Published papers

© 2018, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. Purpose: Very few studies have investigated the efficacy of ganglionated plexus ablation during the conventional maze procedure. In this study, we sought to evaluate its additive effect in reducing recurrent atrial fibrillation after concomitant maze surgery. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 79 patients who underwent Cox maze IV concomitantly with open-heart surgery with (GP group) or without (Maze group) ganglionated plexus mapping. All active ganglionated plexuses were ablated. The two groups were compared and their follow-up data were analyzed. Results: Active ganglionated plexuses were found in 81% of patients who underwent ganglionated plexus mapping. The rates of freedom from atrial fibrillation at 1 year in the GP and Maze groups were 77 and 75%, respectively. The cumulative freedom from atrial fibrillation at follow-up (27.7 ± 17.3 months) was comparable in the two groups (p = 0.427). A multivariate analysis revealed that persistent atrial fibrillation for more than 90 months was an independent predictor of recurrent atrial fibrillation. Conclusion: Ganglionated plexus ablation with Cox maze IV did not reduce the incidence of recurrent atrial fibrillation in comparison to Maze alone.

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Although many studies report various factors related to future employment of schizophrenia patients, few identify the treatable or improvable ones. The responses to the first year of treatment and daily antipsychotic drug doses may be the treatable and improvable factors. We surveyed 235 schizophrenia outpatients in three facilities, of whom 129 and 106 were employed and unemployed, respectively. Through face-to-face interviews and medical record reviews, we investigated symptomatic and social functioning responses to the first year of treatment using the Global Assessment of Psychopathology Scale (GAPS) and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). We investigated daily antipsychotic drug doses and other clinical assessments at the interview time. Finally, we used multivariable logistic regression analysis. SOFAS-measured improvements in the period 6 to 12 months after beginning treatment and daily antipsychotic drug doses equivalent to less than 600 mg of chlorpromazine were identified as an employment-related factor, but GAPS-measure improvements were not. Social functioning improvements in the period 6 to 12 months after beginning treatment and low-to-moderate daily antipsychotic drug doses were detected as employment-related factors, suggesting that early efforts to improve social functioning and optimize antipsychotic drug doses could lead to future employment for schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: Medial meniscal extrusion (ME) is a biomarker to predict later development of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). On the other hand, we have reported osteophyte formation at the posterior condylar notch of the femur served as a biomarker for the same purpose. The purpose of this study is to compare capacity of the two biomarkers in predicting KOA development. METHODS: Two cohort of knees were established utilizing publicly available data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). No OA group (NOA) consisted of knees that were grade 0 or 1 on Kellgren and Lawrence grade (K/L) both at baseline and 48 months later, and pre-radiographic-OA group (PROA) consisted of knees that were grade 0 or 1 at baseline but grade >/=2 48 months later. Baseline MR images were evaluated in terms of ME and osteophyte formation at the posterior condylar notch. ME was evaluated both by meniscus subluxation index (MSI) indicating the ratio of the extruded width of the medial meniscus to the width of medial meniscal body and by the medial radial displacement (MRD) indicating actual extruded width. The size of the osteophyte was assessed using a semi-quantitative whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS). The predictive accuracy of KOA was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and optimal cutoff was determined for each parameter. RESULTS: The AUC for MSI was 0.654 (0.561-0.748: 95% CI) and the cutoff value was determined as 17%. That for MRD was 0.677 (0.584-0.770) and the cutoff value was 2.2 mm. The AUC for the WORMS score at the posterior condylar notch was 0.667 (0.579-0.756) and the cutoff value was 2. CONCLUSIONS: Similar predicting capacity of KOA development was found both in ME and osteophyte formation at the posterior condylar notch. Using these simple parameter, mas-screening for KOA development would be possible.