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Owing to its mitogenic and angiogenic characteristics, the use of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to promote wound healing has been investigated. However, its clinical efficacy has fallen short of expectations due to its instability. Heparin has been reported to stabilize bFGF. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of these agents would more effectively promote wound healing than bFGF alone; a single-center, two-arm parallel, single-blind, and a prospective randomized controlled pilot study was therefore performed involving 12 patients who underwent split-thickness skin graft harvesting. To ensure a feasible clinical treatment model, commercially available agents were used. The patients were randomly assigned to either the control group treated with bFGF (n = 6) or the intervention group treated with bFGF and heparin (n = 6) in a 1:1 ratio. The wound area and the wound area variation was assessed each week postoperatively, as was the number of days required for epithelialization. As a supplementary analysis, the least-squares means were calculated using a linear mixed-effects model. The results of this study indicate that the combination of bFGF and heparin may more effectively promote wound healing than bFGF alone, consistent with our hypothesis. A multicenter trial based on these data is ongoing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Cytoreduction in leukostasis can be achieved using leukapheresis. We report a case of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) identified by a persistent erection, which was successfully treated using the Spectra Optia®︎ apheresis system. A 29-year-old male presented with an erection for 12 hours without identified triggers and no improvement despite penile corpus cavernosum puncture. His white blood cell count was 458,930/μL. A diagnosis of CML-induced persistent erection with secondary hyperleukocytosis was established. Following an emergency bilateral penile corpus cavernosum incision (distal shunting), he received hydroxyurea and febuxostat. Persistent erection resolved after leukapheresis for two consecutive days. Rapid leukocyte count reduction can effectively address leukostasis in CML without major complications., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kamidani et al.)

The success rate of flap tissue reconstruction has increased in recent years owing to advancements in microsurgical techniques. However, complications, such as necrosis, are still more prevalent in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic individuals, presenting an ongoing challenge. To address this issue, many previous studies have examined vascular anastomoses dilation and stability, primarily concerning surgical techniques or drugs. In contrast, in the present study, we focused on microvascular damage of the peripheral microvessels in patients with diabetes mellitus and the preventative impact of nafamostat mesylate. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of hyperglycemia on glycocalyx (GCX) levels in mice with type 2 diabetes. We examined the endothelial GCX (eGCX) in skin flap tissue of 9-12-week-old type 2 diabetic mice (db/db mice) using a perforator skin flap and explored treatment with nafamostat mesylate. The growth rates were compared after 1 week. Heterotype (db/+) mice were used as the control group. Morphological examination of postoperative tissues was performed at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-surgery. In addition, db/db mice were treated with 30 mg/kg/day of nafamostat mesylate daily and were evaluated on postoperative day 7. Seven days after surgery, all db/db mice showed significant partial flap necrosis. Temporal observation of the skin flaps revealed a stasis-like discoloration and necrosis starting from the contralateral side of the remaining perforating branch. The control group did not exhibit flap necrosis, and the flap remained intact. In the quantitative assessment of endothelial glycans using lectins, intensity scoring showed that the eGCX in the db/db group was significantly thinner than that in the db/+ group. These results were consistent with the scanning electron microscopy findings. In contrast, treatment with nafamostat mesylate significantly improved the flap engraftment rate and suppressed eGCX injury. In conclusion, treatment with nafamostat mesylate improves the disrupted eGCX structure of skin flap tissue in db/db mice, potentially ameliorating the impaired capillary-to-venous return in the skin flap tissue., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) features a hypercoagulable state, but therapeutic anticoagulation effectiveness varies with disease severity. We aimed to evaluate the dynamics of the coagulation profile and its association with COVID-19 severity, outcomes, and biomarker trajectories., Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study included patients with COVID-19 requiring respiratory support. Rotational thromboelastometry findings were evaluated for coagulation and fibrinolysis status. Hypercoagulable status was defined as supranormal range of maximum clot elasticity in an external pathway. Longitudinal laboratory parameters were collected to characterize the coagulation phenotype., Results: Of 166 patients, 90 (54%) were severely ill at inclusion (invasive mechanical ventilation, 84; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, 6). Higher maximum elasticity ( P =0.02) and lower maximum lysis in the external pathway ( P =0.03) were observed in severely ill patients compared with the corresponding values in patients on non-invasive oxygen supplementation. Hypercoagulability components correlated with platelet and fibrinogen levels. Hypercoagulable phenotype was associated with favorable outcomes in severely ill patients, while normocoagulable phenotype was not (median time to recovery, 15 days vs. 27 days, P =0.002), but no significant association was observed in moderately ill patients. In patients with severe COVID-19, lower initial C3, minimum C3, CH50, and greater changes in CH50 were associated with the normocoagulable phenotype. Changes in complement components correlated with dynamics of coagulation markers, hematocrit, and alveolar injury markers., Conclusions: While hypercoagulable states become more evident with increasing severity of respiratory disease in patients with COVID-19, normocoagulable phenotype is associated with triggered by alternative pathway activation and poor outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Kasugai, Tanaka, Suzuki, Ito, Nishida, Ozaki, Kutsuna, Yokoyama, Kaneko, Ogata, Matsui, Goshima, Hamada, Ishii, Kodama, Jingushi, Ishikura, Kamidani, Tada, Okada, Yamamoto and Goto.)

