Laparoscopy for emergency abdominal surgery is associated with reduced physical functional decline in older patients: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of older patients require emergency abdominal surgery for acute abdomen. They are susceptible to surgical stress and lose their independence in performing daily activities. Laparoscopic surgery is associated with faster recovery, less postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stay. However, few studies have examined the relationship between laparoscopic surgery and physical functional decline. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between changes in physical function and the surgical procedure. METHODS: In this was a single-center, retrospective cohort study, we enrolled patients who were aged ≥ 65 years and underwent emergency abdominal surgery for acute abdomen between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021. We assessed their activities of daily living using the Barthel Index. Functional decline was defined as a decrease of ≥ 20 points in Barthel Index at 28 days postoperatively, compared with the preoperative value. We evaluated an association between functional decline and surgical procedures among older patients, using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 852 patients underwent emergency abdominal surgery. Among these, 280 patients were eligible for the analysis. Among them, 94 underwent laparoscopic surgery, while 186 underwent open surgery. Patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery showed a less functional decline at 28 days postoperatively (6 vs. 49, p < 0.001). After adjustments for other covariates, laparoscopic surgery was an independent preventive factor for postoperative functional decline (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.05-0.83; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In emergency abdominal surgery, laparoscopic surgery reduces postoperative physical functional decline in older patients. Widespread use of laparoscopic surgery can potentially preserve patient quality of life and may be important for the better development of emergency abdominal surgery.

Impact of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta on gastrointestinal function with a matched cohort study.

Background: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) can temporarily control arterial hemorrhage in torso trauma; however, the abdominal visceral blood flow is also blocked by REBOA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of REBOA on gastrointestinal function. Methods: A retrospective review identified all trauma patients admitted to our trauma center between 2008 and 2019. We used propensity score matching analysis to compare the gastrointestinal function between subjects who underwent REBOA and those who did not. Data on demographics, feeding intolerance (FI), time to feeding goal achievement, and complications were retrieved. Results: During the study period, 55 patients underwent REBOA. A total of 1694 patients met the inclusion criteria, 27 of whom were a subset of those who underwent REBOA. After 1:1 propensity score matching, the REBOA and no-REBOA groups were assigned 22 patients each. Patients in the REBOA group had a significantly higher incidence of FI (77% vs. 27%; OR, 9.1; 95% CI, 2.31 to 35.7; p=0.002) and longer time to feeding goal achievement (8 vs. 6 days, p=0.022) than patients in the no-REBOA group. Patients in the REBOA group also showed significantly prolonged durations of ventilator use (8 vs. 4 days, p=0.023). Furthermore, there was no difference in the mortality rate between the groups (9% vs. 9%, p=1.000). Conclusions: REBOA was associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Our study findings can be useful in providing guidance on managing nutrition in trauma patients who undergo REBOA. Level of evidence: Level IV. Study type: Care management.

Relationship between false lumen morphology and entry tear in acute type A aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between false lumen morphology and the size, aortic segment and position of the entry tear for acute type A aortic dissection. METHODS: The records of patients who underwent emergency operation for acute type A aortic dissection in our institution between April 2011 and May 2022 were examined. Data regarding size, location and position of the entry tear and preoperative computed tomography findings were reviewed. The relationship of these variables with false lumen morphology was examined and retrospectively compared according to tear size. RESULTS: Of 243 cases, characteristics of the entry tear, visualized during surgery, were confirmed in 134 cases (age = 70.9 ± 12.6 years, male = 45.5%). Tear sizes at different aortic segments were not significantly different (P = 0.376). Tears posterior to the lesser curvature were significantly smaller than those anterior to the greater curvature (P = 0.004). A thrombosed false lumen was associated with a significantly smaller tear size and position on the posterior to the lesser curvature side in aortic cross-section (all P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tear size, the presence of re-entry and tear position anterior to the greater curvature were independent predictors of a patent false lumen. CONCLUSIONS: In acute type A aortic dissection, larger tear size, the presence of re-entry and tear position anterior to the greater curvature are risk factors for a patent false lumen. Although the results of this study are valid only for patients in whom intimal tears were detected during aortic surgery, this trend may provide information for pathophysiology of the disease.

