft migrations and endoleaks. The open surgical repairs through left lateral thoracotomy were performed, followed by graft replacements. The stent grafts were easily clamped after the incision of the aneurysm. In 2 cases, grafts were directly anastomosed to the descending aorta after the removal of the stent. In 1 case, graft was extended with new graft and then anastomosed to the descending aorta. These procedures were technically successful ; there were no trouble to exfoliate aorta, to perform anastomosis and hemostasis, and neither patient developed major complications. These results indicate that open surgical repair of descending aorta could be one of the safety options for the treatment of endoleaks and stent migrations of thoracic aortic stent graft in the era of increasing endovascular therapy.

A 60-year-old man was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm and aortic regurgitation. He had suffered from palpitation and leg edema since a month before. Echocardiography revealed right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm dissecting into interventricular septum complicated with aortic and mitral regurgitation. He successfully underwent patch closure of aneurysm, aortic valve replacement and ring annuloplasty of mitral and tricuspid valve. His postoperative course was uneventful.