Activities of daily living limitation and functional decline during hospitalization predict 180-day readmission and mortality in older patients with pneumonia: A single-center, retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The role of activities of daily living (ADL) as a predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with pneumonia is unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between ADL, including physical and cognitive function, and death or readmission in older inpatients with pneumonia. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center, observational study included consecutive older inpatients with pneumonia between October 2018 and December 2019. ADL was assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Functional decline during hospitalization was defined as a decrease of at least 1 point in FIM at discharge from admission. The primary outcome was the time to composite 180-day mortality and readmission from any cause after discharge. RESULTS: In total, 363 patients (median [interquartile range] age: 80 [73-86] years, male: 68 %) were divided according to the median FIM scores (≥100, n = 183 and < 100, n = 180). Among the patients, 25 experienced functional decline during hospitalization, 69 were readmitted, and 17 died. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, both the lower FIM group and the functional decline group had significantly lower event-free rates than the higher FIM groups and the non-functional decline groups (log-rank test, p < 0.001), respectively. After multivariate analysis, both the lower FIM (adjusted HR, 2.11; 95 % CI, 1.24-3.58; p = 0.006) and functional decline (adjusted HR, 3.18; 95 % CI, 1.44-7.05; p = 0.005) were significantly associated with the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In older patients hospitalized with pneumonia, ADL limitations at discharge and a decline in ADL were associated with poor outcomes.

Acute Lung Injury Caused by Mugwort Steaming.

Mugwort steaming is a traditional health practice with reported biological benefits, but its potential adverse effects on lung health remain unexplored. We report a case of a 48-year-old Japanese female who developed recurrent respiratory symptoms and abnormal lung shadows following occupational exposure to mugwort steaming. Initial diagnosis suggested nonfibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. However, transbronchial lung cryobiopsy revealed findings consistent with acute lung injury (ALI). Multi-disciplinary discussion led to a final diagnosis of ALI caused by mugwort steaming. The patient's condition improved when mugwort steaming was discontinued. This case represents the first reported instance of ALI associated with mugwort steaming. It highlights the need for caution in traditional practices and emphasizes the importance of considering unconventional exposures in unexplained lung pathologies. Further research is warranted to establish the safety profile and potential risks of mugwort steaming.

A Case Report of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Meningitis Due to Atezolizumab Treatment for Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used to treat a variety of tumors. Despite their broad beneficial effects, these inhibitors can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and even death. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and meningitis, although infrequent, can be aggressive and life-threatening due to excessive immune activation. Herein, we report a case of an 80-year-old man who developed HLH after receiving atezolizumab monotherapy as a second-line treatment for lung adenocarcinoma. He was treated for HLH with oral prednisolone (PSL), but further ataxia and dysuria developed, and a lumbar puncture diagnosed meningitis. Both HLH and meningitis improved with continued oral PSL treatment. This is the first case of atezolizumab-induced HLH with meningitis and highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for rare irAE.

Development and implementation of an aspiration pneumonia cause investigation algorithm.

The diagnostic criteria of aspiration pneumonia have not been established, and it remains an underdiagnosed entity. Diagnosis and cause investigation is essential in improving the management of aspiration pneumonia. The Japanese Respiratory Society Guidelines for the Management of Pneumonia in Adults (JRS Guidelines) show a list of risk factors for aspiration pneumonia. We developed an algorithm to aid physicians in evaluating these possible underlying factors and guide their management with a focus on aspiration pneumonia. The algorithm was developed based on the JRS Guidelines. The algorithm suggested dysphagia screening, pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, and other preventative measures for pneumonia. The algorithm was implemented in the acute setting of a general hospital among older patients admitted with pneumonia. Their outcomes were compared with a historical control group constituting similar patients from the previous year. Forty patients with pneumonia were assessed with the algorithm group, and 44 patients were included in the control group. In the algorithm group, significantly more cases (95.0% vs. 15.9%, p < 0.01) underwent early screening for a swallowing disorder. Two patients in the algorithm group were diagnosed with a new condition causing aspiration pneumonia, as opposed to none in the control group. Drugs with a potential risk for aspiration were identified and discontinued in 27.5% of the patients in the algorithm group and 4.5% in the control group. In conclusion, an aspiration pneumonia cause investigation algorithm translating the JRS guideline approach into practice enhanced the rate of swallow screening and preventative measures for aspiration.

