Background: Taking a good history is important for the diagnosis of abdominal pain. We investigated questionnaire items that were significantly correlated with causes of abdominal pain requiring hospitalization. We also studied the combination of responses that could exclude severe disease.
Method: Between February 2006 and December 2007, 296 of 317 patients with abdominal pain who attended our Outpatient Department completed a questionnaire for their abdominal pain. They included 32 patients requiring hospitalization (severe group) and 264 other patients (mild group). The percentage of positive responses to each questionnaire item was compared between the two groups, and those showing a significant difference were employed for logistic regression analysis.
Results: The following 4 responses were selected: “It is less than 7 days since the onset of pain” (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2-6.4); “The pain is exacerbated by walking” (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3-6.2); “The pain is accompanied by weight loss” (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.5-9.8); and “The pain wakes me at night” (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2). If a patient had none of these responses, the predictive value was 0.03 for severe disease.
Conclusions: Our findings suggested that pain reported within 7 days, exacerbation by walking, nocturnal awakening, and associated weight loss are features of abdominal pain that predict severe disease. Conversely, severe disease can be almost completely excluded in patients negative for all 4 features.

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Objectives: Infective endocarditis (IE) has an extremely poor prognosis unless appropriate treatment is received. Hemodialysis patients with IE show higher rates of morbidity and mortality in comparison with non-dialysis patients with IE. We focused on hemodialysis patients, as well as patients in other stages of chronic kidney disease. We sought to assess the relationship between renal function and mortality in patients with IE.
Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study on 45 consecutive patients with IE in an urban teaching hospital between November 2003 and August 2008. We collected demographic and clinical data as well as pre- and post-discharge outcomes. Patients were subdivided into four groups according to their eGFR level at admission: A: eGFR≧60 ml/min/1.73 m² (n=23); B: eGFR 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m² (n=15); C: eGFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m² (n=3); and, D: dialysis patients (n=3). It was not possible to determine the outcome status of one patient. The Trend Test was used to evaluate the association between renal function and mortality.
Results: There were 29 male and 16 female patients with IE and the mean age was 67.9+-17.6 (SD). There were 10 diabetic patients (22%). Thirty-nine patients (84%) were either discharged or transferred to another hospital. Seven patients (16%) died: two (9%) Group A patients; three (20%) Group B patients; no Group C patients; and, two (67%) Group D patients. Patients with lower eGFR had higher mortality rates (Trend Test, P=0.046).
Conclusion: We presume a trend towards a higher mortality rate in conjunction with advancing CKD stage.

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Background: When analyzing regional disparities in healthcare resources, hospital accessibility is given little consideration. We surveyed accessibility from residential districts to medical institutions using GIS (Geographic Information System) and estimated Gini coefficient for each hospital distribution.
Methods: The subjects were 2,688 census mesh blocks ( “Cho-cho-aza” ) and 109 hospitals in Tochigi prefecture. The number of hospitals located within the road distances of 5 km, 10 km and 15 km from the geometrical center of each block was calculated using GIS. The Gini coefficient of each hospital per 100 residents was calculated among the regions located within 5 km, 10 km and 15 km from the geometrical center of the census mesh block.
Results: The population of each block was 748±1,067 (mean±SD), and the road distance to the nearest hospital from the center of each block was 4.3±4.5 km. The number of census mesh blocks with distances from the center of each block to the nearest hospital within 5 km, 5-10 km, 10-15 km and more than 15 km were 1909 (71.0%), 561 (20.9%), 139 (5.2%) and 79 (2.9%) respectively. The number of hospitals located within 5 km, 10 km and 15 km were 3.3±4.7, 8.3±8.6 and 14.4±11.4. Gini coefficients were 0.65, 0.52 and 0.43.
Conclusion: When analyzing regional disparities in healthcare resources, it is necessary to take into account not only the number of physicians and beds, but also accessibility. Gini coefficient is useful to estimate geographical distributions, and can be used as an indicator for improvement projects for hospitals.

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Background: To date there had been no investigations using the International Classification of Primary Care, Second Edition (ICPC-2) at a clinic on an isolated island. In order to analyze health problems on the island, we investigated the reasons for visits, chronic illnesses, and the number of cases referred to other medical facilities using the ICPC-2.
Methods: The study was conducted over a 12-month period, from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007. Patient complaints/symptoms were classified according to ICPC-2, and diseases of patients who regularly visited the clinic as of November 2006 were investigated.
Results: Half of the patients that regularly visited the clinic had lifestyle-related or musculoskeletal diseases. On the first visit, several patients presented with cold, musculoskeletal, or skin symptoms. The specialist care to which the patients were most frequently referred was orthopedic surgery.
Conclusion: Physicians working at a clinic on an isolated island need to be able to control lifestyle-related diseases and provide initial treatment for musculoskeletal or skin diseases.

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Background: Kampo medicine is the traditional form of medicine practiced in Japan, based on ancient Chinese medicine. Kampo medicine includes acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as herbal medicine. Physicians are allowed to prescribe ethical Kampo extract granules used in various formulae and practice acupuncture and moxibustion as acupuncturists and moxibustionists. However, medical schools do not offer many classes in traditional medicine. This study aims to analyze the use of Kampo formulae and practice of acupuncture and moxibustion in contemporary community health care.
Methods: The subjects (1538 clinicians) were graduates of Jichi Medical University on or after 1978, affiliated with a clinic or hospital with 300 beds or less on July 2010, and surveyed by postal questionnaire in October 2010.
Results: The effective response rate across Japan was 44% (n=679). Of these responders, 30%, 45%, and 22% were found to prescribe Kampo formulae regularly, occasionally, and rarely, respectively, in daily clinical care. Frequently prescribed formulae included shakuyakukanzoto, daikenchuto, kakkonto, rikkunshito, and hochuekkito. The reasons for using Kampo formulae given by 61% and 58% of the responders were, respectively, applicability for common diseases and ease of use for unidentified complaints and psychosomatic disease. Among the reasons for unlikely use, unclear applicability was chosen by 34% of the responders; difficulty stocking many formulations by 33%; and insufficient evidence of efficacy by 30%. Practitioners of acupuncture and moxibustion accounted for 4% of the responders. The main indications for acupuncture and moxibustion included low back pain and shoulder stiffness.
Conclusions: A large number of primary care physicians use Kampo formulae, implying their usefulness. However, one out of three physicians complains of unclear applicability and insufficient evidence of efficacy for Kampo formulae. In the future, appropriate education and research will be needed to clarify these issues.

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