Nodular-bronchiectatic pattern in pulmonary nocardiosis: Immune status and treatment outcomes in a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Pulmonary nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic infection, with approximately 15 % of patients being immunocompetent. The isolation rate of Nocardia spp. has recently increased, indicating rising clinical concern.

Efficacy of corticosteroid therapy for oxygen-free coronavirus disease 2019-derived pneumonia.

Corticosteroid therapy for oxygen-free coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not recommended due to its negative prognostic impact, but the efficacy of corticosteroids when limited to COVID-19 pneumonia is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid monotherapy for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia without supplemental oxygen. We retrospectively reviewed patients with oxygen-free COVID-19 pneumonia at our institute between September 2020 and August 2021 and assessed the use of corticosteroids and the timing of initiation.

Single-centre observational study of the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia for the management of thoracic infections.

Objectives: Thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia is widely performed to diagnose malignancies and infectious diseases. However, few reports have described the use of this procedure for diagnosing and treating intrathoracic infections. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia for the management of intrathoracic infections.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality in elderly unvaccinated patients during SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variants epidemic.

Background: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has caused a global pandemic. This study aimed to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality in unvaccinated elderly patients with COVID-19 by comparing various predictive factors between the survivors and non-survivors.

Methods: We retrospectively selected 132 unvaccinated patients aged over 65 years with COVID-19 at a hospital in Kanagawa, Japan, during SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variants epidemic.

Safety of flexible bronchoscopy and clinical course for elderly patients with suspected primary lung cancer.

Background: There have been several reports demonstrating the safety of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in the elderly, but none have focused specifically on lung cancer, which is a frequent biopsy procedure.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the safety of FB and subsequent treatment in elderly patients with suspected primary lung cancer. Elderly patients were defined as 75 years of age or older.