[Problems in hospital preparation of acute poisoning antagonist (methylene blue injection)].

Since some antagonists or antidotes in cases of acute poisoning are not commercially available in Japan, in many hospitals they are prepared on their premises for clinical use. However, no specific legislation for the procedures of quality assurance and informed consent of these hospital-prepared products as yet exists. Further, the standard procedures for clinical use of the hospital-prepared products have yet to be established.

[Percutaneous interventional treatment of vertebral artery stenosis with coronary stents: two case reports].

Two patients underwent percutaneous interventional treatment for vertebral artery stenosis using coronary stents. Vertebral angiography of Case 1 (78-year-old male) showed right ostial 100% obstruction and left ostial 99% stenosis. Balloon angioplasty and stent placement (Multilink 4.

[Subarachnoid hemorrhage complicated with different manifestations of transient abnormal left ventricular wall motion: two case reports].

Two patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage presented with transient abnormal left ventricular wall motion. Case 1 was a 56-year-old man. Electrocardiography showed ST segment elevation in leads I, II, II, aVL, aVF, V3-V6.

[A case of anaphylaxis after a prairie dog bite].

Several cases of anaphylaxy after hamster bites have recently been reported. We report a case of anaphylaxis after a bite from a prairie dog. To our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported in Japan.

[Hematocrit as an indicator for coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Objectives: Primary coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by persistent massive intracoronary thrombus is frequently difficult. Higher incidence of thrombus formation is associated with high hematocrit score. This study investigated the relationship between high hematocrit score and primary coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

[So-called "ampulla" cardiomyopathy associated with coronary vasospasm compared with acute myocardial infarction showing similar abnormal left ventricular wall motion: two case reports].

So-called "ampulla" cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient abnormal left ventricular wall motion showing hypokinesia around the apical area and hyperkinesia at the basal area, without any detectable coronary lesion. We recently treated a patient with "ampulla" cardiomyopathy (Case 1) and a patient with acute myocardial infarction showing similar abnormal left ventricular wall motion (Case 2). A 75-year-old female (Case 1) presented with "ampulla" cardiomyopathy without coronary lesion.