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI), with a fatality rate of 8.6%, is one of the most common types of multiorgan failure in the intensive care unit (ICU). Thus, AKI should be diagnosed early, and early interventions should be implemented. Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) could aid in the diagnosis of AKI., Methods: In this prospective, single-center, observational study, we included 100 patients with trauma. Urinary L-FABP levels were measured using a semi-quantitative rapid assay kit 6 and 12 h after injury. Negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive urinary L-FABP levels were examined using two protocols. Using protocol 1, measurements were performed at 6 h after injury negative levels were considered "negative," and weakly positive and strongly positive levels were considered "positive." Using protocol 2, strongly positive levels at 6 h after injury were considered "positive," and negative or weakly positive levels at 6 h after injury were considered "positive" if they were weakly positive or positive at 12 h after injury., Results: Fifteen patients were diagnosed with AKI. Using protocol 1, the odds ratio (OR) was 20.55 ( p = 0.001) after adjustment for the injury severity score (ISS), contrast media use, and shock index. When the L-FABP levels at 6 and 12 h were similarly adjusted for those three factors, the OR was 18.24 ( p < 0.001). The difference in ORs for protocols 1 and 2 was 1.619 ( p = 0.04)., Discussion: Associations between urinary L-FABP and AKI can be examined more precisely by performing measurements at 6 and 12 h after injury than only one time at 6 h., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yasuda, Suzuki, Okada, Ishihara, Minamiyama, Kamidani, Kitagawa, Fukuta, Suzuki, Miyake, Yoshida, Tetsuka and Ogura.)

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the impact of augmented renal clearance (ARC) on anticoagulation therapy in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with severe COVID-19 with ARC who had been treated at our hospital between 2020 and 2021. We measured the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (eGFR CKD-EPI ) every morning, and ARC condition was defined as eGFR CKD-EPI ≥ 130 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Multivariate regression analysis with Huber-White sandwich estimator was performed to examine the association of unfractionated heparin (UH) dosage between blood test timings with activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) compared with and without ARC., Results: We identified 38 enrolled patients: seven and 31 in the ARC and non-ARC groups, respectively. In the ARC coexisting condition, a higher dose of UH, which corresponded to the total dose in 24 h from the previous day, was required to achieve the same APTT prolongation, with a significant difference (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Our study suggests that careful monitoring and consideration of higher UH doses in critically ill patients with COVID-19 is necessary because anticoagulation failure can occur during ARC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rhabdomyolysis is characterized by the destruction and necrosis of skeletal muscle tissue, resulting in acute kidney injury (AKI). Recombinant antithrombin (rAT) has DNA repair and vascular endothelial-protection properties. Herein, we investigated whether rAT therapy has beneficial effects against rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. Ten-week-old male B6 mice were injected with 5 mL/kg of 50% glycerol intramuscularly in the left thigh after 24 h of fasting to create a rhabdomyolysis mouse model. Further, 750 IU/kg rAT was injected intraperitoneally at 24 and 72 h after the rhabdomyolysis model was established. The mice were euthanized after 96 h for histological analysis. Saline was administered to mice in the control group., Results: Blood tests show elevated serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in rhabdomyolysis. Loss of tubular epithelial cell nuclei and destruction of the tubular luminal surface structure was observed in the untreated group, which improved with rAT treatment. Immunostaining for Ki-67 showed increased Ki-67-positive nuclei in the tubular epithelial cells in the rAT group, suggesting that rAT may promote tubular epithelial cell regeneration. The microvilli of the brush border of the renal tubules were shed during rhabdomyolysis, and rAT treatment reduced this injury. The vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which is usually impaired by rhabdomyolysis, became functional following rAT treatment., Conclusions: Treatment with rAT suppressed rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI, suggesting that rAT therapy may be a novel therapeutic approach., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Early use of hemostasis strategies, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is critical in cases of pelvic injury because of the risk of hemorrhagic shock and other fatal injuries. We investigated the influence of delays in TAE administration on mortality., Methods: Patients admitted to the Advanced Critical Care Center at Gifu University with pelvic injury between January 2008 and December 2019, and who underwent acute TAE, were retrospectively enrolled. The time from when the doctor decided to administer TAE to the start of TAE (needling time) was defined as "decision-TAE time.", Results: We included 158 patients, of whom 23 patients died. The median decision-TAE time was 59.5 min. Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival were compared between patients with decision-TAE time above and below the median cutoff value; survival was significantly better for patients with values below the median cutoff value ( p  = 0.020). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the longer the decision-TAE time, the higher the risk of mortality ( p  = 0.031). TAE duration modified the association between decision-TAE time and overall survival ( p  = 0.109), as shorter TAE duration (procedure time) was associated with the best survival rate ( p for interaction = 0.109)., Conclusion: Decision-TAE time may play a key role in establishing resuscitation procedures in patients with pelvic fracture, and efforts to shorten this time should be pursued., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Mizuno, Miyake, Okada, Ishihara, Kanda, Ichihashi, Kamidani, Fukuta, Yoshida, Nagata, Kawada, Matsuo, Yoshida and Ogura.)

Background/objective: Acute pancreatitis is an aseptic inflammation caused by pathologically activated pancreatic enzymes and inflammatory mediators produced secondarily by neutrophils and other inflammatory cells and is one of the most difficult diseases to treat. This study aimed to investigate the role of neutrophils in pancreatitis by examining tissue dynamics., Methods: We created a model of caerulein-induced pancreatitis in 12-week-old male granulocyte colony-stimulating factor knockout mice (G-CSF-KO) and wild-type littermate control mice (six intraperitoneal injections of caerulein [80 μg/kg body weight] at hourly intervals for 2 days). Mice were sacrificed 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, and 168 h after caerulein administration and examined histologically., Results: The survival rate after one week of caerulein administration was 100 % in the control mice, whereas it was significantly lower (10 %) in the G-CSF-KO mice. Histological examination revealed significant hemorrhage and inflammatory cell migration in the G-CSF-KO mice, indicating prolonged inflammation., Conclusion: Prolonged inflammation was observed in the G-CSF-KO mice. Tissue cleanup by neutrophils during the acute phase of inflammation may influence healing through the chronic phase., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Intradialytic hypotension and arrhythmias are complications of hemodialysis. They are associated with decreased intravascular volume due to reduced ultrafiltration volume, cardiac function, and arterial tone. The vascular endothelial glycocalyx, which exists on the surface of healthy vascular endothelial cells and maintains vascular permeability, has been suggested to be impaired by hemodialysis. This single-center retrospective study evaluated the association between syndecan-1, an endothelial glycocalyx dysfunction marker, and complications of hemodialysis. We enrolled 92 patients who underwent outpatient hemodialysis at Gifu Seiryu Hospital from April to July 2022 (346 hemodialysis sessions). The median duration and time of hemodialysis were 40 months and 4.1 h, respectively. Median serum syndecan-1 levels were 67.7 ng/mL before and 98.3 ng/mL after hemodialysis. Hemodialysis complications were noted in 68 sessions, all of which were hypotension. No correlation between pre-hemodialysis syndecan-1 levels and the incidence of complications was observed. However, a positive correlation between the amount of change in syndecan-1 levels before and after hemodialysis and the incidence of hemodialysis complications was noted. Conversely, syndecan-1 levels did not correlate with brain or atrial natriuretic peptides, suggesting that impairment of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx may be a possible cause of intradialytic hypotension and may be useful in preventing intradialytic hypotension., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), is a severe rash that often develops 2-6 weeks after the intake of the causative drug; however, its diagnosis is sometimes difficult. This article describes a case in which a patient with DIHS-induced multiple organ failure was successfully treated with blood purification therapy., Case Presentation: A male patient in his 60s was admitted to our hospital with autoimmune encephalitis. The patient was treated with steroid pulse therapy, acyclovir, levetiracetam, and phenytoin. From the 25th day, he presented with fever (≥ 38 °C) as well as miliary-sized erythema on the extremities and trunk, followed by erosions. DIHS and SJS were