Japanese traditional herbal medicine reduces use of pregabalin and opioids for pain in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: There has been an increase in the number of Japanese patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) who complain of chronic pain or motor disturbance in the lower back or extremities. These patients are often treated with anti-convulsive drugs, opioids, antidepressants, acetaminophen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, all of which can cause side effects. For this reason, Japanese traditional herbal medicine (Kampo) is of interest, because it produces fewer adverse reactions.

[An investigation on prognostic diagnosis and therapeutic effects for peripheral facial nerve palsy].

Background: Prognostic examinations and therapeutic strategy for peripheral facial nerve palsy are still obscure. We investigated the utility of examinations and the effects of treatment in these patients retrospectively.

Methods: A total of 301 patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy were classified into three groups: Group A, cured within two months (n = 208), Group B, cured within six months (n = 34), Group C, uncured (n = 59).

Multiple-deep-breath inhalation induction with 5% sevoflurane and 67% nitrous oxide: comparison with intravenous injection of propofol.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of multiple-deep-breath inhalation induction with sevoflurane and nitrous oxide followed by the same inhalational anesthetics for maintenance, we compared the technique with intravenous propofol anesthesia.

Methods: Forty patients scheduled for ophthalmic surgery under general anesthesia with a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) were assigned to two groups. Anesthesia was induced with multiple-deep-breath inhalation of 5% sevoflurane and 67% nitrous oxide in oxygen (group S: n = 20) or intravenous injection of 1% propofol at the rate of 1200 ml.

[A case of acute erythroblastic anemia due to infection with human parvovirus B19 after coronary artery bypass grafting].

A 37-year-old male developed reticulocytopenia and leukopenia with fever from the 11th patient day after coronary artery bypass grafting. Bone-marrow puncture revealed a marked decrease of erythroblasts and appearance of giant proerythroblasts. Thus, infection with human parvovirus B 19 (HPV-B 19) was suspected.