The effectiveness of simulation-based education combined with peer-assisted learning on clinical performance of first-year medical residents: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based education and peer-assisted learning (PAL) are both known as useful educational methods. Previous research has reported that combining these two methods are effective for training medical residents in short-term evaluation. This study was aimed to evaluate the middle- to long-term effects of simulation-based education combined with PAL on the performance of medical residents during emergency department duties. METHODS: This study was designed as a case-control study and conducted over three years at Okayama University Hospital in Japan. Postgraduate-year-one medical residents were assigned to three groups: a simulation group that received simulation-based education, a lecture group that received traditional lecture-based education, and a control group that received no such prior trainings. Prior training in emergency department duties using PAL was performed as an educational intervention for the simulation and lecture groups during the clinical orientation period. The residents' medical knowledge was assessed by written examinations before and after the orientation. The performance of residents during their emergency department duties was assessed by self-evaluation questionnaires and objective-assessment checklists, following up with the residents for three months after the orientation period and collecting data on their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd emergency department duties. All the datasets collected were statistically analyzed and compared by their mean values among the three groups. RESULTS: A total of 75 residents were included in the comparative study: 27 in the simulation group, 24 in the lecture group, and 24 in the control group. The simulation and lecture groups obtained significantly higher written examination scores than the control group. From the self-evaluation questionnaires, the simulation group reported significantly higher satisfaction in their prior training than the lecture group. No significant differences were found in the emergency department performance of the residents among the three groups. However, when evaluating the improvement rate of performance over time, all three groups showed improvement in the subjective evaluation, and only the simulation and lecture groups showed improvement in the objective evaluation. CONCLUSION: Simulation-based education combined with PAL is effective in improving the knowledge and satisfaction of medical residents, suggesting the possibility of improving work performance during their emergency department duties.

Acute arthritis caused by sarcoidosis.

Here we report a case of sarcoidosis which demonstrated with bilateral ankle arthritis. We usually do not consider sarcoidosis routinely for the differential diagnosis of acute arthritis, however, up to 15 to 25% of sarcoidosis complicate arthritis, typically in ankle joints. Sarcoid arthritis is reported to occur mainly in young northern Europe women, whereas this case intimate that we should take sarcoidosis into account as the differential diagnosis of ankle arthralgia also among Asian men especially when combining upper respiratory symptoms.

Manifestation of Headache Affecting Quality of Life in Long COVID Patients.

Objectives: The present study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of long COVID patients with headaches. Methods: A single-center retrospective observational study was performed for long COVID outpatients who visited our hospital from 12 February 2021 to 30 November 2022. Results: A total of 482 long COVID patients, after excluding 6, were divided into two groups: the Headache group of patients with complaints of headache (113 patients: 23.4%) and the remaining Headache-free group. Patients in the Headache group were younger (median age: 37 years) than patients in the Headache-free group (42 years), while the ratio of females (56%) in the Headache group was nearly the same as that in the Headache-free group (54%). The proportion of patients in the Headache group who were infected in the Omicron-dominant phase (61%) was larger than the proportions of patients infected in the Delta (24%) and preceding (15%) phases, and that trend was significantly different from the trend in the Headache-free group. The duration before the first visit for long COVID was shorter in the Headache group (71 days) than in the Headache-free group (84 days). The proportions of patients in the Headache group with comorbid symptoms, including general fatigue (76.1%), insomnia (36.3%), dizziness (16.8%), fever (9.7%), and chest pain (5.3%) were larger than the proportions of patients in the Headache-free group, whereas blood biochemical data were not significantly different between the two groups. Interestingly, patients in the Headache group had significant deteriorations of scores indicating depression and scores for quality of life and general fatigue. In multivariate analysis, headache, insomnia, dizziness, lethargy, and numbness were shown to be involved in the quality of life (QOL) of long COVID patients. Conclusions: The manifestation of headaches related to long COVID was found to have a significant impact on social and psychological activities. Alleviation of headaches should be a priority for the effective treatment of long COVID.

