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We developed a new device to quantify capillary refill time (CRT) by applying the pulse oximeter principle, and evaluated the correlation between quantitative CRT (Q-CRT) and hypoperfusion status, as represented by blood lactate levels, in critically ill patients.A pilot study was undertaken in the intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary emergency medical centre. While the pulse oxygen saturation sensor was placed on the finger of the patients, transmitted light intensity (TLI) was measured with a pulse oximeter (OLV-3100; Nihon Kohden, Tokyo, Japan) before and during compression of the finger. Q-CRT was defined as the interval from the release of compression to the time when TLI reached 90% of baseline.Q-CRT was analysed in a total of 57 waveforms among 23 patients and statistically correlated with lactate levels (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, 0.681; p0.001). The cut-off value of Q-CRT for predicting a lactate level of ≥2.0 mmol/L was 6.81 s (area under the curve (AUC) (95% CI 1.000 (1.000 to 1.000), p0.001), and the value for predicting a lactate level of ≥4.0 mmol/L was 7.27 s (AUC=0.989 (95% CI 0.954 to 1.000), p0.001).Q-CRT correlated with blood lactate levels in this pilot study. The most useful threshold for Q-CRT was ∼6-8 s. Further study is needed to investigate the potential role of this modality as a non-invasive predictor of hypoperfusion in the emergency department, ICU and operating room settings.

A favorable neurological outcome is likely to be achieved in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT) on the initial electrocardiogram (ECG). However, in patients without pre-hospital restoration of spontaneous circulation despite the initial VF/VT, the outcome is extremely low by conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Extracorporeal CPR (ECPR) may enhance cerebral blood flow and recovery of neurological function. We prospectively examined how ECPR for OHCA with VF/VT would affect neurological outcomes.The design of this trial was a prospective, observational study. We compared differences of outcome at 1 and 6 months after OHCA between ECPR group (26 hospitals) and non-ECPR group (20 hospitals). Primary endpoints were the rate of favorable outcomes defined by the Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance and Overall Performance Categories (CPC) 1 or 2 at 1 and 6 months after OHCA. Based on intention-to-treat analysis, CPC 1 or 2 were 12.3% (32/260) in the ECPR group and 1.5% (3/194) in the non-ECPR group at 1 month (P0.0001), and 11.2% (29/260) and 2.6% (5/194) at 6 months (P=0.001), respectively. By per protocol analysis, CPC 1 or 2 were 13.7% (32/234) in the ECPR group and 1.9% (3/159) in the non-ECPR group at 1 month (P0.0001), and 12.4% (29/234) and 3.1% (5/159) at 6 months (P=0.002), respectively.In OHCA patients with VF/VT on the initial ECG, a treatment bundle including ECPR, therapeutic hypothermia and IABP was associated with improved neurological outcome at 1 and 6 months after OHCA.

Objective. Since July 2004, it has become legal in Japan for laypersons to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs). We investigated the effect of AED installation in commonly used areas of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine accredited training (JAAM) hospitals. Methods. In 2008, we sent questionnaires to 419 JAAM hospitals enquiring about the systems, operations, outcome and characteristics of AED usage. Results. Valid responses were received from 271 hospitals (64.7%). A total of 251 (92.8%) hospitals installed AEDs, mostly in the outpatient departments. These AEDs could also be used by laypersons. Operational responsibility was mostly assumed by the medical emergency center staff. The Engineering Department was in charge of AED maintenance. Of the surveyed hospitals, 65.5% reported having guidelines for usage. The percentages of hospitals which kept records of AED use and outcomes were low. A total of 66.2% reported having a rapid response team and 98.1% provided a non-standardized resuscitation education program. In 68.3% of hospitals, an AED had been used. AEDs were used not only by medical doctors but also by other health professionals. Among the patients who received AED defibrillation, 42.5% survived without neurological deficit. Conclusion. The utilization of AEDs, installed in commonly used areas of JAAM hospitals, has shown beneficial and effective outcomes for improving the resuscitation and survival of patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest. AEDs can be used not only by doctors but also by laypersons, making them more accessible and useful. The strategic installation of AEDs can make hospitals safer.

