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Background: Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment have changed. This study aimed to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection prior to gastroenterological cancer surgeries on postoperative complications using data from a nationwide database in Japan. Methods: Data on patients who underwent surgery for cancer including esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, liver, and pancreatic cancer between July 1, 2019, and September 300, 2022, from real‐world sources in Japan were analyzed. The association between preoperative SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and short‐term postoperative outcomes was evaluated. A similar analysis stratified according to the interval from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to surgery (<4 vs. >4 weeks) was conducted. Results: In total, 60 604 patients were analyzed, and 227 (0.4%) patients were diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection preoperatively. The median interval from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to surgery was 25 days. Patients diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection preoperatively had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.05–3.74; p = 0.036) than those not diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection based on the exact logistic regression analysis adjusted for the characteristics of the patients. A similar finding was observed in patients who had SARS‐CoV‐2 infection <4 weeks before surgery. Conclusions: Patients with a history of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia. This finding can be particularly valuable for countries that have implemented strict regulations in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic and have lower SARS‐CoV‐2 infection‐related mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusions for lumbar spine diseases are widely performed and have a growing incidence, especially in elderly population. The goal of this study was to assess national trends of lumbar spinal fusions and examine the risk for reoperations after a lumbar fusion with a focus on 'epidemiologic transition' relating to age. The prospectively collected Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) nationwide cohort database was retrospectively reviewed. The total 278,815 patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusions for degenerative spine diseases between 2010 and 2018 were reviewed and used to assess trends in operative incidence. The 37,050 patients who underwent lumbar fusions between 1/2010 and 12/2011 were enrolled to determine 8-year reoperation rates. The overall number of lumbar spinal fusions were analyzed for the national annual trend. Demographic data, reoperation rates, and confounding clinical factors were evaluated. The overall number of lumbar spinal fusions was analyzed to determine the national annual trend of operative incidence. For the reoperation rate analysis, the primary outcome measured was the cumulative incidence of revision operations within a minimum 8-year follow-up period. Additional outcomes included comparative analyses of the reoperation rate with respect to age, sex, or other underlying comorbidities. Over time, elderly patients comprised a larger portion of the cohort (2010:24.2%; 2018:37.6%), while operations in younger patients decreased over time (2010:40.3%; 2018:27.0%). In the cohort of patients with a minimum 8-year follow-up (n=37,050), rates of reoperation peaked in patients aged 60–69 years (17.6 per 1000 person-years [HR 2.20 compared to <40years]) and decreased for more elderly patients (14.3 per 1000 person-years [HR 1.80 compared to <40years]). Age was the most significant risk factor for reoperation. Osteoporosis was also a risk factor for reoperation in postmenopausal females. Increasing incidence of lumbar fusions in elderly patients was seen however the risk of reoperation decreased in patients aged 70 or more. Lumbar fusion for elderly patients should not be hesitated in the decision-making process because of concerns about reoperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors often cause a transient decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) shortly after the initiation, referred to as the 'initial drop'. However, the clinical significance of this initial drop in real‐world practice remains unclear. Materials and Methods: Using the nationwide Japan Chronic Kidney Disease Database, we examined factors that affected the initial drop, in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We also evaluated the effects of the initial drop on a composite kidney outcome (a decline in GFR of ≥50% or progression to end‐stage kidney disease). Results: Data from 2053 patients with CKD and T2DM newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor were analysed. The follow‐up period after SGLT2 inhibitor administration was 1015 days (interquartile range: 532, 1678). Multivariate linear regression models revealed that the concomitant use of the renin‐angiotensin system inhibitors and diuretics, urinary protein levels ≥2+, and changes in GFR before the initiation of the SGLT2 inhibitor were associated with a larger initial GFR decline (β = −0.609, p =.039; β = −2.298, p <.001; β = −0.936, p =.048; β = −0.079, p <.001, respectively). Patients in the quartile with the largest initial GFR decline experienced a higher incidence of the subsequent composite kidney outcome than those in the other quartiles (p <.001). Conclusions: The concomitant use of renin‐angiotensin system inhibitors and diuretics, higher urine protein levels and pre‐treatment GFR changes were associated with a larger initial GFR decline. Of these factors, the use of a diuretic had the largest effect. Furthermore, patients with CKD and T2DM experiencing an excessive initial GFR drop might be at a higher risk of adverse kidney outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES Although intrapleural administration of fibrinolytics is an important treatment option for the management of empyema, the addition of fibrinolytics failed to reduce the need for surgery and mortality in previous randomized controlled trials. This study aimed to investigate the effects of administrating fibrinolytics in the early phase (within 3 days of chest tube insertion) of empyema compared with late administration or no administration. METHODS We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination Inpatient Database to identify patients aged ≥16 years who were hospitalized and underwent chest tube drainage for empyema. A 1:2 propensity score matching and stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting were conducted. RESULTS Among the 16 265 eligible patients, 3082 and 13 183 patients were categorized into the early and control group, respectively. The proportion of patients who underwent surgery was significantly lower in the early fibrinolytics group than in the control group; the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.69 (0.54–0.88) in the propensity score matching (P  =   0.003) and 0.64 (0.50–0.80) in the stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis (P  <   0.001). All-cause 30-day in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, duration of chest tube drainage, and total hospitalization costs were also more favourable in the early fibrinolytics group. CONCLUSIONS The early administration of fibrinolytics may reduce the need for surgery and death in adult patients with empyema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is known to increase overall disease burden but does obesity management actually help reduce disease burden? To investigate the effects of weight loss on disease burden in people with obesity using the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) in Korea. Pure longitudinal observational study using Nationwide cohort database. Out of 514,866 NHIS-HEALS cohort, participants with class II obesity in Asia-Pacific region (30 ≤ body mass index [BMI] < 35) who underwent health check-up provided by NHIS during 2003–2004 (index date) were included. All final participants continued to receive a total of 5 biennial health check-ups over the next 10 years without missing. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to categorize subjects based on 10-year BMI change patterns. The changes of co-morbidities, healthcare resource utilization, and medical cost were analyzed. The final study subjects (9857) were categorized into 3 trajectory clusters based on the pattern of BMI (kg/m2) change: maintenance (57.35%) with an average change of −.02 ±.06, loss (38.65%) with −.04 ±.08, and substantial loss (4.0%) with −.10 ±.18. The annual increases in the number of co-morbidities per subject in each cluster were.18,.18, and.16 (all P <.001), respectively. The increase of healthcare resource utilization over time was lowest for the substantial loss compared to maintenance and loss. With each passing year, the average annual total healthcare cost increased by ₩21,200 ($16.48, P =.034) and ₩10,500 ($8.16, P =.498) in the maintenance and loss, respectively, but decreased by ₩62,500 ($48.59, P =.032) in the substantial loss. Weight loss in people with obesity was associated with a reduced burden of disease, as evidenced by lower co-morbidity, healthcare resource utilization rate, and decreased medical costs. This study highlights the potential positive long-term impact on Korean society when actively managing weight in individuals with obesity. • People with obesity was categorized according to 10-year body mass index (BMI) change patterns. • Increase of co-morbidities was the slowest in substantial weight loss group. • Use of healthcare resource was the lowest in substantial weight loss group. • Overall healthcare cost was decreased in substantial weight loss group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment have changed. This study aimed to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection prior to gastroenterological cancer surgeries on postoperative complications using data from a nationwide database in Japan. Methods Data on patients who underwent surgery for cancer including esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, liver, and pancreatic cancer between July 1, 2019, and September 300, 2022, from real‐world sources in Japan were analyzed. The association between preoperative SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and short‐term postoperative outcomes was evaluated. A similar analysis stratified according to the interval from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to surgery (4 weeks) was conducted. Results In total, 60 604 patients were analyzed, and 227 (0.4%) patients were diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection preoperatively. The median interval from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection to surgery was 25 days. Patients diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection preoperatively had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.05–3.74; p = 0.036) than those not diagnosed with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection based on the exact logistic regression analysis adjusted for the characteristics of the patients. A similar finding was observed in patients who had SARS‐CoV‐2 infection