Symptomatic Characteristics of Hypozincemia Detected in Long COVID Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of hypozincemia in long COVID patients. METHODS: This study was a single-center retrospective observational study for outpatients who visited the long COVID clinic established in a university hospital during the period from 15 February 2021 to 28 February 2022. Characteristics of patients with a serum zinc concentration lower than 70 µg/dL (10.7 µmol/L) were compared with characteristics of patients with normozincemia. RESULTS: In a total of 194 patients with long COVID after excluding 32 patients, hypozincemia was detected in 43 patients (22.2%) including 16 male patients (37.2%) and 27 female patients (62.8%). Among various parameters including the background characteristics of the patients and medical histories, the patients with hypozincemia were significantly older than the patients with normozincemia (median age: 50 vs. 39 years). A significant negative correlation was found between serum zinc concentrations and age in male patients (R = -0.39; p < 0.01) but not in female patients. In addition, there was no significant correlation between serum zinc levels and inflammatory markers. General fatigue was the most frequent symptom in both male patients with hypozincemia (9 out of 16: 56.3%) and female patients with hypozincemia (8 out of 27: 29.6%). Patients with severe hypozincemia (serum zinc level lower than 60 µg/dL) had major complaints of dysosmia and dysgeusia, which were more frequent complaints than general fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent symptom in long COVID patients with hypozincemia was general fatigue. Serum zinc levels should be measured in long COVID patients with general fatigue, particularly in male patients.

Eleven years of data on the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - medical student version: Japanese norm data and tentative cutoff scores.

BACKGROUND: More and more studies investigate medical students' empathy using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). However, no norm data or cutoff scores of the JSE for Japanese medical students are available. This study therefore explored Japanese norm data and tentative cutoff scores for the Japanese translation of the JSE-medical student version (JSE-S) using 11 years of data obtained from matriculants from a medical school in Japan. METHODS: Participants were 1,216 students (836 men and 380 women) who matriculated at a medical school in Japan from 2011 to 2021. The JSE-S questionnaire was administered to participants prior to the start of the program. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and statistical tests were performed to show the norm data and tentative cutoff scores for male and female students separately. RESULTS: The score distributions of the JSE-S were moderately skewed and leptokurtic for the entire sample, with indices -0.75 and 4.78, respectively. The mean score (standard deviation) for all participants was 110.8 (11.8). Women had a significantly higher mean score (112.6) than men (110.0; p < 0.01). The effect size estimate of gender difference was 0.22, indicating a small effect size. The low and high cutoff scores for men were ≤ 91 and ≥ 126, respectively, and the corresponding scores for women were ≤ 97 and ≥ 128, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides JSE-S norm data and tentative cutoff scores for Japanese medical school matriculants, which would be helpful in identifying those who may need further training to enhance their empathy.

Differences in Stress Perception of Medical Students Depending on In-Person Communication and Online Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: Excessive psychological stress in medical students affects their mental health and causes problems such as burnout and depression. Furthermore, changes in the learning environment to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a psychological effect on medical students. However, the relationships between medical students' perceived stress and different methods of communication, including in-person and online communication, remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in stress perception of medical students depending on in-person communication and online communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted from September to October in 2020. All of the students of Okayama University School of Medicine were asked to participate in a questionnaire survey. The explanatory variables were the frequency and length of communications with others (by in-person or online communication), empathy, and lifestyle. The main outcome measure was perceived stress. Subgroup analysis was conducted for students who preferred to be by themselves and students who preferred to study together and interact with other people. Univariate analysis and multivariate multiple regression analysis were conducted. Gender and grade, which have been shown to be associated with stress in previous studies, were used as covariates for multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Valid responses to the questionnaire survey were received from 211 (29.4%) of the 717 students. There was no significant association between perceived stress and online communication, but the number of people with which students had in-person communication (1-2 people compared to 0 as a control, regression coefficient [B] = -4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]; -7.8, -1.1, more than 10 people, B = -12, 95% CI: -18, -5.8) and the length of communication (more than 120 min, B = -4.5, 95% CI: -8.1, -0.92) were associated with a reduction in perceived stress. In subgroup analysis, the number of people with in-person communication and the length of communication had significant associations with stress reduction even in the group of students who had a preference for being by themselves. CONCLUSION: In-person communications rather than online communications were associated with a lower level of perceived stress. In subgroup analysis, this trend was statistically significant in the group of students who had a preference for being by themselves.

