An elevated level of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2, but not galectin-3, is associated with the presence of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients.

We investigated whether there were associations between coronary artery disease (CAD) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity (sST2) and galectin-3 levels at the time of coronary artery computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for CAD screening. The subjects consisted of 429 patients who underwent CCTA examination. CAD was diagnosed when there was 50% or more stenosis in the coronary artery.

Impact of the First Twenty-Four-Hour Area Under the Concentration-Time Curve/Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Vancomycin on Treatment Outcomes in Patients With Methicillin-Resistant Bacteremia.

Background: Vancomycin regimens are designed to achieve an area under the concentration-time curve/minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) ratio ranging between 400 and 600 µg·h/mL in the steady state. However, in cases of critical infections such as bacteremia requiring an early treatment approach, the clinical course may be affected by the AUC/MIC before reaching the steady state, that is, the AUC/MIC values 24 h after the first dose (first 24-h AUC/MIC). This study evaluated the relationship between the first 24-h AUC/MIC and the clinical course of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) infection.

Considering the Possible Role of Pharmacists According to the Presence or Absence of Lifestyle-Related Diseases at the Time of Coronary CT Examination and Trends of Medication Use for These Diseases by Medical Doctors.

Background: Because patients often already have coronary artery disease (CAD) at the time of a coronary artery computed tomography angiography (CCTA) examination, we examined the medications prescribed by medical doctors for lifestyle-related diseases and investigated what possible role pharmacists can play in prescribing.

Methods: Patients (n = 1357) who underwent CCTA examination were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of lifestyle-related diseases [hypertension (HTN), dyslipidemia (DL) and diabetes mellitus (DM)], and the relationship between the presence or absence of CAD was examined.

Results: The rate of CAD was significantly higher in patients with HTN, DL or DM than in patients without these diseases.

[Second-Generation Antihistamines for Preventing Hypersensitivity Reactions during Anticancer Therapy-A Retrospective Study].

Hypersensitivity reactions are an adverse effect of anticancer drug therapy. Prophylactic administration of antiallergic drugs and steroids is recommended when administering drugs associated with a high hypersensitivity reaction incidence. First-generation antihistamines are generally used in this setting.

[Factors Associated with the Continuation of Anamorelin in Patients with Cancer-associated Cachexia: A Single-center Retrospective Study].

Cancer-associated cachexia, a multifactorial syndrome involving loss of muscle mass and anorexia, affects the survival of cancer patients. Anamorelin was the first drug approved in Japan for the treatment of cachexia. However, cases in which anamorelin is discontinued within 3 weeks are often observed in clinical practice.

Assessing the ability of the Cancer and Aging Research Group tool to predict chemotherapy toxicity in older Japanese patients: A prospective observational study.

Introduction: The Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) prediction tool was designed in the United States to predict grade ≥ 3 chemotherapy-related adverse events (CRAE) in older patients. However, its usefulness among Japanese people, who have different sensitivities to anticancer drugs and life expectancy, remains unknown. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the utility of the CARG tool for predicting severe CRAE in older Japanese patients with cancer.

Association between pre-treatment with statin and its inhibitory effect on the onset of coronary artery disease at the time of coronary computed tomography angiography: a new look at an old medication.

Coronary artery stenosis is often advanced by the time coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Statins are the most important anti-lipidemic medication for improving the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Although lipid-lowering therapy using statins appears to have been established as a method for preventing CAD, there remains the problem that CAD cannot be completely suppressed.

[The Department of Pharmacy at Fukuoka University Hospital's Role in Preventing Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Patients Taking Oral Anticancer Drugs].

At the Department of Pharmacy of Fukuoka University Hospital, hepatitis B virus(HBV)screening tests, and HBV-DNA quantitative monitoring, are conducted before starting chemotherapy with injectable anticancer drugs. If certain tests have not been performed, the pharmacists order them as part of the protocol based pharmacotherapy management(PBPM)system. However, the status of HBV-related testing among patients taking oral anticancer drugs is unclear.

Adrenaline-resistant anaphylactic shock caused by contrast medium in a patient after risperidone overdose: a case report.

Background: In Japan, the use of risperidone in combination with adrenaline is contraindicated, except in cases of anaphylaxis. Therefore, there is limited clinical evidence regarding the interaction of these two drugs. Here, we report the clinical course of a case of adrenaline-resistant anaphylactic shock induced by a contrast medium injection after a risperidone overdose.

Liver toxicity of intravenous heparin treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), which is an indicator of liver dysfunction, may increase during treatment in patients in the acute phase of stroke. However, the cause of the ALT elevation is unclear, as multiple medications are often being used. We investigated the relationship between medications used in acute ischemic stroke, including cerebral infarction and transient ischemic attack, and ALT elevation.

Effectiveness of educational program on systematic and extensive palliative care in cancer patients for pharmacists.

