Attempted Suicide Is Independently Associated with Increased In-Hospital Mortality and Hospital Length of Stay among Injured Patients at Community Tertiary Hospital in Japan: A Retrospective Study with Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Suicide is an increasingly important public healthcare concern worldwide. Studies examining the effect of attempted suicide on clinical outcomes among patients with trauma are scarce. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a community emergency department in Japan. We included all severely injured patients with an Injury Severity Score > 15 from January 2002 to December 2021. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. The other outcome of interest was hospital length of stay. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare these outcomes between suicide attempt and no suicide attempt groups. Of the 2714 eligible patients, 183 (6.7%) had trauma caused by a suicide attempt. In the propensity score-matched analysis with 139 pairs, the suicide attempt group showed a significant increase in-hospital mortality (20.9% vs. 37.4%; odds ratio 2.27; 95% confidence intervals 1.33-3.87) compared with the no suicide attempt group. Among survivors, the median hospital length of stay was significantly longer in the suicide attempt group than that in the no suicide attempt group (9 days vs. 12 days, p = 0.0076). Because of the unfavorable consequences and potential need for additional healthcare, increased attention should be paid to patients with trauma caused by a suicide attempt.

Development and external validation of the DOAT and DOATS scores: simple decision support tools to identify disease progression among nonelderly patients with mild/moderate COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: During the fifth wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan, which took place between June and September 2021, a significant number of COVID-19 cases with deterioration occurred in unvaccinated individuals < 65 years old. However, the risk factors for COVID-19 deterioration in this specific population have not yet been determined. This study developed a prediction method to identify COVID-19 patients < 65 years old who are at a high risk of deterioration. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from 1,675 patients < 65 years old who were admitted to acute care institutions in Fukushima with mild-to-moderate-1 COVID-19 based on the Japanese disease severity criteria prior to the fifth wave. For validation, 324 similar patients were enrolled from 3 hospitals in Yamagata. Logistic regression analyses using cluster-robust variance estimation were used to determine predictors of disease deterioration, followed by creation of risk prediction scores. Disease deterioration was defined as the initiation of medication for COVID-19, oxygen inhalation, or mechanical ventilation starting one day or later after admission. RESULTS: The patients whose condition deteriorated (8.6%) tended to be older, male, have histories of smoking, and have high body temperatures, low oxygen saturation values, and comorbidities, such as diabetes/obesity and hypertension. Stepwise variable selection using logistic regression to predict COVID-19 deterioration retained comorbidities of diabetes/obesity (DO), age (A), body temperature (T), and oxygen saturation (S). Two predictive scores were created based on the optimism-corrected regression coefficients: the DOATS score, including all of the above risk factors, and the DOAT score, which was the DOATS score without oxygen saturation. In the original cohort, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) of the DOATS and DOAT scores were 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.85) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.84), respectively. In the validation cohort, the AUROCs for each score were both 0.76 (95% CI 0.69-0.83), and the calibration slopes were both 0.80. A decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical practicability of both scores in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: We established two prediction scores that can quickly evaluate the risk of COVID-19 deterioration in mild/moderate patients < 65 years old.

Real-world clinical outcomes of treatment with molnupiravir for patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 during the Omicron variant pandemic.

It is unclear whether molnupiravir has a beneficial effect on vaccinated patients infected with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We here evaluated the efficacy of molnupiravir in patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the Omicron variant surge in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. We enrolled patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were admitted to hospitals between January and April, 2022. Clinical deterioration after admission was compared between molnupiravir users (n = 230) and non-users (n = 690) after 1:3 propensity score matching. Additionally, we performed forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between clinical deterioration after admission and molnupiravir treatment in the 1:3 propensity score-matched subjects. The characteristics of participants in both groups were balanced as indicated by covariates with a standardized mean difference of < 0.1. Regarding comorbidities, there was no imbalance between the two groups, except for the presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and cardiac disease. The clinical deterioration rate was significantly lower in the molnupiravir users compared to the non-users (3.90% vs 8.40%; P = 0.034). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that receiving molnupiravir was a factor for preventing deterioration (odds ratio 0.448; 95% confidence interval 0.206-0.973; P = 0.042), independent of other covariates. This real-world study demonstrates that molnupiravir contributes to the prevention of deterioration in COVID-19 patients after hospitalization during the Omicron variant phase.

