Effect of a network system for providing proper inhalation technique by community pharmacists on clinical outcomes in COPD patients.

Introduction: Nonadherence to inhalation therapy is very common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Few data are available to support the role of community pharmacists in optimizing inhalation therapy in COPD patients. Since 2007, the Kitano Hospital and the Kita-ku Pharmaceutical Association have provided a network system for delivering correct inhalation techniques through certified community pharmacists.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of acupuncture in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the COPD-acupuncture trial (CAT).

Background: Dyspnea on exertion (DOE) is a major symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is difficult to control. This study was performed to determine whether acupuncture is superior to placebo needling in improving DOE in patients with COPD who are receiving standard medication.

Methods: Sixty-eight of 111 patients from the Kansai region of Japan who were diagnosed as having COPD and were receiving standard medication participated in a randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial (July 1, 2006, through March 31, 2009) in which the patients, evaluators, and statistician were unaware of the random allocation.

Impact of a network system for providing proper inhalation technique by community pharmacists.

Objective: The availability of many types of inhalers in the treatment of asthma has resulted in a wide range of prescription choices for clinicians. With so many devices available, however, there is some confusion regarding their proper use among both medical staff and patients. Since 2007, Kitano Hospital and Kita-ku Pharmaceutical Association, Osaka, Japan, have provided a network system for delivering instruction on correct inhalation technique through community pharmacists.

Relationships between repeated instruction on inhalation therapy, medication adherence, and health status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose: Adherence to inhalation therapy is a critical determinant of the success of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. However, in practice, nonadherence to inhalation therapy is very common in COPD patients. The effects of adherence to inhalation therapy in COPD have not been fully studied, and less is known about the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life in COPD.

Repeated instruction on inhalation technique improves adherence to the therapeutic regimen in asthma.

Background: Adherence to inhalation therapy is a critical determinant of the success of asthma management. Reasons for nonadherence have been well studied, but reasons for good adherence are poorly understood. Understanding the mechanisms of adherence to inhalation therapy is important in developing strategies to promote adherence.

[Influence of black vinegar on itraconazole absorption].

Itraconazole (ITCZ), a useful oral drug effective against Aspergillus, is reported to cause insufficient blood concentration through unstable enteral absorption. Hypoacidic gastic conditions have been reported to reduce absorption, whereas acidic drinks promote it. We present a case of pulmonary aspergillosis in a subject administered ITCZ with black vinegar, a popular health food in Japan.

[Liaison-psychiatric service in palliative care].

In Japan, Palliative Care Teams became eligible for health insurance coverage in 2002. Cancer is the principal cause of death in Japan, and over 90% of cancer patients die at hospitals. However, health care professionals are not yet very accustomed to facing dying patients, but need to do so especially in palliative care.

[Case of bronchocentric granulomatosis that became recognized in the course of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis].

A 56-year-old man with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) was admitted due to the appearance of nodular opacities in the right upper lung field on chest radiography, after discontinuing itraconazole and clarithromycin on the suspicion of possible hepatic adverse effects. Chest CT scans on admission revealed nodular opacities in the right S3 and lingula bronchus, and bilateral bronchiectasis with mucoid impactions. A specimen obtained by transbronchial lung biopsy showed complete replacement of bronchioles by necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, containing the diagnosis of bronchocentric granulomatosis.

Molecular characteristics of serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates among community-acquired pneumonia patients in Japan.

In order to understand the spread of the erythromycin-resistant serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae clone in Japan, we have assessed the molecular characteristics of this clone. Among 156 S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from adults with community-acquired pneumonia between 2003 and 2005, 42 were serotype 3 and 40 were sequence type (ST) 180/Netherlands(3)-31 by multilocus sequence typing.

[Diffuse expression of KIT in a pulmonary artery sarcoma].

A 77-year-old woman presented with hoarseness and hemoptysis. Chest CT scan revealed a mediastinal tumor in the lumen of the left pulmonary artery. A definitive diagnosis could not be made based on mediastinoscopy and thoracotomy.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia in Japan.

Background And Objective: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is the most common pathogen associated with community-acquired pneumonia and its resistance to antimicrobials is a worldwide problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the current drug susceptibilities of S.

[Relationship between time taken from collection of blood to incubation and measurement in whole-blood interferon gamma assay for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection].

Background: The introduction of second-generation QuantiFERON-TB (QFT) enables the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection with high specificity and sensitivity. This in vitro diagnostic test uses 2 TB-specific proteins (ESAT-6 and CFP-10) to stimulate cells in heparinized whole blood and detects interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) produced from blood cells. When QFT is done in laboratories outside of the hospital, several hours may be required to transport blood samples.

Genotypes and related factors reflecting macrolide resistance in pneumococcal pneumonia infections in Japan.

Although macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains possessing either the ermB or mefA gene are very common in Japan, clinical and microbial factors in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by different macrolide resistance genotypes have not been evaluated. A multicenter study of CAP caused by S. pneumoniae was performed in Japan from 2003 to 2005.

Phase II study of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a Kansai Clinical Oncology Group study.

The objective of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in previously untreated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin with the target dose of area under the curve (AUC) of 6 on day 1 every 28 days. Forty-six patients were enrolled.