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Introduction: Nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) was proposed by the Japanese Respiratory Society in 2011. However, the clinical characteristics of NHCAP are still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to clarify its clinical characteristics., Methods: This multicenter prospective observational study included 596 patients with NHCAP from 73 centers in Japan between May 2014 and February 2016., Results: Patient background was characterized by an older age (81.5 ± 10.1 years), most patients had complications (94.1%), and many patients had a high probability of aspiration pneumonia (68.6%). Among the isolates, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common (12.7%), while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also isolated at 10.8%. The overall 30-day mortality rate for patients was 11.9%, and the factors affecting mortality were non-ambulatory status, high blood urea nitrogen level, impaired consciousness, and low albumin level. Sulbactam/ampicillin was the most commonly administered antibiotic, including in groups with high severity of illness and high risk of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. Both the A-DROP and I-ROAD scores were useful in predicting the prognosis of NHCAP. Confirmation of intention to provide do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) instructions was given to 333 patients (55.9%), and 313 patients agreed to DNAR instructions., Conclusions: NHCAP tends to occur in elderly patients with underlying diseases. The risk of MDR pathogens and the mortality rate are intermediate for community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired pneumonia. As NHCAP is considered an important concept in an aging society, such as in Japan, establishing a treatment strategy that considers not only prognosis but also quality of life would be beneficial., (Copyright © 2022 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Influenza remains a clinically heavy burden worldwide. It is well known that some populations are at high risk of complications from influenza, whereas, even previously healthy people might suffer from severe influenza. The objective of this study was to clarify clinical manifestations of hospitalized patients without risk factors infected with influenza., Methods: The clinical data for patients who were severely ill with influenza, and required hospitalization were gathered and analyzed between November 2014 and August 2020 (6 influenza seasons) using an internet-surveillance system. Among them, the patients who had no risk factors of complications from influenza were extracted., Results: Finally, a total of 91 patients (9.0% of all influenza-related hospitalizations) without risk factors were analyzed. The no risk group was younger than the risk group, though other significant differences of clinical characteristics were not recognized between the groups. Pneumonia was the most common cause of hospitalization in the no risk group, and primary influenza viral pneumonia was the most common pneumonia. Antiviral drugs were administered in 96.7% of the no-risk group, and artificial ventilation was performed in 18.7%. In-hospital death was recorded for 3 patients without risk factors., Conclusions: Severe complications of influenza which required hospitalization may occur in a certain degree of patients with no risk factors. Efforts are needed to diagnose and treat influenza appropriately even in previously healthy younger patients. Continuous nationwide surveillance will be required to clarify risk factors for severe influenza even in previously healthy younger patients. (UMIN000015989)., (Copyright © 2022 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Although complication with non-mycobacterial pneumonia among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) may lead to poor prognosis, discrimination between TB complicated with and without non-mycobacterial pneumonia using radiological imaging has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to clarify the differences in chest computed tomography (CT) features between pulmonary TB patients with culture-positive and culture-negative sputum for non-mycobacteria.We retrospectively included consecutive patients admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 for bacteriologically-confirmed pulmonary TB, who were tested by sputum culture for non-mycobacteria, and who underwent chest CT within 2 weeks before or after admission. Chest CT features were compared between pulmonary TB patients who had positive non-mycobacterial cultures and in those who had not.Of 202 patients with pulmonary TB, 186 (92%) were tested by sputum culture for non-mycobacteria and underwent chest CT. Among these, non-mycobacteria were isolated in 118 patients (63%), while 68 patients (37%) had negative cultures. Patients with a positive culture for non-mycobacteria were significantly older and had lower levels of physical activity and albumin, higher levels of C-reactive protein, and a greater number of respiratory failures. By CT, emphysematous lesions, ground-glass opacities, airspace consolidation, air-bronchogram, interlobular septal thickening, bronchiectasis, pleural effusion, pleural thickening, and lymph node enlargement were more frequently in patients with a positive culture for non-mycobacteria. These chest CT features could be helpful for detecting complication with non-mycobacterial pneumonia in patients with pulmonary TB., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Whether acute respiratory failure in patients with interstitial lung disease is reversible