Gastrointestinal adverse reactions reduce the success rate of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The screening and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection for all junior high students in Saga Prefecture, Japan, were started in 2016. The present study aims to evaluate the influence of adverse reactions on the success of the eradication therapy. METHODS: From 2017 to 2019, 25,006 third-grade junior high school students were tested for urinary anti-H. pylori antibodies. Positive cases were confirmed by H. pylori stool antigen tests. Of the 531 students who were found to be H. pylori-positive, 390 (358 in first-line and 32 in second-line therapy) underwent eradication therapy, and 274 (242 in first-line and 32 in second-line) students actually completed a self-reported form to rate stool consistency (based on the Bristol Stool Scale), the maximum number of bowel movements, and abdominal symptoms during the 7 days of treatment. RESULTS: Among the 274 students, the total of primary and secondary eradication success rates was 87% (95% confidential interval: 82.9-90.1) in intention-to-treat analysis. On days 4, 5, and 6, stool consistency was looser in the primary eradication failure group than in the success group (p < .05). Looser stool consistencies were observed in male students with abdominal pain compared to those who did not experience pain (p < .05). Abdominal pain and diarrhea were detected in 28.5% and 42.7% of the subjects, respectively. The overall incidence of other adverse events was low (n = 8/274, 2.9%), and only two students discontinued treatment because of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Softening of the stool was related to the eradication failure in the junior high school students, especially in males with abdominal pain. Adverse effects did not induce discontinuation of the eradication treatment.

Lifestyle- and Comorbidity-Related Risk Factors Associated with Prescription of Gastric Acid Secretion Inhibitors to Japanese Patients Who Were Helicobacter pylori Negative and Had No Upper Gastrointestinal Lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of patients without Helicobacter pylori infection who were prescribed antacid medications (potassium-competitive acid blockers, proton pump inhibitors, and/or H2 receptor antagonist) and had no upper gastrointestinal lesions detected by endoscopy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included the patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in our institution between August 2017 and July 2018. They were aged from 55 to 89 years, had no upper gastrointestinal lesions detected by endoscopy, and no H. pylori infection. Exclusion criteria comprised low-dose aspirin and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The subjects were allocated to middle-aged (55-69 years) and older age groups (70-89 years). The relationships between antacid medications and patient lifestyle and comorbidities were evaluated by multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 420 patients, 272 were in the middle-aged group and 148 patients in the older age group. Age was found to be a risk factor for antacid medications in both groups (p = 0.002, p = 0.007). No other lifestyle related factors were risk factors. As to comorbidities, hiatal hernia was positively associated with antacid medications in the middle-aged group (p = 0.002). Hypertension and Ca-blockers were positively associated with prescription of antacids in the older age group (p = 0.013); this association was not significant in the middle-aged group. CONCLUSIONS: Three lifestyle-related and/or comorbidity-associated factors known to exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux, namely, age, hiatus hernia, and Ca-blockers, were associated with prescription of antacid medications, even in patients without endoscopic reflux esophagitis.

Syndromic surveillance using ambulance transfer data in Tokyo, Japan.

Bioterrorism attacks become more probable when important high-profile international or political events are held, such as G7 summit meetings or mass gathering events including Olympic and Paralympic games and FIFA World Cup tournaments. Outbreaks of infectious disease and widespread incidents of food poisoning are also public health concerns at such times. In Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government operates Ambulance Transfer Syndromic Surveillance (ATSS), which can help monitor such incidents. The present study presents and assesses the ATSS framework. During the study period of October 2017 through November 2018, we monitored 33 areas for symptoms of 9 categories: vomiting/nausea, dizziness, palpitation, unconsciousness, breathing disorder, fever, spasm/paralysis, collapse/weakness, and bloody emesis/nasal hemorrhage. Among all symptoms, we found 9929 low-level aberrations, 2537 medium-level aberrations, and 577 high-level aberrations, with respective frequencies of 9.2%, 2.3%, and 0.5%. Of those, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health reported the information to Tokyo Metropolitan Government 28 times during the period. Of the 28 identified clusters, Tokyo Metropolitan Government judged the necessity for investigating 7. All of those were investigated at hospitals by the jurisdictional public health center. Because ATSS covers almost the entire Tokyo metropolitan area, with about 13.8 million residents, it is definitely the largest syndromic surveillance in the world.