suspected; accordingly, levetiracetam, phenytoin, and acyclovir were discontinued. On the 30th day, his condition further deteriorated, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit for ventilatory management. The next day, he developed multi-organ failure and was started on hemodiafiltration (HDF) for acute kidney injury. Although he presented with hepatic dysfunction and the appearance of atypical lymphocytes, he did not meet the diagnostic criteria for DIHS or SJS/toxic epidermal necrolysis. Therefore, he was diagnosed with multi-organ failure caused by severe drug eruption and underwent a 3-day treatment with plasma exchange (PE) in addition to HDF. Accordingly, the patient was diagnosed with atypical DIHS. After being started on blood purification therapy, the skin rash began to disappear; moreover, the organ damage improved, with a gradual increase in urine output. Eventually, the patient was weaned off the ventilator and transferred to the hospital on the 101st day., Conclusions: HDF + PE could effectively treat multi-organ failure caused by atypical DIHS, which is difficult to diagnose., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Snow sports are a popular recreational activity; however, the incidence of injury of snow sports can be high for skiers and snowboarders. Our hospital receives severe trauma cases from snow resorts and hospitals throughout the region. This study aimed to determine whether the risk of snow sports-related major trauma that requires emergency surgery under general anesthesia varies by the equipment and injury mechanism., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with snow sports trauma referred to Gifu University Hospital, Japan between November 2010 and March 2020. We analyzed the need for emergency operation under general anesthesia within 24 h using Fisher's exact test. We identified 106 patients: (1) 90 in the snowboarders' group and 16 in the skiers' group or (2) 46 in the fall after jumping group (jumping group), 27 in the collide with other people and obstacle group (collision group), and 33 in the fall during gliding group (gliding group)., Results: Snowboarders were nearly twice as likely as skiers to require emergency surgery under general anesthesia (44% vs. 25%; p = 0.236]. No significant associations were found between emergency surgery under general anesthesia and injury mechanism, but half of the patients in the jumping group required emergency surgery., Conclusions: Snowboard as equipment and falls after jumping as a mechanism of injury tended to be associated with emergency surgery under general anesthesia, with no significant differences. In order to provide adequate resources for snow sports trauma, the cause of the patient's injury is strongly related to the urgency of the condition, and transport to a trauma center should be actively considered. Further studies are warranted with respect to the effects of personal protective equipment and skill level., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: This study aimed to compare outcomes among patients who sustained major trauma from injury with and without receiving antiplatelet therapy (APT) or anticoagulant therapy (ACT) to test the hypothesis that APT does not increase the risk of mortality. However, ACT increases the mortality risk in the acute phase of trauma., Methods: Patients registered in the Japanese Observational body for Coagulation and Thrombolysis in Early Trauma 2 between April 2017 and March 2018 who had sustained a severe injury in any anatomic region of the body, as determined using an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 were included in this retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the mortality within 24 h from the arrival using a multivariable linear regression analysis adjusted for several confounding variables., Results: We identified 1,186 eligible participants who met the inclusion criteria for this study: 105 in the APT (cases), 1,081 in the non-antiplatelet therapy (nAPT) group (controls), 65 in the ACT (cases), and 1,121 in the non-anticoagulant therapy (nACT) group (controls). The mortality within 24 h in the ACT group was significantly higher than in the nACT group (odds ratio 4.5; 95%CI: 1.2-16.79; p = 0.025); however, there was no significant difference between the two groups with or without the antiplatelet drug (odds ratio 0.32; 95%CI: 0.04-2.79; p = 0.3) administration. Other outcomes, like the 28-day mortality, mortality at discharge, and surgery for hemostasis, were not significantly different between regular users and non-users of either antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs., Conclusion: Regular antiplatelet medications did not increase mortality within 24 h, 28 days, or at discharge in patients with major trauma, suggesting that standard treatment, including surgery, is sufficient., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yamaji, Okada, Kamidani, Kawasaki, Yoshimura, Mizuno, Kitagawa, Fukuta, Ishihara, Suzuki, Miyake, Kanda, Doi, Yoshida, Yoshida and Ogura.)

