Background & Aims: Ice massage is used to stimulate the oral cavity and pharynx to improve the swallowing function; however, there is no specific device for this purpose. Therefore, we created an Ice Stick®, a special device for ice massage, and investigated whether it was more effective than the conventional massage method.

Methods: The subjects were 36 patients who were diagnosed with dysphagia. They were randomly divided into two groups: the Ice Stick® group and the conventional approach group. A 30-second repeated saliva-swallowing test was performed before and after ice massage, and the changes in the number of swallows and the latency of the first swallowing time were compared between the two groups.

Results: Both groups showed an increase in the number of swallows and a shortening of the latency of the first swallow after the ice massage. However, there were no significant differences in the change in the number of swallows or the latency.

Conclusion: Although we did not find that the Ice Stick® is more effective for dysphagia, the swallowing-enhancing effect of ice massage is certain, and as a dedicated device, the Ice stick® would contribute to the widespread use of ice massage on more occasions.

Background & Aims: For chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), patients are expected to have knowledge and skills regarding their own medical care, and to independently self-manage their illness while coming to terms with life on their own. The purpose of this study is to clarify the subjective effects of self-monitoring intervention on CIPN and to examine effective support in this regard.

Methods: A total of 18 participants in the intervention group and 16 participants from the control group were analyzed. The data were analyzed qualitatively and inductively using the content analysis method.

Results: In the intervention group, new categories related to cognitive and coping behavior were formed after 9 weeks. These included “correct information promotes recognition of numbness” and “self-monitoring promotes coping behavior”. The subjective effects of the patients’ self-monitoring intervention for CIPN were positive perception of CIPN, acceptance of CIPN with a sense of foresight, promotion of coping behaviors, and increased self-efficacy.

Conclusions: The results suggest that self-monitoring intervention for chronic peripheral neuropathy is an effective nursing support for promoting cognitive behavior modification in patients.

Background & Aims: This study aimed to investigate cut-off values of clinical assessment tools in the decision-making on the use of physical restraints.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of routine patient data in a sub-acute care ward in a general hospital. We analyzed data of patients who were aged 65 years and older admitted to a sub-acute care ward. Upon admission, the following variables were examined: the Short Physical Performance Battery, the Japanese version of the rapid dementia screening test, the admission Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the modified version of the Fall Risk Assessment Tool and the use of physical restraint for fall prevention. The factors determining physical restraint use were investigated using multivariate logistic regression analysis based on admission variables, and the cut-off value for predicting the use or non-use of restraints at admission was estimated.

Results: Of the 73 patients, 15 patients were restrained on admission. The FIM cognitive was the sole assessment tool that predicted the physical restraint use for fall prevention. The cut-off value for the FIM cognitive was 23 points.

Conclusion: This finding could make the decision-making process more visible and transparent to minimize physical restraint use.

Aims & Methods: The objective of this study was to examine the self-management behavior of cancer survivors with taste alterations, regarding their role as cooks. Fifteen gynecological or breast cancer survivors who experienced taste alterations due to outpatient chemotherapy and were responsible for preparing meals for their families participated in semi-structured interviews. The responses were analyzed using a qualitative inductive method.

Results: Self-management behaviors of survivors under the conditions mentioned above were divided into five categories: use ready-made products to avoid having to season food myself, try different methods of seasoning and tasting food, so I can cook on my own, cook the same as before sense of taste was impaired, cook with family cooperation; adjusting taste based on their feedback, and have family members take over the role of cooking.

Conclusions: Survivors with taste alterations try various ways to carry out their cooking role; they need specific information on methods for improving their taste issues as well as suggestions for cooking and recipes that will make it easier for them to eat. These findings suggest that it is important for nurses to provide specific advice and approve survivor self-management when taste alterations.

A 68-year-old man underwent laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (Billroth-I reconstruction) for gastric cancer one and a half years previously. He visited our hospital complaining of vomiting and abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed an oval residue with an air bubble in the duodenum. Since he had consumed persimmon before the onset of symptoms, intestinal obstruction due to diospyrobezoar was suspected. CT scan on admission showed that the bezoar transferred into the jejunum, resulting in intestinal obstruction; therefore， an ileus tube was implanted, and cola dissolution therapy (hereafter, cola therapy) was administered for 5 days. However, the size of the bezoar remained unchanged, and the patient began to complain of abdominal pain as cola was injected; thus, surgery was performed. Under laparoscopic assistance, the jejunum was elevated outside the body cavity, and the bezoar was removed. The patient was discharged on post-operative day 14. Recently, cola therapy in patients with intestinal obstruction for diospyrobezoars has been reported; however, substantially more reports are there on patients undergoing surgery, and surgery remains the first choice for treatment. Cola therapy may cause complications, such as intestinal necrosis; therefore, it is important to always consider surgery if cola therapy is performed.

　　A man aged in his 30s consulted our emergency room complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, pruritus, and erythema multiforme after ingestion of cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) powder. An anaphylaxis diagnosis was made based on his clinical course and symptoms. Adrenalin was not administered, as his condition was stable, but antihistaminic agents were administered intravenously. His general condition over the following hours was uneventful, and he was discharged from our hospital the next day.

　　Recently, entomophagy (eating insects, including crickets) has become a popular way to be compatible with sustainable development goals. However, as crickets have the same allergen as house dust mites and crustaceans, caution is required when people with this allergy consume foods that contain crickets.

The subject, Ms. A, was a woman in her 80s who required long-term care level 2. She lived alone and had expressed concerns about managing her medication. She had been observed to make medication errors and often forgot to take her medication, especially those prescribed once a week. Ms. A had impaired hearing and vision and required a handrail to walk. To assist her, we designed a handmade medication card with better visibility for Ms. A. However, after a while, Ms. A suffered a fracture and was admitted to a hospital and care facility where she did not use the card. After a year, she returned home. Upon her return, she continued to take her weekly medication using the card. Several months later, she was still able to take her medication without forgetting it. One of the factors contributing to this success was that the color of the medication card was chosen by the patient herself. Moreover, the contrast between the color of the card and the medication bag was clear and easily distinguished.

A 68-year-old man came to our hospital with a chief complaint of epigastric pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 3 tumor in the gastric fundus. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed numerous enlarged lymph nodes in the para-aortic lymph nodes in addition to the gastric regional lymph nodes. After 7 courses of chemotherapy, PET-CT showed FDG accumulation only in the lower gastric body region and no accumulation in the regional or para-aortic lymph nodes. Conversion Surgery was considered feasible, and open distal gastrectomy was performed after 9 courses. Histopathological examination revealed ypT2, ypN0 (0/12), Ly0, V0, and ypStage IB. The patient did not receive any postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and has been recurrence-free for nine months. The median survival time for unresectable advanced gastric cancer is about 15 months, which is a poor prognosis, but several cases of long-term survival after R0 resection by conversion Surgery have been reported. We report a case of unresectable advanced gastric cancer who achieved R0 resection by conversion Surgery after successful systemic chemotherapy, including a review of the literature.