"Diagnose, Treat, and SUPPORT". Clinical competencies in the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Aspiration pneumonia in older adults is increasingly common, with a high care burden and morbidity. However, clinical competencies in its management have not been developed, and healthcare professionals struggle on how to care for these patients with multimodal treatment needs. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to investigate what is known about the desired clinical competencies for the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia, to utilise in clinical practice, education, and future research. METHODS: First, we defined aspiration pneumonia according to a preliminary search. We then searched the literature on MEDLINE and CINAHL, focusing on studies involving patients aged 65 years old and older diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. All settings were included, with the exception of intensive care units. Publication dates were limited to January 2011 to July 2022 and languages to English and Japanese. The extracted data were used to refine the preliminary competency framework developed by the Japan Aspiration pneumonia inter-Professional team Educational Program (JAPEP) in preparation of this study. RESULTS: Ninety-nine studies were included. Following data extraction from these studies, 3 competencies were renamed, and 3 new competencies were added, to create a list of 12 competencies. These were Diagnosis, Treatment, Swallow Assessment, Underlying condition management, Nutrition, Oral management, Rehabilitation, Multidisciplinary team, Decision making, Prevention, Prognosis, and Palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review identified 12 clinical competencies required in the management of older adults with aspiration pneumonia, outlined in the phrase 'Diagnose, Treat and SUPPORT'. We encourage healthcare professionals to share these competencies as a team to identify areas of unmet need and improve their patient care, with an emphasis on supportive care.

Successful renal recovery from multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy and accompanying acute kidney injury with early use of bortezomib-based therapy: a case report and literature review.

Crystalline light chain cast nephropathy is a rare distinct morphologic variant of light chain cast nephropathy which is the most common renal lesion associated with multiple myeloma. It is often related to high myeloma tumor burden, severe acute kidney injury, and an unfavorable prognosis. A 79-year-old Japanese man was referred to our medical center with anemia, proteinuria, and acute exacerbation of the serum creatinine accompanying anuria. A renal biopsy showed crystalline cast filling the tubular lumens, injured tubular cells, and inflammatory cells infiltration of interstitium. Serum and urine immunofixation detected a monoclonal protein (IgA-λ and Bence-Jones Protein-λ, respectively), and bone marrow examination observed 64% of plasma cells. IgA-λ type multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy and accompanying acute kidney injury were confirmed. Hydration and emergency hemodialysis were immediately introduced, and the treatment with bortezomib and dexamethasone was initiated. The patient showed successful recovery in renal manifestations. We suggest that early use with bortezomib-based therapy should be considered for patients with acute kidney injury caused by multiple myeloma-associated crystalline light chain cast nephropathy.

Mortality After Hip and Spine Fractures in Patients With End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Fractures represent a major cause of disability in the elderly, and patients with fractures exhibit a higher mortality rate than those without. Fractures are also an important health problem among patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) requiring hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or kidney transplantation. To the best of our knowledge, no study in the literature has yet quantitatively summarized the mortality rates, and a summary of evidence on post-hip and spine fracture mortality in patients with ESKD is lacking. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the mortality rate, one-year mortality rate, and five-year mortality rate after hip and spine fractures in patients with ESKD receiving kidney replacement therapy. The MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were comprehensively searched for reports on mortality rate and time-period mortality in patients with ESKD after hip or spine fractures up to June 2022. Prospective and retrospective cohort studies, as well as case series involving four or more patients, were included. Pooled mortality rate, one-year rate, and five-year mortality rate with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were examined using a random-effects model. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool. Additionally, heterogeneity between studies was evaluated. A total of 26 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The one-year and five-year mortality rates after hip and spine fractures were 215.35-774.0 per 1,000 person-year and 148-194.1 per 1,000 person-year, respectively. After hip fractures, the one-year mortality rate was 27% (95% CI: 18-38%, I2 = 98%), whereas the five-year mortality rate was 56% (95% CI: 41-71%, I2 = 99%). After spine fractures, the one-year mortality rate was 10% (95% CI: 4-17%, I2 = 70%), whereas the five-year mortality rate was 48.3%. The post-fracture mortality rate was high in patients with ESKD, particularly within one year after the occurrence of fractures. Additionally, the five-year mortality rate after hip femoral or spine fractures was high at approximately 50%.