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Although patient self-efficacy is known to affect adherence to therapy, no available tool measures self-efficacy of insulin therapy administration while addressing the entire therapeutic process and management. In light of this, we developed the "Insulin Therapy Self-efficacy Scale (ITSS)". MATERIALS AND METHODS: Development of the ITSS involved three phases: 1) item generation and creation of a questionnaire draft; 2) testing and correcting the items through interviews with patients; and 3) a multicenter single arm study to validate the questionnaire. RESULTS: A factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha both confirmed good internal consistency in the subjects' confidence regarding the following four factors: the insulin injection procedure, insulin titration, glycemic control, and ability to cope with hypoglycemia. Reproducibility was confirmed using weighted kappa statistics and intra-class correlations. Good concurrent validity was confirmed with two other questionnaires. The ITSS score was also found to correlate with several patient characteristics and clinical parameters, as well as with a better adherence to injected insulin therapy 6 months later, suggesting the predictive validity of this scale. CONCLUSIONS: The ITSS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing and quantifying patients' self-efficacy. The ITSS estimation of self-efficacy can predict a patient's glycemic control and future adherence to insulin therapy. These characteristics will ensure the usefulness of the ITSS in ensuring a successful therapeutic process for patients and physicians. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to clarify radiographic and clinical outcomes, as well as their association, of ankle sprain in children. METHODS: Patients who sustained a first-time ankle sprain were prospectively surveyed. Patients underwent radiography of the ankle in the mortise, lateral, anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), and calcaneofibular ligament views at the first clinic visit to assess avulsion fractures of the distal fibula. Patients with avulsion fractures underwent radiography after 8 weeks to assess bone union. The treatment method was not standardized and was determined by the patient, their parents, and the treating physician. Recurrent sprain and quality of life were evaluated by using the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire and reviewing the medical records of patients. The association between avulsion fracture and recurrent sprain was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 143 patients with a median age of 9 (range 6-12) years were analyzed. Avulsion fractures were present in 89 (62%) patients. The sensitivity of the ATFL view for the diagnosis of avulsion fractures was 0.94, whereas that for the anteroposterior and lateral views was significantly lower at 0.46 (P < 0.001). Only 17% of fractures united at 8 weeks. Of 114 (follow-up rate, 80%) patients who were followed up for a median period of 24 months, recurrent sprain occurred in 41 (36%) patients. The incidence rate was significantly higher in patients with avulsion fractures than in patients without the fractures (44 vs. 23%, P = 0.027). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, avulsion fracture was independently associated with recurrent sprain (P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: More than one-third of patients experienced recurrent sprain. The presence of avulsion fracture was associated with an increased risk of recurrent sprain. Patients with avulsion fracture and their parents should be informed about the risk of recurrent sprain and subsequent ankle instability, and careful follow-up is needed for these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety related problems in children is empirically supported. In addition, universal anxiety prevention programmes based on CBT have been demonstrated in recent years. The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of a CBT based original programme 'Journey of the Brave,' aiming to prevent anxiety disorders and anxiety-related problems for Japanese children aged 10-12 years old. Methods: Intervention groups from two classes of 5th grade elementary students (n = 41) received ten 45-min programme sessions. The control group was drawn from one class of 5th grade children (n = 31) from a nearby school. All participants completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) at pre, post, and 3 months follow-up. Mixed-effects model for repeated measures analysis was conducted. Results: The mean anxiety score on the SCAS for the intervention group was significantly reduced at both post intervention and 3 months follow-up compared with the control group. The group differences on the SCAS from baseline to post-test were - 5.321 (95% CI - 10.12 to - 0.523, p = 0.030), and at the 3-month follow-up were - 7.104 (95% CI - 11.90 to - 2.306, p = 0.004). Conclusions: The effectiveness of the anxiety prevention programme 'Journey of the Brave' was verified though this study using a quasi-experimental design on a small sample. Trial registration: UMIN000009021

