An Approach for Providing Drug Information to Primary Care Physicians of Patients Undergoing Nephrectomy Using Information Forms Created by Urologists and Pharmacists / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital uses an information form created by doctors and pharmacists to provide postoperative information to patients who undergo nephrectomy at the Department of Urology. The form recommends that patients' physicians change prescriptions and adjust medication doses considering post-nephrectomy deterioration of renal function in patients with a single remaining kidney. Of the 7 patients who used this information form, prescription changes were made in 4 patients. An information form jointly created by a physician and pharmacist may affect prescription changes.

Rapid Changes in Serum Lipid Profiles during Combination Therapy with Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir in Patients Infected with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Changes in lipid profiles in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) during direct-acting antiviral therapy have been reported in recent years. However, the clinical aspects of disturbed lipid metabolism in chronic HCV infection have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: Dynamic changes in serum total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein levels in patients infected with HCV genotype 1b were examined during combination therapy with daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV). RESULTS: Total, LDL−, and HDL-cholesterol levels increased rapidly and persistently after week 4. Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apo B, apo C-II, and apo C-III levels were significantly higher at week 4 than at week 0. In contrast, apo A-II and apo E levels were significantly lower. The differences in LDL− and HDL-cholesterol levels were positively correlated with those of apo B and apo A-I, respectively. Interestingly, in patients with non-sustained virological response, these cholesterol levels decreased rapidly after viral breakthrough or viral relapse. Furthermore, similar changes were observed for apo A-I, apo B and apo C-III levels. CONCLUSIONS: Clearance of HCV using combination therapy with DCV and ASV results in rapid changes in serum lipid profiles, suggesting an influence of HCV infection on disturbed lipid metabolism.

Predictors of Walking Ability Recovery after Total Knee Arthroplasty / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

We investigated the recovery time of walking ability after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and patient's background : age at the operation time, gender, BMI, the affected joints (single or bilateral), assessment criteria for the evaluation of osteoarthritis of the knee (JOA score), and surgical approach. We examined predictors of walking ability recovery time after TKA. There were 88 knees operated on in 67 patients (7 men and 60 women) using TKA in our institution. The causes of disease were osteoarthritis (OA) in 80 knees and spontenous osteonecrosis (ON) in 8 knees. We investigated the period required to be able to walk using parallel bars, to walk with a T cane and to go up and down stairs with a handrail. The period required to be able to walk with parallel bars averaged 5.7 days post operation ; to walk with a T cane averaged 16.1 days, and to go up and down stairs required an average of 22.9 days. In conclusion, the factors that significantly influenced the postoperative walking ability recovery period were the affected joints (single or bilateral), age at operation, surgical approach and preoperative JOA score.