Correlation of Barrett's esophagus with colorectal polyps in Japanese patients: A retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps have several overlapping risk factors. Whereas several reports in Western countries have indicated a close relationship between Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps, the relationship between these two diseases remains unclear in Japan. This study was performed to determine whether the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus is related to that of colorectal polyps in Japanese patients. METHODS: The present retrospective chart review included 1582 Japanese patients who underwent both total colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy from January 2010 to December 2016. The data on colorectal polyps and Barrett's esophagus were obtained from the endoscopic findings. The medical record of each patient was checked for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, use of acid suppression agents, and comorbidities including a history of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, and Helicobacter pylori infection. RESULTS: Colorectal polyps were detected in 789 of the 1582 patients (49.9%). Barrett's esophagus was detected in 233 patients (14.7%), and most cases of Barrett's esophagus (n = 229) were classified as short-segment Barrett's esophagus. Colorectal polyps were more frequent in patients with than without Barrett's esophagus (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.46; P < 0.001). In addition to Barrett's esophagus, the data indicated that old age, male sex, obesity, smoking, alcohol drinking, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease were independent risk factors for colorectal polyps. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the correlation between the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus and colorectal polyps in Japanese patients.

Smoking and Drinking Did Not Increase the Failure of Therapeutic Helicobacter pylori Eradication by Vonoprazan, Clarithromycin, and Amoxicillin.

AIMS: The influence of lifestyle-related factors, including smoking and drinking, was evaluated for Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy with vonoprazan or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). METHODS: Between 2012 and 2016, the medical records of 620 patients receiving H. pylori eradication therapy at Saiseikai Karatsu Hospital were evaluated. Patients had received vonoprazan (20 mg) or PPIs with 200 mg clarithromycin and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 days. The influence of lifestyle-related factors on eradication failure was determined in the 2 groups. RESULTS: The eradication rates for vonoprazan and lansoprazole, rabeprazole, and esomeprazole were, respectively, 91.0, 73.8, 72.0, and 84.6%. The vonoprazan eradication rate was significantly higher than those for the PPIs (p < 0.01). Habitual smoking and drinking did not increase eradication failure, and smoking and drinking during the eradication period did not reduce the eradication rate. Metabolic syndrome-related factors including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus had no negative influence on the eradication rate. Eradication with vonoprazan was more effective compared with that achieved through the use of PPIs. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle-related factors including smoking and drinking did not exacerbate the H. pylori eradication failure, and vonoprazan was more effective than the PPIs.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of the national decentralization policy of antiretroviral treatment programme in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: In resource-limited settings with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection such as Zambia, decentralization of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) treatment and care with effective use of resources is a cornerstone of universal treatment and care. OBJECTIVES: This research aims to analyse the cost effectiveness of the National Mobile Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Services Programme in Zambia as a means of decentralizing ART services. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analyses were performed using a decision analytic model and Markov model to compare the original ART programme, 'Hospital-based ART', with the intervention programme, Hospital-based plus 'Mobile ART', from the perspective of the district government health office in Zambia. The total cost of ART services, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were examined. RESULTS: The mean annual per-patient costs were 1259.16 USD for the original programme and 2601.02 USD for the intervention programme, while the mean number of QALYs was 6.81 for the original and 7.27 for the intervention programme. The ICER of the intervention programme relative to the original programme was 2965.17 USD/QALY, which was much below the willingness-to-pay (WTP), or three times the GDP per capita (4224 USD), but still over the GDP per capita (1408 USD). In the sensitivity analysis, the ICER of the intervention programme did not substantially change. CONCLUSION: The National Mobile ART Services Programme in Zambia could be a cost-effective approach to decentralizing ART services into rural areas in Zambia. This programme could be expanded to more districts where it has not yet been introduced to improve access to ART services and the health of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in rural areas.

Little Polymorphism at the K13 Propeller Locus in Worldwide Plasmodium falciparum Populations Prior to the Introduction of Artemisinin Combination Therapies.

The emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is of huge concern for the global effort toward malaria control and elimination. Artemisinin resistance, defined as a delayed time to parasite clearance following administration of artemisinin, is associated with mutations in the Pfkelch13 gene of resistant parasites. To date, as many as 60 nonsynonymous mutations have been identified in this gene, but whether these mutations have been selected by artemisinin usage or merely reflect natural polymorphism independent of selection is currently unknown. To clarify this, we sequenced the Pfkelch13 propeller domain in 581 isolates collected before (420 isolates) and after (161 isolates) the implementation of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), from various regions of endemicity worldwide. Nonsynonymous mutations were observed in 1% of parasites isolated prior to the introduction of ACTs. Frequencies of mutant isolates, nucleotide diversity, and haplotype diversity were significantly higher in the parasites isolated from populations exposed to artemisinin than in those from populations that had not been exposed to the drug. In the artemisinin-exposed population, a significant excess of dN compared to dS was observed, suggesting the presence of positive selection. In contrast, pairwise comparison of dN and dS and the McDonald and Kreitman test indicate that purifying selection acts on the Pfkelch13 propeller domain in populations not exposed to ACTs. These population genetic analyses reveal a low baseline of Pfkelch13 polymorphism, probably due to purifying selection in the absence of artemisinin selection. In contrast, various Pfkelch13 mutations have been selected under artemisinin pressure.

Higher Frequency of Reflux Symptoms and Acid-Related Dyspepsia in Women than Men Regardless of Endoscopic Esophagitis: Analysis of 3,505 Japanese Subjects Undergoing Medical Health Checkups.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed at (i) clarifying the factors associated with high scores on the modified frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG) among 3,505 relatively healthy subjects undergoing routine medical health checkups with gastrointestinal endoscopy and (ii) comparing risk factors for high FSSG scores between subjects with and without reflux esophagitis. METHODS: In total, 3,505 subjects (male/female: 1,922/1,583) who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy during health medical checkups at 5 hospitals in Saga, Japan from January 2013 to December 2013 were enrolled. All subjects completed a modified FSSG questionnaire, which comprised 7 questions regarding reflux symptoms and 7 questions regarding acid-related dyspepsia. Each question was assigned a score based on the frequency of symptoms. RESULTS: Younger age, female gender, hiatal herniation, and endoscopic reflux esophagitis were risk factors for a FSSG score with a high total. Subjects with high scores but without esophagitis were women, and hiatal herniation and Barrett's esophagus were frequently seen in patients with reflux esophagitis. CONCLUSION: Younger age, female gender, hiatal hernia, and endoscopic esophagitis were risk factors for a high FSSG score, and women tended to complain of upper gastrointestinal symptoms more frequently than did men among subjects without endoscopic esophagitis.

Healthcare provision for HIV co-infected tuberculosis patients in rural Zambia: an observational cohort study at primary care centers.

BACKGROUND: Linkage of healthcare services for tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major challenge in resource-limited settings. Our operational research aimed to evaluate the linkage between TB and HIV services in a rural area of Zambia, and to explore factors associated with the enrolment of TB/HIV co-infected patients in HIV care services. METHODS: All TB patients newly diagnosed as HIV-positive in Chongwe district, Zambia between 2009 and 2010 were included. Data from TB registers and medical records were reviewed. Patient referral to HIV services and provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) were further examined through HIV registers and records. RESULTS: Of 621 patients (median age 33.0 years, female 42.4%) who started anti-TB treatment, clinic records indicated that 297 patients were newly diagnosed as HIV-positive, and 176 (59.3%) of these were referred to an ART clinic. Analysis of records at the ART clinic found that only 85 (28.6%) of TB/HIV patients had actually been enrolled in HIV care, of whom only 58 (68.2%) had commenced ART. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated the following factors associated with lower enrolment: "male" sex (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI 0.26-0.78), "previous TB treatment" (aOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11-0.75), "registration at sites that did not provide ART services (non-ART site)" (aOR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.77) and "death on TB treatment outcome (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06-0.65). However, patient registration at TB clinics in 2010 was associated with markedly higher enrolment in HIV care as compared to registration in 2009 (aOR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.53-5.12). CONCLUSIONS: HIV testing for TB patients has been successfully scaled up. However referrals of co-infected patients still remain a challenge due to poor linkage between TB and HIV healthcare services. Committed healthcare workers, a well-organized health services system and patient education are urgently required to ensure a higher rate of referral of TB/HIV co-infected patients for appropriate care.