Application of Kampo Medicines for Treatment of General Fatigue Due to Long COVID.

Evidence regarding treatment for the acute phase of COVID-19 has been accumulating, but specific treatment for long COVID/post-COVID-19 condition has not yet been established. Treatment with herbal medicine might be one treatment option for long COVID, but there has been little research on the effectiveness of herbal medicine for long COVID. The aim of this study was to clarify the prescription patterns of Kampo medicines, which are herbal medicines that originated in China and were developed in Japan, for the treatment of general fatigue due to long COVID. A retrospective descriptive study was performed for patients who visited a COVID-19 aftercare clinic established in Okayama University Hospital during the period from Feb 2021 to Dec 2021 with a focus on symptoms accompanying general fatigue and prescriptions of Kampo medicine. Among the clinical data obtained from medical records of 195 patients, clinical data for 102 patients with general fatigue and accompanying symptoms were analyzed. The patients had various symptoms, and the most frequent symptoms accompanying general fatigue were dysosmia, dysgeusia, headache, insomnia, dyspnea, and hair loss. Prescriptions of Kampo medicine accounted for 24.1% of the total prescriptions (n = 609). The most frequently prescribed Kampo medicine was hochuekkito (71.6%) and other prescribed Kampo medicines were tokishakuyakusan, ryokeijutsukanto, juzentaihoto, hangekobokuto, kakkonto, ninjin'yoeito, goreisan, rikkunshito, and keishibukuryogan. Since the pathophysiology of general fatigue after an infectious disease is, in general, considered a qi deficiency in Kampo medicine, treatments with such compensation agents can be the major prescription as a complement for the qi. In conclusion, Kampo medicine can be one of the main pharmacological treatments for long COVID accompanying general fatigue.

Inconsistency of the "Sogo-Shinryo" department in Japanese hospitals.

The inconsistency of Japanese names of "Sogo-Shinryo" departments is also a greater problem in this country, and we are afraid that it may cause anxiety to patients, residents, and students. As one of the "Sogo-Shinryo" departments in Japan, we want to provide them comprehensive learning environments regardless of the boundaries of academic cliques and societies, and, as a result, relieve them, foster general minds, and build their careers.

Processes of increasing medical residents' intrinsic motivation: a qualitative study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine qualitatively how medical residents develop intrinsic motivation to learn and work in clinical training settings. Methods: This study was a descriptive qualitative study, which is widely used in healthcare research. We conducted a semi-structured interview aimed to explore key participants' in-depth experiences and perspectives regarding intrinsic motivation. The authors interviewed seven postgraduate Japanese medical residents. The transcripts were analyzed using the sequential and thematic qualitative data analysis technique steps for coding and theorization, which entails coding steps from open to selective, writing a storyline using the final selective codes, and offering theories. Results: External stimulations (a self-handle environment and a near-peer role model) triggered the medical residents' cognitive process (gap recognition, awareness, and internalization) to intrinsic motivation. The residents' awareness of autonomy, responsibility, and independence played a vital role in this process. Furthermore, a psychological feeling of competence also reinforced their intrinsic motivation. Positive feedback and approval from attending physicians and patients' gratitude promoted residents' sense of competence. Conclusions: We illustrated a process for increasing medical residents' intrinsic motivation. The intrinsic motivation was triggered by external stimulations (a self-handle environment and a near-peer role model), which caused the cognitive process: gap recognition, awareness of important attitudes as a doctor (autonomy, responsibility, and independence), and internalization. Since the first step of this process was an external factor, there are potential benefits of designing an appropriate training environment for increasing medical residents' intrinsic motivation.