BackgroundAlthough the association between tuberculosis (TB) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported in several studies and is explained by mechanisms related to chronic inflammation, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the association between TB and CVD in Korea.MethodsUsing the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, we classified individuals according to the presence or absence of previous pulmonary TB was defined as the formal reading of a chest radiograph or a previous diagnosis of pulmonary TB by a physician. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we evaluated the association between the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder (ASCVD) risk and TB exposure, as well as the 10-year ASCVD risk according to epidemiological characteristics.ResultsAmong the 69,331 participants, 4% (n = 3,101) had post-TB survivor group. Comparing the 10-year ASCVD risk between the post-TB survivor and control groups, the post-TB survivor group had an increased 10-year ASCVD risk in the high-risk group (40.46% vs. 24.00%, P

Objectives: There are limited data on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Poland on newborn health. The aim of the study is to show recent information on hospitalizations of newborns in Poland in the pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic era. Methods: A retrospective, population-based study was conducted using data from hospital discharge records of patients hospitalized in 2017–2021. Results: The data on which the study was based consisted of a substantial number of 104,450 hospitalization records. Annual hospitalization rate was estimated to be 50.3–51.9 per 1,000 in 2017–2019, 56 per 1,000 in 2020 and it rose to 77.7 per 1,000 in 2021. In comparison to the pre-pandemic period, in the COVID-19 era, we observed significantly more hospitalization cases of newborns affected by maternal renal and urinary tract diseases (p < 0.001), syndrome of infant of mother with gestational diabetes (p < 0.001), maternal complications of pregnancy (p < 0.001). In the COVID-19 era, the prevalence of COVID-19 among newborns was 4.5 cases per 1,000 newborn hospitalizations. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak could significantly contribute to qualitative and quantitative changes in hospitalizations among newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Backgrounds The humeral head is the second most common site of osteonecrosis, after the femoral head. However, compared to osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), epidemiological information on osteonecrosis of the humeral head (ONHH) is scarce. We hypothesised that different biomechanical properties of the shoulder from the hip joint might present different epidemiological characteristics of ONHH from those of the ONFH. To evaluate epidemiological differences, we compared trends in the surgical treatment of ONHH and ONFH using the nationwide medical claims database of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Methods We analysed epidemiological data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database of the ROK between 2008 and 2018. HIRA database contains almost all medical information in an anonymised form, including demographics, diagnoses, and types of surgical procedures, generated through healthcare practices in ROK. The annual incidence rates of ONHH and ONFH were calculated based on the total number of the general population. Demographics, annual incidence, and the proportion of post-traumatic osteonecrosis and surgical procedures were compared according to the anatomical site and the affected year. Results The total number of patients treated for ONHH and ONFH during the study period was 1,028 and 66,260, respectively. Although the incidence of ONHH increased, it is a relatively rare disease compared to ONFH. ONHH occurred more frequently in females, while ONFH occurred predominantly in male patients (p

Abstract Background Although Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) incidence is increasing worldwide, data investigating its cost are lacking. This population-wide study aimed to describe the characteristics and costs of hospital stays with, and without AKI, and to estimate the AKI-associated increases in costs and length of stay (LOS) in three subgroups (major open visceral surgery (MOV), cardiovascular surgery with extracorporeal circulation (CVEC), and sepsis). Methods All hospital stays that occurred in France in 2018 were included. Stay and patient characteristics were collected in the French hospital discharge database and described. Medical conditions were identified using the 10th International Classification of Diseases and the medical acts classification. In each subgroup, the adjusted increase in cost and LOS associated with AKI was estimated using a generalized linear model with gamma distribution and a log link function. Results 26,917,832 hospital stays, of which 415,067 (1.5%) with AKI, were included. AKI was associated with 83,553 (19.8%), 7,165 (17.9%), and 15,387 (9.2%) of the stays with sepsis, CVEC, and MOV, respectively. Compared to stays without AKI, stays with AKI were more expensive (median [IQR] €4,719[€2,963-€7782] vs. €735[€383-€1,805]) and longer (median [IQR] 9[4–16] vs. 0[0–2] days). AKI was associated with a mean [95%CI] increase in hospitalization cost of 70% [69;72], 48% [45;50], and 68% [65;70] in the sepsis, CVEC, and MOV groups respectively, after adjustment. Conclusion This study confirms the major economic burden of in-hospital AKI in a developed country. Interventions to prevent AKI are urgently needed and their cost should be balanced with AKI-related costs.

Background: Although Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) incidence is increasing worldwide, data investigating its cost are lacking. This population-wide study aimed to describe the characteristics and costs of hospital stays with, and without AKI, and to estimate the AKI-associated increases in costs and length of stay (LOS) in three subgroups (major open visceral surgery (MOV), cardiovascular surgery with extracorporeal circulation (CVEC), and sepsis). Methods: All hospital stays that occurred in France in 2018 were included. Stay and patient characteristics were collected in the French hospital discharge database and described. Medical conditions were identified using the 10th International Classification of Diseases and the medical acts classification. In each subgroup, the adjusted increase in cost and LOS associated with AKI was estimated using a generalized linear model with gamma distribution and a log link function. Results: 26,917,832 hospital stays, of which 415,067 (1.5%) with AKI, were included. AKI was associated with 83,553 (19.8%), 7,165 (17.9%), and 15,387 (9.2%) of the stays with sepsis, CVEC, and MOV, respectively. Compared to stays without AKI, stays with AKI were more expensive (median [IQR] €4,719[€2,963-€7782] vs. €735[€383-€1,805]) and longer (median [IQR] 9[4–16] vs. 0[0–2] days). AKI was associated with a mean [95%CI] increase in hospitalization cost of 70% [69;72], 48% [45;50], and 68% [65;70] in the sepsis, CVEC, and MOV groups respectively, after adjustment. Conclusion: This study confirms the major economic burden of in-hospital AKI in a developed country. Interventions to prevent AKI are urgently needed and their cost should be balanced with AKI-related costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has been proposed as a rescue therapy for patients with refractory cardiac arrest. This study aimed to evaluate the association between ECPR and clinical outcomes among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) using risk-set matching with a time-dependent propensity score. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the JAAM-OHCA registry data, a nationwide multicenter prospective study of patients with OHCA, from June 2014 and December 2019, that included adults (≥ 18 years) with OHCA. Initial cardiac rhythm was classified as shockable and non-shockable. Patients who received ECPR were sequentially matched with the control, within the same time (minutes) based on time-dependent propensity scores calculated from potential confounders. The odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for 30-day survival and 30-day favorable neurological outcomes were estimated for ECPR cases using a conditional logistic model. Results: Of 57,754 patients in the JAAM-OHCA registry, we selected 1826 patients with an initial shockable rhythm (treated with ECPR, n = 913 and control, n = 913) and a cohort of 740 patients with an initial non-shockable rhythm (treated with ECPR, n = 370 and control, n = 370). In these matched cohorts, the odds ratio for 30-day survival in the ECPR group was 1.76 [95%CI 1.38–2.25] for shockable rhythm and 5.37 [95%CI 2.53–11.43] for non-shockable rhythm, compared to controls. For favorable neurological outcomes, the odds ratio in the ECPR group was 1.11 [95%CI 0.82–1.49] for shockable rhythm and 4.25 [95%CI 1.43–12.63] for non-shockable rhythm, compared to controls. Conclusion: ECPR was associated with increased 30-day survival in patients with OHCA with initial shockable and even non-shockable rhythms. Further research is warranted to investigate the reproducibility of the results and who is the best candidate for ECPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: The humeral head is the second most common site of osteonecrosis, after the femoral head. However, compared to osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), epidemiological information on osteonecrosis of the humeral head (ONHH) is scarce. We hypothesised that different biomechanical properties of the shoulder from the hip joint might present different epidemiological characteristics of ONHH from those of the ONFH. To evaluate epidemiological differences, we compared trends in the surgical treatment of ONHH and ONFH using the nationwide medical claims database of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Methods: We analysed epidemiological data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database of the ROK between 2008 and 2018. HIRA database contains almost all medical information in an anonymised form, including demographics, diagnoses, and types of surgical procedures, generated through healthcare practices in ROK. The annual incidence rates of ONHH and ONFH were calculated based on the total number of the general population. Demographics, annual incidence, and the proportion of post-traumatic osteonecrosis and surgical procedures were compared according to the anatomical site and the affected year. Results: The total number of patients treated for ONHH and ONFH during the study period was 1,028 and 66,260, respectively. Although the incidence of ONHH increased, it is a relatively rare disease compared to ONFH. ONHH occurred more frequently in females, while ONFH occurred predominantly in male patients (p < 0.001). Surgical treatment for ONHH was most frequently performed in older patients (63.7%), whereas middle-aged patients had the largest proportion of ONFH (48.9%, p < 0.001). The proportion of post-traumatic osteonecrosis was significantly higher in the ONHH (5.1%) than in the ONFH (1.9%, p < 0.001). Arthroplasty was performed more frequently in the ONHH (96.0%) than in the ONFH (92.9%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite the anatomical similarities between the hip and shoulder joints, the different biomechanical properties, such as weight-bearing functions, might cause epidemiological differences between ONHH and ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postoperative anastomotic leakage is the most frequent short-term complication of esophageal atresia repair in neonates. We conducted this study using a nationwide surgical database in Japan to identify the risk factors for anastomotic leakage in neonates undergoing esophageal atresia repair. Methods: Neonates diagnosed with esophageal atresia between 2015 and 2019 were identified in the National Clinical Database. Postoperative anastomotic leakage was compared among patients to identify the potential risk factors, using univariate analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis included sex, gestational age, thoracoscopic repair, staged repair, and procedure time as independent variables. Results: We identified 667 patients, with an overall leakage incidence of 7.8% (n = 52). Anastomotic leakage was more likely in patients who underwent staged repairs than in those who did not (21.2% vs. 5.2%, respectively) and in patients with a procedure time > 3.5 h than in those with a procedure time < 3.5 h (12.6% vs. 3.0%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified staged repair (odds ratio [OR] 4.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.22–10.16, p < 0.001) and a longer procedure time (OR 4.65, 95% CI 2.38–9.95, p < 0.001) as risk factors associated with postoperative leakage. Conclusion: Staged procedures and long operative times are associated with postoperative anastomotic leakage, suggesting that leakage is more likely after complex esophageal atresia repair and that such patients require refined treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) in octogenarian or older patients based on a Japanese nationwide database. Methods: The diagnosis procedure combination database was used to extract the data on radical cystectomy cases. Surgical outcomes of RARC in octogenarian or older patients (older group) were initially compared to those of patients younger than 80 years (younger group). Then, the surgical outcomes of RARC in the older group were compared to those of open radical cystectomy (ORC) and laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) in the same age group. Results: Between 2018 and 2021, 478 RARC cases in the older group and 2257 RARC cases in the younger group were identified. In the older group, ileal conduit, neobladder, and other urinary diversions were carried out in 352 (73.6%), 22 (4.6%), and 104 (21.8%) patients, respectively. In the older group, when compared with the younger group, the complication rate (24.9%), blood transfusion rate (41.4%), and in‐hospital mortality (1.4%) were equivalent, while significantly shorter anesthesia time and longer length of stay were observed in the older group (521.0 ± 140.4 min vs. 595.1 ± 141.71 min, p < 0.01, and 32.9 ± 16.8 days vs. 30.6 ± 17.8 days, p = 0.01, respectively). In the comparison of the surgical outcomes of older patients receiving RARC to those receiving ORC (n = 746) and LRC (n = 375), the RARC group had the lowest complication rate and the shortest length of stay, while the shortest anesthesia time was noted in the ORC group. Conclusion: The feasibility of RARC for octogenarian or older patients was demonstrated by the nationwide database study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Behavioral and psychological symptoms and delirium frequently occur in hospitalized older patients with pneumonia and are associated with longer hospital stays. Yokukan‐San (YKS, traditional Japanese [Kampo] medicine) and antipsychotics are often used to treat delirium and behavioral and psychological symptoms in Japan. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of the co‐administration of YKS with atypical antipsychotics in older patients with pneumonia. Methods: We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database to retrospectively identify older patients (≥65 years) hospitalized for pneumonia who received antipsychotics within 3 days of hospitalization. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received atypical antipsychotics alone (control group) and those who received both atypical antipsychotics and YKS (YKS group). We compared length of hospital stay, in‐hospital mortality, bone fractures, and administration of potassium products between the two groups using propensity score overlap weighting. Result: We identified 4789 patients in the YKS group and 61 641 in the control group. After propensity score overlap weighting, length of hospital stay was statistically significantly shorter in the YKS group (percentage difference −3.0%; 95% confidence interval −5.8% to −0.3%). The proportion of patients who received potassium products was higher in the YKS group (odds ratio 1.34; 95% confidence interval 1.15–1.55). In‐hospital death and bone fractures were not significantly different. Conclusion: Co‐administration of YKS with atypical antipsychotics could be a reasonable treatment option for hospitalized older patients with pneumonia and aggressive psychiatric symptoms. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 849–854. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There are limited data on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Poland on newborn health. The aim of the study is to show recent information on hospitalizations of newborns in Poland in the pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic era.Methods: A retrospective, population-based study was conducted using data from hospital discharge records of patients hospitalized in 2017–2021.Results: The data on which the study was based consisted of a substantial number of 104,450 hospitalization records. Annual hospitalization rate was estimated to be 50.3–51.9 per 1,000 in 2017–2019, 56 per 1,000 in 2020 and it rose to 77.7 per 1,000 in 2021. In comparison to the pre-pandemic period, in the COVID-19 era, we observed significantly more hospitalization cases of newborns affected by maternal renal and urinary tract diseases (p < 0.001), syndrome of infant of mother with gestational diabetes (p < 0.001), maternal complications of pregnancy (p < 0.001). In the COVID-19 era, the prevalence of COVID-19 among newborns was 4.5 cases per 1,000 newborn hospitalizations.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak could significantly contribute to qualitative and quantitative changes in hospitalizations among newborns.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the age- and sex-specific Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates and related injury patterns in judo players in Japan using the nationwide insurance database. Methods: This was a descriptive epidemiological study. We examined a total of 2142 adolescents with anterior cruciate ligament injuries registered in the insurance system of the Japan Sports Council between January 2009 and December 2018. The age- and sex-specific incidences were estimated for the levels of 7th, 8th, and 9th grades of junior high school and 10th, 11th, and 12th grades of high school. The anterior cruciate ligament injury circumstances were classified into three patterns based on the impact to the involved knee: high-impact valgus force, low-impact trunk displacement, or no-impact knee twisting. Results: The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury from the 7th to 12th grades were 0.5, 0.9, 0.9, 6.9, 8.6, and 6.1 per 1000 athlete-years in male players and 1.3, 3.8, 3.4, 16.8, 19.5, and 13.6 per 1000 athlete-years in female players. The most prevalent injury pattern was a low-impact contact injury (42.6%) with Osoto-gari, followed by a high-impact contact injury (29.8%). The concomitant medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury rate was 18.1%, which was correlated with a high-impact contact injury (p = 0.005) by multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: The highest incidence of age- and sex-specific anterior cruciate ligament injury was 19.5 per 1000 athlete-years in female high school students in the 11th grade. The most frequent injury pattern was low-impact contact injury with trunk displacement, indicating that trunk stabilization training could help prevent anterior cruciate ligament injury in judo.