Long-Term Incidence and Timing of Splenic Pseudoaneurysm Formation after Blunt Splenic Injury: A Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Nonoperative management (NOM) has become a standard strategy for hemodynamically stable patients with blunt splenic injury; however, delayed rupture of splenic pseudoaneurysm (SPA) is a serious complication of NOM. In medical literature, data regarding the long-term incidence of SPA are scarce, and the appropriate timing for performing follow-up contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) has not yet been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the long-term incidence and timing of SPA formation after blunt splenic injury in patients treated with NOM. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary medical center in Japan. Patients with blunt splenic injury who were treated with NOM between April 2014 and August 2020 were included in the analysis. Included patients underwent repeated contrast-enhanced CT to detect SPA formation. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of delayed formation of SPA. We also evaluated differences in SPA formation between patients who received transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE; TAE group) and those who did not receive it (non-TAE group) on admission day. RESULTS: Among 49 patients with blunt splenic injury who were treated with NOM, 5 patients (10.2%) had delayed formation of SPA. All cases of SPA formation occurred within 15 days of injury. The incidence of SPA formation was not significantly different between the TAE and non-TAE groups (1/19 vs. 4/30, P = 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: SPA developed in 10% of patients within approximately 2 weeks after blunt splenic injury. Therefore, performing follow-up contrast-enhanced CT in this period after injury may be useful to evaluate delayed formation of SPA. Although our findings are novel, they should be confirmed through future studies with larger sample sizes.

Transcatheter arterial embolization using imipenem/cilastatin sodium and microspheres for traumatic pseudoaneurysm: A case report.

For transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of pseudoaneurysms, when the culprit artery is too small or tortuous to be selected with a microcatheter, n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) may be used as embolic material. Nevertheless, NBCA can cause inadvertent embolization and ischemic complications because liquid adhesives cannot be controlled precisely. In such cases, imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) could be used as an alternative to NBCA for TAE. However, TAE using IPM/CS for traumatic pseudoaneurysms has not been reported previously. Therefore, the possibility of using IPM/CS to embolize refractory traumatic pseudoaneurysms with small culprit arteries remains unknown. A previously healthy 51-year-old man sustained multiple traumatic injuries, including an open pelvic fracture. An emergency TAE for the pelvic fracture, massive blood transfusion, and emergency colostomy and cystostomy were performed on admission day, following which the patient was hemodynamically stable. However, he had repeated episodes of hematochezia due to pelvic pseudoaneurysm on days 18, 53, 60, and 70 after admission despite several TAE attempts using gelatin sponge, coils, and NBCA. During recurrence on day 70, we performed TAE using IPM/CS and microspheres, following which the pseudoaneurysm resolved without rebleeding or obvious ischemic complications. IPM/CS and microspheres could embolize, without rebleeding, the refractory pseudoaneurysm in small and tortuous culprit arteries that could not be embolized with NBCA. For embolization of traumatic pseudoaneurysms with severe tissue damage and small culprit arteries, NBCA might not be able to reach the bleeding point. In such cases, TAE using IPM/CS and microspheres could be a safe and effective procedure.

Real-world clinical outcomes of treatment with casirivimab-imdevimab among patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 during the Delta variant pandemic.

Background: Mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may reduce the efficacy of neutralizing monoclonal antibody therapy against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We here evaluated the efficacy of casirivimab-imdevimab in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 during the Delta variant surge in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Methods: We enrolled 949 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital between July 24, 2021 and September 30, 2021. Clinical deterioration after admission was compared between casirivimab-imdevimab users (n = 314) and non-users (n = 635). Results: The casirivimab-imdevimab users were older (P < 0.0001), had higher body temperature (≥ 38°C) (P < 0.0001) and greater rates of history of cigarette smoking (P = 0.0068), hypertension (P = 0.0004), obesity (P < 0.0001), and dyslipidemia (P < 0.0001) than the non-users. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that receiving casirivimab-imdevimab was an independent factor for preventing deterioration (odds ratio 0.448; 95% confidence interval 0.263-0.763; P = 0.0023). Furthermore, in 222 patients who were selected from each group after matching on the propensity score, deterioration was significantly lower among those receiving casirivimab-imdevimab compared to those not receiving casirivimab-imdevimab (7.66% vs 14.0%; p = 0.021). Conclusion: This real-world study demonstrates that casirivimab-imdevimab contributes to the prevention of deterioration in COVID-19 patients after hospitalization during a Delta variant surge.