Uncommon etiology of Cullen's sign and Grey Turner sign.

This case report describes a patient with acute appendicitis presenting with Cullen's sign and Grey Turner sign. This case highlights the importance of the recognition of Cullen's sign and Grey Turner sign in patients with acute appendicitis to prevent life-threatening complications such as perforation and sepsis.

A Comparison Between the Efficacy and Safety of Endovascular Arteriovenous Fistula Creation and Surgical Fistula Creation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

An endovascular arteriovenous fistula is a recent technological advancement in hemodialysis vascular access. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of endovascular arteriovenous fistula (eAVF) creation compared with surgical arteriovenous fistula (sAVF) creation among patients with chronic kidney disease. We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Clinical Trials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform until May 2021 to perform meta-analyses using random-effects models. Pre-specified primary outcomes were fistula maturation, procedure-related complications, and patient satisfaction. Secondary outcomes were procedural technical success, procedure time, all adverse events, and medical expenditure. The risk of bias in non-randomized studies of the interventions assessment tool, and the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach were used to assess the quality of individual studies and the body of evidence, respectively. In seven studies including 860 patients, endovascular arteriovenous fistula creation had little to no effect on fistula maturation (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence intervals, 0.05 to 6.91). Meta-analysis could not be performed for procedure-related complications and patient satisfaction due to insufficient data. For secondary outcomes, endovascular arteriovenous fistula resulted in a slight to no difference in procedural technical success (odds ratio, 0.69: 95% confidence intervals, 0.04 to 11.98) and all adverse events (odds ratio, 6.31; 95% confidence intervals, 0.64 to 62.22). Endovascular fistula creation incurred less medical expenditure than sAVF (mean difference, USD 12760; 95% confidence intervals, -19710 to -5820). Meta-analysis for procedure time was not performed because one of the studies had a critical risk of bias. All of these outcomes were of low certainty of evidence or very low certainty of evidence. There was limited evidence for supporting endovascular arteriovenous fistula creation over conventional surgical arteriovenous fistula creation for patients with chronic kidney disease. Multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of eAVFs in selected populations.

Post-vaccination Adverse Reactions After Receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines Among Healthcare Workers in Sapporo, Japan.

Background/objective Although a third dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine was initiated, the reports of the post-vaccination adverse reactions after dose three from Japan were limited. We aimed to report on post-vaccination adverse reactions to the third dose of the vaccine among healthcare workers and compare the results with those after the first two doses of vaccine at a tertiary medical center in Japan. Materials and methods After each vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) administration, healthcare workers answered a Web-based questionnaire for two consecutive days regarding local and systemic adverse reactions and anaphylaxis reactions. Information about those who took antipyretics and analgesics was also collected. Data were collected using Microsoft Forms (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA), a web-based questionnaire software. We compared the proportions of post-vaccination adverse reactions among the three doses of vaccine using the chi-squared test. Results A total of 1,990 employees received the first dose in March 2021, 1,988 employees received the second dose in April 2021, and 1,748 employees received the third dose between December 2021 and January 2022. The median age was 32 years and 21% were men. Local and systemic adverse reactions were greater after dose three than those with the primary series, except for nausea and vomiting. Injected site pain, fatigue, and headache were the three most commonly reported adverse reactions throughout the three sessions. A total of four employees developed anaphylaxis reactions. Additionally, 944 and 1,016 employees reported taking antipyretics and analgesics after doses two and three. Conclusions The coronavirus 2019 booster vaccine was safe and well-tolerated. Clinicians should encourage the public to receive the coronavirus 2019 vaccine series.

A single-center comparative analysis of outpatients with and without COVID-19 in Sapporo, Japan.

This study aimed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and epidemiological statistics of Japanese patients attending a designated outpatient clinic for COVID-19 in Sapporo, Japan, and contrast the clinical and epidemiological features between those with and without mild COVID-19. A total of 27 (8.6%) of 315 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. They had higher proportions of myalgia, direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, and attendance of social gatherings in close confines. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it provides a clinical picture of mild COVID-19 in the Japanese population, which has not been studied extensively. It can also assist in optimizing the local preventive measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Hospital-wide antigen screening for coronavirus disease in a tertiary reference center in Sapporo, Japan: A single-center observational study.

