Changes in Health-related Quality of Life Among Impoverished Persons in the Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program in Japan: Evidence From a Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The Free/Low-Cost Medical Care Program (FLCMC) can subsidize the payment (exempt/lower) in designated institutions in Japan. Given that poverty is a multidimensional concept including social isolation, the FLCMC applicants may need social support over and above financial aid to improve their quality of life. However, there was no data to discuss what services should be provided and to whom. Hence, we aimed to describe the changes in health-related quality of life scores among users of the FLCMC, with respect to their socioeconomic backgrounds. METHODS: This cohort study included patients who newly used FLCMC from July 2018 to April 2019. We used patients' social work records, obtained at baseline, and self-report questionnaires on the Medical Outcomes Study 8 Items Short Form Health Survey (SF-8), measured both at baseline and 6 months after the application. We used the change in physical and mental health component summary scores (PCS-8 and MCS-8, respectively) as outcome variables. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, healthcare institute, and baseline PCS-8 and MCS-8, showed that lower income was associated with an increase in PCS-8 (coef. -0.09; 95% CI, -0.15 to, -0.03) and MCS-8 (coef. -0.04; 95% CI, -0.11, to 0.03). Living alone (versus living with someone) was potentially associated with a decrease in both PCS-8 (coef. -1.58; 95% CI, -7.26 to 4.09) and MCS-8 (coef. -3.62; 95% CI, -9.19 to 1.95). CONCLUSION: Among patients using FLCMC, those who live alone may need additional support. Further study testing the generalizability of the findings is required.

Lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis and psoas abscess caused by Actinomyces israelii after an operation under general anesthesia in a patient with end-stage renal disease: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is a chronic, slowly progressive infection caused by the Actinomyces species. Lumbar vertebral involvement of Actinomyces israelii is extremely rare; this is the first case report of lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis and psoas abscess caused by Actinomyces israelii after an operation under general anesthesia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old Japanese man with end-stage renal disease was admitted to our hospital for an operation for cervical canal stenosis. After the operation under general anesthesia, during which tracheal intubation and nasogastric tube insertion were performed, he developed low back pain. During a second hospitalization, computed tomography revealed osteolysis of the lumbar endplates of L2 and L3, swelling of the intervertebral disk of L2/L3, and swelling of the left psoas major muscle. Percutaneous drainage of the intervertebral disc was performed, and the culture of the aspirate grew Actinomyces israelii. Based on the susceptibility, ampicillin was administered but his condition did not improve. We changed the antibiotics to ampicillin-sulbactam for coverage of unidentified oral commensals, and his symptoms and signs finally improved. CONCLUSION: Our patient's long-term end-stage renal disease had made the oral and gastrointestinal mucosal barriers very fragile. Under these conditions, even mildly invasive procedures such as tracheal intubation and nasogastric tube insertion could be the cause of infectious complication by oral commensals, including Actinomyces.