Introduction: Myocardial dysfunction occurs in patients with sepsis due to vascular endothelial injury. Recombinant human thrombomodulin (rhTM) attenuates vascular endothelial injuries through endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) protection., Hypothesis: We hypothesized that rhTM attenuates myocardial dysfunction via the inhibition of vascular endothelial injury during sepsis., Methods: Ten-week-old male C57BL6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 20 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In rhTM-treated mice, rhTM was injected intraperitoneally at 3 and 24 h after LPS injection. Saline was injected intraperitoneally as control. To assess for eGC injury, intensity score was measured 48 h after the LPS injection. To confirm vascular endothelial injuries, ultrastructural analysis was performed using scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)., Results: The survival rate of the rhTM group at 48 h after LPS injection was significantly higher than that of the control group (68% vs. 17%, p < 0.05). The serum level of troponin I in the rhTM group was lower than that in the control (2.2 ± 0.4 ng/dL vs 9.4 ± 1.1 ng/dL, p < 0.05). The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was attenuated in the rhTM-treated group than in the control (65.3 ± 15.3 ng/mL vs 226.3 ± 19.4 ng/mL, p < 0.05). The serum concentration of syndecan-1, a marker of glycocalyx damage, was significantly decreased 48 h post-administration of LPS in the rhTM-treated group than in the control group. In ultrastructural analysis using SEM and TEM, eGC peeled off from the surface of the capillary lumen in the control. Conversely, the eGC injury was attenuated in the rhTM group. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that osteomodulin, osteoglycin proline/arginine-rich end leucine-rich repeat protein, and glypican-1, which are proteoglycans, were preserved by rhTM treatment. Their protein expression was retained in endothelial cells., Conclusion: rhTM attenuates sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction via eGC protection., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Tissue injury and hemorrhage induced by trauma lead to degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx, causing syndecan-1 (SDC-1) to be shed into the blood. In this study, we investigated whether serum SDC-1 is useful for evaluating trauma severity in patients. A single-center, retrospective, observational study was conducted at Gifu University Hospital. Patients transported to the emergency room for trauma and subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit from January 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled. A linear regression model was constructed to evaluate the association of serum SDC-1 with injury severity score (ISS) and probability of survival (Ps). A total of 76 trauma patients (54 men and 22 women) were analyzed. ISS was significantly associated with serum SDC-1 level in trauma patients. Among the six body regions defined in the AIS used to calculate the ISS score, "chest" and "abdominal or pelvic contents" were significantly associated with serum SDC-1 level, and "extremities or pelvic girdle" also tended to show an association with serum SDC-1 level. Moreover, increasing serum SDC-1 level was significantly correlated with decreasing Ps. Serum SDC-1 may be a useful biomarker for monitoring the severity of trauma in patients. Further large-scale studies are warranted to verify these results., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Suzuki, Okada, Sumi, Tomita, Kobayashi, Ishihara, Mizuno, Yamaji, Kamidani, Miura, Yasuda, Kitagawa, Fukuta, Suzuki, Miyake, Kanda, Doi, Yoshida, Yoshida, Tetsuka, Ogura and Suzuki.)