Rescue of murine hind limb ischemia via angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis promoted by cellular communication network factor 2.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is caused by severe arterial blockage with reduction of blood flow. The aim of this study was to determine whether therapeutic angiogenesis using cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) would be useful for treating CLI in an animal model. Recombinant CCN2 was administered intramuscularly to male C57BL/6J mice with hind limb ischemia. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by monitoring blood flow in the ischemic hind limb. In an in vivo assay, CCN2 restored blood flow in the ischemic hind limb by promoting both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. VEGF-A and VEGF-C expression levels increased in the ischemic limb after treatment with CCN2. In an in vitro assay, CCN2 promoted proliferation of vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, and it upregulated expression of Tgfb1 followed by expression of Vegfc and Vegfr3 in lymphatic endothelial cells under hypoxia. Suppression of Tgfb1 did not affect the activity of CCN2, activation of the TGF-ß/SMAD signaling pathway, or expression of Vegfr3 in lymphatic endothelial cells. In summary, treatment using recombinant CCN2 could be a promising therapeutic strategy for CLI.

A clinical prediction model for non-operative management failure in patients with high-grade blunt splenic injury.

Background: Nonoperative management (NOM) is the standard treatment for hemodynamically stable blunt splenic injury (BSI). However, NOM failure is a significant source of morbidity and mortality. We developed a clinical risk scoring system for NOM failure in BSI. Methods: Data from the Japanese Trauma Data Bank from 2008 to 2018 were analyzed. Eligible patients were restricted to those who underwent NOM with high-grade BSI (Organ Injury Scale ≥3). The primary outcome was a predictive score for NOM failure based on risk estimation. Results: There were 1651 patients included in this analysis, among whom 110 (6.7%) patients had NOM failure. Multivariate analysis identified seven variables associated with failed NOM: systolic blood pressure, Glasgow coma scale, Injury Severity Score, other concomitant abdominal injury, pelvic injury, high-grade BSI, and angioembolization. An eight-point predictive score was developed with a cut-off of greater than 5 points (specificity, 98.2%; sensitivity, 25.5%) with an area under the curve of 0.81. Conclusion: The clinical predictive score had good ability to predict NOM failure and may help surgeons to make better decisions for BSI.

Optimal tentative abdominal closure for open abdomen: a multicenter retrospective observational study (OPTITAC study).

BACKGROUND: Primary fascia closure is often difficult following an open abdomen (OA). While negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is recommended to enhance successful primary fascia closure, the optimal methods and degree of negative pressure remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate optimal methods of NPWT as a tentative abdominal closure for OA to achieve primary abdominal fascia closure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of adults who survived OA greater than 48 h was conducted in 12 institutions between 2010 and 2022. The achievement of primary fascia closure and incidence of enteroatmospheric fistula were examined based on methods (homemade, superficial NPWT kit, or open-abdomen kit) or degrees of negative pressure (<50, 50-100, or >100 mmHg). A generalized estimating equation was used to adjust for age, BMI, comorbidities, etiology for laparotomy requiring OA, vital signs, transfusion, severity of critical illness, and institutional characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 279 included patients, 252 achieved primary fascia closure. A higher degree of negative pressure (>100 mmHg) was associated with fewer primary fascia closures than less than 50 mmHg [OR, 0.18 (95% CI: 0.50-0.69), P =0.012] and with more frequent enteroatmospheric fistula [OR, 13.83 (95% CI: 2.30-82.93)]. The methods of NPWT were not associated with successful primary fascia closure. However, the use of the open-abdomen kit was related to a lower incidence of enteroatmospheric fistula [OR, 0.02 (95% CI: 0.00-0.50)]. CONCLUSION: High negative pressure (>100 mmHg) should be avoided in NPWT during tentative abdominal closure for OA.

Establishment of a Simple, Reproducible, and Long-lasting Hind Limb Animal Model of Lymphedema.