Abstract Aim The best bowel preparation method for rectal surgery remains controversial. In this study we compared the efficacy and safety of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) alone and MOABP (MBP combined with oral antibiotic bowel preparation [OABP]) for rectal cancer surgery. Methods In this retrospective study we analyzed data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database on 37 291 patients who had undergone low anterior resection for rectal cancer from 2014 to 2017. Propensity score matching analysis was used to compare postoperative outcomes between MBP alone and MOABP. Results A total of 37 291 patients were divided into four groups: MBP alone: 77.7%, no bowel preparation (NBP): 16.9%, MOABP: 4.7%, and OABP alone: 0.7%. In propensity score matching analysis with 1756 pairs, anastomotic leakage (4.84% vs 7.86%, P

Simple Summary: Instead of extensive conventional surgical resection, early-stage colorectal cancers are now often primarily treated using specialized local resection techniques, such as the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Sometimes after ESD a regular surgical resection is still needed. However, the impact of ESD on this surgery has not been well studied yet. This study aimed to investigate if ESD affected the safety and outcome of completion surgery. Outcomes of two groups of patients were compared: one consisting of patients who only had an upfront surgical resection and another consisting of patients who had an ESD followed by a surgical resection. Results showed that safety and outcome of surgery were similar in both groups. This means that ESD does not significantly increase negative outcomes of surgery. This knowledge empowers doctors to perform ESD as a first treatment option for early-stage colorectal cancers. T1 colorectal cancers (T1CRC) are increasingly being treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). After ESD of a T1CRC, completion surgery is indicated in a subgroup of patients. Currently, the influence of ESD on surgical morbidity and mortality is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare 90-day morbidity and mortality of completion surgery after ESD to primary surgery. The completion surgery group consisted of suspected T1CRC patients from a multicenter prospective ESD database (2014–2020). The primary surgery group consisted of pT1CRC patients from a nationwide surgical registry (2017–2019). Patients with rectal or sigmoidal cancers were selected. Patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. Propensity score adjustment was used to correct for confounders. In total, 411 patients were included: 54 in the completion surgery group (39 pT1, 15 pT2) and 357 in the primary surgery group with pT1CRC. Adverse event rate was 24.1% after completion surgery and 21.3% after primary surgery. After completion surgery 90-day mortality did not occur, though one patient died in the primary surgery group. After propensity score adjustment, lymph node yield did not differ significantly between the groups. Among other morbidity-related outcomes, stoma rate (OR 1.298 95%-CI 0.587-2.872, p = 0.519) and adverse event rate (OR 1.162; 95%-CI 0.570-2.370, p = 0.679) also did not differ significantly. A subgroup analysis was performed in patients undergoing rectal surgery. In this subgroup (37 completion and 136 primary surgery), these morbidity outcomes also did not differ significantly. In conclusion, this study suggests that ESD does not compromise morbidity or 90-day mortality of completion surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The best bowel preparation method for rectal surgery remains controversial. In this study we compared the efficacy and safety of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) alone and MOABP (MBP combined with oral antibiotic bowel preparation [OABP]) for rectal cancer surgery. Methods: In this retrospective study we analyzed data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database on 37 291 patients who had undergone low anterior resection for rectal cancer from 2014 to 2017. Propensity score matching analysis was used to compare postoperative outcomes between MBP alone and MOABP. Results: A total of 37 291 patients were divided into four groups: MBP alone: 77.7%, no bowel preparation (NBP): 16.9%, MOABP: 4.7%, and OABP alone: 0.7%. In propensity score matching analysis with 1756 pairs, anastomotic leakage (4.84% vs 7.86%, P < 0.001), small bowel obstruction (1.54% vs 3.08%, P = 0.002) and reoperation (3.76% vs 5.98%, P = 0.002) were less in the MOABP group than in the MBP group. The mean duration of postoperative antibiotics medication was shorter in the MOABP group (5.2 d vs 7.5 d, P < 0.001) than in the MBP group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of Clostridium difficile (CD) colitis (0.40% vs 0.68%, P = 0.250) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colitis (0.11% vs 0.17%, P = 0.654). There was no significant difference in in‐hospital mortality between the two groups (0.00% vs 0.11% respectively, P = 0.157). Conclusion: MOABP for rectal surgery is associated with a decreased incidence of postoperative complications without increasing the incidence of CD colitis and MRSA colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To clarify the trends in radical cystectomy and to compare surgical outcomes among surgical approaches focusing on robot‐assisted radical cystectomy based on a Japanese nationwide database. Methods: The Diagnosis Procedure Combination database was used to extract data on radical cystectomy cases. Trends in open radical cystectomy, laparoscopic radical cystectomy, minimum incision endoscopic radical cystectomy, and robot‐assisted radical cystectomy between April 2012 and March 2021 were evaluated. Basic characteristics and peri‐operative indicators were compared among the four groups. Propensity score matching was applied to assess the differences between open radical cystectomy and robot‐assisted radical cystectomy. Results: During the study period, a decreasing number of open radical cystectomies and an increasing number of minimally invasive radical cystectomies were shown in the total cohort of 28 345 cases. The number of robot‐assisted radical cystectomies rapidly increased after government approval in 2018. Minimally invasive radical cystectomies, including robot‐assisted radical cystectomies, had a significantly lower complication rate, a shorter length of stay, and a lower blood transfusion rate, but a longer anesthesia time than open radical cystectomies. In the propensity score matching analysis comparing the surgical outcomes of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy and open radical cystectomy, similar results were demonstrated, and blood transfusion rates were equivalent. Conclusion: For the past decade, the number of minimally invasive radical cystectomies has steadily increased without compromised surgical outcomes, except for anesthesia time. Robot‐assisted radical cystectomies in particular rapidly became widespread in Japan after government approval in 2018 and became a standard surgery within the first 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the association between dermatological, neurological, and bone manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with NF1 using a nationwide database of all patients who newly claimed for medical expense subsidies in Japan from 2015 to 2019. Methods: The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare provided the “National Database of Designated Intractable Diseases of Japan” containing clinical and personal records (“Medical Certificates of Designated Intractable Diseases”) of all patients with NF1 following approval of the study protocol. To examine the association between the severity of symptoms and QoL, multinominal logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusted for potential confounders. Results: The final study population consisted of 1,487 patients (775 females and 712 males; mean (standard deviation) age, 45.4 (17.9) years). More than 50% and nearly 45% of participants were recorded as having moderate or severe “pain/discomfort” and “anxiety/depression,” respectively. The severity of neurological symptoms was significantly associated with all components of QoL, whereas the severity of dermatological symptoms was significantly associated with only moderate or severe subjective and mental health-related components of QoL, and the severity of bone lesions was associated with only moderate or severe physical health-related components of QoL. Subjective and mental health-related components of QoL tended to be deteriorated more than physical health-related components of QoL in younger and female patients. Conclusions: Severities of neurological and dermatological symptoms were significantly associated with subjective and mental health-related components of QoL, while the severity of bone symptoms was associated with only moderate and severe deterioration of physical health-related components of QoL.

Abstract Background Appendicitis is classified as either complicated (CA) or uncomplicated (UA). Some authors have shown that the epidemiologic trends of CA and UA may differ. The aim of this study was to clarify differences in backgrounds and surgical outcomes between CA and UA patients. Methods This study was a cohort study. We extracted case data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database from January 2014 to December 2017. Patients were classified into three groups, depending on whether they underwent emergency appendectomy for CA (CA group), emergency appendectomy for UA (UA group), or elective appendectomy (EA group). We evaluated patient characteristics and surgical outcomes for each group. Results We included 89,355 adult patients in the study, comprising 29,331 CA, 48,691 UA, and 11,333 EA patients. Old age, larger body mass index, smoking, and medication with antidiabetic drugs, oral corticosteroids, oral antiplatelet drugs, and oral anticoagulant drugs were independent risk factors for CA. The percentage of CA increased with age. In‐hospital mortality (0.15%, 0.02%, and 0.00%) and 30‐d mortality (0.09%, 0.01%, and 0.00%), respectively, of CA patients were significantly higher than those of the UA and EA groups. The duration of postoperative antibiotic administration, duration of fasting, and time before removal of a prophylactic drain were significantly longer in the CA group than in the UA and EA groups. Conclusion Backgrounds and treatment outcomes of CA and UA patients after emergency surgery are entirely different. Thus, the treatment strategy of CA and UA patients should differ accordingly.