A 63-yr-old female with acute aortic dissection underwent emergency surgery. After admission to ICU, wheezing was heard over the chest with concomitant increase in peak airway pressure. Chest CT scan in both inspiratory and expiratory phases with positive airway pressure ventilation was performed. Tracheal lumen was significantly compressed by mediastinal haematoma in the expiratory phase. The chest CT scan in both inspiratory and expiratory phases was helpful to clarify the mechanism of this condition.

This paper discusses the legal issues surrounding collateralization of derivative transactions in Japan. Collateralization is a new financial technique of credit risk management which complements a close-out netting agreement. The author describes two possible methods of collateralization under Japanese law and examines their characteristics.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) suffered a series of radiation accidents after the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. In a situation where halting or delaying restoration work was thought to translate directly into a very serious risk for the entire country, it was of the utmost importance to strengthen the emergency and disaster medical system in addition to radiation emergency medical care for staff at the frontlines working in an environment that posed a risk of radiation exposure and a large-scale secondary disaster. The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) launched the ‘Emergency Task Force on the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident’ and sent physicians to the local response headquarters. Thirty-four physicians were dispatched as disaster medical advisors, response guidelines in the event of multitudinous injury victims were created and revised and, along with execution of drills, coordination and advice was given on transport of patients. Forty-nine physicians acted as directing physicians, taking on the tasks of triage, initial treatment and decontamination. A total of 261 patients were attended to by the dispatched physicians. None of the eight patients with external contamination developed acute radiation syndrome. In an environment where the collaboration between organisations in the framework of a vertically bound government and multiple agencies and institutions was certainly not seamless, the participation of the JAAM as the medical academic organisation in the local system presented the opportunity to laterally integrate the physicians affiliated with the respective organisations from the perspective of specialisation.

This study aimed to investigate whether early epinephrine administration in out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (OHCA) patients was associated with improved outcomes and to address the selection bias inherent in observational studies (more severe cases are more likely to receive epinephrine).This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected population-based data of adult bystander-witnessed OHCA patients from a nationwide Japanese registry between January 2007 and December 2008. To address selection bias, those who attained early return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) without epinephrine administration were excluded, leaving 49,165 patients in the analysis. The outcomes were intact neurologic survival, defined as survival with cerebral performance category score 1 or 2, and any survival at 1 month or at discharge (whichever was earlier). The primary predictor was the time from the start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by emergency medical services (EMS) to first epinephrine administration, with early epinephrine defined as within 10 minutes.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cardiac origin OHCA patients who received early epinephrine (≤ 10 minutes) had significantly higher rates of intact neurologic survival (odds ratio [OR]=1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.08 to 1.78) and any survival (OR=1.73, 95% CI=1.46 to 2.04) than those who did not receive early epinephrine, after adjusting for potential confounders. Results for noncardiac OHCA patients were similar.Early epinephrine administration may be associated with higher rates of intact neurologic survival and any survival in adult bystander-witnessed OHCA patients. This article provides a potential method to address the selection bias inherent in observational studies that examine the effects of drug administration in OHCA patients.

Persistent nosebleed episodes have occurred in patients with idiopathic epistaxis from Kiesselbach's area despite confirmed location of the bleeding site, but the cause remains unclear. We tried to determine whether persistent epistaxis was associated with blood pressure.Between May 2009 and May 2010, the records for 133 adult patients with idiopathic epistaxis from Kiesselbach's area were obtained from the emergency department of our hospital. The bleeding site was pressed with a cotton strip for about 30 minutes, followed by checking for nosebleed. Comparison of background factors by the presence or absence of persistent epistaxis revealed a significantly higher systolic blood pressure in patients with persistent nosebleed than in those without (181.3 ± 26.9 vs. 156.6 ± 26.1 mm Hg; P.0001). Persistent epistaxis was significantly more frequent in patients with hypertension than in those without (26% vs. 8%; P = .002). Multivariate logistic analysis revealed systolic blood pressure to be an independent factor associated with epistaxis persistence (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.06; P = .002).Proper blood pressure management is necessary for the prevention of persistent epistaxis from Kiesselbach's area in the clinical setting of emergency care practice.