Introduction and utility of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for cases with a potential high risk of postpartum hemorrhage: A single tertiary care center experience of two cases.

Postpartum hemorrhage is an important obstetric complication and the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Occasionally, we encounter unexpected massive postpartum hemorrhage diagnosed for the first time after delivery. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to patients with a high risk of postpartum hemorrhage. The authors report two cases of patients at high risk of postpartum hemorrhage that were successfully managed by resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta before cesarean section. Case 1: A 32-year-old woman with a history of cesarean section and who conceived using assisted reproductive technology was diagnosed with partial placenta previa at 25 weeks of gestation. Because of tocolysis failure, emergent cesarean section with resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta was performed at 36 weeks of gestation. Natural placental resorption was observed. She was discharged at 5 days after delivery without significant hemorrhage. Case 2: A 41-year-old woman with suspected placenta accreta spectrum due to a cesarean scar pregnancy was referred to our hospital at 33 weeks of gestation. A planned cesarean section with resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta was conducted at 37 weeks of gestation. There was no visual evidence of abnormal placental invasion of the myometrium, and natural placental resorption was observed. She was discharged at 5 days after delivery without significant hemorrhage.

Impact of closure of the in-house psychiatric care unit on prehospital and emergency ward length of stay and disposition locations in patients who attempted suicide: A retrospective before-and-after cohort study at a community hospital in Japan.

ABSTRACT: Suicide is an increasingly serious public health care concern worldwide. The impact of decreased in-house psychiatric resources on emergency care for suicidal patients has not been thoroughly examined. We evaluated the effects of closing an in-hospital psychiatric ward on the prehospital and emergency ward length of stay (LOS) and disposition location in patients who attempted suicide.This was a retrospective before-and-after study at a community emergency department (ED) in Japan. On March 31, 2014, the hospital closed its 50 psychiatric ward beds and outpatient consultation days were decreased from 5 to 2 days per week. Electronic health record data of suicidal patients who were brought to the ED were collected for 5 years before the decrease in in-hospital psychiatric services (April 1, 2009-March 31, 2014) and 5 years after the decrease (April 1, 2014-March 31, 2019). One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare prehospital and emergency ward LOS, and discharge location between the 2 groups.Of the 1083 eligible patients, 449 (41.5%) were brought to the ED after the closure of the psychiatric ward. Patients with older age, burns, and higher comorbidity index values, and those requiring endotracheal intubation, surgery, and emergency ward admission, were more likely to receive ED care after the psychiatric ward closure. In the propensity matched analysis with 418 pairs, the after-closure group showed a significant increase in median prehospital LOS (44.0 minutes vs 51.0 minutes, P < .001) and emergency ward LOS (3.0 days vs 4.0 days, P = .014) compared with the before-closure group. The rate of direct home return was significantly lower in the after-closure group compared with the before-closure group (87.1% vs 81.6%, odds ratio: 0.66; 95% confidence interval: 0.45-0.96).The prehospital and emergency ward LOS for patients who attempted suicide in the study site increased significantly after a decrease in hospital-based mental health services. Conversely, there was significant reduction in direct home discharge after the decrease in in-house psychiatric care. These results have important implications for future policy to address the increasing care needs of patients who attempt suicide.

Intraoperative fluid management in hepato-biliary-pancreatic operation using stroke volume variation monitoring: A single-center, open-label, randomized pilot study.