Background And Purpose: Continuing education is essential for pharmacists to acquire latest knowledge. Our previously established educational program for pharmacists on the systematic and extensive palliative care of cancer patients was evaluated for its educational effectiveness in one urban prefecture. However, whether the same learning effect can be achieved when a program is expanded from one urban prefecture to multiple rural prefectures is unclear.

[A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis Caused by Pembrolizumab Treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer].

A man in his 40s underwent a transbronchial lung biopsy and received a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the right upper lobe of the lung(cT4N0M0, Stage Ⅲ)with no EGFR gene mutation, no ALK fusion gene, no ROS1 fusion gene, and a tumor proportion score(TPS)of 50-74%. During the postoperative follow-up period, enlarged right supraclavicular lymph nodes and right upper and lower paratracheal lymph nodes were detected, diagnosed as recurrence by positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Although a positive rheumatoid factor test, as the patient had no symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis(RA), treatment with pembrolizumab was initiated.

Evaluation of changes in pharmacist behaviors following a systematic education program on palliative care in cancer.

Background And Purpose: Attitudes, experience, and knowledge of healthcare professionals guide the care they provide and are particularly important factors affecting the quality of palliative care. Palliative care education for pharmacists is crucial for improving quality of care and effective participation on the palliative care team.

Educational Activity And Setting: We previously developed and reported a systematic and multifaceted pharmacist education program for cancer-related palliative care.

How to introduce a rotigotine patch to Parkinson's disease patients taking oral dopamine agonists.

Objective: Ways of introducing a rotigotine patch to Parkinson disease (PD) patients include initial induction for dopamine agonist (DA)-free patients and overnight switch (OS), cross-titration (CT), and add-on (AO) for patients already taking oral DAs. We investigated whether or not the introductions method affects the continuation rate of rotigotine patch.

Methods: The subjects were 188 PD patients who started using a rotigotine patch at the Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University Hospital.

The Effects of Silver Sulfadiazine on Methicillin-Resistant Biofilms.

Methicillin-resistant (MRSA), the most commonly detected drug-resistant microbe in hospitals, adheres to substrates and forms biofilms that are resistant to immunological responses and antimicrobial drugs. Currently, there is a need to develop alternative approaches for treating infections caused by biofilms to prevent delays in wound healing. Silver has long been used as a disinfectant, which is non-specific and has relatively low cytotoxicity.

[Need for Prescription Suggestions for Long-term Inpatients in the Psychiatric Ward].

Additional fees for ward pharmacists' services have been valued for hospitals in Japan. However, the calculation period for services provided to inpatients in the psychiatric ward is limited to 8 weeks. This study aimed to reveal the need for the services of pharmacists in the hospital ward for inpatients hospitalized for >8 weeks in the psychiatric ward.

Antithrombin gamma attenuates macrophage/microglial activation and brain damage after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

Aims: Thrombin formation is increased in patients with acute cerebral ischemic stroke, and augments coagulation and inflammation in the brain. Administration of antithrombin (AT) was previously reported to be protective against renal and myocardial ischemic injury. Thus, we hypothesized that treatment with AT would be neuroprotective against cerebral ischemic injury.

Assessment of inter-rater agreement between physicians and their patients regarding medication adherence in a clinical questionnaire study.

While it is important to treat lifestyle-related diseases for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, medication adherence is still poor. Although various causes of poor adherence have been reported, the differences between physicians and their patients regarding the recognition of medication adherence have not been well-investigated.We administered a questionnaire about medication adherence to 300 outpatients and their 23 cardiologists at the Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University Hospital.

Inhibitory effects of polysorbate 80 on MRSA biofilm formed on different substrates including dermal tissue.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) forms biofilms on necrotic tissues and medical devices, and causes persistent infections. Surfactants act on biofilms, but their mode of action is still unknown. If used in the clinic, cytotoxicity in tissues should be minimized.

[Evaluation of Pharmacist-led Interview before Doctor Examination for Psychiatry Outpatients].

Psychiatric treatment is shifting from hospital to ambulatory care. It is important that pharmacists positively support outpatients. Pharmacist-led interviews with outpatients have been conducted in the psychiatric department of Iizuka Hospital before examination by the doctor since 2015.

Long-Term Treatment with Thrombomodulin Improves Functional Outcomes after Cerebral Ischemia Even if Administration is Delayed.

Our previous study indicated that recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhsTM) could attenuate brain damage when administered as a bolus in the cerebral ischaemic early phase. Then, we considered that treatment with rhsTM may show therapeutic effects even when administered in the ischaemic delayed phase, because rhsTM has an action of inhibiting high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a late mediator of lethal systemic inflammation. This study was performed to investigate the effects of delayed treatment with rhsTM on ischaemic brain damage induced by high HMGB1 level in mice subjected to 4-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).