Background: We investigated whether early initiation of hemoperfusion with a polymyxin B cartridge (PMX) after the diagnosis of septic shock could improve the clinical outcome. Methods: A prospective, open-labeled, multicenter cohort study was performed at intensive care units in Japan. 41 patients received PMX within 6 h after the diagnosis of septic shock (early group) and 51 patients were treated after 6 h (late group). Results: The early group had a significantly shorter duration of ventilator support and also had a lower catecholamine requirement. PMX was effective for improvement of hypotension, hypoperfusion, the sequential organ failure assessment score, and pulmonary oxygenation regardless of the timing of its initiation. The 28-day mortality rate did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions: Early initiation of PMX shortened the duration of ventilator support and also reduced the catecholamine requirement, so early treatment of septic shock should achieve a better outcome.

The 2005 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have recommended that administration of atropine can be considered for non-shockable rhythm, but there are insufficient data in humans.The effects of atropine were assessed in 7,448 adults with non-shockable rhythm from the SOS-KANTO study. The primary endpoint was a 30-day favorable neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. In the 6,419 adults with asystole, the epinephrine with atropine group (n=1,378) had a significantly higher return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate than the epinephrine alone group (n=5,048) with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-1.7, P0.0001), but the 2 groups had similar 30-day favorable neurological outcome with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.6 (95%CI 0.2-1.7; P=0.37). In the 1,029 adults with pulseless electrical activity (PEA), the 2 groups had similar rates of ROSC and 30-day favorable neurological outcome, and the epinephrine with atropine group had a significantly lower 30-day survival rate than the epinephrine alone group with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.4 (95%CI 0.2-0.9, P=0.016).Administration of atropine had no long-term neurological benefit in adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to non-shockable rhythm. Atropine is not useful for adults with PEA.

Actively controlled suspension, to improve the riding comfort and the steering stability simultaneously, have been vigorously studied. Such active suspensions are divided into two kinds ; full active suspension using the hydraulic actuator only and slow active suspension constructed from passive elements and actuators utilizing the buffering function. It is noted that pneumatic servo system has the relatively low impedance at lower frequency. Therefore, when pneumatic servo system is used as an active suspension system, the vibration caused by higher frequency disturbance transmitted through the tyre from the road surface can be isolated by its higher impedance. From such a point of view, we have already confirmed that the pneumatic servo type active suspension controlled by various control strategies gave good vibration isolation properties. It is the final purpose of this study to improve the change in the attitude concerning with the car body caused by pitching motion as well as vertical vibration isolation properties in order to put the pneumatic servo type active suspension to practical use. In this paper, we show the fabricated half car model with the pneumatic servo type active suspension and we investigate the performance of control valve which plays an important role in controlling and the properties of passive suspension system.

BACKGROUND:: The original Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) methodology from the Major Trauma Outcome Study (MTOS) is the most widely used outcome prediction model. The coefficients from the MTOS cohorts are still used in the Japan Trauma Data Bank for evaluating the quality of patient care. The purposes are to determine whether the database of this institution is well matched to the MTOS study and whether the original TRISS coefficients are accurate predictors of the patient outcome in Japan. METHODS:: The M-statistic score was calculated based on the trauma registry data from 2000 to 2003 in Teikyo University. RESULTS:: Eight hundred fifty-four cases were analyzed. The crude mortality rate was 10.5%. The mean Injury Severity Score was 15.8 ± 13.6. The mean Revised Trauma Score was 7.00 ± 1.4. The M-statistic score was 0.811. CONCLUSION:: The trauma populations in this study differed significantly from the MTOS. The Modified TRISS coefficients should be adapted for outcome assessment based on the location of the injured population. This is the first report of an M-study from Japan to be published in the English literature. Language: en