TRIAL DESIGN: This investigator-initiated, single-center, open-label, parallel-group, randomized-controlled pilot study was designed to compare the intraoperative fluid balance and perioperative complications in patients undergoing hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery with or without stroke volume variation (SVV)-guided fluid management. METHODS: Patients who were aged >18 years and underwent elective major hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery between June 30, 2015, and August 31, 2016 at our center were randomly assigned to receive SVV-guided or conventional fluid therapy. The intervention group used SVV to determine the patients' volume status. The primary outcome was the total fluid balance per body weight per operation time, and the secondary outcomes were the total amount of intravenous infusion per body weight per operation time and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score on postoperative day 1. Patients were randomized by a two-block computer-generated assignment sequence. Masking of patients and assessors was conducted. The patients and assessors were each blinded to the details of the trial; however, the clinicians were not. RESULTS: Of the 69 patients who were initially eligible, 60 provided informed consent for participation in the study. After randomization, three patients dropped out of the study because of deviations from the protocol or unexpected hypotension, leaving 28 and 29 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Patients in both groups had similar characteristics at baseline. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) intraoperative fluid balance in the control and SVV groups was 6.2 (IQR, 4.9-7.9) and 8.1 (IQR, 5.7-10.5) ml/kg/h, respectively (P = .103). The administered intravenous infusion was significantly higher in the SVV group (median, 10.9; IQR, 8.3-15.3 ml/kg/h) than in the control group (median, 9.5; IQR, 7.7-10.3 ml/kg/h) (P = .011). On postoperative day 1, the PaO2/FiO2 ratio was lower in the SVV group (median, 266; IQR, 261-341) than in the control group (median, 346; IQR, 299-380) (P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the SVV-guided fluid management protocol did not reduce intraoperative fluid balance but increased the intraoperative fluid administration and might worsen postoperative oxygenation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000018111.

Case Report: A Fatal Case of Scrub Typhus Complicated by Heatstroke.

A 76-year-old man who had been bathing in a hot spring was taken to the hospital in a coma. PCR assay performed on the eschar revealed a serotype Hirano/Kuroki of Orientia tsutsugamushi. Coexisted heatstroke superimposed on multiple underlying risk factors likely led to a fatal clinical course.

The use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for massive hemoptysis following a traumatic lung injury: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Published reports regarding the use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) for massive hemoptysis following a thoracic injury are still scarce. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old man developed massive hemoptysis from the right lung after a 2 m fall and being compressed with an iron pipe weighing 500 kg. He was immediately intubated using a double-lumen tube, and one-lung ventilation was started. Endotracheal hemorrhage was controlled by sealing the right lumen. V-V ECMO was initiated to endure the lethal hypoxemia while waiting for the right lung to heal. He came off of V-V ECMO after 17 days and was discharged on foot on day 46. CONCLUSION: The strategy of using V-V ECMO in combination with one-lung ventilation is useful and should be strongly considered to save lethal massive hemoptysis cases following traumatic lung injury.

Aortic balloon occlusion (REBOA) in pelvic ring injuries: preliminary results of the ABO Trauma Registry.

EndoVascular and Hybrid Trauma Management (EVTM) has been recently introduced in the treatment of severe pelvic ring injuries. This multimodal method of hemorrhage management counts on several strategies such as the REBOA (resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta). Few data exist on the use of REBOA in patients with a severely injured pelvic ring. The ABO (aortic balloon occlusion) Trauma Registry is designed to capture data for all trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock where management includes REBOA placement. Among all patients included in the ABO registry, 72 patients presented with severe pelvic injuries and were the population under exam. 66.7% were male. Mean and median ISS were respectively 43 and 41 (SD ± 13). Isolated pelvic injuries were observed in 12 patients (16.7%). Blunt trauma occurred in 68 patients (94.4%), penetrating in 2 (2.8%) and combined in 2 (2.8%). Type of injury: fall from height in 15 patients (23.1%), traffic accident in 49 patients (75.4%), and unspecified impact in 1 patient (1.5%). Femoral access was gained pre-hospital in 1 patient, in emergency room in 43, in operating room in 12 and in angio-suite in 16. REBOA was positioned in zone 1 in 59 patients (81,9%), in zone 2 in 1 (1,4%) and in zone 3 in 12 (16,7%). Aortic occlusion was partial/periodical in 35 patients (48,6%) and total occlusion in 37 patients (51,4%). REBOA associated morbidity rate: 11.1%. Overall mortality rate was 54.2% and early mortality rate (≤ 24 h) was 44.4%. In the univariate analysis, factors related to early mortality (≤ 24 h) are lower pH values (p = 0.03), higher base deficit (p = 0.021), longer INR (p = 0.012), minor increase in systolic blood pressure after the REBOA inflation (p = 0.03) and total aortic occlusion (p = 0.008). None of these values resulted significant in the multivariate analysis. In severe hemodynamically unstable pelvic trauma management, REBOA is a viable option when utilized in experienced centers as a bridge to other treatments; its use might be, however, accompanied with severe-to-lethal complications.