ABSTRACT: Hospital-wide screenings for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are important to identify healthcare workers at risk of exposure. However, the currently available diagnostic tests are expensive or only identify past infection. Therefore, this single-center observational study aimed to assess the positivity rate of hospital-wide antigen screening tests for COVID-19 and evaluate clinical factors associated with antigen positivity during a COVID-19 institutional outbreak in Sapporo, Japan.We analyzed the data of 1615 employees who underwent salivary or nasal swab antigen tests on November 18, 2020, to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Laboratory confirmation using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was performed for those with positive viral serology. The demographic characteristics, job titles, and risk of contact with COVID-19 patients were compared between employees with and without COVID-19.A total of 19 employees (1.2%) tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 antigen. The positivity rate was high among rehabilitation therapists (2.1%) and employees in the low-risk contact group (6.1%). Although there was no association between the job titles and the seropositivity rate, those in the low-risk contact group had an increased risk of testing positive for the viral antigen (odds ratio, 8.67; 95% confidence interval, 3.30-22.8).The antigen positivity rate was low during the hospital outbreak, suggesting that risk assessment of exposure to COVID-19 patients may provide more useful information than using job titles to identify infected health care providers.

Light Chain Deposition Disease Diagnosed Using Computed Tomography-Guided Kidney Biopsy.

Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is characterized by the deposition of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains in the kidney, which can cause end-stage kidney disease if not treated. While kidney biopsy is required for definitive diagnosis, choosing an appropriate biopsy method may be problematic when examining patients with atrophic kidneys. A 66-year-old Japanese man was referred to our institution with a three-month history of leg edema. Clinical investigations revealed proteinuria levels of 7.5 g/day. CT-guided percutaneous kidney biopsy was selected as the biopsy method because atrophic kidneys were poorly visualized on ultrasonography. Kidney biopsy revealed nodular glomerulosclerosis, exclusive deposition of the κ chain, and powdery electron-dense deposits, all of which were indicative of LCDD. Bence-Jones protein was detected in the urine. The patient also had an abnormal serum-free light chain ratio. Bone marrow biopsy revealed multiple myeloma; therefore, the patient was diagnosed to have LCDD with multiple myeloma. The patient was treated with daratumumab, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone. After a one-year follow-up, the patient had hematological and renal responses without any treatment-related adverse effects. Our case demonstrates the effectiveness of daratumumab as a treatment for LCDD with nephrotic-range proteinuria. Additionally, we suggest that CT-guided kidney biopsy should be considered as a diagnostic test in patients with kidney atrophy when making a definitive diagnosis.

Association between diuretic administration before diagnosis and incidence of acute kidney injury in patients with minimal change disease: A single-center observational study.

ABSTRACT: We examined the association between diuretic administration before the diagnosis of minimal change disease and the incidence of acute kidney injury. Moreover, we examined whether the use of diuretics affected the time to complete remission in adults with such disease.The present study was a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. We included 107 patients with biopsy-proven minimal change disease who were treated at a tertiary referral center in Japan between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2019. All biopsy specimens were examined by a board-certified renal pathologist. The patients were considered to have minimal change disease when the kidney biopsy specimen had no glomerular lesions or only mild focal mesangial prominence (not exceeding 3 or 4 cells per segment) by light microscopy and/or foot process effacement by electron microscopy. Logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier curve analyses were performed, comparing the data of patients who received diuretics or not.The median age was 47 (28-66) years, 52% of patients were women, and the median proteinuria dosage was 8.3 (5.3-11.2) g/d. When minimal change disease was diagnosed, 27% of patients were taking diuretics. Within 30 days after the diagnosis, acute kidney injury occurred in 27% of patients. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, the use of diuretics was significantly associated with a higher risk of acute kidney injury. The use of diuretics was also associated with a longer time to complete remission.Diuretic administration can be associated with an elevated acute kidney injury risk and longer remission time in adult patients with newly diagnosed minimal change disease.