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to reveal the association between body mass index (BMI) and medical costs in the current Japanese population, and to estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) of medical costs due to overweight and obesity. METHODS: A generalized linear mixed model with log link function and gamma distribution was used to evaluate the association between BMI and medical costs in 34,537 beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance aged 40-69 years in Chiba City. Medical cost data were obtained from insurance claims submitted between April 2012 and March 2016. PAFs due to overweight (BMI >/=25.0 and <30.0kg/m(2)) and obesity (BMI >/=30.0kg/m(2)) were calculated. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity were significant predictors of excessive medical costs in all age and sex groups. PAF due to overweight and obesity was estimated to be 9.62% (95% confidence interval, 8.52-10.73%). Additionally, PAFs in 40-59-year-old individuals (12.76% in men and 11.63% in women) were greater than those in 60-69-year-old subjects (6.55% in men and 7.80% in women) for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: In the Japanese population, overweight and obesity are an excessive financial burden with an estimated PAF of 9.62% of total medical costs.

© 2018 The Author(s). Cell therapy using renal progenitors differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has the potential to significantly reduce the number of patients receiving dialysis therapy. However, the differentiation cultures may contain undifferentiated or undesired cell types that cause unwanted side effects, such as neoplastic formation, when transplanted into a body. Moreover, the hESCs/iPSCs are often genetically modified in order to isolate the derived renal progenitors, hampering clinical applications. To establish an isolation method for renal progenitors induced from hESCs/iPSCs without genetic modifications, we screened antibodies against cell surface markers. We identified the combination of four markers, CD9-CD140a+CD140b+CD271+, which could enrich OSR1+SIX2+ renal progenitors. Furthermore, these isolated cells ameliorated renal injury in an acute kidney injury (AKI) mouse model when used for cell therapy. These cells could contribute to the development of hiPSC-based cell therapy and disease modeling against kidney diseases.

© Journal of Thoracic Disease. Background: Healing of airway anastomosis is largely affected by local circulation. Index of hemoglobin (IHb) imaging is a color enhancement technique that clarifies local circulation in the gastrointestinal endoscopic field. In this study, we investigated the relationship between bronchoscopic assessment of bronchial anastomosis using IHb mode and occurrence of anastomosis-related complications. Methods: IHb was calculated by logarithmic transformation for each pixel of the electronic endoscopic images and expressed by colors of red, green, and blue. The distribution of each color area was automatically calculated by the summation of pixels. A preliminary experiment spraying vasodilator on swine was performed to confirm the relationship between bronchial mucosal circulation and the IHb image. Forty consecutive patients who underwent bronchoplasty were divided into retrospective training and prospective validation cohorts, and anastomosis-related complications and IHb images were analyzed. Results: The IHb images immediately and accurately reflected the mucosal changes in the animal experiment. Among 25 cases in the retrospective training cohort, 6 cases experienced complications, with significantly lower red and higher blue values in IHb observed (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for IHb red and blue distributions revealed the thresholds to differentiate cases with complications as 89.2 and 109.0, respectively. An analysis of the prospective validation cohort revealed that IHb blue on POD 7 was a potentially reliable predictor of complications, with 60.0% sensitivity and 90.0% specificity. Conclusions: IHb mode of bronchoscopy may be useful for assessing the local circulatory condition of bronchoplasty, which can predict anastomosis-related morbidity.

© 2017 The Author. OBJECTIVES: Medical treatment is the gold standard for uncomplicated acute Type B aortic dissection (ATBAD). Although endovascular treatment could become an alternative therapy, it is unclear which ATBAD patients should undergo endovascular intervention. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients with uncomplicated ATBAD and identify the risk factors for major adverse events. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 134 consecutive patients who underwent initial treatment for uncomplicated ATBAD between 2004 and 2015. Follow-up rate was 98.5%, and the median follow-up period was 47 months. We evaluated the incidence of major adverse events (aortic-related death, aortic surgery and dilated aorta >55 mm) and identified the predictors of major adverse events using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality rate was 0.7% (1/134). During follow-up, 46 patients had major adverse events. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year rates of freedom from major adverse events were 79.8%, 71.4%, and 63.6%, respectively. The independent risk factors for major adverse events were initial aortic diameter <40mm (hazard ratio 3.735, 95% confidence interval 1.888-7.390; P < 0.001) and false-lumen diameter < truelumen diameter (hazard ratio 3.411, 95% confidence interval 1.491-7.806; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Initial aortic diameter <40mm and false-lumen diameter < true-lumen diameter are predictors of major adverse events after uncomplicated ATBAD. Patients with these risk factors may benefit from early endovascular intervention. Clinical registration number: UMIN 000025388, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr-e/ctr-view.cgi?recptno=R000029229.

© 2019 Shimizu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Tear film breakup time (TFBUT) is an essential parameter used to diagnose dry eye disease (DED). However, a robust method for examining TFBUT in murine models has yet to be established. We invented an innovative device, namely, the "Smart Eye Camera", which addresses several problems associated with existing methods and is capable of evaluating TFBUT in a murine DED model. We compared images taken by existing devices and the Smart Eye Camera in a graft-versus-host disease-related DED murine model. We observed that the quality of the images obtained by the Smart Eye Camera were sufficient for practical use. Moreover, this new technique could be used to obtain measurements for several consecutive ocular phenotypes in a variety of environments. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our new invention in the examination of ocular phenotypes, including TFBUT in a murine model. We highlight the potential for future translational studies adopting the Smart Eye Camera in clinical settings.

