Sapporo Medical Journal

Abstract : Abstract— Background: Oral chemotherapy is an alternative treatment that has high side effects that can affect cancer patient adherence and quality of life. Pharmacists have a potential role in increasing knowledge and understanding of treatment so as to increase patient adherence. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pharmacist services on the level of treatment adherence of outpatient cancer patients at Arifin Achmad Hospital, Riau Province, Indonesia. Methodology: This research was an analytical descriptive study. The analysis was carried out qualitatively and quantitatively from the data questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to measure the level of satisfaction of pharmacist services and MMAS-8 to measure the level of medication adherence. Result: The study showed that the majority of patients who received oral chemotherapy had high adherence (59.09%). The majority of patients' reasons for non-adherence were forgetting to take medication. The average level of patient satisfaction on pharmacist services was 86.59%. Conclusion: The study found that there was a correlation between the level of satisfaction and the level of adherence on the empathy dimension (p=0.011). These dimensions need to be continuously improved in order to improve oral chemotherapy adherence.

Abstract : The thickening of gall bladder wall can be a sign of a certain disease.The main aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and causes of diffuse gallbladder wall thickening among the patients at Riyadh hospitals. This descriptive study was conducted at three different Riyadh hospitals from 13 January to 28 February 2019. A total of 1206 records with abdominal ultrasound reports that included gall bladder wall thickness in the period of study were reviewed. The following data were obtained in a designed data collection sheet: gall bladder wall thickness, the presence of cholecystitis, extra cholecystitis inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, other systemic diseases, malignancy, and adenomyomatosis. Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program was used for data analysis. The study found that there were 82 patients with diffuse gall bladder wall thickening. So the prevalence of thickening in that period is 6.8%. Cholecystitis is the 1st cause, followed by liver diseases, cardiovascular, diabetes, other systemic diseases, adenomyomatosis, extra cholecystitis inflammation, and malignancy. Thickness is higher for those with the diseases than those without it except for liver diseases and malignancy. The mean of the gallbladder wall thickness increases significantly for those with cholecystitis (P-value = 0.009). The study concluded that the thickened gallbladder wall is a sign of different diseases that should be considered. Another s

Abstract : Apple leaves (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam) are a traditional plant, contain numerous bioactive ingredients. The paper focused on polyphenol content and antibacterial activity of acetone, hexane, and ethyl acetate extracts from apple leave Ziziphus mauritiana Lam selecting in Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam on four-strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococus aureus. Antibacterial activity of different fractions was evaluated by using minimum inhibitory concentration. The results showed that apple leaves (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam) exhibited high antibacterial activity as the evaluation of antibacterial activity by using MIC method in liquid medium, and MIC of three fractions was in the range of 3.125 to 6.25 mg/ml. Polyphenol content of acetone fraction from apple leaves was 68.96 ± 0.53 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DW. The purity of polyphenols in different fractions was arranged in ascending order, acetone, n-hexane, and ethyl acetate. Apple leaves Ziziphus mauritiana was potential in functional food and pharmaceuticals.

Abstract : This case series investigated the outcomes of children who received the maximum tolerated dose of hydroxyurea for sickle cell patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVNFH) at Maternity and Children Hospital, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) over one year. This retrospective case series report describes four pediatric patients under the age of 14 with sickle cell disease complicated by AVNFH. We excluded all patients who were non-compliant to medication, missed follow-up, started on another modality of treatment, or did not complete laboratory work-up or imaging. Patients were started on the maximum tolerated dose of hydroxyurea, and the assessment was conducted according to clinical manifestations and radiological findings. Our study found significant clinical and radiological improvement in sickle cell patients with AVNFH who took the maximum tolerated dose of hydroxyurea.

Abstract : Hemorrhagic stroke is a highly debilitating condition with several rehabilitation problems.This study aimed to discern the effects of intensive TENS therapy for 2 weeks, on a motor-impaired haemorrhagic stroke patient’s recovery, with 6 weeks of conventional physiotherapy, to elucidate the effect of TENS and conventional physiotherapy on serum Creatine Kinase and serum Troponin T. Our outcome measures were serum Creatine Kinase, serum Troponin T, and modified Barthel Index scores. This was a pre-post convenient sampling controlled interventional study, conducted in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, with 10 control subjects and 10 TENS-therapy subjects. The intervention group underwent intensive TENS therapy and conventional physiotherapy for 2 weeks, then 4 weeks of conventional physiotherapy. The control group underwent 6 weeks of conventional physiotherapy. All three outcome measures were measured before and after 2 weeks of intensive TENS therapy and 6 weeks of conventional therapy. Results indicated Creatine Kinase and Troponin T were unaffected by 2 weeks of intensive TENS therapy and 6 weeks of conventional physiotherapy (Creatine Kinase p=0.521) (Troponin T p=0.632). The same also applied to 6 weeks of conventional physiotherapy alone (Creatine Kinase p=0.572) (Troponin T p=0.921). Conversely, modified Barthel Index score comparisons show significant increases in intervention group (p=0.040) compared to control group. This study is a pilot study for future research.