Efficacy and safety of vonoprazan-based regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in Japanese adolescents: a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Vonoprazan (VPZ)-based regimen for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is safe and more efficacious than the proton pump inhibitor-based regimen mainly in adults. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a VPZ-based regimen for H. pylori eradication therapy in adolescents. METHODS: An H. pylori screening and treatment longitudinal project for third-year junior high school students in Saga Prefecture began in 2016. Students who tested positive for both urine and stool tests received a VPZ-based regimen. On the checklist, students were asked for diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, urticaria, dysgeusia, or bloody stool occurrence during the therapy. RESULTS: The longitudinal project for H. pylori screening and treatment among third-grade students in Saga Prefecture targeted 41,115 students from 2017 to 2021 and 836 as positive. Of the 645 students, 542 (84.0% in per protocol [PP] analysis and 73.6% in intention-to-treat [ITT] analysis) were successful in primary eradication therapy. The secondary eradication therapy was successful in 79 (96.3% in PP analysis and 76.7% in ITT analysis) of 82 students. In the primary eradication therapy, abdominal pain occurred in 164 (27.9%), diarrhea in 217 (36.9%), nausea or vomiting in 7 (1.2%), and urticaria in 13 (2.2%) students. In the secondary eradication therapy, abdominal pain occurred in 12 (19.4%) and diarrhea in 17 (27.4%) students. The eradication therapy of 5 students was interrupted due to adverse events only by primary eradication therapy. CONCLUSIONS: VPZ-based regimen for H. pylori was efficacious and safe for adolescents, as in adults, for both primary and secondary eradication therapies.

Large-scale survey for novel genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance gene pfcrt.

BACKGROUND: In Plasmodium falciparum, resistance to chloroquine (CQ) is conferred by a K to T mutation at amino acid position 76 (K76T) in the P. falciparum CQ transporter (PfCRT). To date, at least 15 pfcrt genotypes, which are represented by combinations of five amino acids at positions 72-76, have been described in field isolates from various endemic regions. To identify novel mutant pfcrt genotypes and to reveal the genetic relatedness of pfcrt genotypes, a large-scale survey over a wide geographic area was performed. METHODS: Sequences for exon 2 in pfcrt, including known polymorphic sites at amino acid positions 72, 74, 75 and 76, were obtained from 256 P. falciparum isolates collected from eight endemic countries in Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., the Philippines and Thailand), Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) and Africa (Ghana). A haplotype network was constructed based on six microsatellite markers located -29 kb to 24 kb from pfcrt in order to examine the genetic relatedness among mutant pfcrt genotypes. RESULTS: In addition to wild type (CVMNK at positions 72-76), four mutant pfcrt were identified; CVIET, CVIDT, SVMNT and CVMNT (mutated amino acids underlined). Haplotype network revealed that there were only three mutant pfcrt lineages, originating in Indochina, Philippines and Melanesia. Importantly, the Indochina lineage contained two mutant pfcrt genotypes, CVIET (n = 95) and CVIDT (n = 14), indicating that CVIDT shares a common origin with CVIET. Similarly, one major haplotype in the Melanesian lineage contained two pfcrt genotypes; SVMNT (n = 71) and CVMNT (n = 3). In Africa, all mutant pfcrt genotypes were the CVIET of the Indochina lineage, probably resulting from the intercontinental migration of CQ resistance from Southeast Asia. CONCLUSIONS: The number of CQ-mutant lineages observed in this study was identical to that found in previous studies. This supports the hypothesis that the emergence of novel CQ resistance is rare. However, in the mutant pfcrt genotypes, amino acid changes at positions 72, 74 and 75 appear to have recently been generated at least several times, producing distinct pfcrt mutant genotypes. The occurrence of new mutations flanking K76T may yield stronger resistance to CQ and/or a higher fitness than the original pfcrt mutant.