Feasibility and Clinical Outcome of Reboa in Patients with Impending Traumatic Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) may improve Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) in hypovolemic shock. It has, however, not been studied in patients with impending traumatic cardiac arrest (ITCA). We aimed to study the feasibility and clinical outcome of REBOA in patients with ITCA using data from the ABOTrauma Registry. METHODS: Retrospective and prospective data on the use of REBOA from 16 centers globally were collected. SBP was measured both at pre- and post-REBOA inflation. Data collected included patients' demography, vascular access technique, number of attempts, catheter size, operator, zone and duration of occlusion, and clinical outcome. RESULTS: There were 74 patients in this high-risk patient group. REBOA was performed on all patients. A 7-10Fr catheter was used in 66.7% and 58.5% were placed on the first attempt, 52.1% through blind insertion and 93.2% inflated in Zone I, 64.8% for a period of 30 to 60 min, 82.1% by ER doctors, trauma surgeons, or vascular surgeons. SBP significantly improved to 90 mm Hg following the inflation of REBOA. 36.6% of the patients survived. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that REBOA may be performed in patients with ITCA, SBP can be elevated, and 36.6% of the patients survived if REBOA placement is successful.

Impact of the academic calendar cycle on survival outcome of injured patients: a retrospective cohort study at a community emergency department in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Commencement of a new academic cycle is presumed to be associated with poor patient outcomes. However, supportive evidence is limited for trauma patients treated in under-resourced hospitals, especially those who require specialized interventions and with little physiological reserve. We examined whether a new academic cycle affects the survival outcomes of injured patients in a typical Japanese teaching hospital. METHODS: This historical cohort study was conducted at a Japanese community emergency department (ED). All injured patients brought to the ED from April 2002 to March 2018 were included in the analysis. The primary exposure was presentation to the ED during the first quartile of the academic cycle (April-June). The primary outcome measure was the hospital mortality rate. RESULTS: Of the 20,945 eligible patients, 5282 (25.2%) were admitted during the first quartile. In the univariable analysis, the hospital mortality rate was similar between patients admitted during the first quartile of the academic year and those admitted during the remaining quartiles (4.1% vs. 4.4%, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 0.931; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.796-1.088). After adjusting for the potential confounding factors of the injury severity score, age, sex, Glasgow coma scale score, systolic blood pressure, trauma etiology (blunt or penetrating), and admission phase (2002-2005, 2006-2009, 2010-2013, and 2014-2018), no statistically significant association was present between first-quartile admission and trauma death (adjusted OR 0.980; 95% CI 0.748-1.284). Likewise, when patients were subgrouped according to age of > 55 years, injury severity score of > 15, Glasgow coma scale score of < 9, systolic blood pressure of < 90 mmHg, requirement for doctor car system dispatches, emergency operation, emergency endotracheal intubation, and weekend and night presentation, no significant associations were present between first-quartile admission and hospital mortality in both the univariable and multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: At a community hospital in Japan, admission at the beginning of the academic year was not associated with an increased risk of hospital mortality among trauma patients, even those requiring specialized interventions and with little physiological reserve. Our results support the uniformity of trauma care provision throughout the academic cycle in a typical Japanese trauma system.

