Usefulness of duplex ultrasonography to detect collagen sponge misplacement into the arterial lumen during the use of Angio-Seal: A case report.

A 76-year-old man who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention suffered intermittent claudication. Duplex ultrasonography revealed superficial femoral artery stenosis with an intraluminal heterogeneous echogenic mass. We suspected that stenosis was caused by the puncture procedure of the Angio-Seal. Open surgery revealed that a collagen sponge that should have been outside the arterial wall was misplaced in the wall with massive granulation, and atherectomy with patchplasty was performed. Vessel deterioration was considered due to several factors, including inappropriate access site, arterial wall calcification, and comorbidities like Behçet's disease. Ultrasonography is a convenient and useful method to evaluate arterial lesions.

Usefulness of Carotid Arterial Strain Values for Evaluating the Arteriosclerosis.

AIM: We investigated the clinical usefulness of carotid arterial strain and the strain rate for evaluating the progression of arteriosclerosis measured using a two-dimensional speckle-tracking method in carotid ultrasonography. METHODS: We enrolled 259 participants (age: 64±12 years; men: 149; women: 110) in this retrospective analysis. The circumferential strain and the strain rate were measured in bilateral common carotid arteries, and the lowest values were used for the analyses. To assess the characteristics of strain and the strain rate, we investigated the associations between the strain values and gender, age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. We also examined the explanatory factors for the strain values using clinical parameters along with the intima-media thickness (IMT), the ankle brachial index (ABI), and the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as possible candidates. Finally, we investigated whether the strain values might be an independent predictor for vascular diseases using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The carotid circumferential strain and the strain rate were significantly correlated with age, IMT, and the CAVI, but not with the BMI, BP, or ABI. Strain and the strain rates were lower in participants with hypertension or cerebrovascular disease and were selected as significant predictive factors for the presence of cerebrovascular diseases, together with diabetes and the CAVI. CONCLUSIONS: Strain and the strain rate of carotid arteries, which could represent local arterial stiffness, might be associated with atherosclerosis and could possibly be used to predict cerebrovascular disease.

[Promotion of home shifts for terminal cancer patients through intervention of visitor palliative care team].

It has been recommended that terminal cancer patients be shifted from the hospital to their homes. In our hospital, a visitor palliative care team was started for the purpose of the early introduction of palliative care, and home shifts were promoted. The results of home shifts by the visitor palliative care team from 2008 to 2012 were examined. Home shifts were possible for 27 cases out of 108 cases intervened. In 12 cases, there were at-home deaths, and the median at-home period was 55 days. In the group that could not be shifted, the at-home death rate and application rate of nursing care insurance were low. Additionally, the length of stay (median) for patients who died in hospitalization was 8 days for the group that could be shifted and 17 days for the group that could not be shifted. It was felt that effective communication with local health care facilities is important for a successful home shift. Early and adequate preparations for the treatment and care of terminal cancer patients undergoing home shift are important, and in this regard, a review of the current provisions of nursing care insurance is necessary.

[The outpatient palliative care conference for the home palliative care shift (the second report)--the conference was used to look back on the case where the patient's QOL was kept and improved].

The patient was a 30-year-old woman with right tongue cancer and SCC (T4N2bM0). After it had relapsed, the outpatient palliative care conference intervened. The purpose of intervention was as follows: pain control, nutrition management, home recuperation support, and relief of a spiritual pain. We could achieve the patient's desire to recuperate at home as long as possible by sharing a goal and information. The patient was treated for a total of 457 days. Since the relapse, she was treated for 274 days, and was hospitalized for 49 days. By offering necessary home care supports, the patient and family fully demonstrated their potentials what they could do to recuperate and resulted in a long home stay. It was thought that our relationship with the patient and family appeared to have enhanced their self-resistance feelings against the disease. Consequently, we contributed the improvement of QOL.