remains uncertain. Consequently, indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in these patients are still controversial, except as a bridge to lung transplantation. The objective of this study was to clarify in-hospital mortality and prognostic factors in interstitial lung disease patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Methods: In this case-control study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, hospitalized interstitial lung disease patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation from 2010 to 2017 were reviewed. Patients' characteristics and treatment regimens were compared between survivors and non-survivors to identify prognostic factors. To avoid selection biases, patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation were excluded., Results: A total of 164 interstitial lung disease patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were included. Their in-hospital mortality was 74.4% (122/164). Compared with survivors, non-survivors were older and received high-dose cyclophosphamide, protease inhibitors, and antifungal drugs more frequently, but macrolides and anti-influenza drugs less frequently. On multivariate analysis, the following factors were associated with in-hospital mortality: advanced age (odds ratio [OR] 1.043; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009-1.078), non-use of macrolides (OR 0.305; 95% CI 0.134-0.698), and use of antifungal drugs (OR 2.416; 95% CI 1.025-5.696)., Conclusions: Approximately three-quarters of interstitial lung disease patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation died in hospital. Moreover, advanced age, non-use of macrolides, and use of antifungal drugs were found to correlate with a poor prognosis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Influenza remains a clinically heavy burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to clarify clinical manifestations of severely ill patients infected with influenza., Methods: The clinical data for patients who were severely ill with influenza, and required hospitalization were gathered and analyzed between November 2014 and August 2019 (5 influenza seasons) using an internet-surveillance system., Results: A total of 924 patients were enrolled and analyzed. The median age was 78 years (IQR, 67-84), and the patients in the 2015-2016 season were significantly younger than those in other seasons. Pneumonia was the most common disease indicated as a cause for hospitalization, followed by a poor general condition and exacerbation of underlying respiratory diseases. Antiviral drugs were administered in 97.0% of the patients with peramivir being the most-frequently use antiviral. In-hospital death was recorded for 44 patients (4.8%). Multivariate analysis indicated that nursing home resident (OR: 6.554) and obesity (OR: 24.343) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: Complications of influenza infection remain a heavy burden especially among the elderly. Continuous nationwide surveillance will be required to grasp the actual situation of influenza epidemics. (UMIN000015989)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Seki M received scholarship and honorarium from Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Fujita J received honorarium from Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Kadota J received scholarship from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Izumikawa K received scholarship and honorarium from Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Kakeya H received scholarship and honorarium from Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Watanabe A received honorarium from Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Taisyo Phar, Co., Ltd., Tanabe Mitsubishi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., MSD Co., Ltd., FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd., and Pfizer Co., Ltd. He received scholarship from Astellas Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Daiicgi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Ishida T, Oishi K, Tateda K, Kawana A, Kikuchi T, Ohmagari N, Yamada M, Maruyama T, Takazono T, Miki M, Miyazaki Y, Yamazaki Y, Ogawa K, Nagai H have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Erector spinae muscle (ESM) size has been reported as a predictor of prognosis in patients with some respiratory diseases. This study aimed to assess the association of ESM size on all-cause in-hospital mortality among elderly patients with pneumonia. We retrospectively included patients (age: ≥ 65 years) admitted to hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 for community-acquired pneumonia who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) on admission. The cross-sectional area of the ESM (ESMcsa) was measured on a single-slice CT image at the end of the 12th thoracic vertebra and adjusted by body surface area (BSA). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the influence of ESMcsa/BSA on in-hospital mortality. Among 736 patients who were admitted for pneumonia, 702 patients (95%) underwent chest CT. Of those, 689 patients (98%) for whom height and weight were measured to calculate BSA were included in this study. Patients in the non-survivor group were significantly older, had a greater frequency of respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, lower body mass index, hemoglobin, albumin, and ESMcsa/BSA. Multivariate analysis showed that a lower ESMcsa/BSA independently predicted in-hospital mortality after adjusting for these variables. In elderly patients with pneumonia, quantification of ESMcsa/BSA may be associated with in-hospital mortality.