Perforation and postoperative bleeding of endoscopic submucosal dissection in gastric tumors: analysis of 1190 lesions in low- and high-volume centers in Saga, Japan.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to determine risk factors associated with serious complications of endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric tumors in multicenters compared between high- and low-volume centers. METHODS: Between 2001 and 2010, gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed in 1190 lesions of 1082 patients in five hospitals in Saga, three high-volume and two low-volume centers. Risk factors for serious complications were evaluated. Patients' background characteristics were evaluated, including anticoagulants use and underlying diseases. RESULTS: Postoperative bleeding was detected in 75 patients (6.9%), and perforation was detected in 40 patients (3.7%). Most postoperative bleeding and perforation cases were recovered with endoscopic procedures, although one case of each complication was treated by emergency surgery. Multivariate analysis indicated that risk factors for perforation were tumor location, massive submucusal invasion, endoscopists' experience of 100-149 cases and hypertension, and that risk factors for postoperative bleeding were tumor location, resected tumor size, and scar lesion. The serious complications were not different between high- and low-volume centers. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that risk factors for perforation during endoscopic submucosal dissection were tumor, endoscopist and patient related, although risk factors for postoperative bleeding were tumor related. There was no difference in complications between high- and low-volume centers.

Sex differences in the change in health-related quality of life associated with low back pain.

PURPOSE: To examine the sex differences in the impact of low back pain (LBP) on health-related quality of life among community-dwelling persons from a nationwide sample. METHODS: Our analysis enrolled 2,358 participants from among 3,477 randomly selected subjects in Japan. The cumulative days each individual experienced LBP were prospectively measured over 1 month. The Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) in the Short Form 8-item Health Survey were evaluated before and after the study period. Sex differences in the impact of the cumulative number of LBP days on PCS and MCS scores were evaluated using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 2,170 participants with complete data, the prevalence of LBP in women (32%) was higher than that in men (25%) during the study period. One-day increases in LBP days were associated with greater decreases in PCS scores among men than among women (-0.72 vs. -0.29, sex difference P < 0.001). In contrast, no relationship was noted between the number of LBP days and the change in MCS score for either sex after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Although a greater incidence of LBP was noted in women, health-related quality of life was more seriously affected in men with the same number of days with LBP in the month.

Limited geographical origin and global spread of sulfadoxine-resistant dhps alleles in Plasmodium falciparum populations.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum malaria resistant to chloroquine and pyrimethamine originated in limited foci and migrated to Africa. It remains unresolved whether P. falciparum resistance to sulfadoxine, which is conferred by mutations in dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), evolved following a similar pattern. METHODS: The dhps locus of 893 P. falciparum isolates from 12 countries in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and South America was sequenced. Haplotypes of 6 microsatellite loci flanking the dhps locus were determined to define the genetic relationships among sulfadoxine-resistant lineages. RESULTS: Six distinct sulfadoxine-resistant lineages were identified. Highly resistant lineages appear to have originated only in Southeast Asia and South America. Two resistant lineages found throughout Southeast Asia have been introduced to East Africa, where they appear to have spread. CONCLUSIONS: The infrequent selection of parasites highly resistant to sulfadoxine and the subsequent migration of resistant lineages from Asia to Africa are similar to the patterns observed in chloroquine and pyrimethamine resistance. These findings strongly suggest that the global migration of resistant parasites has played a decisive role in the establishment of drug-resistant P. falciparum parasites, and that similar patterns may be anticipated for the spread of artemisinin resistance.