Background: We present a case of a rare complication of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) wherein there was fixation of a meshed split-thickness skin graft (STSG), suspected as a failure by hypergranulation. However, the meshed STSG was integrated within 5 days of NPWT cessation., Case Presentation: A 22-year-old Asian man sustained 25% total-body-surface-area flame burns. After multiple operations, an ulcer was present on the proximal left thigh. On day 37 after admission, the ulcer was debrided, and an 11/1000-inch (0.28 mm) skin graft was taken from the ipsilateral thigh and meshed, using a 1:1.5 ratio. NPWT was applied to the donor and recipient sites with a continuous negative pressure of 125 mmHg. On day 43, NPWT was discontinued. The skin grafts were not identified on the surface of the granulation tissue. With topical ointment therapy, rapid epithelialization of the ulcer was observed as the granulation tissue regressed. On day 48, the recipient site had completely epithelialized., Conclusions: The hypergranulation tissue rarely covered the meshed STSGs when the grafts were fixed by NPWT. In that case, immediate debridement should be avoided, and conservative treatment should be initiated., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Benzyl alcohol is used as stripping agent in paints and other applications, and benzyl alcohol poisoning is indicated by symptoms, such as impaired consciousness, respiratory depression, hypotension, metabolic acidosis, and renal dysfunction., Case Presentation: A 27-year-old Asian man was transported to a hospital for severe disturbance of consciousness following exposure to a paint stripper containing benzyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, and hydrogen peroxide, which he was using to repaint a bridge. The patient was treated under sedation for benzyl alcohol poisoning. On day 3 of hospitalization, his abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a paralytic ileus, so he was transferred to our hospital. The combined toxicity from multiple substances, mainly benzyl alcohol, was thought to be a contributing factor for the paralytic ileus. Upon arrival, the patient also had chemical burns, hypernatremia, and elevated myogenic enzyme levels. His urinary hippuric acid level was high (14.9 g/L) upon admission to the previous hospital. We treated the patient with artificial respiration management, while avoiding high-density oxygen, and with gastrointestinal decompression by gastric tube implantation; laxatives were also administered. The paralytic ileus improved on the 4th day, the tube was removed on the 6th day, and the patient was discharged on the 11th day of hospitalization. No apparent complications were observed at discharge., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of paralytic ileus caused by benzyl alcohol, although multiple factors may have influenced the symptoms. After exposure to benzyl alcohol by inhalation and dermal absorption, the patient developed impaired consciousness, metabolic acidosis, and paralytic ileus, and the presence of elevated urinary hippuric acid led to a definitive diagnosis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Leriche syndrome is caused by atherosclerosis and is often characterized by symptoms such as intermittent claudication and numbness and coldness of the lower limbs. Its exact prevalence and incidence are unknown because it is a rare disease. We report a case of Leriche syndrome diagnosed incidentally on trauma pan-scan computed tomography (CT)., Case Presentation: A 61-year-old Asian male was driving a passenger car and had a head-on collision with a dump truck that required an emergency call. The patient was transported to our hospital in a doctor's helicopter. Physical examination revealed the following vital signs: respiratory rate, 23 breaths per min; SpO 2 , 98% under a 10-L administration mask; pulse rate, 133 beats per min; blood pressure, 142/128 mmHg; Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma, positive; Glasgow Coma Scale assessment, E3V5M6; and body temperature, 35.9 °C. Trauma pan-scan CT showed bilateral mandibular fractures, bilateral multiple rib fractures, bilateral pneumothorax, sternal fractures, hematoma around thoracic spine, small bowel perforation, mesenteric injury, right clavicle fracture, right ankle debridement injury, and thrombotic occlusion from just above the abdominal aortic bifurcation to the bilateral common iliac arteries. Although thrombotic occlusion needed to be differentiated from traumatic aortic injury, the presence of collateral blood vessels led to the diagnosis of Leriche syndrome, and conservative treatment was performed. Damage control surgery was required for the small bowel injuries. From the second day of admission, the patient was treated with continuous intravenous heparin and prostaglandin preparations. However, impaired blood flow and reperfusion injury in the right lower extremity progressed. On the fifth day of admission, right thigh amputation was performed. The patient required renal replacement therapy for 2 weeks starting from the third day of admission., Conclusions: In this case, conservative therapy was initially chosen for Leriche syndrome. However, the complex factors in the acute phase of trauma