Delayed iliopsoas abscess following COVID-19 pneumonia.

Bacterial co-infection has been reported to contribute to a poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. However, iliopsoas abscess (IPA) has not been previously reported as a comorbidity during the course of COVID-19. We report two cases of IPA in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Massive and Lengthy Clonal Nosocomial Expansion of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. among Patients Who Are Ventilator Dependent without Cystic Fibrosis.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are generally believed to be independently acquired from the environment. Although person-to-person transmission of nontuberculous mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. , is a serious concern among individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), evidence of its spread among patients without CF has never been established.

A systematic review of corticosteroid treatment for noncritically ill patients with COVID-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidance recommending systemic corticosteroids for the treatment of patients with severe or critical COVID-19 and no corticosteroids for those with nonsevere COVID-19. Although their recommendations for critical cases were based on the results from seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs), those for noncritical cases were based on the results from only one RCT, the Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial. In search of additional evidence of corticosteroids' effect on COVID-19, we systematically reviewed controlled observational studies, besides RCTs, that assessed the impact of corticosteroid treatment on any type of mortality and/or other outcomes in noncritical patients.

Efficacy and safety of fluoroquinolone-containing regimens in treating pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease: A propensity score analysis.

Background: Although combination therapy using clarithromycin, rifampicin, and ethambutol is recommended for patients with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease, some patients do not tolerate it because of adverse effects or underlying diseases. The efficacy and safety of fluoroquinolone-containing combination regimens as an alternative remain uncertain. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of fluoroquinolone-containing regimens with those of the standard regimens for treating pulmonary MAC disease.

A high C-reactive protein level and poor performance status are associated with delayed sputum conversion in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Japan.

Introduction: Although the aging population had been increasing in many countries, the factors associated with sputum conversion in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis have not been fully elucidated.

Objectives: We aimed to identify the predictors of delayed sputum conversion and to assess the impact of non-conversion on mortality during tuberculosis treatment in elderly patients.

Methods: Elderly patients (>65 years) admitted at our hospital in Japan for sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included.

The impact of performance status on tuberculosis-related death among elderly patients with lung tuberculosis: A competing risk regression analysis.

While advanced age is a main prognostic factor in patients with tuberculosis, the factors that specifically affect tuberculosis-related death are unclear because elderly people are at a risk for other age-related lethal diseases. We aimed to assess the impact of performance status on tuberculosis-related death among elderly patients with lung tuberculosis. Elderly patients (≥65 years of age) admitted to our hospital for bacteriologically-diagnosed lung tuberculosis were included, and analyzed the influence of performance status on tuberculosis-related in-hospital death, with non-tuberculosis-related death as a competing risk.

Factors associated with atypical radiological findings of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Unusual radiological images may delay diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for an atypical radiological image in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients admitted to one hospital from January 2013 to December 2016 for sputum smear-positive lung tuberculosis who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) on admission.

Impact of additional antibiotics on in-hospital mortality in tuberculosis isolated general bacteria: A propensity score analysis.

Whether or not additional antibiotics with anti-tuberculosis agents are required to treat bacterial co-infection with pulmonary tuberculosis is unclear. We aimed to assess the impact of additional antibiotics on mortality in pulmonary tuberculosis patients whose sputum cultures were positive for general bacteria as a surrogate definition of bacterial pneumonia. This study was a single-center retrospective cohort using a propensity score analysis.

A mini systematic review of prognostic factors in elderly patients with tuberculosis.

Background: While advanced age has been suggested as a prognostic factor in patients with tuberculosis, the characteristics associated with a poor outcome in elderly patients have remained unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the risk factors for a poor outcome in elderly patients with tuberculosis.

Methods: We identified 1255 studies published between 1919 and 2017 from the PubMed database by using combinations of the keywords "tuberculosis [Title/Abstract]" and "elderly [Title/Abstract]".