The increasing demands made on emergency ambulance services contribute to inefficient, clinically inappropriate health care, and may delay the provision of emergency care to life-threatening cases. The hypothesis of this study was that the activity for the first year of operation of an emergency telephone consultation service contributed to a reduction in ambulance use in non-urgent cases and a decrease in the cost associated with despatching ambulances.The numbers of ambulance use and the emergency hospitalisation of ambulance cases were compared before and after the introduction of the Tokyo Emergency Telephone Consultation Centre (the #7119 centre). Public awareness of the #7119 centre in each region of Tokyo and the cost related to despatching ambulances were also investigated.A total of 26,138 consultations was performed in the initial year. Compared with the previous year, the number of ambulance uses per 1 million people decreased (before 46,846, after 44,689, p0.0001). The emergency hospitalisation rate (EHR) of ambulance cases increased significantly because of the decreased proportion of non-urgent cases (before 36.5%, after 37.8%, p0.0001). There was a statistical correlation between the awareness rate in each region and the change of after-hours EHR in adults (R=0.333, p=0.025). The total cost related to despatching ambulances was reduced by approximately ¥678,000,000 (£4,520,000) in the initial year.To date, the emergency telephone consultation service has contributed to the appropriate use of ambulances and a reduction of its cost in Tokyo.

Background: External chest compression is considered to play a significant role in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but during a rhythm check, chest compressions must be discontinued to avoid artifacts. A new multifunctional electrocardiograph (ECG; RadarcircTM) has been developed for use in clinical settings. Methods and Results: The performance of the RadarcircTM and conventional ECG (CoECG) during CPR was compared in a single-center, non-randomized, sequential self-controlled study. CPR was performed on 41 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. Cardiac rhythm with and without chest compressions during a rhythm check was measured using leads I and II. When the rhythm changed during CPR, it was measured as another waveform. Fifty ECG recordings were obtained, of which 27 were asystole, 18 pulseless electrical activity, and 5 ventricular fibrillation (VF). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) for VF was 0.448 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.274-0.622) for lead II of the CoECG, and 0.797 (95%CI 0.684-0.910) for lead II of the RadarcircTM. The AUC for VF was 0.422 (95%CI 0.219-0.626) for lead I of the CoECG, and 0.987 (95%CI 0.975-1.00) for lead I of the RadarcircTM. Conclusions: Diagnoses based on the data from RadarcircTM were more accurate in predicting rhythm during chest compressions than those based on data from the CoECG. (Circ J 2010; 74: 1339 - 1345)

Aim Although favourable outcomes in patients receiving extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have been frequently reported in Japanese journals since the late 1980s, there has been no meta-analysis of ECPR in Japan. This study reviewed and analysed all previous studies in Japan to clarify the survival rate of patients receiving ECPR. Material and methods Case reports, case series and abstracts of scientific meetings of ECPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest written in Japanese between 1983 and 2008 were collected. The characteristics and outcomes of patients were investigated, and the influence of publication bias of the case-series studies was examined by the funnel-plot method. Results There were 1282 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, who received ECPR in 105 reports during the period. The survival rate at discharge given for 516 cases was 26.7 ± 1.4%. The funnel plot presented the relationship between the number of cases of each report and the survival rate at discharge as the reverse-funnel type that centred on the average survival rate. In-depth review of 139 cases found that the rates of good recovery, mild disability, severe disability, vegetative state, death at hospital discharge and non-recorded in all cases were 48.2%, 2.9%, 2.2%, 2.9%, 37.4% and 6.4%, respectively. Conclusions Based on the results of previous reports with low publication bias in Japan, ECPR appears to provide a higher survival rate with excellent neurological outcome in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening disease if it is not adequately treated. The faster the cooling of patients is performed, the less frequently other systemic complications will occur. Cooling the body surface using water or alcohol has often been performed, but surface vasoconstriction occurs and the effect is diminished in extreme hyperthermia. In the cooling of 3 patients with heat stroke, who were in shock (blood pressure less than 90mmHg), comatose (Glasgow coma scale less than 5), and whose body temperature (BT) exceeded 42°C, we inserted a double lumen catheter into the femoral vein, and connected the circuit with 2 “warmer coils” (usually used for the warming of transfused blood) sunk in ice and water. A simple roller-pump was used for extra-corporeal circulation, and the flow rate was 200ml blood/min. The effect was remarkable, and 2 cases recovered fully. One case, an 80-year-old female, died of a proceeding acute myocardial infarction. Theoretical calculation and the decrease in BT of the 3 patients corresponded well. The BT is calculated as T0×exp(-F/BW×t) (T0=initial BT; F=flow rate; BW=body weight; t=time). This method is simple and non-invasive, and the effect is predictable and can be planned.

