ABSTRACT
We reported a clinical case in which decreased concentration of hydromorphone citrate in subcutaneous infusion therapy led to the improvement of subcutaneous induration. A subcutaneous infusion therapy with hydromorphone citrate was initiated in a 60-year-old female pancreatic-cancer patient with back pain. A subcutaneous induration has emerged when the infused concentration of hydromorphone citrate was increased from 0.17% to 0.83%. After the reduction in its concentration (0.28%), that subcutaneous induration has improved. For the alleviation of nausea and sedation, administration of haloperidol and midazolam were added at day 61 and day 70, respectively, with keeping the low concentration (≤0.28%) of hydromorphone citrate. Under this condition, further occurrence of subcutaneous induration was not observed. As a result, we suggested that the concentration of hydromorphone citrate in subcutaneous infusion therapy determined the onset of subcutaneous induration.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: We investigated the relationship between knowledge of the common cold and desire for medical treatment.Methods: We administered an anonymous self-questionnaire about the common cold to citizens receiving health checkups in City X, Ibaraki Prefecture, between August and September 2012. We assessed citizens' knowledge about the common cold and whether they sought medical treatment for it, in addition to their demographic attributes.Results: We included 1079 citizens (response rate, 74.5%) in the analysis. The majority of participants believed that receiving intravenous (IV) infusions or injections for the common cold led to faster recovery times (75.9%). Roughly half of the participants (42.0%) did not believe that antibiotics are not effective against virus-based colds, while 28.6% were unsure. Finally, endorsement of the questionnaire items "taking cold medications early leads to faster recovery" (OR: 1.61) and "IV infusions or injections lead to faster recovery times" (OR: 1.86) were associated with a desire for medical treatment.Conclusion: Our results indicate that patients' knowledge about the common cold and their understanding of treatment options available at medical institutions were inadequate. Furthermore, we found that an awareness of how cold medicines, IV infusions, or injections may shorten treatment duration was associated with a desire for treatment.
ABSTRACT
Association between smoking prevention education for elementary and junior high school students and the modification of their parents' smoking behavior — Can child education change parental behavior?<br><b>Introduction</b> : This study aimed to investigate an association between a smoking prevention education program for elementary and junior high school students, and the subsequent behavior modifications of their parents.<br><b>Methods</b> : Preventative education programs for smoking were provided to four elementary and three junior high schools in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. We encouraged participating students to discuss the knowledge derived from the education sessions with their families. One month after completing the program, questionnaires were distributed to the parents of the students to investigate whether they had modified their smoking behavior as a result of what they had learnt from their children.<br><b>Results</b> : Two questionnaires were distributed to each of 1109 families, and 1427 valid responses were received. Analysis showed that 794 parents had been informed about tobacco use from their children (55.6%) and 271 parents had modified their smoking behavior (19.0%) as a consequence. This included smoking cessation, decreasing tobacco consumption, and smoking avoidance in the presence of their children. Behavior modification was significantly correlated with the knowledge they had derived from their children based on the preventative smoking education program (odds ratio = 3.3 ; 95% CI : 2.4-4.6).<br><b>Conclusion</b> : Implementation of an education program for smoking prevention focused on elementary and junior high school students can lead to modification of smoking behavior in both students and their parents, respectively.
ABSTRACT
<b>Introduction</b> : This study aimed to clarify any associations between familial smoking, especially parental smoking, and high school students' perceptions of smoking.<br><b>Methods</b> : Questionnaires on familial smoking and the Kano Test for Social Nicotine Dependence (KTSND) were distributed to junior high school students. The KTSND is a tool to evaluate positive perceptions of smoking. We analyzed the relationship between the total KTSND score and school grade, gender, familial smoking, paternal smoking, and maternal smoking.<br><b>Results</b> : We received 761 valid responses (valid response rate : 90.4%). Five hundred forty-three students had family members who smoked (71.4%), 394 had smoking fathers (51.8%), and 214, smoking mothers (28.1%). The total KTSND score correlated with familial smoking (10.55 vs 9.46, <italic>p</italic>=0.009) and maternal smoking (11.18 vs 9.87, <italic>p</italic>=0.002).<br><b>Conclusion</b> : Familial smoking, especially maternal smoking, correlated with positive perceptions of high school students towards smoking. Promoting smoking cessation in women with children may be effective in preventing tobacco use among children.