Rinsho byori. The Japanese journal of clinical pathology
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Phlebotomy-related nerve injury is relatively rare but could be a serious complication of venipuncture; however, widely recognized and effective methods to prevent nerve injury at venipuncture have not been established. By considering the anatomical features of peripheral nerves and veins of the arm, several techniques may be feasible. To prevent median nerve injury, which is the most serious among the nerve injuries in the arm, the following order of vein selection is recommended: (1) radial vein (2) median cubital vein (3) basilic vein (4) forearm veins (5) veins of the back of the hands. ⋯ In addition to these technical efforts, it is critical to ask each patient before venipuncture whether he or she has experienced nerve injury during previous phlebotomy in order to avoid unnecessary repetitive nerve injuries in the same patient. In order to avoid such situations, we have established a computer-based system to alert phlebotomists to the complications which patients have experienced during venipuncture. These and other methods should be tested in many institutes and data should be systematically collected to investigate whether phlebotomy-related nerve injury can be effectively prevented.
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Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is critically involved in biological responses against various insults. TNF excessively produced by monocytes or macrophages activates endothelial cells and neutrophils, thereby inducing endothelial cell injury. Endothelial cells are capable of inhibiting TNF production by producing prostaglandins that inhibit TNF production. ⋯ E-selectin, an endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule, is released from the endothelial cell membrane by the action of TNF and exists as soluble E-selectin in plasma. The detection of increases in plasma levels of soluble E-selectin in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome predicts the imminent onset of acute respiratory syndrome. Early detection of increases in plasma levels of soluble E selectin by a rapid assay system, developed by the authors, enables early effective treatment of patients with sepsis.
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The pain remaining after a needle stick is categorized as neuropathic pain. CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) is a typical disease in this category. Neuropathic pain is extremely intractable when it becomes chronic pain, inducing psychological and physical pain in patients over a long period of time. ⋯ In the stage of chronic pain, it is very important to improve patients' ADL (activity of daily living) and QOL (quality of life). If neuropathic pain is suspected, it is crucial to treat at an early stage. Therefore, it should be emphasized that when pain persists after a needle stick, the patient should immediately consult a pain clinician or an orthopedist.