Investigation of predictors for in-hospital death or long-term hospitalization in community-acquired pneumonia with risk factors for aspiration.

Background: It is known that the mortality of pneumonia in patients with risk factors for aspiration is worse than that in those without these risk factors. However, it is still unknown which risk factors for aspiration predict prognosis. Therefore, we aimed to determine which risk factors for aspiration are associated with death or prolonged hospitalization.

Protein C activity as a potential prognostic factor for nursing home-acquired pneumonia.

Introduction: Despite the poor prognosis for nursing home acquired pneumonia (NHAP), a useful prognostic factor is lacking. We evaluated protein C (PC) activity as a predictor of in-hospital death in patients with NHAP and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: This prospective, observational study included all patients hospitalized with pneumonia between July 2007 and December 2012 in a single hospital.

Hypercalcemia Associated with the Ectopic Expression of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

An 82-year-old man was transferred to our hospital due to impaired consciousness. His albumin-corrected calcium level was 14.2 mg/dL, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein levels were reduced, and his 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25 (OH) VitD] level was elevated at 71.

The association of high Vancomycin trough concentration with acute kidney injury during combination therapy of Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Vancomycin.

Background: Co-administration of Piperacillin/Tazobactam (PIPC/TAZ) and Vancomycin (VCM) as an antibiotic therapy for severe infectious diseases increases the risk of nephrotoxicity. We retrospectively investigated the utility of monitoring VCM trough concentration in early stage of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) on this combination therapy.

Methods: We enrolled all infectious disease patients who were managed with concurrent PIPC/TAZ and VCM.

Development and validation of a new scoring system for prognostic prediction of community-acquired pneumonia in older adults.

The discriminative power of CURB-65 for mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is suspected to decrease with age. However, a useful prognostic prediction model for older patients with CAP has not been established. This study aimed to develop and validate a new scoring system for predicting mortality in older patients with CAP.

Risk factors associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolation from serially collected sputum samples of patients hospitalized with pneumonia.

Introduction: Risk factors associated with the new detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during hospitalization remain unclear. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with MRSA isolation from the sputum of patients admitted with pneumonia, during their hospitalization.

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled from 2003 to 2012.

Epidemic Myalgia Associated with Human Parechovirus Type 3 Infection.

A 42-year-old man was hospitalized due to a fever, orchiodynia, and extremely severe myalgia predominantly in the extremities, which made it difficult for him to stand or walk. He had a history of contact with his son who had acute upper respiratory infection. Based on the characteristic clinical symptoms and detection of the partial sequence of human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) in throat swabs as well as stool and serum samples, he was diagnosed with epidemic myalgia associated with HPeV3 infection.

Cefepime vs. meropenem for moderate-to-severe pneumonia in patients at risk for aspiration: An open-label, randomized study.

Background: Treatment of aspiration pneumonia is an important problem due to aging of populations worldwide. However, the effectiveness of cefepime in aspiration pneumonia has not yet been evaluated.

Aim: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of cefepime and meropenem in patients with moderate-to-severe aspiration pneumonia.

A case of pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed in a patient with manifestations of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

An 80-year-old woman was admitted with continuous fever, hepatic dysfunction and cytopaenia. The presence of hepatosplenomegaly, hyperferritinaemia, hypofibrinogenaemia and phagocytosis by macrophages in the bone marrow was consistent with a diagnosis of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). We suspected that HLH was induced by pre-existing tuberculosis, and antitubercular agents were started.

A case of pernicious anemia requiring differential diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia complication.

An 80-year-old female was admitted to our hospital due to malaise. The initial diagnosis on admission was pernicious anemia (PA), Hashimoto thyroiditis and autoimmune atrophic gastritis. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia was suspected because direct antiglobulin test (DAT) was positive.