Abstract Background As a tool to predict early hospital readmission, little is known about the association between LACE index and all-cause mortality in older adults. We aimed to validate the LACE index to predict all-cause mortality in older adults and also analyzed the LACE index outcome of all-cause mortality depending on the disease and age of the participants. Methods We used the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) cohort, a nationwide claims database of Koreans. We enrolled 7491 patients who were hospitalized at least once between 2003 and 2004, aged ≥65 years as of the year of discharge, and subsequently followed-up until 2015. We estimated the LACE index using the NHI database. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality. Furthermore, we investigated all-cause mortality according to age and underlying disease when the LACE index was ≥10 and

T1 colorectal cancers (T1CRC) are increasingly being treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). After ESD of a T1CRC, completion surgery is indicated in a subgroup of patients. Currently, the influence of ESD on surgical morbidity and mortality is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare 90-day morbidity and mortality of completion surgery after ESD to primary surgery. The completion surgery group consisted of suspected T1CRC patients from a multicenter prospective ESD database (2014–2020). The primary surgery group consisted of pT1CRC patients from a nationwide surgical registry (2017–2019). Patients with rectal or sigmoidal cancers were selected. Patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. Propensity score adjustment was used to correct for confounders. In total, 411 patients were included: 54 in the completion surgery group (39 pT1, 15 pT2) and 357 in the primary surgery group with pT1CRC. Adverse event rate was 24.1% after completion surgery and 21.3% after primary surgery. After completion surgery 90-day mortality did not occur, though one patient died in the primary surgery group. After propensity score adjustment, lymph node yield did not differ significantly between the groups. Among other morbidity-related outcomes, stoma rate (OR 1.298 95%-CI 0.587-2.872, p = 0.519) and adverse event rate (OR 1.162; 95%-CI 0.570-2.370, p = 0.679) also did not differ significantly. A subgroup analysis was performed in patients undergoing rectal surgery. In this subgroup (37 completion and 136 primary surgery), these morbidity outcomes also did not differ significantly. In conclusion, this study suggests that ESD does not compromise morbidity or 90-day mortality of completion surgery.

Introduction: Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is one of the most common indications for hospital admission. The current standard of care for patients admitted with LGIB includes colonoscopy. The aims of this study are to define the rate of readmission in patients with LGIB and to determine whether early colonoscopy within the first 24 h after admission impacts the rate of readmission in these patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study on data obtained from the Nationwide Readmission Database and identified patients admitted with lower GI bleed using ICD-10 codes. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission, and one of our secondary outcomes was the impact of early colonoscopy on 30-day readmission. Results: We analyzed data from 35,790,513 patients who were admitted for LGIB in 2017. A total of 16.4% of these patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, with diverticular bleeding most common diagnosis for readmission. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 1.18% for index admission and 4.44% for readmission. Early colonoscopy did not impact the rate of readmission within 30 days of discharge. Conclusion: LGIB remains a commonly encountered in clinical practice with a high readmission rate. Mortality is significantly higher during readmission compared to index admission. Early colonoscopy did not impact the 30-day readmission rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the association between tuberculosis (TB) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported in several studies and is explained by mechanisms related to chronic inflammation, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the association between TB and CVD in Korea., Methods: Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, we classified individuals according to the presence or absence of previous pulmonary TB was defined as the formal reading of a chest radiograph or a previous diagnosis of pulmonary TB by a physician. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we evaluated the association between the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder (ASCVD) risk and TB exposure, as well as the 10-year ASCVD risk according to epidemiological characteristics., Results: Among the 69,331 participants, 4% ( n  = 3,101) had post-TB survivor group. Comparing the 10-year ASCVD risk between the post-TB survivor and control groups, the post-TB survivor group had an increased 10-year ASCVD risk in the high-risk group (40.46% vs. 24.00%, P  < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the intermediate- and high-risk groups had also significantly increased 10-year ASCVD risks (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.23 and OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.59-1.78, respectively) in the post-TB survivor group. In the association of CVD among post-TB survivors according to epidemiologic characteristics, age [adjusted OR (aOR) 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.12], current smoking (aOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.34-5.14), a high family income (aOR 2.48, 95% CI 1.33-4.62), diabetes mellitus (aOR 1.97, 95% CI 1.23-3.14), and depression (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.03-4.10) were associated with CVD in the post-TB survivor group., Conclusions: Our study findings suggest a higher 10-year ASCVD risk among TB survivors than healthy participants. This warrants long-term cardiovascular monitoring and management of the post-TB population., 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., (© 2024 Yang, Kim, Sim, Gu, Seok, Bae, Cho, Lee, Choe, Lee, Yang and Min.)

Objective: To evaluate in-hospital fees and surgical outcomes of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC) using a Japanese nationwide database., Methods: All data were obtained from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database between April 2020 and March 2022. Basic characteristics and perioperative indicators, including in-hospital fees, were compared among the RARC, LRC and ORC groups. Propensity score-matched comparisons were performed to assess the differences between RARC and ORC., Results: During the study period, 2931, 1311 and 2435 cases of RARC, LRC and ORC were identified, respectively. The RARC group had the lowest in-hospital fee (median: 2.38 million yen), the shortest hospital stay (26 days) and the lowest blood transfusion rate (29.5%), as well as the lowest complication rate (20.9%), despite having the longest anesthesia time (569 min) among the three groups (all P < 0.01). The outcomes of LRC were comparable with those of RARC, and the differences in these indicators between the RARC and ORC groups were greater than those between the RARC and LRC groups. In propensity score-matched comparisons between the RARC and ORC groups, the differences in the indicators remained significant (all P < 0.01), with an ~50 000 yen difference in in-hospital fees., Conclusions: RARC and LRC were considered to be more cost-effective surgeries than ORC due to their superior surgical outcomes and comparable surgical fees in Japan. The widespread adoption of RARC and LRC is expected to bring economic benefits to Japanese society., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

Abstract Background Reoperation is one of the key factors affecting postoperative clinical outcomes. The reoperation rates of cervical surgeries might be different from those of lumbar surgeries due to the anatomical and biomechanical differences. However, there has been no study to compare the reoperation rate between them. The purpose is to compare reoperation rates after fusion surgeries for degenerative spinal diseases depending on the anatomic region of cervical and lumbar spines. Method We used the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service national database. Subjects were included if they had any of the primary procedures of fusion combined with the procedure of decompression procedures under the diagnosis of degenerative diseases (n = 42,060). We assigned the patients into two groups based on anatomical regions: cervical and lumbar fusion group (n = 11,784 vs 30,276). The primary endpoint of reoperation was the repeat of any aforementioned fusion procedures. Age, gender, presence of diabetes, associated comorbidities, and hospital types were considered potential confounding factors. Results The reoperation rate was higher in the patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery than in the patients who underwent cervical fusion surgery during the entire follow up period (p = 0.0275). A similar pattern was found during the late period (p = 0.0468). However, in the early period, there was no difference in reoperation rates between the two groups. Associated comorbidities and hospital type were noted to be risk factors for reoperation. Conclusions The incidence of reoperation was higher in the patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery than those who underwent cervical fusion surgery for degenerative spinal diseases.