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of canagliflozin in reducing the required insulin dose and the risk of hypoglycaemia in type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study was conducted in patients with T2D treated with insulin. They were randomly assigned to the control (n = 17) and canagliflozin (n = 17, plus 100 mg/day canagliflozin) groups. In both groups, a defined insulin dose adjustment protocol was applied to achieve the same level of glycaemic control. The change from baseline in daily insulin dose was significantly smaller in the canagliflozin group (3.9 units/day) than in the control group (13.4 units/day; P = 0.040). Low blood glucose index and predicted % of blood glucose (BG) <70 mg/dL, which are hypoglycaemia-related variables, worsened significantly in the control group but both remained unchanged in the canagliflozin group. The standard deviation for night-time BG levels improved significantly only in the canagliflozin group. Supplementation of insulin therapy with 100 mg canagliflozin in patients with T2D reduced the required insulin dose and hypoglycaemic risk and flattened night-time glycaemic fluctuations while maintaining the same level of glycaemic control.

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature. Background: A patient organization was founded in 2013 due to skepticism about the safety of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines. Objective: To evaluate the impact of “priming” patients with information on adverse events following immunization (AEFI) via mainstream media and its impact on reporting by marketing authorization holders (MAHs), healthcare professionals (HCPs), and patients, and to assess the contribution of a pilot patient reporting system for adverse events in Japan to pharmacovigilance. Methods: A summary list of reports of anaphylaxis, vagal reflex, and generalized pain-related AEFI, as presented to the Vaccine Adverse Reactions Review Committee (VARRC) between 2011 and 2016, was analyzed to gain information on MAH and HCP reports. Data on patient AEFI reporting were obtained from a pilot Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) database designed for this purpose. Data on vaccine shipment volumes were obtained from the VARRC. Results: The leading reporting source transitioned from MAHs (82% of the total AEFI reported in 2010) to HCPs (63% in 2011), and patients (43% in 2015). Sharp peaks were observed for both MAH and HCP reports in 2011. A second peak in pain-related AEFIs reported by HCPs was observed in 2013 when the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare suspended the active recommendation of HPV vaccines. Patient reports were continuous and accounted for 21.7% of the total AEFIs reported to the current patient reporting system. Conclusion: In Japan, the characteristics of AEFI reports differed by source for HPV vaccines. MAH and HCP reports identified the major trend in AEFI occurrence during the early post-marketing phase, whereas patient reports in cooperation with HCPs facilitated the detection of weak signals of possible AEFIs throughout the product lifecycle. Patient reporting systems should be encouraged, especially by promoting the communication between patients and local “home” pharmacies in cooperation with patient organizations.

© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Purpose: This study, based on our brain metastasis (BM) patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) procedures, aimed to validate whether the recently-proposed prognostic grading system, initial brain metastasis velocity (iBMV, scoring the cumulative number of BMs at the time of SRS divided by time [years] since the initial primary cancer diagnosis), is generally applicable. Methods: This was an institutional review board-approved, retrospective cohort study using our prospectively accumulated database including 3498 patients who underwent SRS for BMs during the 19.5-year-period between July, 1998 and December, 2017. We excluded four lost to follow-up, 24 for whom the day of primary cancer diagnosis was not available, 665 with synchronous presentation and 651 with pre-SRS radiotherapy and/or surgery, ultimately studying 2150 patients. Patients were categorized into two classes by iBMV scores, i.e., < 2.00 and ≥ 2.00. Results: In a multivariable model, iBMV was directly associated with a higher risk of death (p < 0.0001). The median survival time of patients with iBMV scores < 2.00, 10.0 (95% CI; 9.2–10.9) months, was longer than that of patients with iBMV scores ≥ 2.00, 6.3 (5.6–6.7) months, showing a significant difference between the two groups (HR 1.599, 95% CI 1.458–1.753, p < 0.0001). The same results were obtained in patients with non-small cell lung, breast, kidney or other cancers. Among 608 patients who underwent repeat SRS for newly-developed BMs, iBMV score categories correlated well with brain metastasis velocity risk groups (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our present results support the validity of iBMV for predicting survival after SRS.

