Incidence of Injection Site Reactions Induced by Vinorelbine and Prevention with Hot Compresses / 医薬品情報学

<b>Objective: </b>Patients treated with vinorelbine(VNR)-containing chemotherapy often suffer from injection site reactions.  VNR is a moderate vesicant that is well known to cause local venous damage.  We conducted this study to identify clinical risk factors related to the incidence of injection site reactions caused by VNR, and whether applying a hot compress was effective for preventing such reactions.<br><b>Methods: </b>Medical records were retrospectively investigated for 48 patients treated with chemotherapy regimens containing VNR.  Injection site reactions were evaluated for every course and were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 4.0).  Gender, age, body mass index, chemotherapy regimen, dose of VNR, and volume of fluid for flushing the vein were assessed as clinical variables.  A hot compress was applied to the vein proximal to the injection site during VNR injection.<br><b>Results: </b>The injection site reactions occurred in 29 (60%) among 48 patients received intravenous VNR injection.  According to multivariate analysis, use of gemcitabine (GEM) in combination with VNR showed a significant independent correlation with an increased risk of injection site reactions (<i>p</i>=0.019).  When hot compress was applied to 21 patients, who experienced phlebitis of VNR, the injection site reaction was occurred to only three patients (<i>p</i><0.001).<br><b>Conclusion: </b>In this study, the risk factor of the injection site reaction by VNR seems to be combination of GEM.  Application of hot compresses was effective for preventing injection site reactions by VNR.

Findings of Itinerary Medical Service to the Islands of the Setonai-kai (the Inland Sea of Japan) / 日本農村医学会雑誌

The author made a check of the past five years' itinerary medical service to the islands scattered in the Inland Sea of Japan. All-inclusive, 15, 599 persons received such medical service, including more feinales than males. The diseases found inhigh frequencies were hypertension, neuralgia and diseases of digestive organs, as is also the case with the main land. The diseases found in higher frequencies than expected were anemia, hypotension and gastroptosis, which would have been caused from the peculiar working conditions handicapped by nature and from undernourishment.