Predictive Factors for Future Onset of Reflux Esophagitis: A Longitudinal Case-control Study Using Health Checkup Records.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although risk factors of reflux esophagitis (RE) have been investigated in numerous cross-sectional studies, little is known about predictive factors associated with future onset of RE. We investigated time courses of clinical parameters before RE onset by a longitudinal case-control study using health checkup records. METHODS: We used health checkup records between April 2004 and March 2014 at 9 institutions in Japan. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate associations of baseline clinical parameters with RE. The time courses of the clinical parameters of RE subjects were compared with those of non-RE subjects by the mixed-effects models for repeated measures analysis or longitudinal multivariate logistic analysis. RESULTS: Initial data were obtained from 230 056 individuals, and 2066 RE subjects and 4132 non-RE subjects were finally included in the analysis. Body mass index, alanine aminotransferase, smoking, acid reflux symptoms, hiatal hernia, and absence of atrophic gastritis at baseline were independently associated with RE. The time courses of body mass index, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, percentages of acid reflux symptoms, feeling of fullness, and hiatal hernia in the RE group were significantly worse than in the non-RE group. CONCLUSIONS: The RE group displayed a greater worsening of the clinical parameters associated with lifestyle diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver for 5 years before RE onset compared with the non-RE group. These results suggest that RE is a lifestyle disease and thus lifestyle guidance to at-risk person may help to prevent RE onset.

Lifestyle- and comorbidity-related factors for the prescription of proton pump inhibitors after Helicobacter pylori eradication in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the present study was to examine the lifestyle- and comorbidity-related determinant factors of the prescription of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for patients in whom Helicobacter pylori has been eradicated, and to evaluate the relationship between PPI prescription and the severity of endoscopic esophagitis. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent H. pylori eradication from May 2012 to September 2016 at Saiseikai Karatsu Hospital. All patients received upper gastrointestinal endoscopy before H. pylori eradication. Patients with open peptic ulcers and/or malignant diseases were excluded, and a final total of 389 patients were evaluated. Medical records were reviewed to determine the prescription of PPIs after H. pylori eradication, lifestyle-related factors, and comorbidities. Lifestyle-related factors were confirmed by a questionnaire. RESULTS: PPIs were administered to 124 of 389 patients (31.9%). The only lifestyle-related risk factor for the prescription of PPIs after H. pylori eradication was older age (P < 0.01). Hypertension increased the prescription of PPIs (P = 0.034). The prescription of PPIs was not influenced by the presence of grade A esophagitis, whereas the PPI prescription rate was significantly increased in patients with grades B/C/D endoscopic esophagitis (P < 0.01). The grade of chronic gastritis before H. pylori eradication had no effect on the prescription of PPIs. CONCLUSION: The lifestyle- and comorbidity-related risk factors for the prescription of PPIs after H. pylori eradication were older age and hypertension, while mild endoscopic esophagitis had no influence on PPI prescription.

A Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment program to eliminate gastric cancer among junior high school students in Saga Prefecture: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: To present the strategies and preliminary findings of the first 3 years after implementing a Helicobacter pylori screening and eradication program to prevent gastric cancer in Saga Prefecture. METHODS: A screening and treatment program to eradicate H. pylori from third-grade junior high students was started in Saga Prefecture in 2016, using local governmental grants. Screening was with urinary anti-H. pylori antibody tests, followed by H. pylori stool antigen tests for students who were antibody positive. Those positive on both tests underwent H. pylori eradication by triple therapy based on a potassium-competitive acid blocker. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2018, the participation rate was 83.1% and the H. pylori infection rate was 3.1% (660/21,042). The participation rates were higher in 2017 (85.4%) and 2018 (85.9%) compared with 2016 (78.5%) (P < 0.0001), and the infection rate also decreased in a time-dependent manner (2016: 3.6%, 2017: 3.3%, 2018: 2.5%, P = 0.0001). In total, 501 students positive for H. pylori received eradication therapy (85.1% success) and adverse events occurred in 20 of these (4.0%). However, no serious complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The H. pylori screening and eradication project for school students in Saga Prefecture has started successfully and we have seen both a steady increase in the participation rate and a steady decrease in the infection rate, without major safety concerns.

The shift of residents from university to non-university hospitals in Japan: a survey study.