©AANS 2018. OBJECTIVE Although the conformity index (CI) and the gradient index (GI), which were proposed by Paddick and colleagues, are both logically considered to correlate with good posttreatment results after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), this hypothesis has not been confirmed clinically. The authors’ aim was to reappraise whether high CI values correlate with reduced tumor progression rates, and whether low GI values correlate with reduced complication incidences. METHODS This was an institutional review board–approved, retrospective cohort study conducted using a prospectively accumulated database including 3271 patients who underwent Gamma Knife SRS for brain metastases (BMs) during the 1998–2016 period. Among the 3271 patients, 925 with a single BM at the time of SRS (335 women and 590 men, mean age 66 [range 24–93] years) were studied. The mean/median CIs were 0.62/0.66 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.53–0.74, range 0.08–0.88) and the mean/median GIs were 3.20/3.09 (IQR 2.83–3.39, range 2.27–11.4). RESULTS SRS-related complications occurred in 38 patients (4.1%), with a median post-SRS interval of 11.5 (IQR 6.0–25.8, maximum 118.0) months. Cumulative incidences of post-SRS complications determined by a competing risk analysis were 2.2%, 3.2%, 3.6%, 3.8%, and 3.9% at the 12th, 24th, 36th, 48th, and 60th post-SRS month, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed that only two clinical factors (i.e., peripheral doses and brain volume receiving ≥ 12 Gy) correlated with complication rates. However, neither CIs nor GIs impacted the incidences of complications. Among the 925 patients, post-SRS MRI was performed at least once in 716 of them, who were thus eligible for local progression evaluation. Among these 716 patients, local progression was confirmed in 96 (13.4%), with a median post-SRS interval of 10.8 (IQR 6.7–19.5, maximum 59.8) months. Cumulative incidences of local progression determined by a competing risk analysis were 7.7%, 12.6%, 14.2%, 14.8%, and 15.3% at the 12th, 24th, 36th, 48th, and 60th post-SRS month, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed neurological symptoms, extracerebral metastases, repeat SRS, and CIs to correlate with incidences of local progression, whereas GIs had no impact on local tumor progression. Particularly, cumulative incidences of local progression were significantly lower in patients with CIs < 0.65 than in those with CIs ≥ 0.65 (adjusted hazard ratio 1.870, 95% confidence interval 1.299–2.843; p = 0.0034). CONCLUSIONS To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first analysis to focus on the clinical significance of CI and GI based on a large series of patients with BM. Contrary to the majority opinion that dose planning with higher CI and lower GI results in good post-SRS outcomes (i.e., low local progression rates and minimal complications), this study clearly showed that the lower the CIs were, the lower the local progression rates were, and that the GI did not impact complication rates.

© 2019 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. A prospective, multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with ipragliflozin (sodium-dependent glucose transporter-2 inhibitor) versus metformin for visceral fat reduction and glycaemic control among Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with sitagliptin, HbA1c levels of 7%-10%, and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 22 kg/m2. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive ipragliflozin 50 mg or metformin 1000-1500 mg daily. The primary outcome was change in visceral fat area as measured by computed tomography after 24 weeks of therapy. The secondary outcomes were effects on glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. Mean percentage reduction in visceral fat area was significantly greater in the ipragliflozin group than in the metformin group (−12.06% vs. −3.65%, P = 0.040). Ipragliflozin also significantly reduced BMI, subcutaneous fat area, waist circumference, fasting insulin, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-resistance, and increased HDL-cholesterol levels. Metformin significantly reduced HbA1c and LDL-cholesterol levels and increased HOMA-beta. There were no severe adverse events. The use of ipragliflozin or metformin in combination with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, widely used in Japan, may have beneficial effects in ameliorating multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

© 2019 Author(s). Introduction: The prevalence of surgical site infection (SSI) remains higher in gastrointestinal surgery than in other surgeries. Although several guidelines have indicated the efficacy of chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine in reducing the SSI rate, the optimal recommendation has still not been established. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the more effective antiseptic for surgical site preparation. Olanexidine (1.5% olanedine, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Tokushima, Japan), which is a new antiseptic in Japan, has antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our study will contribute to determining a new antiseptic for use in gastrointestinal and other surgeries. Methods and analysis: We propose a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial for comparing two treatments, that is, 1.5% olanexidine or 10% povidone-iodine, for surgical skin preparation to prevent SSI in clean-contaminated gastrointestinal surgeries with surgical wounds. Patients aged ≥20 years at the time of consent will be included. The primary outcome measure is the 30-day postoperative SSI rate. For the primary analysis, which is aimed at comparing the treatment effects, the adjusted risk ratio and its 95% CI will be estimated using the Mantel-Haenszel method. Ethics and dissemination: The protocol was first approved by the Institutional Review Board of Keio University School of Medicine, followed by the institutional review board of each participating site. Participant recruitment began in June 2018. The final results will be published in international peer-reviewed medical journals.