Background The usefulness of Airway Scope (AWS) and Macintosh direct laryngoscope (ML) for patients with trauma requiring intubation with in-line cervical stabilization for protection of the cervical spine was compared. Methods Thirty-three residents performed orotracheal intubation using ML and AWS in an intubation model with in-line cervical stabilization. The tracheal intubation success rate, time required for tracheal intubation, and number of trials of inserting the tracheal tube into the trachea were measured in individual residents. Results Two residents inserted the tube into the esophagus using ML (success rate: 93.9%), but all residents succeeded in tracheal intubation using AWS (success rate: 100%) (p = 0.492). The time required for intubation was similar using AWS and ML (15 seconds vs. 20 seconds, p = 0.261). The number of trials using AWS was significantly lower (2.0 times vs. 1.0 times, p = 0.001). Conclusion The usefulness of AWS may be comparable with or greater than that of ML for oral intubation in trauma patients with in-line cervical stabilization.

Objectives The Emergency Coma Scale (ECS) was developed in Japan in 2003. We planned a multicenter study to evaluate the utility of the ECS by comparison of the ECS and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Methods Ten medical facilities, including 4 university hospitals in Japan, participated in this study. We evaluated and recorded the level of consciousness, using the ECS and GCS, of all patients transported to these medical facilities by ambulance. We then performed a statistical analysis of the level of rater agreement of each scale using the average weighted κ coefficient according to the types of diagnosis at time of discharge and the occupations of the raters. We then evaluated the relationship between outcome of patients and their scores on the ECS and GCS by logistic regression analysis. Results The ECS showed the greater agreement among raters in patient scoring (0.802). In patients with traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular disease, the ECS also yielded the higher agreement (0.846 and 0.779, respectively). The ECS score appears to be more strongly related than the GCS to patient outcome as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Conclusions Our results showed that the ECS is a simple and readily understandable coma scale for a wide range of professionals in the field of neurologic emergencies. Furthermore, ECS appears to be suitable for evaluating patients in neurologic emergency settings.

A microfracture testing technique was applied for investigating the fracture properties of Mg-Zn-Y alloys with a long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase. Microsized cantilever beam specimens with dimensions ≈ 10×20×50 μm3 were prepared from Mg-Zn-Y alloys by focused ion beam (FIB) machining. Notches with widths of 0.5 μm and depths of 3.5–5 μm were also introduced into the specimens by FIB machining. In this study, three types of Mg-Zn-Y alloys―Mg99.2Zn0.2Y0.6, Mg97Zn1Y2, and Mg88Zn5Y7―were used. Fracture tests were successfully conducted using a mechanical testing machine for microsized specimens at room temperature. The fracture toughness values (KIC) could not be obtained as the specimen size was too small to satisfy the plane strain condition. Hence, provisional KQ values were considered. The KQ values of the Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy were 0.8–1.2 MPam½, and those of the Mg88Zn5Y7 alloy were 1.2–3.0 MPam½. As the fracture in the Mg99.2Zn0.2Y0.6 alloy specimen occurred in a ductile plastic deformation, it was impossible to evaluate KQ values of this specimen. The increasing volume fraction of the LPSO phase indicates that the fracture toughness of Mg-Zn-Y alloys increases in LPSO phase.

Two midline oligodendrogliomas in young males were successfully totally removed after preoperative irradiation. A 33-year-old male with right lower extremity weakness had a large hypervascular mass occupying the left lateral ventricle. Even after 31 Gy whole-brain irradiation, massive bleeding occurred at surgery and resulted in only partial removal. The residual tumor markedly regressed with disappearance of abnormal vascularity after subsequent local boost irradiation. At the second operation, the tumor was totally removed. A 32-year-old male with progressive headache had a hypervascular mass with gross calcification in the right lateral ventricle. The tumor was partially resected due to its abundant vascularity and blood loss. After 60 Gy local irradiation, the tumor was moderately shrunk with a significant reduction in vascularity. At the second operation, the tumor was totally removed. Preoperative irradiation as an adjunct to surgery may increase the resectability of highly vascular tumors such as midline oligodendrogliomas.