led to development of hemorrhagic necrosis, requiring amputation of the lower extremity. Our findings indicate the need to carefully consider the unique factors affecting Leriche syndrome patients when considering treatment indications and choices for trauma., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Glycocalyx is present on the surface of healthy endothelium, and the concentration of serum syndecan-1 can serve as an injury marker. This study aimed to assess endothelial injury using serum syndecan-1 as a marker of endothelial glycocalyx injury in patients who underwent hemodialysis. In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, 145 patients who underwent hemodialysis at the Gifu University Hospital between March 2017 and December 2019 were enrolled. The median dialysis period and time were 63 months and 3.7 h, respectively. The serum syndecan-1 concentration significantly increased from 124.6 ± 107.8 ng/ml before hemodialysis to 229.0 ± 138.1 ng/ml after hemodialysis ( P < 0.001). Treatment with anticoagulant nafamostat mesylate inhibited hemodialysis-induced increase in the levels of serum syndecan-1 in comparison to unfractionated heparin. Dialysis time and the change in the syndecan-1 concentration were positively correlated. Conversely, the amount of body fluid removed and the changes in the syndecan-1 concentration were not significantly correlated. The reduction in the amount of body fluid removed and dialysis time inhibited the change in the syndecan-1 levels before and after hemodialysis. In conclusion, quantitative assessment of the endothelial glycocalyx injury during hemodialysis can be performed by measuring the serum syndecan-1 concentration, which may aid in the selection of appropriate anticoagulants, reduction of hemodialysis time, and the amount of body fluid removed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kusuzawa, Suzuki, Okada, Suzuki, Takada, Nagaya, Yasuda, Okamoto, Ishihara, Tomita, Kawasaki, Minamiyama, Nishio, Fukuda, Shimada, Tamaoki, Yoshida, Nakashima, Chiba, Yoshimura, Kamidani, Miura, Oiwa, Yamaji, Mizuno, Miyake, Kitagawa, Fukuta, Doi, Suzuki, Yoshida, Tetsuka, Yoshida and Ogura.)

Syndecan-1 is found in the endothelial glycocalyx and is released into the bloodstream during stressed conditions, including severe diseases such as acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the prognostic value of serum syndecan-1 concentration in patients with heart failure upon admission. Serum syndecan-1 concentration was analyzed in 152 patients who were hospitalized for worsening heart failure from September 2017 to June 2018. The primary outcome of the study was readmission-free survival, defined as the time from the first admission to readmission for worsened heart failure or death from any cause, which was assessed at 30 months after discharge from the hospital. The secondary outcome of the study was survival time. Blood samples and echocardiogram data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariable time-dependent Cox regression analyses adjusted for age, creatinine levels, and use of antibiotics were conducted. The serum syndecan-1 concentration was significantly associated with readmission-free survival. Subsequently, the syndecan-1 concentration may have gradually decreased with treatment. The administration of human atrial natriuretic peptide and antibiotics may have modified the relationship between readmission-free survival and serum syndecan-1 concentration (p = 0.01 and 0.008, respectively). Serum syndecan-1 concentrations, which may indicate injury to the endothelial glycocalyx, predict readmission-free survival in patients with heart failure., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest relevant to the content of this manuscript.

To evaluate the effect of cryoprecipitate (CRYO) transfusion in women referred for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). This retrospective cohort study included patients with primary PPH referred to Gifu University Hospital between April 2013 and March 2020. We analyzed the effect of CRYO transfusion on fluid balance 24 h after the initial examination using a multivariable linear regression model adjusted for several confounding variables. To evaluate whether outcomes were modified by active bleeding, an interaction term of CRYO*active bleeding was incorporated into the multivariable model. We identified 157 women: 38 in the CRYO group (cases) and 119 in the control group. Fluid balance in the aforementioned period tended to decrease in the CRYO group compared with that in the control group (coefficient - 398.91; 95% CI - 1298.08 to + 500.26; p = 0.382). Active bleeding on contrast-enhanced computed tomography affected the relationship between CRYO transfusion and fluid balance (p = 0.016). Other outcomes, except for the overall transfusion requirement, were not significantly different; however, the interaction effect of active bleeding was significant (p = 0.016). CRYO transfusion may decrease the fluid balance in the first 24 h in PPH patients, especially in those without active bleeding., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a condition that involves the development of pulmonary hypertension due to the presence of microscopic tumor emboli of the peripheral pulmonary