Demand for perinatal care for foreign pregnant women is increasing with the increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan. With this in mind, we conducted a questionnaire survey among representative physicians at all 21 facilities that perform deliveries in Kitakyushu City, with the aim of investigating problems related to the care of foreign pregnant women and clarifying what support foreign pregnant women need. The response rate was 90.4% (19/21). 17 facilities (90%) responded that they had experienced difficulties in treating foreign pregnant women, with “language communication” being the most common problem. While 15 facilities used automatic translators or online applications in their care of foreign patients, many facilities indicated that they had experienced difficulties in terms of language communication. The ideal services sought included the use of automatic translators and applications, and the assignment of medical interpreters, but since the former alone was considered insufficient, it became clear that further language support for foreign pregnant women, such as medical interpreters, was required. Although each facility handling deliveries in Kitakyushu City is making various efforts to provide medical care for foreign pregnant women, it became clear that there are still various, unresolved issues related to language communication. It is assumed that similar problems occur in other parts of Japan as well, suggesting the need for improved language communication to provide better medical care for foreign pregnant women.

This study examines the characteristics of students’ learning in the Occupational Health Nursing Integrated Practicum (hereafter referred to as the “practicum”) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores the optimal implementation of the practicum in anticipation of future outbreaks of infectious disease. A free-response, anonymous, web-based survey was conducted with 18 fourth-year students enrolled in a public health nursing course at University A during year X, a period when behavioral restrictions were in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. The survey focused on students’ learning experiences during the practicum. Of the 17 students who consented to participate, 7 responded, and their responses were analyzed using the Berelson B’s content analysis method. The results revealed 24 categories of student learning, including “Supporting proactive health activities and encouraging behavior change in the workplace and among workers.” These 24 categories were further grouped into 4 characteristics, such as “Support autonomous activities by taking a holistic view of the subject and working on self-help capabilities.” The findings of this study highlight the importance of devising effective lectures and exercises for practical training in the university by reflecting on the learning outcomes and challenges of practicum programs conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is generally performed with proximal protection against soft plaques. In emergency operations, however, lesion crossing must be performed without protection. An 80-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with cerebral infarction caused by left internal carotid artery stenosis. Loss of consciousness and severe right hemiparesis were observed on admission. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed worsening of the left internal carotid artery stenosis, and emergency stenting was performed. The stenosis included soft vulnerable plaques in the MRI. Preparation of protective devices is challenging in emergencies; therefore we performed Lesion crossing under proximal protection, using an occlusion balloon to avoid embolic complications. Postoperatively, the patient’s condition improved, and he recovered without cerebral infarction. This method was used in nine subsequent cases between April 2022 and May 2024 for vulnerable plaques in cases where it was difficult to prepare protective devices. In the outcomes of those 9 cases, postoperative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was positive in one case (11%), and there was no symptomatic cerebral infarction in any of the nine cases. We consider this method as a secondary protection option to avoid embolic complications of vulnerable plaques, especially in emergency cases.