Background: Lymphedema is an intractable disease for which there is currently no established curative therapy. A reliable and long-lasting lymphedema model is essential for development of better treatments. In this study, we aimed to establish a simple, reproducible and long-lasting mouse model of lymphedema. Methods: Our model is characterized by a combination of a circumferential skin incision in the femoral region, complete dissection of regional lymph nodes, and ablation of the inguinal route in the femoral region. The characteristics of the lymphedema were evaluated and compared with those of two other models. One of these models involved dissection of the subiliac, popliteal, and sciatic lymph nodes (model A) and the other excision of the subiliac, popliteal, and sciatic lymph nodes with cauterization of lymphatic vessels and closure without a skin excision (model B). Results: Although the lymphedema in models A and B resolved spontaneously, that in the new model lasted for a month with increases in femoral circumference and hind limb volume, thickening of the skin, especially subcutaneous tissue, and congestion of peripheral lymphatic vessels. Furthermore, this model could be used for assessing the therapeutic effects of syngeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. The average operation time for the new model was 14.4 ±â€…1.3 minutes. Conclusion: Long-lasting lymphedema can be achieved by our new model, making it suitable for assessing therapies for lymphedema.

Different Recognition of Protein Features Depending on Deep Learning Models: A Case Study of Aromatic Decarboxylase UbiD.

The number of unannotated protein sequences is explosively increasing due to genome sequence technology. A more comprehensive understanding of protein functions for protein annotation requires the discovery of new features that cannot be captured from conventional methods. Deep learning can extract important features from input data and predict protein functions based on the features. Here, protein feature vectors generated by 3 deep learning models are analyzed using Integrated Gradients to explore important features of amino acid sites. As a case study, prediction and feature extraction models for UbiD enzymes were built using these models. The important amino acid residues extracted from the models were different from secondary structures, conserved regions and active sites of known UbiD information. Interestingly, the different amino acid residues within UbiD sequences were regarded as important factors depending on the type of models and sequences. The Transformer models focused on more specific regions than the other models. These results suggest that each deep learning model understands protein features with different aspects from existing knowledge and has the potential to discover new laws of protein functions. This study will help to extract new protein features for the other protein annotations.

Predictive value of total psoas muscle index for postoperative physical functional decline in older patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Older individuals increasingly require emergency abdominal surgeries. They are susceptible to surgical stress and loss of independence in performing daily activities. We hypothesized that the psoas muscle volume would be significantly associated with postoperative functional decline (FD) in older patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery and aimed to evaluate the use of the psoas muscle volume on computed tomography (CT) scans. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center study of patients aged ≥ 65 years who had undergone emergency abdominal surgery between January 2019 and June 2021 was performed. We assessed patients' activities of daily living using the Barthel Index. FD was defined as a ≥ 5-point decrease between preoperative and 28-day postoperative values. The psoas muscle volume was measured by CT, which was used for diagnosis, and normalized by height to calculate total psoas muscle index (TPI). We evaluated associations between FD and TPI using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 238 eligible patients, 71 (29.8%) had clinical postoperative FD. Compared to the non-FD group, the FD group was significantly older and had a higher proportion of females, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, lower body mass index, higher American Society of Anesthesiology score, lower serum albumin level, and lower TPI. ROC analyses revealed that TPI had the highest area under the curve (0.802; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.86). A multivariable logistic regression model revealed that low TPI was an independent predictor of postoperative FD (odds ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.06-0.32). CONCLUSIONS: TPI can predict postoperative FD due to emergency abdominal surgery. Identification of patients who are at high risk of FD before surgery may be useful for enhancing the regionalized system of care for emergency general surgery.