Copyright © 2019 the American Physiological Society. Rate of respiration is a fundamental vital sign. Accuracy and precision of respiratory rate measurements with contact-free load cell sensors under the bed legs were assessed by breath-by-breath comparison with the pneumotachography technique during two different dynamic breathing tasks in 16 awake human adults resting on the bed. The subject voluntarily increased and decreased the respiratory rate between 4 and 16 breaths/min (n 8) and 10 and 40 breaths/min (n 8) at every 2 breaths in 6 different lying postures such as supine, left lateral, right lateral, and 30, 45, and 60° sitting postures. Reciprocal phase changes of the upper and lower load cell signals accorded with the respiratory phases indicating respiratory-related shifts of the centroid along the long axis of the bed. Bland-Altman analyses revealed 0.66 and 1.59 breaths/min standard deviation differences between the techniques (limits of agreement: 1.22 to 1.36 and 2.96 to 3.30) and 0.07 and 0.17 breaths/min fixed bias differences (accuracy) (confidence interval: 0.04 to 0.10 and 0.12 to 0.22) for the mean respiratory rates of 10.5 3.7 and 24.6 8.9 breaths/min, respectively, regardless of the body postures on the bed. Proportional underestimation by this technique was evident for respiratory rates 40 breaths/min. Sample breath increase up to 10 breaths improved the precision from 1.59 to 0.26 breaths/min. Abnormally faster and slower respirations were accurately detected. We conclude that contact-free unconstraint respiratory rate measurements with load cells under the bed legs are accurate and may serve as a new clinical and investigational tool. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Four load cells placed under the bed legs successfully captured a centroid shift during respiration in human subjects lying on a bed. Breath-by-breath comparison of the breaths covering a wide respiratory rate range by pneumotachography confirmed reliability of the contact-free unconstraint respiratory rate measurements by small standard deviations and biases regardless of body postures. Abnormally faster and slower respirations were accurately detected. This technique should be an asset as a new clinical and investigational tool.

© 2017 Background: Difficult mask ventilation is common and is known to be associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). It is our hypothesis that the incidence of expiratory retropalatal (RP) airway closure (primary outcome) during nasal positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is more frequent in patients with SDB (apnea hypopnea index ≥5 h −1 ) than non-SDB subjects. Methods: The severity of SDB was assessed before surgery using a portable sleep monitor. In anaesthetized and paralysed patients with (n=11) and without SDB (n=9), we observed the behaviour of the RP airway endoscopically during nasal PPV with the mouth closed and determined the dynamic RP closing pressure, which was defined as the highest airway pressure above which the RP airway closure was reversed. The static RP closing pressure was obtained during cessation of mechanical ventilation in patients with dynamic RP closure during nasal PPV. Results: The expiratory RP airway closure accompanied by expiratory flow limitation occurred more frequently in SDB patients (9/11, 82%) than in non-SDB subjects (2/9, 22%; exact logistic regression analysis: P=0.022, odds ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.1–15.4). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicated AHI >10h −1 and presence of habitual snoring as clinically useful predictors for the occurrence of RP closure during PPV. Dynamic RP closing pressure was greater than the static RP closing pressure by approximately 4–5 cm H 2 O. Conclusions: Valve-like dynamic RP closure that limits expiratory flow during nasal PPV occurs more frequently in SDB patients.

© 2019, The Author(s). Dexamethasone is widely used for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis, but its effect on PONV prevention in paediatric patients is validated only in short minor surgical procedures. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a single dose of dexamethasone reduces PONV in highly invasive surgeries that require opioid-based postoperative analgesia. One hundred adolescents undergoing scoliosis correction surgery were randomized to receive intravenous dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg (dexamethasone group) or saline (control group) at induction of anaesthesia. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV in the 72 h postoperatively. Data for 98 patients were available for analysis. The 72-h incidence of PONV was significantly lower in the dexamethasone group than in the control group (62.5% vs 84.0%; RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58–0.96, P = 0.02). During the first and second 24-h postoperative intervals, fewer patients in the dexamethasone group received rescue antiemetics. Visual analogue scale scores for nausea and pain were lower in the dexamethasone group than in the control group during the first 24 h postoperatively. Dexamethasone did not increase the number of adverse events. The results of this study showed that a single dose of dexamethasone was effective for reducing PONV after paediatric scoliosis correction surgery.