Age is an important factor influencing outcome after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In general, the older the victim, the higher the probability of a poor outcome. To investigate the mechanism underlying the link between age and outcome, the data for 797 patients enrolled in the Japan Neurotrauma Data Bank (JNTDB), aged 6 years or older, with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 8 or less on admission or deterioration to that level within 48 h of impact were analyzed. Thirty-eight percent of the patients were between the ages of 40 and 69 years, and 24% of the patients were older than 69 years. Older patients had higher rates of mortality and lower rates of favorable outcome. The frequency of mass lesions which were associated with poorer outcomes significantly increased with age, but regardless of the intracranial lesion type, older patients had poorer outcomes. The GCS score and the occurrence of systemic complications did not differ significantly according to age. Multiple systemic injury was less frequent in older patients. The varied occurrence of intracranial lesion types according to age is likely caused by the disparity between the young and aged brain in the progression of secondary brain injury. Alteration in the pathophysiological response, which is related to the development of secondary brain injury in the aging brain, probably contributes to more severe and irreversible brain damage in older patients, and is thus associated with poor outcomes.

Previous reports have described several facility categories as important locations for public access defibrillation (PAD) program. However, in decision-making process as to what specific facilities may deserve PAD programs, each facility needs to estimate the number of shockable cardiac arrest (CA). Such estimation depends not only on the expected number of visitors/workers but also on the profile of the visitors/workers, which may vary among types of facilities. [Methods] Nagoya City has a population of 2.2 million with ~2,000 CA annually. Locations of CA were abstracted from data collected by Nagoya FD from 2003 through 2007. Types of public facilities were tallied and grouped into 36 categories consistent with Ordinance for Enforcement of Fire Service Act, and the number of CA within each category was determined. Data on the number of visitors/workers in each category were collected from governmental databases on metropolitan statistics. The incidence rate was calculated as numbers of all CA and CA with VF per 1 billion person.year. [Results] In 8 location categories, the databases for CA and the database for numbers of visitors/workers coincided in the categorization rules of the locations. The incidence rates are shows in the table . [Discussion] The incidence rate of shockable CA varies substantially among the location categories, presumably reflecting the variations of age distribution, average length of stay and intensity of physical activities of people who gather there. Schools (teachers) and factories have the highest incidence of shockable CA. However, our data may indicate that a school with small numbers of workers (teachers) may have a low priority of a PAD program. On the contrary, a station with low incidence rate of 0.05 may be a preferred target of a PAD program if a large number of travelers are expected to pass through. Thus our study provides fundamental data to detect important and cost-effective target locations of a PAD program. Number of CA per 1 billion preson.year

Background: In Japan, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) became popular for cardiac arrest patients who resist conventional advanced life supports. Regardless of many clinical experiences, there has been no previous systematic literature review. Methods: Case series, reports and proceedings of scientific meeting about ECPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest written in Japanese between January 1, 1983 and July 31, 2007 were collected with Japana Centra Revuo Medicina (medical publication database in Japan) and review by experts. The outcome and characteristics of the patients were investigated, and the influence of publication bias of the case series study was also examined by the Funnel Plot method. Results: There were 951 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who received ECPR in 92 reports (including 59 case series and 33 case reports) during the period. The average of age was 38.1 (4 – 88) years old and 76.1% was male. Three hundreds and eighty-one cases (40.1%) were arrests of cardiac etiology, and 212 were non-cardiac (22.3%). The cause of arrest was not described in other 37.6%. Excluding reports for only one case, weighted survival rate at discharge of 792 cases those were clearly described the outcome was 39.5±10.0%. When the relationship between the number of cases and the survival rate at discharge in each 59 case series study was shown in figure by the Funnel Plot method, the plotted data presented the reverse-funnel type that centered on the average of survival rate of all. Conclusions: The influence of publication bias of previous reports in Japan was relatively low. ECPR can greatly contribute to improve the outcome of out-of hospital cardiac arrests.

