Safety and efficacy of oxycodone for refractory dyspnea in end-stage heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease: a case series of eight patients.

Background: Morphine is effective in palliative care for patients with end-stage heart failure; however, its use is avoided in patients with impaired renal function because it tends to induce adverse effects. Although oxycodone has been reported to be a useful alternative, the evidence is insufficient. Therefore, we investigated the safety and efficacy of oxycodone in eight patients with end-stage heart failure complicated by chronic kidney disease.

Opposing impact of hypertension/diabetes following hormone therapy initiation and preexisting statins on castration resistant progression of nonmetastatic prostate cancer: a multicenter study.

Hormone therapy, especially androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), is effective against prostate cancer (PC), whereas long-term ADT is a risk for metabolic/cardiovascular disorders including diabetes (DM), hypertension (HT) and dyslipidemia (DL), and might result in progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We thus conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study to ask whether CRPC progression would be associated positively with HT, DM or DL and negatively with statins prescribed for treatment of DL. In this study, 1,112 nonmetastatic PC patients undergoing ADT were enrolled.

Clinical and preclinical evidence that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers prevent diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Given possible involvement of the central and peripheral angiotensin system in pain processing, we conducted clinical and preclinical studies to test whether pharmacological inhibition of the angiotensin system would prevent diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) accompanying type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the preclinical study, the nociceptive sensitivity was determined in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, a T2DM model. A clinical retrospective cohort study was conducted, using the medical records of T2DM patients receiving antihypertensives at three hospitals for nearly a decade.

[A Case of Thrombocytopenia Following Minocycline Administration].

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with bleeding tendency and suggests the need for the immediate suspected drug withdrawal. Patients with drug-induced thrombocytopenia usually experience an acute drop in platelet (PLT) levels a week or two after starting a new medication. Thrombocytopenia has both immune and non-immune mechanisms.

The efficacy and safety of intravenous chlorpromazine treatment for sleep disturbance in patients with incurable cancer, with oral administration difficulty: a 1-week, prospective observational study.

Background: Sleep disturbance is a common psychiatric disorder in patients with cancer. However, many patients with incurable cancer have difficulty receiving oral administrations, which limits treatment options during disease progression. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous chlorpromazine treatment for sleep disturbances in patients with incurable cancer, with oral administration difficulty.

Short-Term Effects of 10% Lidocaine Ointment on Allodynia in Cancer Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study.

There is currently no established therapy for allodynia, which is a type of neuropathic pain. However, high concentrations of topical anesthetics can anesthetize the skin and increase the sensory threshold to tactile stimulation. We aimed to evaluate the short-term effects and safety of 10% lidocaine ointment for treating allodynia in cancer pain.

[Effectiveness of a Low-dose Corticosteroid in a Patient with Polymyalgia Rheumatica Associated with Nivolumab Treatment].

Nivolumab, an anti-programmed cell death 1 antibody, has been approved for the treatment of unresectable advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although immune-related adverse events (irAEs) such as dermatologic, digestive, endocrine, hepatic, and pulmonary toxicities are known to occur upon administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors, case reports of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) associated with nivolumab use are rare. We report a case of an NSCLC patient who developed PMR during treatment with nivolumab and received corticosteroids.

Intravenous Chlorpromazine for the Short-Term Treatment of Insomnia in End-Stage Cancer Patients With Difficulty in Oral Administration.

The objective of the study was to evaluate effectiveness and safety of intravenous chlorpromazine for the short-term treatment of insomnia in end-stage cancer patients. Insomnia occurs as one of distressing symptoms in 70% of end-stage cancer patients. End-stage cancer patients often have difficulty in oral administration because of disease progress.

Self-Care System for Family Caregivers of Cancer Patients Using Resonant Breathing with a Portable Home Device: A Randomized Open-Label Study.

Background: Self-care systems for early-stage specialist palliative care for cancer patients and their family caregivers have received much attention recently. Resonant breathing is an established method for maximizing heart rate variability (HRV), but it has not been implemented for home self-care.

Objective: We aimed to examine the usefulness and ease of implementation for family caregivers to administer resonant breathing using a portable device at home.

Factors Associated with the Effectiveness of Intravenous Administration of Chlorpromazine for Delirium in Patients with Terminal Cancer.

Background: Delirium in patients with terminal cancer is irreversible and increases treatment resistance, which leads to a deterioration in quality of life.

Objective: To investigate factors affecting the effectiveness and safety of intravenous chlorpromazine for irreversible delirium in patients with terminal cancer.

Design/measurements: Multiple regression analysis for factors affecting treatment effectiveness was carried out based on a retrospective comparison between responders and nonresponders to intravenous chlorpromazine.

Efficacy of Oxycodone for Dyspnea in End-stage Heart Failure with Renal Insufficiency.

A 67-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy and renal insufficiency was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea secondary to end-stage heart failure. We introduced oxycodone for medically refractory dyspnea instead of morphine because of the patient's renal insufficiency. After the administration of oxycodone, his dyspnea was alleviated without any adverse opioid effects, such as respiratory depression.