Introduction: Although the aging population had been increasing in many countries, the factors associated with sputum conversion in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis have not been fully elucidated., Objectives: We aimed to identify the predictors of delayed sputum conversion and to assess the impact of non-conversion on mortality during tuberculosis treatment in elderly patients., Methods: Elderly patients (>65 years) admitted at our hospital in Japan for sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included. The risk factors for sputum non-conversion after 2 months of treatment were determined using multiple logistic regression. Cox hazard regression was used to assess the influence of non-conversion on mortality., Results: We included 185 patients, with median age of 82 years (IQR, 79-88 years). The median time to conversion was 47 (95% CI 43-51) days, and 62 (34%) were identified as non-converters. Multivariate analysis showed that high pretreatment smear grade, high C-reactive protein level and poor performance status were associated with non-conversion. Non-conversion did not contribute to death during treatment., Conclusions: In elderly patients, inflammation level and physical activity level, along with initial smear grade may have a significant impact on delayed sputum conversion. Non-conversion after two months of treatment might not be related with mortality., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: While advanced age has been suggested as a prognostic factor in patients with tuberculosis, the characteristics associated with a poor outcome in elderly patients have remained unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the risk factors for a poor outcome in elderly patients with tuberculosis., Methods: We identified 1255 studies published between 1919 and 2017 from the PubMed database by using combinations of the keywords "tuberculosis [Title/Abstract]" and "elderly [Title/Abstract]". Full texts of the studies that met the inclusion criteria were further evaluated by two independent investigators., Results: even retrospective cohort studies were included in this systematic review. More advanced age, comorbidities, and nutritional status were likely to be prognostic factors in Taiwan (aging country) and Japan (super-aged country), while human immunodeficiency virus infection and severe tuberculosis were associated with a poor outcome in low-income countries. Two studies from Taiwan investigated the prognostic factors of tuberculosis-specific death and non-tuberculosis-specific death separately, but no significant differences were found in the factors between the two types of death., Conclusions: The prognostic factors of tuberculosis in elderly patients varied according to the income levels of the countries. The factors in Taiwan and Japan were mainly associated with host factors, irrespective of the cause of death, which may reflect senile deterioration due to old age., (Copyright © 2019 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Epidemiological Investigation Committee for Human Mycoses in Japan performed a retrospective epidemiological survey of candidemia and causative Candida species. Data from 2003 to 2014 were collected from 10 Japanese university hospitals. A total of 328,318 blood cultures were included. The prevalence of fungi in all cultures and in positive cultures were 0.58±0.09% and 4.46±0.66%, respectively. Among the results that were positive for Candida species (N=1,921), Candida albicans was the most common species (39.5%) and was followed by Candida parapsilosis (23.3%), Candida glabrata (13.2%), Candida tropicalis (7.1%), Candida krusei (3.2%), and others (13.7%). During the last 6 years, the frequency of C. albicans has significantly decreased in Japan, while that of C. glabrata has increased. Additional surveys are needed to continuously monitor the trends in the distribution of candidemia.

Background: In Japan, nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease is mostly attributable to Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), i.e., M. avium or M. intracellulare. However, clinical features of the disease caused by these two pathogens have not been studied sufficiently yet., Methods: A post-marketing survey of clarithromycin was performed at 130 facilities across Japan. The data on patients with M. avium infection and patients with M. intracellulare infection were selected from this survey for comparison of background variables and clinical features of the two pathogens., Results: Among the patients analyzed (n = 368), 67.4% had M. avium infection and 32.6% had M. intracellulare infection. Stratified analysis revealed no significant differences between the ratio of the two pathogens based on gender, disease type, complication, past medical history, or smoking history. However, the percentage of patients with M. intracellulare infection was significantly higher among those with underlying lung disease than among those without lung disease (p = 0.0217). The percentage of patients with M. intracellulare infection rose significantly with age (p = 0.0296). This age-related change was more significant in women (p = 0.0018). When district-wise analysis was performed for Japan, the percentage of M. intracellulare infection was higher in the Chugoku/Shikoku and Kyushu districts whereas the percentage of M. avium infection was higher in the other districts., Conclusions: This survey revealed some differences in the clinical and epidemiologic features of M. avium and M. intracellulare infection. The significant predominance of M. avium infection among relatively young women is suggestive of an increase in the M. avium/M. intracellulare infection ratio among women in the future., (Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic against Gram-positive bacteria. Although thrombocytopenia is a major adverse effect of linezolid, hyponatremia also often develops after linezolid administration. This study examined the frequency of hyponatremia that developed during linezolid treatment and identified its risk factors. In this retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study, 61 hospitalized patients treated with linezolid between January 2013 and January 2015 were analyzed. Hyponatremia was defined as a sodium level of ≤134 mEq/L for the duration of linezolid treatment. Its risk factors were identified via a logistic regression analysis. Hyponatremia occurred in 11 (18.0%) patients, and it was severe in a case (a sodium level of ≤128 mEq/L). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses identified the plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level before the initial administration of linezolid and the concomitant use of a potassium-sparing diuretic as the independent variables associated with the development of hyponatremia. The odds ratios were 1.081 (95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.008-1.158) (p=0.028) and 11.017 (95% CI; 1.869-64.939) (p=0.008), respectively. Before linezolid treatment, the CRP levels of the hyponatremia group were significantly higher than those of the no-hyponatremia group (p<0.001). The frequency of hyponatremia development was significantly higher in the patients who received both the potassium-sparing diuretic and linezolid (p=0.016). These results suggest that the plasma sodium levels of patients with severe inflammation who are treated with linezolid and those of linezolid-treated patients co-administered a potassium-sparing diuretic should be continuously monitored.