Early arterial access for resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta is related to survival outcome in trauma.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) has been used in refractory hemorrhagic shock patients. Since the optimal timing of arterial access remains unclear, we evaluated the preocclusion status of patients, and elapsed time from the arrival to the hospital is associated with the survival outcomes in the REBOA patients. METHODS: From August 2011 to December 2016, The Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology in Emergency, Critical care and Trauma-Intra-Aortic Balloon Occlusion (DIRECT-IABO) investigators registered refractory hemorrhagic shock patients undergoing REBOA from 23 hospitals in Japan. Patient characteristics, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS), preocclusion and postocclusion systolic blood pressure, duration of aortic occlusion, clinical time course, and survival outcome were recorded and analyzed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used with mortality and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to demonstrate the difference between early and delayed access groups. RESULTS: Among the enrolled 207 cases, the following patients were excluded from the analysis: five since they were younger than 18 years, nine due to failed attempts at REBOA, 51 nontrauma patients, and 33 who received resuscitative thoracotomy plus REBOA. Thus, the remaining 109 cases were analyzed (30-day survivors, n = 60; nonsurvivors, n = 49). The preocclusion systolic blood pressure was higher, and both hospital arrival to initial arterial access and duration of occlusion were shorter in the survivors. Lower ISS (odds ratio, 0.944; 95% confidence interval, 0.907-0.982; p = 0.0039) and shorter arrival to access (odds ratio, 0.989; 95% confidence interval, 0.979-0.999; p = 0.034) were significantly associated with 30-day survival in the logistic regression analysis. The cutoff point of 21.5 minutes was used in the receiver operating characteristic analysis. The early access group showed a significantly shorter time of arrival to definitive hemostasis and also demonstrated a significantly higher survival in the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p = 0.014, Log-rank test). CONCLUSION: The arrival to access time and ISS were significantly associated with mortality in the REBOA patients in Japan. The early access group demonstrated better survival. The proactive early access in the resuscitation phase might be related to better patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level V.

Presence of periaortic gas in Clostridium septicum-infected aortic aneurysm aids in early diagnosis: a case report and systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium septicum-infected aortic aneurysm is a fatal and rare disease. We present a fatal case of C. septicum-infected aortic aneurysm and a pertinent literature review with treatment suggestions for reducing mortality rates. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old Japanese man with an unremarkable medical history presented with a 3-day history of mild weakness in both legs, and experienced paraplegia and paresthesia a day before admission. Upon recognition of signs of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and paraplegia, we suspected an occluded Adamkiewicz artery and performed a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan, which revealed an aortic aneurysm with periaortic gas extending from his chest to his abdomen and both kidneys. Antibiotics were initiated followed by emergency surgery for source control of the infection. However, owing to his poor condition and septic shock, aortic repair was not possible. We performed bilateral nephrectomy as a possible source control, after which we initiated mechanical ventilation, continuous hemodialysis, and hemoperfusion. A culture of the samples taken from the infected region and four consecutive blood cultures yielded C. septicum. His condition gradually improved postoperatively; however, on postoperative day 10, massive hemorrhage due to aortic rupture resulted in his death. CONCLUSIONS: In this patient, C. septicum was thought to have entered his blood through a gastrointestinal tumor, infected the aorta, and spread to his kidneys. However, we were uncertain whether there was an associated malignancy. A literature review of C. septicum-related aneurysms revealed the following: 6-month mortality, 79.5%; periaortic gas present in 92.6% of cases; no standard operative procedure and no guidelines for antimicrobial administration established; and C. septicum was associated with cancer in 82.5% of cases. Thus, we advocate for early diagnosis via the identification of periaortic gas, as an aortic aneurysm progresses rapidly. To reduce the risk of reinfection as well as infection of other sites, there is the need for concurrent surgical management of the aneurysm and any associated malignancy. We recommend debridement of the infectious focus and in situ vascular graft with omental coverage. Postoperatively, orally administered antibiotics must be continued indefinitely (chronic suppression therapy). We believe that these treatments will decrease mortality due to C. septicum-infected aortic aneurysms.

