Predicting recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection by assessing antimicrobial treatment based on days of antibiotic spectrum coverage and ATLAS scores.

Introduction: We aimed to determine the impact of prior antimicrobial treatment on recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) based on days of antibiotic spectrum coverage (DASC) and predict the risk of recurrence to guide the selection of appropriate initial therapeutic agents.

Methods: We assessed the antimicrobial treatment administered to 195 patients with a history of CDI for 28 days before testing positive for C. difficile using DASC and illness severity using ATLAS scores.

Diacylglycerol Kinase ζ Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity Through p53 Degradation.

Background: Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is still an important medical problem associated with a high mortality rate in cancer survivors. p53 plays a key role in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Diacylglycerol kinase ζ (Dgkζ), a 130-kDa enzyme abundant in cardiomyocytes, regulates the p53 protein expression level in neurons.

Artificial Intelligence Assessment of Chest Radiographs for COVID-19.

Background: The sensitivity of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is limited for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Chest computed tomography (CT) is reported to have high sensitivity; however, given the limited availability of chest CT during a pandemic, the assessment of more readily available imaging, such as chest radiographs, augmented by artificial intelligence may substitute for the detection of the features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Methods: We trained a deep convolutional neural network to detect SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia using publicly available chest radiography imaging data including 8,851 normal, 6,045 pneumonia, and 200 COVID-19 pneumonia radiographs.

Comparison of continuous subcutaneous hydromorphone hydrochloride and morphine hydrochloride injection on skin disorders incidence: a retrospective study.

Background: Continuous subcutaneous administration of injectable opioids is simple and effective; however, skin disorders may occur when high opioid dosages are used. Therefore, we investigated opioid injection drugs with a low risk of skin disorders.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the electronic medical records of patients prescribed 1% hydromorphone hydrochloride or 4% morphine hydrochloride with instructions for continuous subcutaneous administration at Shizuoka Cancer Center from January 2017 to December 2021.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to Assess Infection Complications During the Acute Phase of Acute Pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) severity is correlated with systemic infection incidence in the acute phase, and it is important to assess inflammation during the disease course and to recognize infection at an early stage. As in sepsis, inflammation in AP impairs tissue oxygen metabolism and disrupts microcirculation. We performed a vascular occlusion test (VOT) via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which noninvasively monitors local oxygen in peripheral tissues, to evaluate tissue oxygen metabolism and blood circulation during the acute AP phase.