Safety of Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy in a Patient with Sleep Apnea Syndrome / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

We report a 30-year-old man with an extensive cerebral contusion. He presented with severe left upper and lower limb paralysis and mild right lower limb palsy. He was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea syndrome and was treated with nighttime nCPAP (nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). Four years after the injury, he was able to walk with Lofstrand crutches. However, he gradually began to have difficulty standing, walking and driving his wheelchair because his spasticity developed markedly. He received ITB (intrathecal baclofen) therapy and noted a reduction in spasticity. He was once again able to drive his wheelchair and to walk with support. In addition, his respiratory function didn't show any deterioration. Spasticity is a common complication after cerebral or spinal cord injury, for which treatment has been difficult. ITB therapy can dramatically reduce spasticity, but has been demonstrated that it may also depress respiratory function in patients with respiratory insufficiency. This case suggests that ITB therapy may reduce spasticity without affecting respiratory function even in patients with a respiratory disorder.

A Survey on the Current State of Postgraduate Medical Ethics Education in Japan / 医学教育

To examine the present state of postgraduate ethics education for residents in Japan, we sent an anonymous self-administered questionnaire to the directors of all 640 hospitals in Japan with a registered postgraduate clinical residency program. A total of 258 hospitals returned the questionnaire (response rate: 40.3%). Of these hospitals, 69 (26.7%) had a program for ethics education and 189 (73.3%) did not. The presence of a program was strongly correlated with the number of hospital beds and a history of problems with ethics education. Respondents showed a high degree of awareness about such significant topics in ethics education as “informed consent, ” “patient privacy, ” “patient rights, ” and “physician duties.”

Report of the First Workshop on Medical Ethics Education / 医学教育

The first workshop on medical ethics education was held for 28 members including mainly university tutors and hospital tutors in November 2002 at Gifu. Trail for training of several kinds of medical ethics education technique was evaluated to a certain extent. We submit report of the practice and participants' evaluation of the workshop.

The Medical Ethics Education Manual in the Undergraduate Medical Education / 医学教育

We proposed the curriculum plan of medical ethics in the medical school in our country. That was the curriculum throughout a few years and the participating education. Now we present the manual for one case of the each six strategies. When the teacher holds classes according to this manual or with some modifications, the medical students will probably participate the education with high motivation to learn.

The Medical Ethics Education Curriculum Propose in the Undergraduate Medical Education / 医学教育

There is no objection that the medical ethics enters basic matters of the undergraduate medical education. The curriculum plan of medical ethics in the medical school in our country is proposed. This curriculum aims at the participating education that the student personally chooses and discovers the result to be studied instead of the passive lecture like the boring preaching from the platform. This is the curriculum throughout a few years, because it is necessary to repeatedly study adjusting to the learning achievement.