Hormonal trends in patients suffering from long COVID symptoms.

Symptoms of long COVID are complex and long-lasting, and endocrine dysfunction might be involved in the underlying mechanisms. In this study, to clarify the hormonal characteristics of long COVID patients, laboratory data for patients who visited the outpatient clinic for long COVID were evaluated. A retrospective analysis was performed for patients who visited Okayama University Hospital during the period from Feb 2021 to Dec 2021 with focus on the interrelationships between major symptoms and endocrine data. Information and laboratory data were obtained from medical records for 186 patients. The patients had various symptoms, and the most frequent symptoms were general malaise, dysosmia/dysgeusia, hair loss, headache, dyspnea, and sleeplessness. Patients who were suffering from fatigue and dysosmia/dysgeusia were younger, while hair loss was more frequent in older and female patients. As for the characteristics of patients suffering from general fatigue, the scores of depression and fatigue were positively correlated with serum levels of cortisol and free thyroxin (FT4), respectively. Also, patients suffering from general fatigue had lower levels of serum growth hormone and higher levels of serum FT4, while patients with dysosmia/dysgeusia had a significantly lower level of serum cortisol. Serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels were higher and the ratios of FT4/TSH were lower in the initially severe cases, suggesting occult hypothyroidism. In addition, the ratios of plasma adrenocorticotropin to serum cortisol were decreased in patients with relatively high titers of serum SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Thus, hormonal changes seem to be, at least in part, involved in the persistent symptoms of long COVID.

Relationship between patients' characteristics and efficacy of calcimimetics for primary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly.

Calcimimetic treatment has been reported to be effective for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Nine elderly PHPT patients who had been treated with calcimimetics were retrospectively analyzed. It was found that calcimimetics can reduce elevated serum calcium levels in elderly PHPT patients with low femoral DEXA %YAM and low urinary cAMP levels.

Interest in Infectious Diseases specialty among Japanese medical students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based, cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has led to huge disruptions in the medical field and society. The significance of training and education for experts has been increasingly acknowledged in Japan, where the number of infectious disease (ID) specialists is reportedly insufficient. In this paper, we report the results of a web-based survey that was conducted to reveal the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced medical students' awareness of ID specialists and future career choices. METHOD: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in March 2021 and targeted 717 medical students belonging to Medical School of Okayama University, Japan. The questionnaire consisted of four questions meant to assess students' knowledge and future intentions of becoming ID specialists. RESULTS: We obtained 328 eligible questionnaires (response rate: 45.7%). Of 227 (69.2%) students who were aware of ID specialists, 99 (43.6%) answered that they came to know about them only after the pandemic, 12 (3.7%) answered that their interest in being an ID specialist arose during the pandemic, while 36 (11.0%) responded that they would rather not become ID specialists. At the time of the survey, 5 students (1.5%) were aiming to become ID specialists. CONCLUSION: We observed a very low rate of interest to be an ID specialist among medical students. The experience of the pandemic does not seem to have influenced Japanese medical students to choose ID as a specialty for their careers. Continuous efforts to increase the number of ID specialists are necessary in Japan as a countermeasure against the coming pandemic.

Aging-related Characteristics of Subclinical Hypothyroidism Detected in General Practice.