BACKGROUND: Between 2003 and 2004, when the new postgraduate medical education program was introduced in Japan, the number of university residents decreased from 5,923 to 3,264 (-31%), whereas the number of non-university residents increased from 2,243 to 4,110 (+45%). OBJECTIVE: To identify potential reasons for the shift of residents from university to non-university hospitals. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mailed survey. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 1,794 2nd-year residents at 91 university hospitals and 2,010 2nd-year residents at 659 non-university hospitals. MEASUREMENTS: Data on hospital demographics, resident demographics, and resident satisfaction with training were collected in 2006 and were compared between university and non-university hospitals. RESULTS: Compared to non-university hospitals, university hospitals were more likely to have >700 beds (55% vs. 10%, p<0.001) and to have more teaching resources and free access to international medical journals (84% vs. 62%, p<0.001). Nevertheless, one-half (47%) of the university residents reported that they were not satisfied with the residency system and clinical skills training and attributed their dissatisfaction to "daily chores," "low salary," and "poor clinical opportunities." Logistic regression analyses indicated that the proportions of residents who were satisfied with income (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.26-0.40) and the residency system (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40-0.68) and clinical skills training (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.60-0.99) were significantly lower for university residents than for non-university residents. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital size and teaching resources do not overcome the other characteristics of university hospitals that lead to residents' dissatisfaction.

Improvement of residents' clinical competency after the introduction of new postgraduate medical education program in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In 2004, the Japanese government reformed the monospecialty-oriented postgraduate medical education (PGME) program and introduced a new PGME program to develop the primary care skills of physicians by mandatory rotation through different clinical departments. AIMS: (1) to evaluate whether residents' clinical competency improved after the introduction of the new PGME program and (2) to compare the change in competency between university and non-university residents. METHOD: Surveys were conducted before and after the introduction of the new PGME, i.e. in 2004 (response rate 88%) and 2006 (88%). One in every five residents was sampled, and the study subjects were 2474 second-year residents (1762 university residents and 712 non-university residents) in 2004 who were about to complete the previous PGME program and 1166 second-year residents (487 and 679) in 2006 who were the first generation to complete the new PGME program. The clinical competency ratings were measured by the proportion of respondents reporting 'experience' in 24 clinical specialties and three items regarding the use of medical records and 'confidence' in 35 clinical skills and knowledge items in four areas (i.e basic medicine, allied areas, behavioural science and social medicine, and clinical research). RESULTS: Compared to the residents in 2004, the clinical experience and confidence level of the residents increased dramatically for almost all of the surveyed items in 2006, regardless of the type of teaching hospital (chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, P < 0.0001). The marked improvement in the clinical competency of university residents was noticeable, resulting in the disappearance of the historical trend for non-university residents to obtain significantly more clinical experience than university residents. CONCLUSIONS: The new PGME program appears to have been successful at improving both the clinical experience and confidence levels of medical residents, especially at university hospitals.

Development of the ICD-10 simplified version and field test.

BACKGROUND: The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10) has been used in various Asia-Pacific countries for more than 20 years. Although ICD-10 is a powerful tool, clinical coding processes are complex; therefore, many developing countries have not been able to implement ICD-10-based health statistics (WHO-FIC APN, 2007). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to simplify ICD-10 clinical coding processes, to modify index terms to facilitate computer searching and to provide a simplified version of ICD-10 for use in developing countries. METHOD: The World Health Organization Family of International Classifications Asia-Pacific Network (APN) developed a simplified version of the ICD-10 and conducted field testing in Cambodia during February and March 2016. Ten hospitals were selected to participate. Each hospital sent a team to join a training workshop before using the ICD-10 simplified version to code 100 cases. All hospitals subsequently sent their coded records to the researchers. RESULTS: Overall, there were 1038 coded records with a total of 1099 ICD clinical codes assigned. The average accuracy rate was calculated as 80.71% (66.67-93.41%). Three types of clinical coding errors were found. These related to errors relating to the coder (14.56%), those resulting from the physician documentation (1.27%) and those considered system errors (3.46%). DISCUSSION: The field trial results demonstrated that the APN ICD-10 simplified version is feasible for implementation as an effective tool to implement ICD-10 clinical coding for hospitals. CONCLUSION: Developing countries may consider adopting the APN ICD-10 simplified version for ICD-10 code assignment in hospitals and health care centres. The simplified version can be viewed as an introductory tool which leads to the implementation of the full ICD-10 and may support subsequent ICD-11 adoption.