Fewer REBOA complications with smaller devices and partial occlusion: evidence from a multicentre registry in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) performed by emergency physicians has been gaining acceptance as a less invasive technique than resuscitative thoracotomy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate access-related complications and duration of occlusions during REBOA. METHODS: Patients with haemorrhagic shock requiring REBOA, from 18 hospitals in Japan, included in the DIRECT-IABO Registry were studied. REBOA-related characteristics were compared between non-survivors and survivors at 24 hours. 24-Hour survivors were categorised into groups with small (≤8 Fr), large (≥9 Fr) or unusual sheaths (oversized or multiple) to assess the relationship between the sheath size and complications. Haemodynamic response, occlusion duration and outcomes were compared between groups with partial and complete REBOA. RESULTS: Between August 2011 and December 2015, 142 adults undergoing REBOA were analysed. REBOA procedures were predominantly (94%) performed by emergency medicine (EM) physicians. The median duration of the small sheath (n=53) was 19 hours compared with 7.5 hours for the larger sheaths (P=0.025). Smaller sheaths were more likely to be removed using external manual compression (96% vs 45%, P<0.001). One case of a common femoral artery thrombus (large group) and two cases of amputation (unusual group) were identified. Partial REBOA was carried out in more cases (n=78) and resulted in a better haemodynamic response than complete REBOA (improvement in haemodynamics, 92% vs 70%, P=0.004; achievement of stability, 78% vs 51%, P=0.007) and allowed longer occlusion duration (median 58 vs 33 min, P=0.041). No statistically significant difference in 24-hour or 30-day survival was found between partial and complete REBOA. CONCLUSION: In Japan, EM physicians undertake the majority of REBOA procedures. Smaller sheaths appear to have fewer complications despite relatively prolonged placement and require external compression on removal. Although REBOA is a rarely performed procedure, partial REBOA, which may extend the occlusion duration without a reduction in survival, is used more commonly in Japan.

The off-hour effect on trauma patients requiring subspecialty intervention at a community hospital in Japan: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Because most community hospitals in Japan do not maintain 24-h availability of in-house anesthesiologists, surgeons, and interventional radiologists, staffing dramatically declines during off hours. It is unclear whether, in such under-resourced hospitals, trauma patients presenting during off hours and requiring subspecialty intervention have worse outcomes than those who present during business hours. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study at a community hospital in Japan. Participants were all injured patients requiring emergency trauma surgery or transarterial embolization who presented from January 2002 to December 2013. We investigated whether outcomes of these patients differed between business hours (8:01 AM to 6:00 PM weekdays) and off hours (6:01 PM to 8:00 AM weekdays plus all weekend hours). The primary outcome measure was mortality rate, and the secondary outcome measures were duration of emergency room (ER) stay; unexpected death (death/probability of survival > 0.5); and adverse events occurring in the ER. We adjusted for potential confounders of age, sex, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score, presentation phase (2002-2005, 2006-2009, and 2010-2013), Charlson Comorbidity Index, and injury type (blunt or penetrating) using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 805 patients included, 379 (47.1%) presented during business hours and 426 (52.9%) during off hours. Off-hours presentation was associated with longer ER stays for patients with systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg on admission (p = 0.021), ISS >15 (p = 0.047), and pelvic fracture requiring transarterial embolization (p < 0.001). Off-hours presentation was also associated with increased risk of adverse events in the ER (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.7, p = 0.020). After adjustment for confounders, an increased risk of adverse events (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.7, p = 0.049) persisted, but no differences were detected in mortality (p = 0.80) and unexpected death (p = 0.44) between off hours and business hours. CONCLUSIONS: At a community hospital in Japan, presentation during off hours was associated with a longer ER stay for severely injured patients and increased risk of adverse events in the ER. However, these disadvantages did not impact mortality or unexpected outcome.

Time-related changes in suicide attempts after the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess whether the risk or types of suicide change in Fukushima in the aftermath of a series of disaster, including earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in March 2011. METHOD: The clinical records of all patients visited to the medical centre near the nuclear plant from 1 year before to 1 year after the disaster were reviewed (n = 981). Patients with non-fatal suicide attempt were divided into two categories depending on their method of suicide attempt. Standardised mortality ratios were calculated to adjust for changes in demographic profiles. RESULTS: The risk of non-fatal suicide attempts using high-mortality methods was significantly higher for 4 months, by three to four times after the series of disasters, and then decreased. There was no significant increase of non-fatal suicide attempts using low-mortality methods after the disaster. CONCLUSIONS: After such a disaster, immediate psychiatric support may be required because of the increased risk of non-fatal suicide attempts in the immediate aftermath.