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is diagnosed when serum thyrotropin (TSH) is elevated despite a normal thyroxine level and is known to increase the risk of metabolic disorders. This study was conducted to identify potential laboratory markers suspicious for latent SCH. We retrospectively reviewed 958 outpatients in whom thyroid functions had been examined. Eighty-five (9.1%) of the 939 analyzed subjects had SCH (73% females). In the SCH group, median serum TSH and FT4 levels were 5.04 µU/ml and 1.19 ng/dl, respectively, and auto-thyroid antibodies were detected in 53.8% of patients. SCH group patients were significantly older than patients in the euthyroid group, while there was no intergroup difference in BMI. However, 56.5% of the SCH patients were asymptomatic. In the SCH group, serum aspartate aminotransferase and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were significantly higher, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower than in the euthyroid group. Among patients less than 65 years of age, SCH patients tended to have lower eGFR and higher LDL-C than euthyroid patients. Age-dependent reductions of red blood cells and serum albumin were more prominent in the SCH than the euthyroid group. Biochemical changes with aging are useful as potential clues for suspecting latent SCH.

Clinical Characteristics of Japanese Patients Who Visited a COVID-19 Aftercare Clinic for Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19/Long COVID.

Introduction The long-term clinical course, prognosis, and optimal management of symptoms and conditions after the acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of patients referred to a COVID-19 aftercare (CAC) clinic established at a tertiary academic hospital in Japan. Methods This study was a descriptive case series study. All patients who visited the CAC clinic between February 15 and September 17 in 2021 were included. Patients' background, chief complaints, and clinical courses after the onset of COVID-19 were described. Results A total of 87 Japanese patients (median age, 40.0 years; interquartile range [IQR], 26.5-53.0 years; 52.9% women) were referred to the CAC clinic. The median interval between the onset of COVID-19 and the visit to the clinic was 79.0 (IQR, 52.5-112.0) days. Referral sources were hospitals (36 patients), clinics (47 patients), a local healthcare center (3 patients), and other (1 patient). The most common chief complaint was general fatigue (50.4%) followed by dysosmia (28.7%), dysgeusia (26.4%), hair loss (18.4%), headache (17.2%), dyspnea (16.1%), and dyssomnia (13.1%). Respiratory symptoms were common in the early stages of the disease but were less common as the chief complaints when visiting the clinic. On the other hand, neurological, psychiatric, and extremity symptoms were predominant one month after the onset of COVID-19. Conclusions Regardless of the severity in the acute phase, patients visiting our CAC clinic suffered from a variety of symptoms. General physicians skilled in using a comprehensive approach would be optimal to see patients with such complex symptoms.

Antimicrobial prescription practices for outpatients with acute respiratory tract infections: A retrospective, multicenter, medical record-based study.

Antimicrobial stewardship for outpatients with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) should be urgently promoted in this era of antimicrobial resistance. Previous large-sample studies were based on administrative data and had limited reliability. We aimed to identify current antimicrobial prescription practices for ARTIs by directly basing on medical records. This multicenter retrospective study was performed from January to December in 2018, at five medical institutes in Japan. We targeted outpatients aged ≥18 years whose medical records revealed International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes suggesting ARTIs. We divided the eligible cases into three age groups (18-64 years, 65-74 years, and ≥75 years). We defined broad-spectrum antimicrobials as third-generation cephalosporins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and faropenem. Primary and secondary outcomes were defined as the proportion of antimicrobial prescriptions for the common cold and other respiratory tract infections, respectively. Totally, data of 3,940 patients were collected. Of 2,914 patients with the common cold, 369 (12.7%) were prescribed antimicrobials. Overall, compared to patients aged ≥75 years (8.5%), those aged 18-64 years (16.6%) and those aged 65-74 years (12.1%) were frequently prescribed antimicrobials for the common cold (odds ratio [95% confidential interval]; 2.15 [1.64-2.82] and 1.49 [1.06-2.09], respectively). However, when limited to cases with a valid diagnosis of the common cold by incorporating clinical data, no statistical difference was observed among the age groups. Broad-spectrum antimicrobials accounted for 90.2% of the antimicrobials used for the common cold. Of 1,026 patients with other respiratory infections, 1,018 (99.2%) were bronchitis, of which antimicrobials were prescribed in 49.9% of the cases. Broad-spectrum antimicrobials were the main agents prescribed, accounting for nearly 90% of prescriptions in all age groups. Our data suggested a favorable practice of antimicrobial prescription for outpatients with ARTIs in terms of prescribing proportions, or quantitative aspect. However, the prescriptions were biased towards broad-spectrum antimicrobials, highlighting the need for further antimicrobial stewardship in the outpatient setting from a qualitative perspective.

