Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prehospital characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest among the elderly in Japan: A nationwide study.

Aim: To assess the impact of the 2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the prehospital characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the elderly.

Methods: In this population-based nationwide observational study in Japan, 563,100 emergency medical service-unwitnessed OHCAs in elderly (≥65 years) patients involving any prehospital resuscitation efforts were analysed (144,756, 140,741, 140,610, and 136,993 cases in 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively). The epidemiology, characteristics, and outcomes associated with OHCAs in elderly patients were compared between 3 years pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and the pandemic year (2020).

Eosinophil ETosis-Mediated Release of Galectin-10 in Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis.

Objective: Eosinophils are tissue-dwelling immune cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that a type of cell death termed ETosis is an important cell fate involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases. Although the critical role of eosinophils in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA; formerly Churg-Strauss syndrome) is well established, the presence of eosinophil ETosis (EETosis) is poorly understood.

Potential association of bystander-patient relationship with bystander response and patient survival in daytime out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Aim: To investigate whether the bystander-patient relationship affects bystander response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and patient outcomes depending on the time of day.

Methods: This population-based observational study in Japan involving 139,265 bystander-witnessed OHCAs (90,426 family members, 10,479 friends/colleagues, and 38,360 others) without prehospital physician involvement was conducted from 2005 to 2009. Factors associated with better bystander response [early emergency call and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR)] and 1-month neurologically favourable survival were assessed.

[Development of neck filters for reducing artifact in cervical bone SPECT].

In cervical bone scintillation SPECT studies using TEW and OS-EM methods, we have observed an artifact that may interfere with evaluation of the image; higher accumulation in cervical vertebra compared with in the head and thoracic vertebra. As the neck is smaller in diameter than in the thorax and head, gamma ray absorption is lower. In addition, as the distance between the neck and the detector is greater, scattered gamma rays are increased, interfering with imaging and causing artifact.

[The graft flow and 201Tl-myocardial scintigram in patients with saphenous vein graft or left internal thoracic artery graft].

To evaluate myocardial perfusion in patients with saphenous vein graft (SVG) or internal thoracic artery graft (ITA-G), we studied 38 patients (14: SVG, 10 males and 4 females, mean age 66 +/- 9 y-o; 24: ITA-G, 18 males and 6 females, mean age 64 +/- 7 y-o) by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of ITA-G or SVG, and thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy on exercise or dipyridamole stress. The grafting sites were left anterior descending artery (LAD) in all patients. Normal controls (n = 22) were defined by normal coronary angiogram and no evidence of myocardial ischemia.

Automatic left ventricular volume measurements on contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine magnetic resonance imaging.

To assess the accuracy of automatic extraction of the left ventricular inner contour on contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine magnetic resonance (MR) images, we compared the values obtained by this method with those obtained using intravenous digital subtraction left ventriculography. High-quality single breath-hold contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR images were obtained in all cardiac phases on horizontal and vertical long axis sections of the left ventricle. For ultrafast cine MR imaging, a phase-rewind gradient-echo (rewind-SMASH) sequence was used.

[Assessment of myocardial perfusion and cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction in patients with sick sinus syndrome--evaluation of coronary hemodynamics and 201TlCl/123I-MIBG myocardial SPECT].

To clarify the coronary hemodynamics, myocardial perfusion and cardiac sympathetic nerve function in patients with sick sinus syndrome (SSS), we performed left coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in 41 patients, exercise 201TlCl-myocardial scintigraphy (planar and SPECT) in 69 patients, and 201TlCl/123I-MIBG myocardial dual SPECT in 13 patients without significant organic coronary stenosis. Coronary artery spasm was documented on coronary angiography in 25/43 (58%) patients with SSS by ergonovine provocation test. Compared with normals, patients with SSS demonstrated prolongation of left coronary circulation time (CCT) on own heart beats and right atrial pacing.

[The significance of repeated users of geriatric health care facility].

Our geriatric health care facility was established 3 years ago. The real number of users since April 1989 to March 1991 amounts to 519, of which 62 have been admitted 3 times or more (defined as repeated here). At the same time, this facility has a day care activity 6 times a week.

Determination of cardiac ejection fraction and left ventricular volume: contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR imaging vs IV digital subtraction ventriculography.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of contrast-enhanced, single breath-hold cine MR imaging in the calculation of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction, we compared values obtained by using this method with those obtained by using IV digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA).

Subjects And Methods: All patients (n = 28) had conventional cine and contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR imaging. For ultrafast cine MR imaging, a phase-rewind gradient-echo (rewind-SMASH) sequence was used: TR, 8 msec (standard excitation and acquisition block of 6 msec with phase rewind pulse of 2 msec); TE, 3.

[Left ventricular hemodynamics in patients with sick sinus syndrome: analysis by 99mTc-RBC cardiac pool scintigraphy with forward and backward multiple gated method (FBMG)].

The left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions in 31 patients with sick sinus syndrome (types I and II) were analyzed using LV time activity curves obtained by a 99mTc-RBC cardiac pool scintigraphy-forward and backward multiple gated study (FBMG) and compared with those in controls. On A-V sequential pacing (rate, 70 bpm; A-V delay, 150 msec), LV-peak ejection rate (PER) and peak filling rate (PFR) were significantly decreased compared to those in normal controls. As pacing rate was increased, PFR decreased significantly in patients in whom PER was decreased.

[Assessment of coronary hemodynamics and myocardial perfusion in patients with syndrome X by digital subtraction angiography and 201Tl-myocardial scintigraphy].

To evaluate coronary hemodynamics and myocardial perfusion, left coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and Tl-201 myocardial scintigraphy were performed in patients with syndrome X. The coronary circulation time (CCT) was significantly prolonged after the injection of isosorbide dinitrate and contrast medium i.c.

[Evaluation of coronary hemodynamics and exercise 201Tl-myocardial scintigraphy in patients with vasospastic angina].

To clarify the coronary hemodynamics and myocardial perfusion in patients with vasospastic angina, we performed exercise-201Tl-myocardial scintigraphy (planar and SPECT) in 72 patients and left coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in 37 patients without significant organic coronary artery stenosis. Coronary artery spasm was documented by coronary angiography in all patients. Fifty-four patients (75%) developed exercise-induced 201Tl-myocardial perfusion defect on SPECT.

[Coronary hemodynamics in vasospastic angina: quantitative analysis by digital subtraction angiography].

To evaluate the coronary circulation and myocardial perfusion dynamics, we performed left coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in 35 patients with vasospastic angina. The left coronary circulation time (CCT) measured from the proximal left coronary artery to the coronary sinus was 5.77 +/- 0.