Development and validation of a scoring system to predict vasovagal reaction upon whole-blood donation.

Background And Objectives: Risk factors for vasovagal reaction (VVR) have been extensively studied. With knowledge of the relative importance of these risk factors for VVR, collection staff could take care of blood donors from the same standpoint, leading to improved donor safety. We therefore developed a scoring system to predict VVR, which incorporates registration information.

Significance of measuring S100A12 and sRAGE in the serum of sepsis patients with postoperative acute lung injury.

Background: There is a report that S100A12 is useful as an early marker of acute lung injury (ALI). The purpose of this study was to determine whether S100A12 or sRAGE is useful as a marker during the development of ALI in postoperative sepsis patients.

Methods: The subjects were patients who underwent emergency surgery because of sepsis secondary to perforation of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Effect of linezolid on cytokine production capacity and plasma endotoxin levels in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation of whole blood.

The purpose of this study was to assess lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production in the presence of linezolid (LZD) in comparison with the drug effect on the plasma endotoxin level. Peripheral venous whole-blood samples collected from five healthy subjects were stimulated with 10 microg/ml of LPS. LZD was then added to the LPS-stimulated blood samples at concentrations of 0, 2, 4, and 15 microg/ml , followed by incubation for 24 h at 37 degrees C in a 5% CO(2)-95% air atmosphere.

[A case of metastatic lung and liver tumors from rectal cancer treated with oral UFT and CPT-11 by hepatic arterial infusion followed by FOLFOX and FOLFIRI].

The patient was a 62-year-old male who underwent a high anterior resection for rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases in June 2004. After the operation, 66 courses of weekly hepatic arterial infusion(HAI)therapy of 5-FU/Leucovorin( LV)were performed. Thereafter 14 courses of FOLFOX 4, 5 courses of FOLFIRI and 5 courses of FOLFOX 4 therapy were also sequentially performed.

[A case of liver metastatic recurrence of gastric cancer effectively treated by combined chemotherapy of CPT-11 and CDDP].

The patient was a 72-year-old female with gastric carcinoma. A liver metastatic recurrence was detected 27 months after operation. Although temporary partial responses were obtained by each effective chemotherapy, which was a combination chemotherapy with 5'-DFUR and TXT, TS-1 and TXL, the metastatic lesion proved refractory to all of them.

[Perioperative nutrition for gastrointestinal surgery].

In elective gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, the patients' nutritional status should be assessed and if protein-energy malnutrition exists, preoperative nutritional support should be scheduled 7 to 14 days before surgery. In malnourished patients in particular, preoperative nutrition with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) reduces postoperative complication rates of infection. Preoperative enteral nutrition (EN) is considered to be as effective as TPN in improving postoperative surgical outcome.

Influence of a human protease inhibitor on surgical stress induced immunosuppression.

Background/aim: Postoperative tissue injury and immunosuppression can occur after major surgery. In this study, we explore the potential benefits of administering a protease inhibitor to treat immunosuppression caused by surgical stress.

Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal cancer were preoperatively allocated at random into two equal groups.

Randomized study of the benefits of preoperative corticosteroid administration on the postoperative morbidity and cytokine response in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer.

Objective: To investigate whether preoperative corticosteroid administration plays a role in attenuating postoperative morbidity.

Summary Background Data: There is as yet no consensus on the beneficial effects of steroids in alleviating surgical stress.

Methods: A total of 66 patients undergoing surgery for thoracic esophageal cancer were randomly categorized preoperatively into two groups of 33 patients each.