arteries. Here, we report a case of rapidly exacerbating PTTM associated with gastric cancer that was identified postmortem through pathological autopsy., Case Presentation: A 52-year-old Asian woman who experienced anterior chest pain while coughing visited the orthopedic department of the Gifu University Hospital. She was diagnosed as having multiple osteolytic bone metastases throughout her body and was subsequently scheduled to undergo combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (CT) to search for a primary lesion. However, 4 days after her visit to the orthopedic department, she was unable to stand up and thus visited the emergency department. At the time of admission, physical examination results revealed that she had a percutaneous oxygen saturation level of 90% (on room air) and cyanosis and that she was in a state of hemodynamic shock. Laboratory test results revealed elevated levels of fibrin degradation products and D-dimer in her blood. Chest CT results were normal. She was admitted to the hospital's general ward for follow-up but soon entered a gradually worsening state of shock and respiratory failure. Electrocardiography revealed findings associated with right heart strain; however, contrast-enhanced CT did not reveal the presence of pulmonary embolism. She was admitted to the intensive care unit and was treated for pulmonary hypertension; however, 45 h after her arrival at the hospital, she died of respiratory failure. A pathological autopsy revealed the presence of gastric cancer, tumor microemboli, and fibrous intimal thickening of the peripheral arteries of both lungs; thus, a diagnosis of PTTM was made., Conclusions: In patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site and pulmonary hypertension with pulmonary embolism ruled out by CT, emergency physicians and intensivists must consider the possibility of PTTM, which represents an oncologic emergency, and initiate chemotherapy administration as soon as possible., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Heat-related illnesses include symptoms such as heat syncope/cramps, heat exhaustion, and life-threatening heat stroke. Usually, a heat stroke causes cerebellar ataxia, cognitive impairment, dysphagia, and aphasia. We report a very rare case of a patient who developed severe heat stroke complicated by multiple cerebral infarctions., Case Presentation: An 80-year-old Asian woman was found lying unconscious at her house, with no air conditioner and closed windows; the highest outside temperature was 36.1 °C. She was brought to our hospital unconscious with a high bladder temperature (42.5 °C) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC score 4). She was diagnosed with severe heat stroke and managed with rapid cooling, intravenous fluids therapy, antibiotic therapy, and anti-coagulation therapy for DIC. Anti-coagulation therapy consisted of treatment with recombinant thrombomodulin for 4 days (days 1-4) and recombinant antithrombin for 1 day (day 1). A head computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were performed on day 3, because she was still unconscious. Diffuse-weighted imaging showed high-signal intensities, indicating multiple lesions. An intracranial magnetic resonance angiography showed normal results. Imaging indicated new multiple cerebellar infarctions complicated with DIC. A tracheotomy was performed on day 9 because her conscious condition had not improved. She was transferred to another hospital for subacute care on day 23., Conclusions: Early management of heat stroke using anti-DIC, anti-bacterial, and fluid resuscitation therapy can help prevent complications such as intracranial hemorrhaging.

Objective: To determine the structure of pulmonary tissue under conditions of high oxygen concentration., Methods: Ten-week-old C57BL male mice and control mice were exposed to 100% oxygen and to room air for 72 hours, respectively. To follow the progression of lesions, the mice were sacrificed at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after 100% oxygen administration. Lung specimens obtained from these mice underwent morphologic analysis and immunofluorescence studies. We used scanning and transmission electron microscopy to determine the ultrastructure of the pulmonary capillaries, including the endothelial glycocalyx. To visualize the endothelial glycocalyx, we performed lanthanum nitrate staining., Results: The survival rate of the 100% oxygen administration group was 5% (2/40) and that of the control group was 100%. Perivascular cavity enlargement was detected 12 hours after 100% oxygen administration and expanded over time. Ultrastructural analysis using electron microscopy revealed collapsed alveoli and pulmonary capillary wall and alveolar wall thickening in the 100% oxygen group. The pulmonary capillary endothelial glycocalyx was injured in the 100% oxygen group. The perivascular cavity decreased in mice that were returned to room air after 48 hours of 100% oxygen administration., Conclusion: High-concentration oxygen causes perivascular cavity enlargement; this is thought to be a special characteristic of high oxygen damage. In addition, high-concentration oxygen may be involved in pulmonary endothelial glycocalyx injury., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2020.)