Nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system for improving sleep-related hypoventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep-related hypoventilation should be considered in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, because appropriate respiratory management during sleep is important for preventing elevation of PaCO2 levels. A nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system using a special nasal cannula can deliver suitably heated and humidified oxygen at up to 60 L/min. Since the oxygen concentration remains a constant independent of minute ventilation, this system is particularly useful in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who have hypercapnia. This is the first report of sleep-related hypoventilation with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improving using a nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 73-year-old Japanese female who started noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and CO2 narcosis due to respiratory infection. Since she became agitated as her level of consciousness improved, she was switched to a nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system. When a repeat polysomnography was performed while using the nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system, the Apnea Hypopnea Index was 3.7 times/h, her mean SpO2 had increased from 89 to 93%, percentage time with SpO2 ≤ 90% had decreased dramatically from 30.8 to 2.5%, and sleep stage 4 was now detected for 38.5 minutes. As these findings indicated marked improvements in sleep-related hypoventilation, nasal high-flow oxygen therapy was continued at home. She has since experienced no recurrences of CO2 narcosis and has been able to continue home treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system proved effective in delivering a prescribed concentration of oxygen from the time of acute exacerbation until returning home in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia and sleep-related hypoventilation. The nasal high-flow oxygen therapy system is currently used as a device to administer high concentrations of oxygen in many patients with type I respiratory failure, but may also be useful instead of a Venturi mask in patients like ours with type II respiratory failure, additionally providing some positive end-expiratory pressure.

[Efficacy of the combined use of taurine for hyperbilirubinemia caused by UFT therapy after surgery for colonic cancer].

For postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, UFT was administered to 69 cases of stage II and III colonic cancer following surgery with a radical curability of A. Among these patients, 8 developed hyperbilirubinemia. UFT administration was discontinued for those who developed overt jaundice or dermatological symptoms, experienced a relapse of an earlier asthmatic respiratory difficulty, or for those who were found with multiple hepatic metastases. For the 4 who had developed subclinical jaundice with a total bilirubin level of 1.6 to 2.2 mg/dl, UFT was combined with taurine. The combination successfully eliminated hyperbilirubinemia. All 4 are currently alive with no recurrence at this writing. Taurine ameliorates one's capacity to excrete bile, blood flow, and augments the actions of hepatocytes. It is effective in treating the hyperbilirubinemia that develops during UFT therapy.

[Nobel genes improve accuracy in detection of peritoneal micro-metastasis of gastric cancer to decide indication for chemotherapy].

Peritoneal metastasis is the most frequent form of recurrence for advanced gastric cancer. We previously performed a global analysis of the gene expression of gastric cancer cell lines established from peritoneal metastasis with cDNA microarray. One of the up-regulated genes is L-3 phosphoserine phosphatase (L3-PP). We have examined its potential as a novel marker for the detection of peritoneal micrometastasis of gastric cancer. L3-PP mRNA in peritoneal wash in 93 gastric cancer patients was quantified for comparison of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA by means of real-time RT-PCR to predict peritoneal recurrence. The quantity of L3-PP and CEA correlated with wall penetration. Eleven out of 18 cases with peritoneal dissemination were L3-PP+ (61% sensitivity). For three out of 18 cases of peritoneal dissemination, only L3-PP could detect micrometastasis of gastric cancer. Consequently, free cancer cells that cannot be detected by CEA mRNA could be detected using L3-PP mRNA. Although CEA alone was not sufficient, L3-PP and CEA in combination can attain a higher accuracy of detection.