We developed the AED enlightenment animation DVD (the AED Animation) as a readable and friendly educational material for learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED by citizens. The aim of the present study was to investigate how well did schoolchildren understand the contents of the AED Animation, and how the AED Animation has educational and ripple effects to schoolchildren. [Methods] Prior to the investigation of schoolchildren, 28 elementary school teachers watched the AED Animation and answered a questionnaire to see if the AED animation arouse schoolchildren, and to evaluate its psychological and educational impacts. Then in fourth, fifthand sixth grades elementary school students (total of 1189) watched the AED Animation and answered questionnaire-based survey. [Results] 94 percent of the students answered “ the AED Animation is good for me”, 80 percent of them wanted to be able to do CPR and use AED as the characters of the AED Animation did, and 67 percent of them wanted there parents to watch the AED Animation. [Conclusions] The AED Animation is a good educational material for schoolchildren that raises interest in AED/CPR, and its educational effects was more than elementary school teachers expected.

The authors report a rare case of non-functioning pituitary carcinoma with spinal cord metastasis. A 37-year-old female presented with a 2-month history of right retro-orbital ache and vomiting. She had a pituitary adenoma removed 3 years prior to admission. Neuroradiologically, a mass lesion was demonstrated in the right middle cranial fossa. The tumor was removed through craniotomy and was histologically diagnosed as pituitary carcinoma. One week after the operation, tetraplegia developed and CT scans demonstrated a spinal canal lesion. Although the tumor was removed through C3-C7 laminectomies, she gradually deteriorated and died. At autopsy, a tumor was disclosed in the right temporal lobe and basal ganglia. Moreover, the tumor invaded into the middle cranial fossa and the parasellar region.

BACKGROUND SOS-KANTO study showed that bystander chest compression-only resuscitation was the preferable approach to resuscitation for adult patients with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest ( Lancet 2007 ; 369 ), but few clinical studies have focused on the efficacy of basic resuscitation with chest compression only for patients with unwitnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS SOS-KANTO study was conducted in 58 emergency hospitals and emergency medical service units. On arrival at the scene, paramedics assessed the technique of basic resuscitation and asked additional questions. The primary endpoint was favorable neurological outcome 30 days after cardiac arrest. RESULTS Of the 9,592 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 4,347 adult patients with unwitnessed arrest were included; 385 (8.9%) received chest compression-only resuscitation, 507 (11.7%) received chest compression plus mouth-to-mouth ventilation resuscitation, and 3,456 (79.5%) received no resuscitation. Any resuscitation attempt was associated with a higher proportion of the favorable neurological outcome than no resuscitation (1.1% vs. 0.4%, p=0.009). The chest compression-only resuscitation group had higher proportions of the favorable neurological outcome than the no resuscitation group in the whole cohort (1.3% vs. 0.4%, p=0.018) and in the subgroups of patients with cardiac causes (2.0% vs. 0.6%, p=0.018) and with time interval from EMS call to arrival at patient’s side for ≤ 8 min (2.0% vs. 0.6%, p=0.020). However, the chest compression-only resuscitation group had a similar proportion of the favorable neurological outcome than the chest compression plus ventilation resuscitation in the whole cohort (1.3% vs. 1.0%, p=0.662) and there was no evidence for any benefit from the addition of ventilation in any subgroups. The adjusted odds ratios for the favorable neurological outcome after chest compression-only resuscitation and after chest compression plus ventilation resuscitation were 3.4 (95% CI, 1.1 to 10.5, p=0.033) and 3.3 (95% CI, 1.1 to 10.1 p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS Basic resuscitation with chest compression only is the preferable approach to resuscitation even though the adult patients with unwitnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND AHA guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have recommended that administration of atropine can be considered for asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA), because atropine has improved survival to hospital admission in a retrospective review (Ann Emerg Med, 1984), and is inexpensive, easy to administer, and has few side effects. However, there are insufficient data in humans. METHODS We assessed the effects of atropine in 7,443 adults patients with asystole or PEA arrest from the SOS-KANTO study: a prospective, multicenter, observational trial. The medications for asystole or PEA arrest were managed according to the advanced cardiovascular life support algorithm of the CPR guidelines (i.e. a 1-mg dose of epinephrine was administered intravenously every 3 to 5 minutes and a1-mg dose of atropine was administered intravenously every 3 to 5 minutes; maximum total of 3 doses). The primary endpoint was a favorable neurological outcome 30 days after cardiac arrest. RESULTS Of the 7,443 adult patients who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with asystole or PEA, I,708(23%) were treated with epinephrine and atropine and 5,735(77%) were treated with epinephrine. At baseline, the epinephrine and atropine group had significantly higher proportions of cardiac cause, witnessed arrest, and bystander CPR attempt than the epinephrine group. However, the two groups had a similar frequency of the favorable neurological outcome (0.3% in each group, p=0.805). Multiple logistic-regression analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratio for the favorable neurological outcome was 0.6 (95% CI 0.2–1.7, p=0.37) after epinephrine and atropine (compared with epinephrine). On the other hand, the epinephrine and atropine group had significantly higher rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) than the epinephrine group (35% vs. 23%, p CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that administration of atropine during management of asystole or PEA arrest did not increase the frequency of favorable neurological outcome, although the atropine favored initial ROSC.

