Propofol-remifentanil is More Effective than Propofol-fentanyl in Decreasing Intraoperative Blood Loss during Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy.

This study retrospectively compared blood loss during sagittal split ramus osteotomy in patients receiving propofol-remifentanil (R group) and those receiving propofol-fentanyl (F group). All patients underwent sagittal split ramus osteotomy under general anesthesia during the 3-year 4-month period between October 2007 and February 2011 in an operating room at Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Hospital. Blood loss in the R group was significantly less than that in the F group. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate, measured at 20 and 15 min after tracheal intubation, respectively, were both lower in the R group. No marked change was observed in blood pressure in the R group under general anesthesia, however. Volume of urine was also larger in the R group. The results of this study suggest that remifentanil is effective in reducing intraoperative blood loss during sagittal split ramus osteotomy.

A Case of Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction with Repeated Pancreatitis Due to Protein Plugs in a Short Period.

A 70-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital 1 month prior to presentation with acute pancreatitis due to pancreaticobiliary maljunction. After discharge, she was referred for elevated hepatobiliary enzyme levels. She was diagnosed with an acute pancreatitis flare-up. Computed tomography revealed dilation of the common duct compared to the previous admission. Considering the protein plug formation as the cause, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed after improvement. ERCP revealed a defect in the duct, suspected to be caused by protein plugs, which were removed using a balloon after endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation. An analysis revealed that this component was a protein. No recurrence of pancreatitis was observed after the treatment.

Characterization of dairy cattle manure/wallboard paper compost mixture.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the use of manufacturing wallboard paper scraps as an alternative bulking agent for dairy cattle manure composting. The characteristics of the composting process were studied based on the changes in physico-chemical parameters and final compost quality. Composting of dairy cattle manure with wallboard paper was performed in a 481-L cylindrical reactor with vacuum-type aeration. Rapid degradation of organic matter was observed during the thermophilic stage of composting due to high microbial activity. High temperature and alkaline pH conditions promoted intense ammonia emission during the early stage of composting. The number of mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms were found to be affected by changes in temperature at different composting stages. The total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) concentrations of the mixture did not change significantly after 28days of composting. However, the presence of gypsum in the paper scraps increased the calcium content of the final compost. The wallboard paper had no phyto-inhibitory effects as shown by high germination index of final compost (GI=99%).

Comparison of Risk Factors in Patients With Acute and Chronic Orofacial Pain.

Management of patients with orofacial pain may benefit from a better understanding about patient factors that may lead pain chronicity. In this study, we retrospectively compared physical and psychological factors in patients with acute and chronic orofacial pain. We analyzed data from 854 patients presenting to the Orofacial Pain Center, Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tokyo Dental College, Suidobashi Hospital between April 2010 and March 2014. We categorized patients into the acute group if their condition had persisted <6 months and the chronic group if their condition had lasted 6 months or longer, based on the classification by the International Association for the Study of Pain. The retrospective data were analyzed by using univariate analysis on background factors from a health questionnaire, pain evaluation sheet, and psychological test completed at the time of presentation. Multiple logistic regression was applied on these factors. Our results suggest that female gender and high trait anxiety may be involved in orofacial pain becoming chronic.