ABSTRACT
The treatment by Kampo decoction is partly covered by National Health Insurance in Japan. However, this system is facing bankruptcy crisis because of rising prices of crude drugs in China, their main producer. The board of crude drug materials of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine (JSOM) distributed questionnaires to 7416 JSOM member doctors, and performed statistical analysis (with JSOM approval) of 1877 answers to visualize the data. Twenty-six percent of respondents said that they had prescribed a decoction, and 29% of respondents said they had not, but wanted to prescribe a crude drug. Eighty-eight percent of doctors who prescribe decoctions offered medical treatment primarily to insured patients. Nine percent offered medical treatment at patients' own expense. The latter group prescribed decoctions more frequently. Many doctors were aware of the financial risk of prescribing crude drugs imposed by the drug price standard and rising crude drug import prices. Four hundred and fifty-five doctors explained when they were most inclined to prescribe a decoction. Thirty-five percent of these said they used decoctions when they couldn't treat patients with extracts. This result implies a necessity for decoctions. Many doctors said they prescribed decoctions for autoimmune or allergic diseases. Financial constraints were the most frequently cited barrier to treatment with decoctions. This survey made clear the financial difficulties clinics are facing. We therefore calculated the amount of crude drugs used for decoctions to validate the possibility of their domestic production.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of crocetin on the pupillary response during accommodation induced by visual display terminal (VDT) work. This clinical study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in healthy adult volunteers with subjective symptoms of eye fatigue. In this study, the pupillary response during accommodation was evaluated using pupil constriction ratio (PCR). PCR was measured before and after VDT work, after rest at baseline, and at each intervention period. Following analysis of variations in PCR, the variation in PCR after rest significantly increased in the crocetin group. According to the visual analog scale questionnaire, subjective symptoms of eye fatigue significantly improved. These results show that ingestion of crocetin for 4 weeks is effective in mitigating the pupillary response during accommodation associated with VDT work.
ABSTRACT
Kanzoshashinto consists of seven medicinal herbs including ginseng. The formula for kanzoshashinto in the Chinese medical text “Jinguiyaolue” consists of the seven herbs, but its formula in “Shanghanglun,” a second medical reference, lists only six herbs and does not include ginseng. We investigated if formulas for kanzoshashinto in traditional Chinese and Japanese medical books included ginseng. We searched modern Japanese databases using the terms kanzoshashinto and ginseng. We also searched medical books written during the Song Dynasty in China and the Edo period in Japan. We found one article in a modern Japanese database that discusses kanzoshashinto and ginseng. The article stated that kanzoshashinto formula included ginseng only described in the Song medical text Jinguiyaolue. Kanzoshashinto formula in other ancient Chinese medical references did not list ginseng as one of the components of the medicine. This research confirmed the statements written in ancient Chinese medical references : doctors could add ginseng to kanzoshashinto. During the Edo period in Japan, most doctors prescribed a kanzoshashinto formulation that included ginseng. In the medical reference “Jinguiyaolue,” kanzoshashinto with ginseng is described as a treatment for kowaku, an unstable psychological state. In the medical reference “Shanghanglun,” kanzoshashinto without ginseng was used to treat severe diarrhea. Therefore, it is possible that kanzoshashinto without ginseng might be a more effective treatment for diarrhea. Further studies are required to examine the efficacy of kanzoshashinto without ginseng in treating severe diarrhea.
ABSTRACT
When serious emergency patients come to a 3rd-level emergency hospital, they are able to obtain optimal medical treatment for their condition. However, the emergency room of general hospitals are extremely crowded with many kinds of patients, ranging from 1st-to 3rd-level emergencies. Thus, a good training program in triage is necessary for emergency medicine doctors because of the risk of inappropriate management of patients.<BR>In this study, we examined the number of 2nd-and 3rd-level emergency patients who came to our emergency room initially as walk-in 1st-level emergency patients in 1991 and 1992. Our results indicate that the education for emergency medicine doctors needs to cover a wide range of medical fields dealing with 1st-to 3rd-level emergency patients, and that ideal training in emergency medicine must be organized in hospitals that accept 1st-to 3rd-level emergency patients.
ABSTRACT
We reported an operative case of bilateral coronary arteries to pulmonary artery fistula with giant saccular aneurysm. This 68 year-old female was admitted for evaluation of chest oppression and heart murmur. On coronary angiography, the diagnosis was made as a coronary artery fistula originating from right coronary artery and left anterior descending artery, and draining into the main pulmonary artery. The operation was indicated by giant saccular aneurysm, high shunt ratio, and positive finding of ischemic change on exercise electrocardiogram. The closure of coronary fistula and aneurysmorrhaphy were performed under cardiopulmonary bypass. The aneurysm was 25×30mm diamater, and not found arteriosclerotic change in operative finding. The fistula was completely disappeared by postopertive coronary angiography. We concluded that curative operation for coronary artery fistula with giant aneurysm can be done with minimal risk under cardiopulmonary bypass.
ABSTRACT
Behcet's disease is generally recognized as a chronic multi-system disease. Approxymately 8% of patients with Behct's disease will have serious vascular compilcations which is called vasculo-Behcet's disease. A male patient of 41 year old was admitted to our clinic, complaining pain of left popliteal fossa and hypesthesia of left lower leg. A popliteal aneurysm was found. Resection of the aneurysm and a saphenous vein graft were successfully performed. Neuropathy disappeared after the surgery. Aneurysms in Behcet's disease mainly appear in major arteries, and rarely in peripheral arteries. Compression neuropathy in the popliteal aneurysm of Behcet's disease has been rarely reported. Early resection of aneurysm before completion of neuropathy is recommended for succsessful outcome.