Importance Neurologically intact survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been increasing in Japan. However, associations between increased prehospital care, including bystander interventions and increases in survival, have not been well estimated. Objective To estimate the associations between bystander interventions and changes in neurologically intact survival among patients with OHCA in Japan. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective descriptive study using data from Japan’s nationwide OHCA registry, which started in January 2005. The registry includes all patients with OHCA transported to the hospital by emergency medical services (EMS) and recorded patients’ characteristics, prehospital interventions, and outcomes. Participants were 167 912 patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA of presumed cardiac origin in the registry between January 2005 and December 2012. Exposures Prehospital interventions by bystander, including defibrillation using public-access automated external defibrillators and chest compression. Main Outcomes and Measures Neurologically intact survival was defined as Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category score 1 or 2 and overall performance category scores 1 or 2 at 1 month or at discharge. The association between the interventions and neurologically intact survival was evaluated. Results From 2005 to 2012, the number of bystander-witnessed OHCAs of presumed cardiac origin increased from 17 882 (14.0 per 100 000 persons [95% CI, 13.8-14.2]) to 23 797 (18.7 per 100 000 persons [95% CI, 18.4-18.9]), and neurologically intact survival increased from 587 cases (age-adjusted proportion, 3.3% [95% CI, 3.0%-3.5%]) to 1710 cases (8.2% [95% CI, 7.8%-8.6%]). The rates of bystander chest compression increased from 38.6% to 50.9%, bystander-only defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 2.3%, bystander defibrillation combined with EMS defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 1.4%, and EMS-only defibrillation decreased from 26.6% to 23.5%. Performance of bystander chest compression, compared with no bystander chest compression, was associated with increased neurologically intact survival (8.4% [6594 survivors/78 592 cases] vs 4.1% [3595 survivors/88 720 cases]; odds ratio [OR], 1.52 [95% CI, 1.45-1.60]). Compared with EMS-only defibrillation (15.0% [6445 survivors/42 916 cases]), bystander-only defibrillation (40.7% [931 survivors/2287 cases]) was associated with increased neurologically intact survival (OR, 2.24 [95% CI, 1.93-2.61]), as was combined bystander and EMS defibrillation (30.5% [444 survivors/1456 cases]; OR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.31-1.71]), whereas no defibrillation (2.0% [2369 survivors/120 653 cases]) was associated with reduced survival (OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.39-0.48]). Conclusions and Relevance In Japan, between 2005 and 2012, the rates of bystander chest compression and bystander defibrillation increased and were associated with increased odds of neurologically intact survival.

A 4-year study (Japan Neurotrauma Data Bank) of the medical treatment of 1002 cases of traumatic brain injuries in Japan was conducted from 1998 to 2001 at 10 emergency medical centers. Patients with severe head injury were eligible for entry with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less at admission. Patients who underwent craniotomy were also included. Children under 5 years old were excluded. An original data sheet with 392 items from multi-focal viewpoints, such as etiology of injury, pre-hospital care, initial treatment including neuro-intensive care unit, and surgical treatment, was created. The results show that the patient's age and mechanism of injury are the most important factors in the outcome.