Xenotransplantation of neonatal porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells improves diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Some clinical trials have shown the usefulness of stem cell therapy for diabetic foot ulcers. However, the donor supply is limited, and the process is time consuming and expensive. This study assessed the therapeutic effects of neonatal porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (npBM-MSC) xenotransplantation using diabetic wound model mice. METHODS: All layers of back skin were removed from streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. In the npBM-MSCs group, npBM-MSCs were transplanted to the wound, and syngeneic mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBM-MSCs) were transplanted to the wound in the mBM-MSCs group. The control group comprised diabetic mice that did not receive cellular therapy. The therapeutic effects of the transplantation were evaluated according to the rate of wound closure and the promotion of neovascularization in the wound. RESULTS: The wound closure rate was significantly improved in the npBM-MSCs group compared with the control group (p < .001 at postoperative day [POD] 4 and p < .01 at POD 7) and mBM-MSCs groups (p < .05 at POD 4). Prominent promotion of both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis was observed in the npBM-MSCs group. Furthermore, the expression of murine Prox1 and both porcine and murine Vegfs and Tgfb1 in the wounds was enhanced until POD 4 by npBM-MSCs transplantation. The amounts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A, VEGFC, and transforming growth factor ß1 secreted from npBM-MSCs were higher than those from mBM-MSCs (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Xenotransplantation of npBM-MSCs improved diabetic wound healing by promoting both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

[Staging Laparoscopy in the Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer].

OBJECTIVE: We examined the applicability and safety of staging laparoscopy(SL)in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the gastric cancer cases that were examined using SL between January 2015 and December 2019 at our hospital. RESULTS: Within this period, 59 gastric cancer patients underwent SL, of whom 53 were diagnosed with SL at first examination. The rare complications of SL were postoperative nausea and vomiting(1 case). In 47.5%(28/59)of patients, we observed peritoneal dissemination including positive lavage cytology. In 2 cases, peritoneal dissemination was found during curative resection despite not being detected by SL. Thus, the false negative rate of peritoneal dissemination discovery was 6.7%(2/30). Among the individuals who were diagnosed as P1 or CY1 at first, subsequent SLs were performed in 6 cases, and 5 patients were re-assigned as P0CY0, of whom 4 underwent conversion surgery. CONCLUSIONS: SL is an essential and safe examination method for defining the treatment strategy in advanced gastric cancer. However, further improvements are needed to reduce the false negative discovery rate and to advance gastric cancer treatment by increasing reliability of diagnosis.

[Why Did the Sports Pharmacists Create the Card Game?]

Anti-doping (AD) education for athletes is mainly one-way and through passively attended lectures. As such, learning about prohibited substances and highly technical doping rules is often difficult for athletes. Therefore, having athletes passively attending lectures is not enough to prevent unintentional doping violations caused by medicines and supplements. Therefore, it is important for athletes to acquire knowledge about individual prohibited substances as well as active learning and practical knowledge about AD measures. "Doping Guardian" is an educational card game that has been developed to help prevent unintentional doping violations. Participants (pharmacists) of this game can learn how to use medicines and supplements from an AD perspective while simulating the life of an athlete. This presentation will provide an overview of this card game and how it has been used to date.

Kampo Medicine Treatment for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Case Series.

Aims: The present report aims to investigate the use of Kampo medicine for advanced pancreatic cancer patients in order to prolong survival. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with pancreatic cancer who presented to our Shimizu Clinic from 2000 to 2020. Patients who survived at least twice as long as the initial prognostic estimate were selected and their treatment was reviewed. The Kampo formula and crude drugs were selected according to the Kampo diagnosis and treatment strategy, which included qi and blood supplementation; qi, blood and water smoothing; and inflammation (termed "heat") and cancer suppression. Results: Ten patients aged 45-80 years (six males and four females) with stage IV advanced cancer were selected. All patients received hozai, which is a tonic formula, of juzentaihoto (JTT) or hochuekkito (HET) decoction. Anti-cancer crude drugs were included in the decoctions of nine patients. At the first visit, the estimated life expectancy for all patients was no more than 1 year; however, treatment with Western and Kampo medicine led to a relatively long survival period of over 2 years. Three patients were still living at the time of this writing, more than 2, 6, and 14 years after treatment initiation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Kampo medicine may be useful for disease control and supportive care for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Xenotransplantation of neonatal porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells improves murine hind limb ischemia through lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical utility of stem cell therapy for peripheral artery disease has not been fully discussed, and one obstacle is limited donor supplies. In this study, we attempted to rescue mouse ischemic hind limb by xenotransplantation of neonatal porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (npBM-MSCs). METHODS: Neonatal porcine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted to ischemic hind limbs of male C57BL/6J mice (npBM-MSCs group). Mice with syngeneic transplantation of mouse BM-MSCs (mBM-MSCs group) were also prepared for comparison. The angiogenic effects were evaluated by recovery of blood flow on laser Doppler imaging, histologic findings, and genetic and protein levels of angiogenic factors. RESULTS: Regarding laser Doppler assessments, blood flow in the hind limb was rapidly recovered in the npBM-MSCs group, compared with that in the mBM-MSCs group (P = .016). Compared with the mBM-MSCs group, the npBM-MSCs group had early and prominent lymphangiogenesis [P < .05 on both post-operative days (PODs) 3 and 7] but had similar angiogenesis. Regarding genomic assessments, xenotransplantation of npBM-MSCs enhanced the expressions of both porcine and murine Vegfc in the hind limbs by POD 3. Interestingly, the level of murine Vegfc expression was significantly higher in the npBM-MSCs group than in the mBM-MSCs group on PODs 3 and 7 (P < .001 for both). Furthermore, the secreted VEGFC protein level was higher from npBM-MSCs than from mBM-MSCs (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Xenotransplantation of npBM-MSCs contributed to the improvement of hind limb ischemia by both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, especially promotion of the latter. npBM-MSCs may provide an alternative to autologous and allogeneic MSCs for stem cell therapy of critical limb ischemia.