Gender-Dependent Characteristics of Serum 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D/25-Hydroxyvitamin D Ratio for the Assessment of Bone Metabolism.

Objectives Vitamin D deficiency, which is common worldwide, increases the risks of falls and fractures and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. However, the clinical utility and relevance of vitamin D activation remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to clarify the clinical usefulness of serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D)/25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) ratio for assessment of the extent of bone metabolism. Methods We retrospectively screened data for 87 patients whose serum 1,25D and 25D levels were measured. Eight patients who were taking vitamin D preparations were excluded, and data for 79 patients (33 males and 46 females) were analyzed. Since menopausal status can be associated with serum vitamin D level, we divided the patients by gender and divided the female patients into two groups at the age of 50 years. Results The median serum 1,25D/25D ratio was significantly lower in males than in females, with the most considerable difference in all males [4.1 (interquartile range: 2.3-5.8) × 10-3] versus elderly females (aged ≧50 years) [7.9 (3.3-10.1) × 10-3). Main disorders were endocrine (30.6%), inflammatory (18.5%), and bone-related (16.7%) disorders. The ratios of serum 1,25D/25D had significant negative correlations with femoral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry % young adult mean (DEXA %YAM) (R=-0.35) and lumbar DEXA %YAM (R=-0.32). Significant correlations were found between the 1,25D/25D ratio and serum levels of inorganic phosphate (iP), parathyroid hormone, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The 1,25D/25D ratio had gender-specific characteristics: the ratio was significantly correlated with age in males (R=-0.49), while it was significantly correlated with BMI in females (R=0.34). Conclusions The results of this study suggested that vitamin D activity is negatively correlated with bone mineral density, being reduced in aged males but enhanced in obese females.

Clinical Manifestations of Patients with Influenza Differ by Age : A Prospective, Multi-centered Study in the Setouchi Marine Area.

Influenza potentially has a high mortality rate when it affects the elderly. We aimed to examine the differences in clinical manifestations in patients with influenza according to their age. This multicenter prospective study was performed in six medical institutions in Okayama and Kagawa prefectures (Japan). Between December 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, we collected data on adult patients diagnosed with influenza type A, who were strat-ified into younger (20-49 years), middle-aged (50-64 years), and older groups (≥ 65 years). We compared the presence or absence of fever, respiratory symptoms, and extrapulmonary symptoms according to age group. In total, 203 patients (113, younger; 51, middle-aged; and 39, older) were eligible for the analysis. The maxi-mum body temperature and temperature at first physician visit in the older group were significantly lower than those in the younger group. The incidence of respiratory symptoms was not different among the three groups. Chills, muscle pain, and arthralgia as systemic symptoms were noted significantly more frequently in the younger (80.9%) and middle-aged (75.5%) groups than in the older group (51.3%) (p = 0.002). Fever and sys-temic symptoms were less likely to appear in older patients, possibly resulting in the delaying of hospital visits among older adults.

Recurrence of Hypoglycemic Coma in a Patient with Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is occasionally complicated with hypoglycemic coma, which may cause sudden death by unknown mechanisms. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with recurrent comas and a nineteen-year history of AN. She was found in a coma with remarkable hypoglycemia (28 mg/dL). Her BMI was 11.1 kg/m2. Endocrine workup revealed extremely low serum levels of glucagon, IGF-I and insulin. Asymptomatic hypoglycemia occurred with liver injury in the refeeding process. An aberrant glucose metabolism due to liver damage might have been involved in her susceptibility to hypoglycemia. This case suggests a possible mechanism of hypoglycemic coma in AN.