Isolated congenital interruption of the right interlobar pulmonary artery with unilateral interstitial lung abnormality.

We report a case of an isolated congenital interruption of the right interlobar pulmonary artery with unilateral interstitial lung abnormality. 3D-CT with enhancement showed absent right interlobar pulmonary artery without any other abnormalities of the pulmonary artery and an enlarged inferior phrenic artery. High-resolution CT demonstrated ground-glass opacities, reticular changes, and small cysts in the right middle and lower lobes, which were compatible with interstitial lung abnormality. The patient was diagnosed with an isolated congenital interruption of the right interlobar pulmonary artery since chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, structural heart disease, systemic congenital disease, and systemic vasculitis were ruled out.

Efficacy and safety of sotrovimab for vaccinated or unvaccinated patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the omicron era.

Although sotrovimab, one of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibodies has been shown to be effective in patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with risk factors, their efficacy in mRNA COVID-19 vaccinated patients in omicron era is unknown. To evaluate the effectiveness of sotrovimab clinical data from both COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated patients who were hospitalized and receiving sotrovimab at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center were compared. The efficacy and adverse events were evaluated. Of the total 60 patients enrolled in this study, 45 had received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and 15 were unvaccinated. The clinical progression with low nasal cannula or face mask was not significantly different between groups (occurring in one patient in each group; p = 0.44), with no further progression in both groups. The duration of hospitalization was eight days for both groups (p = 0.90). Two patients in each group experienced adverse events (7%, p = 0.26). The results suggested that the efficacy and safety of sotrovimab against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 with risk factors in the omicron era might not be different regardless of the vaccination status. The results of the present study are encouraging; however, further randomized clinical studies are needed.

The Japanese Respiratory Society guidelines may reduce unnecessary chest computed tomography in patients with pneumonia requiring hospitalization: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: With the abundance of CT scanners in Japan, doctors can easily order CT scans to diagnose pneumonia. The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) guidelines uniquely recommend conditions for which additional CT scans should be considered at the time of diagnosis of pneumonia, a feature not found in other guidelines. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the recommendations in a bid to reduce the number of unnecessary CT examinations. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of consecutive patients with pneumonia hospitalized between April 2016 and March 2017 to extract patients' backgrounds and clinical courses. Conformity with the JRS guideline recommendations was also examined. In the patients who did not meet the recommendations, we investigated the proportion of them for whom an additional CT scan influenced the clinical decisions. Finally, we evaluated whether there was a difference in hospital stay depending on the additional chest CT at the time of admission. RESULTS: We included 363 hospitalized patients with pneumonia. Chest CT scan was performed in 306 patients (84.3%), of whom 186 (60.8%) did not meet the JRS guideline recommendations. Chest CT revealed findings requiring a change in treatment strategy in only 14 (7.5%) of the 186 patients. Among the 240 patients (66.1%) who did not meet the recommendations, no statistically significant difference was observed in the hospital stay or mortality between patients with and without CT scans. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the JRS guideline recommendations may reduce the excessive use of CT scans in the diagnosis of pneumonia.

Immunohistochemical characteristics of mature ovarian cystic teratomas in patients with postoperative recurrence.

Because a mature teratoma could recur, we studied the clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical characteristics of mature ovarian cystic teratomas of 121 patients who underwent surgeries between 1994 and 2002. Recurrence was defined as cases that required secondary surgeries for mature ovarian cystic teratomas. A total of 10 patients were grouped as recurrence, and 111 patients were grouped as non-recurrence. The recurrence group was generally younger (mean, 22.9 +/- 1.26 vs. 32.8 +/- 1.15 years; p < 0.05), had higher tridermal components, and had greater central nervous system (CNS) component expression rate (9 vs. 48%, p < 0.05) compared with the non-recurrence group. The time between primary and secondary surgery averaged 9 years. Our result showed that maturation of teratomas reduced the number of neurons and increased glia. The process is similar to the aging process of brains. The presence of tridermal components and a high synaptophysin/glial fibrillary acidic protein (SP/GFAP) ratio suggested that recurrent ovarian teratomas were capable of both neuronal and glial differentiations. Nestin was expressed in the astrocyte from both the recurrence and non-recurrence groups. Thus, we concluded that nestin was not a useful marker for predicting recurrence and that attention should be given when a high ratio of SP/GFAP is found in lesions.