Journal of Nippon Medical School = Nippon Ika Daigaku zasshi
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Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a highly successful treatment for prolonging the lives of selected patients; however, preoperative and postoperative renal dysfunction has been an important predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Concerns have recently grown regarding chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In the present study we examined the significance of renal function on the basis of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and analyzed other factors as predictors of long-term clinical outcomes after CABG. ⋯ The mean age of patients was 64.6 ± 9.3 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 69.5 ± 44.5 months. There were no significant differences in either deaths from all causes or cardiovascular deaths between the CKD group and the non-CKD group. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model revealed that age (hazard ratio, 1.044; p=0.001) was a predictor of all-cause death and that age (hazard ratio, 1.154; p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (hazard ratio, 3.122; p=0.046), unstable angina (hazard ratio, 5.012; p=0.003), and proteinuria (hazard ratio, 7.982; p<0.001) were predictors of cardiovascular death. conclusions: Our study demonstrates that age, diabetes mellitus, unstable angina, and proteinuria are factors that affect long-term prognosis after CABG, whereas eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) is not a predictive risk factor for either all-cause death or cardiovascular death. Although the predictive value of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) is generally accepted, analysis of our own data with receiver operating characteristic curves shows that eGFR <50 mL/min/1.73 m(2) is a more sensitive predictor of long-term outcome.
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Case Reports
Permanent bilateral cortical blindness due to reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome.
Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is induced by acute cerebral edema. Its symptoms include seizures, headache, altered mental status, and visual disturbances. The clinical and radiological findings are usually transient. ⋯ Antihypertensive therapy improved the patient's general condition, including blood pressure. Radiological findings 5 months later showed resolution of most of the abnormal signal areas. However, total blindness had developed in both eyes by day 15, and two courses of pulsed corticosteroid therapy failed to restore the visual loss.
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Case Reports
Unexplained lower abdominal pain associated with sacroiliac joint dysfunction: report of 2 cases.
A 25-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man presented with chronic lower back pain and unexplained lower abdominal pain. Both patients had groin tenderness at the medial border of the anterior superior iliac spine. The results of radiographical and physical examinations suggested sacroiliac joint dysfunction. ⋯ We speculate that spasm of the iliac muscle can cause groin pain and tenderness. Groin pain and a history of unexplained abdominal pain, with lower back pain, are symptoms that suggest sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Additionally, compression of the iliac muscle is a simple and useful maneuver; therefore, it can be used as a screening test for sacroiliac joint dysfunction, alongside other provocation tests.
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On March 11, 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, the government declared a nuclear emergency following damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. A second hydrogen explosion occurred on March 14 at the plant's No. 3 reactor and injured 11 people. At that time the prime minister urged people living 20 to 30 km from the Daiichi plant to stay indoors. ⋯ As a result, we could reduce the number of patients at Iwaki Kyoritsu Hospital, and, thereby, the collapse of medical services in the city was avoided. In retrospect, someone might say the government--either central or local--should ideally have carried out this mission and created a system by which to do it. At the same time, however, to overcome any future bureaucratic issues, we should also prepare private networks, such as those used by NMS, because they can respond flexibly to unexpected large-scale disasters.