Purpose: Centralization of high-risk surgeries has become a widespread strategy. However, whether or not the hospital volume affects the outcomes of common surgeries remains unclear. This study explored the association between hospital volume and short-term outcomes of common surgeries, as represented by appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and pneumothorax surgery, by analyzing data from a Japanese nationwide database. Methods: All hospitals were categorized into four groups (very low-, low-, high-, and very high-volume) according to the annual hospital volume of all gastrointestinal surgeries or all respiratory surgeries in 2017. Patient demographic data and surgical outcomes were evaluated across hospital volume categories. Results: We analyzed 2392 facilities which performed 771,182 gastrointestinal surgeries, and 992 facilities which performed 98,656 respiratory surgeries. Short-term outcomes of patients who underwent appendectomy (n = 50,568), cholecystectomy (n = 104,262), and pneumothorax surgery (n = 11,723) were evaluated. The incidences of postoperative complications, reoperation, and readmission were similar among the groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed hospital volume to have no association with these short-term outcomes. Conclusion: Analyses of a Japanese nationwide database revealed that the hospital volume was not associated with short-term outcomes of appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and pneumothorax surgery. These common surgical procedures may not require centralization into high-volume hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current evidence describing the characteristics of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) therapy, its trend, and perioperative outcomes compared with transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (TV-ICD) based on a real-world, large-scale database is scarce.Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of current S-ICD therapy using a nationwide database.Methods: A retrospective analysis of ICD implantation was performed using a nationwide database obtained between 2016 and 2020. A total of 8690 patients implanted with ICD (median age 65 [52-72] year; 6902 men; 2021 S-ICD recipients) were analyzed.Results: Younger patients were more prone to have S-ICD (P <.001). A history of ventricular fibrillation (VF) (odds ratio [OR] 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.04-2.93), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.36-2.21), Brugada syndrome (BrS) (OR 3.14; 95% CI 2.48-4.00), and dialysis treatment (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.44-2.82) were independent predictors of S-ICD selection on mixed-model logistic analysis. The proportion of S-ICD implantations has been increasing (P <.001), especially in patients with BrS (P <.001) and dialysis (P = .04). The proportion of combined complications after S-ICD implantation was low (1.3%) in the unmatched cohort and was comparable to TV-ICD in the 1:1 propensity-matched cohort of 3354 patients (1.5% vs 2.3%; OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.38-1.10).Conclusion: S-ICD was more likely to be implanted in younger patients and those with a history of VF, nonsustained VT, BrS, and dialysis treatment. The proportion of S-ICD implantation increased, especially in patients with BrS. The incidence of in-hospital complications was low in S-ICD recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can have both acute and chronic consequences when untreated. We hypothesize that a link exists between childhood obesity and OSA at nationwide level, with race, gender, and socioeconomic status conferring their own risk for pediatric OSA. Methods: This study examined nationwide discharges in 2016 using the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for obesity (E66.0) and OSA (G47.33) were used. Prevalence rates and odds ratios (ORs) were used to quantify associations between the obesity and OSA groups in the general pediatric inpatient population. Multiple binary logistic regression was utilized to compare cohorts of pediatric inpatient admissions. Results: There were 36 266 285 weighted discharges in the 2016 KID. Among patients included in our dataset, 0.426% (26 684) were diagnosed with obesity and 0.562% (35 242) had OSA. Obesity was independently associated with a significantly increased risk of OSA (OR = 22.89; 95% C.I. = 21.99-23.84). Within the OSA inpatient population, obesity was associated with non-Hispanic black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and Native American race/ethnicity (OR = 1.45, 1.32, 2.51; 95% C.I. = 1.33-1.58, 1.21-1.44, 1.73-3.63). Conclusions: Obesity is independently associated with OSA in children after controlling for adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Non-Hispanic black race and Hispanic ethnicity are independent risk factors for OSA and are associated with obesity in the OSA inpatient population, which suggests that obesity may play a role in the increased risk of OSA within these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To clarify recent trends in glaucoma surgery in Japan, including minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We used the Diagnostic Procedure Combination database, a nationwide administrative database in Japan. Patients who underwent glaucoma-related procedures were included. We calculated the number of surgeries stratified by procedures and age categories. We also investigated the number of glaucoma-related procedures in combination with cataract surgery. Results: From fiscal years 2011 to 2019, we identified 134,331 glaucoma-related procedures at 720 hospitals. The total number of glaucoma-related procedures increased by 215% from 6516 in 2011 to 20,569 in 2019. The numbers of filtering surgeries, trabeculotomies, and glaucoma drainage devices with plates [GDD(p +)] procedures significantly increased (P = 0.002, 0.002, and 0.006, respectively), whereas the number of cyclocryotherapy procedures significantly decreased (P = 0.002). The number of iStent procedures increased by 49% from 371 in 2018 to 551 in 2019. The ≥ 65 year age group accounted for > 80% of the iStent procedures. In the 0 to 14 year age group, trabeculotomy accounted for about 70% of the procedures, and the GDD(p +) procedure became the second most common procedure after trabeculotomy because of the decrease in filtering surgeries. Among combination surgeries, trabeculotomy was most frequently performed. The proportion of combination surgery increased, especially in trabeculotomy. Conclusions: The total number of glaucoma-related procedures increased throughout the observation period. Before 2017 filtering surgery was the most common procedure, whereas trabeculotomy was most common after 2018. The proportion of trabeculotomies performed in combination with cataract surgery continuously increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Appendicitis is classified as either complicated (CA) or uncomplicated (UA). Some authors have shown that the epidemiologic trends of CA and UA may differ. The aim of this study was to clarify differences in backgrounds and surgical outcomes between CA and UA patients. Methods: This study was a cohort study. We extracted case data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database from January 2014 to December 2017. Patients were classified into three groups, depending on whether they underwent emergency appendectomy for CA (CA group), emergency appendectomy for UA (UA group), or elective appendectomy (EA group). We evaluated patient characteristics and surgical outcomes for each group. Results: We included 89,355 adult patients in the study, comprising 29,331 CA, 48,691 UA, and 11,333 EA patients. Old age, larger body mass index, smoking, and medication with antidiabetic drugs, oral corticosteroids, oral antiplatelet drugs, and oral anticoagulant drugs were independent risk factors for CA. The percentage of CA increased with age. In‐hospital mortality (0.15%, 0.02%, and 0.00%) and 30‐d mortality (0.09%, 0.01%, and 0.00%), respectively, of CA patients were significantly higher than those of the UA and EA groups. The duration of postoperative antibiotic administration, duration of fasting, and time before removal of a prophylactic drain were significantly longer in the CA group than in the UA and EA groups. Conclusion: Backgrounds and treatment outcomes of CA and UA patients after emergency surgery are entirely different. Thus, the treatment strategy of CA and UA patients should differ accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a tool to predict early hospital readmission, little is known about the association between LACE index and all-cause mortality in older adults. We aimed to validate the LACE index to predict all-cause mortality in older adults and also analyzed the LACE index outcome of all-cause mortality depending on the disease and age of the participants.Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) cohort, a nationwide claims database of Koreans. We enrolled 7491 patients who were hospitalized at least once between 2003 and 2004, aged ≥65 years as of the year of discharge, and subsequently followed-up until 2015. We estimated the LACE index using the NHI database. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality. Furthermore, we investigated all-cause mortality according to age and underlying disease when the LACE index was ≥10 and < 10, respectively.Results: In populations over 65 years of age, patients with LACE index ≥10 had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality than in those with LACE index < 10. (HR, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-1.54). For those patients aged 65-74 years, the HR of all-cause mortality was found to be higher in patients with LACE index≥10 than in those with LACE index < 10 in almost all the diseases except CRF and mental illnesses. And those patients aged ≥75 years, the HR of all- cause mortality was found to be higher in patients with LACE index ≥10 than in those with LACE index < 10 in the diseases of pneumonia and MACE.Conclusion: This is the first study to validate the predictive power of the LACE index to identify older adults at high risk for all-cause mortality using nationwide cohort data. Our findings have policy implications for selecting or managing patients who need post-discharge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The peritonsillar abscess (PTA)–rheumatoid arthritis (RA) association remains unclear. Here, the effects of RA on PTA incidence and prognosis are elucidated. Methods: We compared PTA incidence and prognosis of 30,706 RFCIP-registered patients with RA (RA cohort) with matched individuals without RA from another database of 1 million randomly selected people representing Taiwan's population (non-RA cohort). Results: The RA cohort had significantly higher PTA incidence [incidence rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI) 1.73 (1.10–2.71), P = 0.017) and cumulative incidence (P = 0.016, Kaplan–Meier curves). Cox regression analyses demonstrated RA cohort to have an estimated 1.72-fold increased PTA risk (95% CI 1.09–2.69, P = 0.019). PTA was more likely within the first 5 years of RA diagnosis (for < 1, 1–5, and ≥ 5 postdiagnosis years, IRRs: 2.67, 2.31, and 1.10, respectively, and P = 0.063, 0.021, and 0.794, respectively; average onset duration: 4.3 ± 3.3 years after RA diagnosis). PTA increased length of hospital stay significantly and risk of complication with deep neck infection nonsignificantly [6.5 ± 4.5 vs 4.6 ± 2.8 days (P = 0.045) and 18.52% vs 7.81% (P = 0.155), respectively]. Moreover, RA-cohort patients not receiving RA therapy exhibited 5.06-fold higher PTA risk than those receiving RA-related therapy (95% CI 1.75–14.62, P = 0.003). Conclusions: In patients with RA, PTA incidence is the highest within 5 years of RA diagnosis, and RA therapy is essential for reducing PTA risk. Level of evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The end-of-life (EOL) status, including age at death and treatment details, of patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) remains unclear. This study investigated the EOL status of patients with ACHD using a nationwide Japanese database., Methods and results: Data on the last hospitalization of 26,438 patients with ACHD aged ≥15 years, admitted between 2013 and 2017, were included. Disease complexity (simple, moderate, or great) was classified using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Of the 853 deaths, 831 patients with classifiable disease complexity were evaluated for EOL status. The median age at death of patients in the simple, moderate, and great disease complexity groups was 77.0, 66.5, and 39.0 years , respectively. The treatments administered before death to patients in the simple, moderate, and great complexity groups included cardiopulmonary resuscitation (30.1%, 35.7%, and 41.9%, respectively), percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (7.2%, 16.5%, and 16.3%, respectively), and mechanical ventilation (58.7%, 72.2%, and 75.6%, respectively). Overall, 70% of patients died outside of specialized facilities, with >25% dying after ≥31 days of hospitalization., Conclusions: Nationwide data showed that patients with ACHD with greater disease complexity died at a younger age and underwent more invasive treatments before death, with many dying after ≥1 month of hospitalization. Discussing EOL options with patients at the appropriate time is important, particularly for patients with greater disease complexity.

Aim: To identify invasive dental procedures as a risk factor for postoperative spinal infection (PSI) and evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis. Materials and Methods: We analysed 229,335 patients who underwent spinal surgery with instrumentation from 2010 to 2017, using the nationwide database. The incidence of spinal infection 2 years after surgery was determined. Invasive dental procedures as a risk factor for PSI and the effects of antibiotic prophylaxis during this period were also analysed. Results: A total of 15,346 patients (6.69%) were diagnosed with PSI. It was found that advanced age, male sex, and a high Charlson Comorbidity Index were risk factors for PSI. The risk of PSI did not increase following dental procedures (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.850; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.793–0.912) and was not affected by antibiotics (adjusted HR 1.097; 95% CI, 0.987–1.218). Patients who received dental treatment as early as 3 months after spinal surgery had the lowest risk of postoperative infection (adjusted HR 0.869; 95% CI, 0.795–0.950). Conclusions: Invasive dental procedure does not increase the risk of PSI, and antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedure was not effective in preventing spinal infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varying early survival rates have been reported across studies on patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we reported the 10-year relative survival rate of patients with PD using a nationwide database. This was a population-based cohort study. We identified incident PD cases from 2004 to 2006 using the PD registration codes from the National Health Insurance Service database covering the entire South Korean population. Relative survival up to 10 years was evaluated by adjusting all-cause survival for expected survival, estimated from population life tables and matched by sex, age, and year of diagnosis. Of the 10,159 patients with PD, 4675 (46.0%) patients survived 10 years after diagnosis. Relative survival rates decreased with time after diagnosis (0.972 after 1 year, 0.772 after 5 years, and 0.588 after 10 years). Ten-year relative survival gradually decreased with age at diagnosis. Men had a lower relative survival rate than women 2 years post diagnosis, and if they were older than 60 years. Patients diagnosed with PD are expected to have a lower 10-year relative survival. In the real world, patients with PD might have lower survival than the general population even in the early disease stage. Our results suggest further efforts to prevent premature mortality among patients with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reoperation is one of the key factors affecting postoperative clinical outcomes. The reoperation rates of cervical surgeries might be different from those of lumbar surgeries due to the anatomical and biomechanical differences. However, there has been no study to compare the reoperation rate between them. The purpose is to compare reoperation rates after fusion surgeries for degenerative spinal diseases depending on the anatomic region of cervical and lumbar spines.Method: We used the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service national database. Subjects were included if they had any of the primary procedures of fusion combined with the procedure of decompression procedures under the diagnosis of degenerative diseases (n = 42,060). We assigned the patients into two groups based on anatomical regions: cervical and lumbar fusion group (n = 11,784 vs 30,276). The primary endpoint of reoperation was the repeat of any aforementioned fusion procedures. Age, gender, presence of diabetes, associated comorbidities, and hospital types were considered potential confounding factors.Results: The reoperation rate was higher in the patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery than in the patients who underwent cervical fusion surgery during the entire follow up period (p = 0.0275). A similar pattern was found during the late period (p = 0.0468). However, in the early period, there was no difference in reoperation rates between the two groups. Associated comorbidities and hospital type were noted to be risk factors for reoperation.Conclusions: The incidence of reoperation was higher in the patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery than those who underwent cervical fusion surgery for degenerative spinal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Among older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, previous studies have shown a seasonal variation of in‐hospital surgical complications. However, little is known about seasonal effects on mortality and systemic complications after hip fracture surgery. In the present study, we evaluated whether mortality and in‐hospital systemic complications are influenced by seasonal differences. Methods: We enrolled patients from a nationwide database who underwent hip fracture surgery between 2010 and 2018. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were in‐hospital systemic complications. The association between the seasonality and in‐hospital outcomes was investigated using multivariable Cox, logistic regression and causal mediation analysis. Results: With 425 856 patients (mean age 83.5 years; 79% women), overall in‐hospital mortality was 5324 (1.2%). Fall and winter were associated with a higher mortality than spring (hazard ratio [HR] 1.16; P < 0.001; HR 1.14; P = 0.001, respectively). Across all the seasons, there were 36 834 overall systemic complications (8.6%), with respiratory infection being the most frequent (18 637 [4.4%]). Among these complications, only respiratory infection showed seasonal variation, with a higher prevalence in fall and winter. The mediated effect of respiratory infection on mortality was significantly higher in fall and winter compared with spring (fall, HR 1.06, proportion mediated 36.7%; winter, HR 1.14, proportion mediated 55.0%; all P < 0.001). Conclusions: We found a significantly higher mortality in fall and winter after hip fracture surgery. Specifically, in winter, the increased in‐hospital death was largely attributed to the increased incidence of respiratory infection. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 398–403. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among various therapeutic options for morbid obesity, bariatric surgery (BS) is now considered one of the most effective methods of weight loss. We decided to perform an analysis to look at 30-day all-cause readmission and independent predictors of readmission in patients undergoing BS. Methods: We queried the 2017 Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD) using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes to identify all adult patients who underwent BS from January 1 to November 30, 2017. Outcomes assessed were 30-day readmission rates, mortality, length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs, and independent predictors of readmission. Results: A total of 182,848 adult patients underwent BS during hospitalization in 2017, with in-hospital mortality rate of 0.52% (951). Of the patients discharged, 4.99% (9088) patients were readmitted within 30 days. The most common primary diagnosis at readmission was "Other complications of other bariatric surgery". When compared with index admission, readmitted patients had higher in-hospital mortality (0.52% vs 2.06%, p < 0.01), increased mean LOS (2.94 days vs 5.94 days, p < 0.01) but lower mean hospitalization charges ($67,763 vs $66,065, p < 0.01). Increasing age (HR 1.01, 95% CI: 1.006–1.014, p < 0.01), longer LOS (HR 1.01, 95% CI: 1.008–1.014, p < 0.01), higher comorbidity score (HR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12–1.18, p < 0.01), CHF (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.42, p < 0.05), and AKI (HR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.34–2.02, p < 0.01) were independently associated with increased likelihood of 30-day readmission. Conclusion: This study shows that almost 5% patients undergoing bariatric surgery are readmitted within 30 days of discharge in the US. Further studies are needed to assess the high-risk populations to understand the reasons predisposing to early readmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is well known that an immunosuppressed status such as cancer is a risk factor for herpes zoster (HZ), but little is known about whether HZ affects cancer development. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between HZ and subsequent cancer risk by cancer type. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database. The study enrolled 1,568,818 patients: 784,409 diagnosed with HZ between 2010 and 2015 were included in the HZ group, and 784,409 matched controls without HZ were included in the non-HZ group, with 1:1 exact matching for age, sex, and index year. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated for the risk of cancers based on anatomical site according to the HZ status using the Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: During a mean follow-up period of 6 years, 22,235 and 22,316 patients in the HZ group and the non-HZ group, respectively, developed cancer (incidence rate: 7.6 vs. 7.7 per 1,000 person-years). After adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities, the overall risk of cancers was slightly decreased in the HZ group compared with the non-HZ group (HR, 0.999; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.02). In post hoc analyses on organ site, the HZ group had significantly increased risk of hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.37–1.95), leukemia (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.03–1.39), and lymphoma (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02–1.30) compared with the non-HZ group. Conversely, the risk of cancers in the liver (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82–0.93) and larynx (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58–0.92) were significantly decreased in the HZ group compared with the non-HZ group. Conclusions: Although the risk of developing some hematological cancers increased in patients with HZ, solid cancers including liver and laryngeal cancers showed a negative association with HZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Patients discharged after treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at high risk for readmission. We aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors for readmission. Methods: We included 16,105 patients who had claimed their medical expenses from 1 May 2014 to 1 May 2016 after discharge from any medical facility in Korea, following treatment for acute exacerbation of COPD. We analysed the potential risk factors for readmission within 30 days of discharge. Results: Readmission rate was 26.4% (3989 patients among 15,101 patients) and over 50% of readmissions occurred within 10 days of discharge. Approximately 57% of readmissions occurred due to respiratory causes. Major causes of readmission were COPD (27%), pneumonia (14.2%), and lung cancer (7.1%), in that order. Patients who were readmitted were male, had more comorbidities and were less frequently admitted to tertiary hospitals than those who were not readmitted. Risk factors for readmission within 30 days of discharge were male sex, medical aid coverage, longer hospital stay, longer duration of systemic steroid use during hospital stay, high comorbid condition index, and discharge to skilled nursing facility. Conclusion: Readmission occurred in approximately one-quarter of patients, and was associated with patient-related and clinical factors. Using these results, we can identify high-risk patients for readmission and precautions are needed to be taken before deciding on a discharge plan. Further research is needed to develop accurate tools for predicting the risk of readmission before discharge, and development and evaluation of an effective care programme for COPD patients are necessary. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the functional outcome at discharge for unruptured cerebral aneurysms (UCAs) between surgical clipping and endovascular coiling in total, nonelderly (<65 years), and elderly (≥65 years) patients by nonbiased analysis based on a national database in Japan. A total of 15,671 patients with UCA were registered in the Diagnosis Procedure Combination, the nationwide database, from 2010 to 2015 in Japan. The outcome of the Barthel Index (BI) at discharge was investigated, and propensity score–matched analysis was conducted in total, nonelderly, and elderly patient groups. Propensity score–matched analysis found no significant difference for in-hospital mortality between the 2 treatment methods in the total and both age-groups. The rate of morbidity of BI <90 at discharge was higher after surgical clipping than after endovascular coiling in the total (4.9% vs. 3.9%; P = 0.040; risk difference, –1.0%; 95% confidence interval, –3.6 to 2.3%) and the elderly age-group (8.1% vs. 5.0%; P < 0.001; risk difference, –3.1%; –4.8% to 1.5%), however, no significant association between the 2 treatment methods (2.4% vs. 2.6%; P = 0.67; risk difference, 0.22%; –0.79 to 1.22%) was found in the nonelderly group. In elderly patients with UCA, a better outcome at discharge after endovascular coiling was found. However, no significantly different functional outcome at discharge between surgical clipping and endovascular coiling for UCA in nonelderly patients was confirmed by propensity score–matched analysis from a nationwide database in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has never been evidence for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) by endovascular coiling compared to surgical clipping with all grade. The present study and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the in-hospital mortality and poor outcome in the nationwide databases of patients with all grade aSAH between them. The outcome of modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge was investigated according to the comprehensive nationwide database in Japan. The propensity score-matched analysis was conducted among patients with aSAH in this database registered between 2010 and 2015. Meta-analysis of studies was conducted based on the nationwide databases published from 2007 to 2018. According to this propensity score-matched analysis, no significant association for poor outcome of mRS > 2 was shown between surgical clipping and endovascular coiling (47.7% vs 48.3%, p = 0.48). However, significantly lower in-hospital mortality was revealed after surgical clipping than endovascular coiling (7.1% vs 12.2%, p < 0.001). Meta-analysis of propensity score-matched analysis in the nationwide database showed no significant association for poor outcome at discharge between them (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 1.26; p = 0.31). Meta-analysis of propensity score-matched analysis for in-hospital mortality was lower after surgical clipping than after endovascular coiling, however, without significant difference (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.52 to 1.04; p = 0.08). Further prospective randomized controlled study with all grade aSAH should be necessary to validate the in-hospital mortality and poor outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been no precise guide for treatment management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) based on the patient's age and treatment method. This study clarifies each risk management for aSAH according to age and treatment method listed in a nationwide database. We compared 2 groups of patients (nonelderly, <65 years; elderly, ≥65 years) who underwent surgical clipping or endovascular coiling and were registered in a nationwide database in Japan from 2010 to 2015. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each risk factor were calculated through multivariate logistic regression analysis for poor outcome according to a modified Rankin Scale score >2 at discharge for each group. In all groups, the risk factors for poor outcome were older age, male sex, neurologic grade on admission, diabetes mellitus, and use of anticoagulation drugs. Inverse risk factors were a high-volume hospital, academic hospital, hypertension, and use of an antiplatelet drug (OR, 0.63–0.81; 95% CI, 0.56–0.88). Chronic heart disease was also a risk factor, but use of a statin drug (OR, 0.85–0.87; 95% CI, 0.76–0.97) and location other than on the anterior communicating artery (OR, 0.74–0.80; 95% CI, 0.67–0.91) were inverse risks in both the elderly and the endovascular coiling groups. Management for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was recommended in high-volume and academic institutes with the administration of antiplatelet drugs and consideration of several risk factors. Elderly patients undergoing endovascular coiling might be better given a statin drug, and patients with chronic heart failure or an anterior communicating artery aneurysm should be treated more carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]