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Objective: Working group on JJ1017 nuclear medicine domain extension code in the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine has created nuclear medicine extension codes keeping the integrity with JJ1017. The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of nuclear medicine extension codes in real clinical settings., Method: Nuclear medicine examinations of each institution were extracted from the examination master table and then the target subset of examinations to be coded with JJ1017 were identified. For this subset, working process was conducted, during which the followings compared conformity rate, application rate of representative frequently code set and compliance rate of nuclear medicine extension codes., Results: Without using representative frequently code set, it was difficult to invent the same code for the same examination. By using the representative frequently code set, the same code expression could be invented for the same examination. Furthermore, using nuclear medicine extension codes additionally, these which could not be appropriately coded with representative frequently code set alone., Conclusion: Nuclear medicine extension codes keeping the integrity with JJ1017, was proved to be useful to improve the accuracy of coding.

A 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of hypochondralgia, and a thorough examination revealed an AFP producing gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases. One course of TS-1 100 mg/day for 4 weeks and discontinuation for 2 weeks was started from February, 2003. After 3 months, the level of AFP reduced remarkably from 53,700 ng/ml to the normal limit. The metastatic tumors in the liver showed regression, and after 14 months, CT scanning showed that the tumors had disappeared. Since the size of the original tumor showed no change, distal gastrectomy was performed, and curability A was achieved. We consider this rare case has significant value in terms of treatment of AFP producing gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases. We think the combination of surgery and chemotherapy such as TS-1 will lead to a better prognosis in such cases.

Among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from clinical specimens during 5 years period from 1998 through 2002 in Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, a total of 100 strains, one per patient, were successively selected each year, and their sensitivity to various antibacterial agents was measured to assess changes over five years in their sensitivity to these drugs. The following results were obtained. 1. Little or no change was observed in the sensitivity to arbekacin during 5 years period. In contrast, a tendency toward decreased sensitivity was observed with vancomycin and teicoplanin, with the tendency more marked with the latter agent. 2. Arbekacin, vancomycin and teicoplanin inhibited the growth of all clinical isolates in the year 2002 at 3.13, 1.56 and 12.5 microg/mL, respectively. 3. The sensitivity to netilmicin tended to decrease over the years. 4. Minocycline, imipenem and ofloxacin had little or no antibacterial activity, with MIC50 of more than 12.5 microg/mL throughout the years studied. 5. Ninety five percent of MRSA strains isolated during the five years were classified as coagulase type II, and enterotoxins were found to be type C in 51% and type AC in 17% of the strains studied.

A circadian rhythm of the susceptibility to thiamylal was evaluated in 30 patients. They were divided into two groups; 15 patients were induced around 9 AM (Morning-group) and the rest were in the early afternoon (Afternoon-group). The induction was performed by intravenous administration of thiamylal sodium. Parameters measured were the time and doses of thiamylal sodium to obtain the loss of consciousness and the loss of eyelash reflex. The results were as follows; the doses of thiamylal sodium to obtain the loss of consciousness were 3.5 +/- 0.6 mg.kg-1 (mean +/- SD) in Morning-group, and 4.1 +/- 0.4 mg.kg-1 in Afternoon-group, respectively. Thus, larger doses of thiamylal were necessary to obtain the loss of consciousness in Afternoon-group than in Morning-group (P less than 0.01). The doses of thiamylal sodium to obtain the loss of eyelash reflex were 4.4 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1 in Morning-group and 5.0 +/- 0.6 mg.kg-1 in Afternoon-group, respectively. Also, larger doses of thiamylal were necessary to obtain the loss of eyelash reflex in Afternoon-group than in Morning-group (P less than 0.05). This study suggests that a circadian rhythm of the susceptibility to thiamylal exists in humans.