Risk Factor for Poor Patient Satisfaction After Lumbar Spine Surgery in Elderly Patients Aged Over 80 years.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the poor patient satisfaction after lumbar spinal surgery in elderly patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: As the global population continues to age, it is important to consider the surgical outcome and patient satisfaction in the elderly. No studies have assessed patient satisfaction in elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment and risk factors for poor satisfaction in elderly patients after lumbar spinal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective multicenter survey was performed in 169 patients aged above 80 years who underwent lumbar spinal surgery. Patients were followed up for at least 1 year after surgery. We assessed patient satisfaction from the results of surgery by using a newly developed patient questionnaire. Patients were assessed by demographic data, surgical procedures, complications, reoperation rate, pain improvement, and risk factors for poor patient satisfaction with surgery for lumbar spinal disease. RESULTS: In total, 131 patients (77.5%, G-group) were satisfied and 38 patients (22.5%, P-group) were dissatisfied with surgery. The 2 groups did not differ significantly in baseline characteristics and surgical data. Postoperative visual analog scale score for low back pain and leg pain were significantly higher in the P-group than in the G-group (low back pain: G-group, 1.7±1.9 vs. P-group, 5.2±2.5, P<0.001; leg pain: G-group, 1.4±2.0 vs. P-group, 5.5±2.6, P<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that postoperative vertebral fracture (P=0.049; odds ratio, 3.096; 95% confidence interval, 1.004-9.547) and reoperation (P=0.025; odds ratio, 5.692; 95% confidence interval, 1.250-25.913) were significantly associated with the patient satisfaction after lumbar spinal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative vertebral fracture and reoperation were found to be risk factors for poor patient satisfaction after lumbar spinal surgery in elderly patients, which suggests a need for careful treatment of osteoporosis in addition to careful determination of surgical indication and procedure in elderly patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Integrative therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer using Kampo and western medicine: A case report.

A 45-year-old male patient diagnosed as stage IVa pancreatic cancer received anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. During the treatment, he complained of nausea, appetite loss, and fatigue. He received a Kampo diagnosis of qi deficiency, blood stasis, and heat with phlegm; consequently, qi supplementation, smoothing blood, and relieving fever were initiated using Juzentaihoto and Keppuchikuoto. After this treatment, the symptoms showed remarkable improvement. However, computed tomography revealed multiple lung nodules. We prescribed crude drugs with anti-cancer effects, including Scutellaria barbata and Oldenlandia diffusa. These drugs led to slowed development of lung metastases that could be surgically resected. He survived for 7 years after the advanced diagnosis without loss of quality of life. Kampo medicine may be useful for disease control and supportive care in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