Association Between Renal Adverse Effects and Mortality in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Lenvatinib.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lenvatinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was recently approved for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment in Japan; however, the association between proteinuria following lenvatinib administration in HCC patients and early mortality is unknown. This study aimed to examine the association between nephrotic-range proteinuria (NRP) and mortality and evaluated the risk factors for NRP among Japanese HCC patients treated with lenvatinib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 45 consecutive patients receiving lenvatinib from 2018-2019. Primary outcome was overall survival. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between NRP and overall survival. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify NRP risk factors after lenvatinib initiation. RESULTS: The median age was 66 years, 56% were women, and 20% had pre-existing proteinuria. During a 1-year median follow-up, 24 died, and 5 developed NRP. Univariable logistic regression showed that pre-existing proteinuria was associated with higher NRP risk; however, the association was not significant after covariate adjustment. Following multivariable Cox analysis, NRP did not affect overall survival in advanced HCC patients receiving lenvatinib. CONCLUSION: Urinalysis findings should be monitored regularly in patients receiving lenvatinib because NRP incidence was comparable to that of prior studies. Identifying the predictors of NRP after lenvatinib initiation warrants further investigation.

Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome: a case report and review of literature.

Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency (SIgMD) is the isolated absence of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) with normal levels of other serum immunoglobulins. SIgMD is associated with infections and autoimmune diseases. While there are few reports on SIgMD complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), there are no reports on SIgMD complicated by SLE and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS); we present the first report of this kind. A 61-year-old Japanese woman presented with microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. Clinical investigations revealed an elevated serum creatinine level, an undetectable serum IgM level, and seropositivity of antinuclear antibody, anti-Smith antibody, and double-stranded DNA antibody. Radiological investigations were unremarkable. Renal biopsy revealed focal and segmental mesangial cell proliferation; thickened glomerular capillary walls; and IgG, IgA, C3, and C1q deposition, which indicated class III (A/C) lupus nephritis (Renal Pathology Society/International Society of Nephrology classification). Furthermore, anti-CLß2GP1 antibody positivity and deep vein thrombosis were noted, which fulfilled the revised Sapporo classification criteria for the diagnosis of APS. Thus, she was diagnosed with SIgMD complicated by SLE and APS. The patient was treated with prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and warfarin. After a 1-year follow-up, she achieved clinical remission of SLE and APS without infectious complications; however, the serum IgM level remained undetectable. In conclusion, SIgMD can be complicated by autoimmune disorders. Although rare, we recommend that SLE and APS be considered in patients with SIgMD who present with hematuria, proteinuria, and deep vein thrombosis. We also recommend measuring the titers of antinuclear antibodies, double-stranded DNA antibodies, and anti-CLß2GP1 antibodies.

Incidence and risk factors of acute kidney injury, and its effect on mortality among Japanese patients receiving immune check point inhibitors: a single-center observational study.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis) are associated with multi-organ immune-related adverse effects. Here, we examined the incidence rate, recovery rate, and risk factors of acute kidney injury complicated with ICPis (ICPi-AKI) and evaluted the association between ICPi-AKI and mortality in Japanese patients. METHODS: We analyzed 152 consecutive patients receiving ICPis between 2015 and 2019. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for ICPi-AKI incidence and Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ICPi-AKI and mortality. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 67 ± 10 years, with the median baseline serum creatinine level of 0.78 mg/dL. Twenty-seven patients (18%) developed ICPi-AKI, and 19 (73%) of them recovered. Pembrolizumab use and liver diseases were significant risk factors for the ICPi-AKI incidence. During the follow-up, 85 patients (59%) died, 17 patients (63%) with ICPi-AKI and 68 (54%) patients without ICPi-AKI, respectively. The ICPi-AKI incidence was not independently associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence intervals, 0.46-1.61). CONCLUSIONS: Our finding suggest that pembrolizumab use and liver diseases are associated with a higher risk of ICPi-AKI development, but ICPi-AKI did not affect mortality. Future multi-center studies are needed to develop optimal management and prevention strategies for this complication in patients receiving ICPis.

Umbilical hernia in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

This manuscript presents a case report of umbilical hernia in a patient with liver cirrhosis, associated with acute kidney injury. The purpose of this article is to facilitate physicians in understanding that emergent treatment is required for the incarcerated umbilical hernia and this condition can be associated with acute kidney injury.