The Surgical Outcomes of Spinal Fusion for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures in the Lower Lumbar Spine with a Neurological Deficit.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) is the most common osteoporotic fracture, and some patients require surgical intervention to improve their impaired activities of daily living with neurological deficits. However, many previous reports have focused on OVF around the thoracolumbar junction, and the surgical outcomes of lumbar OVF have not been thoroughly discussed. We aimed to investigate the surgical outcomes for lumbar OVF with a neurological deficit. METHODS: Patients who underwent fusion surgery for thoracolumbar OVF with a neurological deficit were enrolled at 28 institutions. Clinical information, comorbidities, perioperative complications, Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores, visual analog scale scores, and radiographic parameters were compared between patients with lower lumbar fracture (L3-5) and those with thoracolumbar junction fracture (T10-L2). Each patient with lower lumbar fracture (L group) was matched with to patients with thoracolumbar junction fracture (T group). RESULTS: A total 403 patients (89 males and 314 females, mean age: 73.8 ± 7.8 years, mean follow-up: 3.9 ± 1.7 years) were included in this study. Lower lumbar OVF was frequently found in patients with lower bone mineral density. After matching, mechanical failure was more frequent in the L group (L group: 64%, T group: 39%; p < 0.001). There was no difference between groups in the clinical and radiographical outcomes, although the rates of complication and revision surgery were still high in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical intervention for OVF is effective in patients with myelopathy or radiculopathy regardless of the surgical level, although further study is required to improve clinical and radiographical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Comparison of the Clinical Course of COVID-19 Pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in 2 Passengers from the Cruise Ship Diamond Princess in February 2020.

BACKGROUND Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Because clinical diagnosis of ARDS includes several diseases, understanding the characteristics of COVID-19-related ARDS is necessary for precise treatment. We report 2 patients with ARDS due to COVID-19-associated pneumonia. CASE REPORT Case 1 involved a 72-year-old Japanese man who presented with respiratory distress and fever. Computed tomography (CT) revealed subpleural ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and consolidation. Six days after symptom onset, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing confirmed the diagnosis of COVID-19-associated pneumonia. He was intubated and received veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) 8 days after symptom onset. Follow-up CT revealed large diffuse areas with a crazy-paving pattern and consolidation, which indicated progression of COVID-19-associated pneumonia. Following treatment with antiviral medications and supportive measures, the patient was weaned off ECMO after 20 days. Case 2 involved a 70-year-old Asian man residing in Canada who presented with cough, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and fever. COVID-19-associated pneumonia was diagnosed based on a positive result from RT-PCR testing. The patient was then transferred to the intensive care unit and intubated 8 days after symptom onset. Follow-up CT showed that while the initial subpleural GGOs had improved, diffuse GGOs appeared, similar to those observed upon diffuse alveolar damage. He was administered systemic steroid therapy for ARDS and extubated after 6 days. CONCLUSIONS Because the pattern of symptom exacerbation in COVID-19-associated pneumonia cases seems inconsistent, individual treatment management, especially the CT-based treatment strategy, is crucial.

Short- versus long-segment posterior spinal fusion with vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral collapse with neurological impairment in thoracolumbar spine: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Vertebroplasty with posterior spinal fusion (VP + PSF) is one of the most widely accepted surgical techniques for treating osteoporotic vertebral collapse (OVC). Nevertheless, the effect of the extent of fusion on surgical outcomes remains to be established. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes of short- versus long-segment VP + PSF for OVC with neurological impairment in thoracolumbar spine. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 133 patients (median age, 77 years; 42 men and 91 women) from 27 university hospitals and their affiliated hospitals. We divided patients into two groups: a short-segment fusion group (S group) with 2- or 3-segment fusion (87 patients) and a long-segment fusion group (L group) with 4- through 6-segment fusion (46 patients). Surgical invasion, clinical outcomes, local kyphosis angle (LKA), and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: No significant differences between the two groups were observed in terms of neurological recovery, pain scale scores, and complications. Surgical time was shorter and blood loss was less in the S group, whereas LKA at the final follow-up and correction loss were superior in the L group. CONCLUSION: Although less invasiveness and validity of pain and neurological relief are secured by short-segment VP + PSF, surgeons should be cautious regarding correction loss.