花井 翔悟

BACKGROUND: The incidence of syphilis has been rising globally but effective screening strategies are lacking. Preoperative syphilis screening is commonly performed at Japanese hospitals for infection prevention purposes. However, its effectiveness in improving subsequent management is unclear. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of universal preoperative syphilis screening testing implemented at a Japanese tertiary care hospital from April 2017 to March 2023. The annual prevalence of positive preoperative treponemal tests was tracked, and subsequent clinical management for patients with a positive test result was investigated. Attributes of patients with a positive result who were more likely to receive further evaluation were also elucidated. RESULTS: In total, 82,439 patients underwent surgery during the study period. Preoperative treponemal testing was performed in 94.8% (78,170/82,439) of the patients. A positive test result was recorded in 544 (0.70%) with an annual positivity rate ranging from 0.61 to 0.83%, whereas the proportion of presumed active syphilis ranged from 0.02 to 0.08%. A total of 85 patients with a positive syphilis screening test, a nontreponemal test with a positive titer, and without history of syphilis were identified. Of those, only 45 patients (52.9%) received further evaluation. CONCLUSION: The positivity of preoperative treponemal testing was low despite the rising incidence of syphilis in Japan, and the prevalence of presumed active syphilis identified during the preoperative period was even smaller. Routine treponemal testing in the preoperative setting had limited utility in effectively identifying patients with active syphilis.

OBJECTIVES: Consultation with infectious disease specialists is associated with reduced patient mortality in the care of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) through appropriate management of complications including infective endocarditis. This study aimed to determine the rates of confirmation of a negative blood culture, implementation of echocardiography, and administration of appropriate antibiotics in patients with SAB at a university hospital in Japan that provides general internal medicine and not an infectious disease consultation service. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Dokkyo Medical University Hospital in Japan. Patients eligible for inclusion in the study were ≥20 years of age with ≥1 positive blood culture for S. aureus identified in a clinical microbiology laboratory. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with confirmation of a negative blood culture, implementation of echocardiography, and administration of appropriate antimicrobial agents. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients with SAB were included in the analysis. Follow-up blood cultures were collected in 91 patients and negative results were documented in 88 patients. Follow-up blood culture collection was performed within 4 days of the initial blood culture collection in 49 patients. Echocardiography was performed appropriately in 40 patients. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was administered in 36 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Quality-of-care indicators were more commonly implemented in patients with SAB who received general internal medicine consultation than in those who did not.

PURPOSE: The effect of antibiotics administered before blood cultures performed in general internal medicine outpatient settings is not well known. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study including adult patients who underwent blood cultures in the general internal medicine outpatient department of a Japanese university hospital between 2016 and 2022. Patients with positive blood cultures were included as cases and matched patients with negative blood cultures were included as controls. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients and 200 controls were included. Antibiotics were administered prior to blood culture in 20% of patients (79/400). Oral antibiotics were prescribed to 69.6% of the prior antibiotics (55/79). Prior antibiotic use was significantly lower among patients with positive than negative blood cultures (13.5% vs 26.0%, p = 0.002) and was an independent predictive factor in univariable (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.73; p = 0.002) and multivariable (adjusted odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.63; p = 0.002) logistic regression models for positive blood culture. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of the multivariable model for predicting positive blood cultures was 0.86. CONCLUSION: There was a negative correlation between prior antibiotic use and positive blood cultures in the general internal medicine outpatient department. Therefore, physicians should interpret the negative results of blood cultures performed after the administration of antibiotics with care.

PURPOSE: The general internal medicine (GIM) department can be an effective diagnostic coordinator for undiagnosed outpatients. We investigated the contribution of GIM consultations to the diagnosis of patients admitted to specialty departments in hospitals in Japan that have not yet adopted a hospitalist system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center, retrospective observational study was conducted at a university hospital in Japan. GIM consultations from other departments on inpatients aged ≥20 years, from April 2016 to March 2021, were included. Data were extracted from electronic medical records, and consultation purposes were categorized into diagnosis, treatment, and diagnosis and treatment. The primary outcome was new diagnosis during hospitalization for patients with consultation purpose of diagnosis or diagnosis and treatment. The secondary outcomes were the purposes of consultation with the Diagnostic and Generalist Medicine department. RESULTS: In total, 342 patients were included in the analysis. The purpose of the consultations was diagnosis for 253 patients (74%), treatment for 60 (17.5%), and diagnosis and treatment for 29 patients (8.5%). In 282 consultations for diagnosis and diagnosis and treatment, 179 new diagnoses were established for 162 patients (57.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 51.5-63.3). CONCLUSION: The GIM department can function as a diagnostic consultant for inpatients with diagnostic problems admitted to other specialty departments in hospitals where hospitalist or other similar systems are not adopted.

BACKGROUND: Performing repeat blood cultures after an initial positive culture (ie, follow-up blood cultures [FUBCs]) in patients with gram-negative bacilli (GNB) bacteremia is controversial. We aimed to comprehensively review the association of FUBCs with improvement in patient-relevant clinical outcomes in GNB bacteremia. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis to calculate summary effect estimates. We used hazard ratios as the effect measure. The primary outcome was 30-day or in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes were length of treatment and length of hospital stay. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central) without language restrictions from inception to April 29, 2022. Original clinical studies evaluating the association between FUBCs and mortality in adult patients with GNB bacteremia were included. FUBC details were reviewed. Two independent reviewers used the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool. RESULTS: We identified 9 eligible retrospective studies. In total, 7778 hospitalized patients with GNB bacteremia were included. The studies were clinically heterogeneous and had a critical risk of bias. The utilization of FUBCs varied across studies (18%-89%). Random-effects meta-analysis of covariate-adjusted estimates found that FUBC use was associated with reduced mortality. Although not a result of the meta-analysis, lengths of treatment and hospital stay were longer for patients with FUBCs than for those without. Adverse events were not reported. CONCLUSIONS: FUBC acquisition was associated with lower mortality and longer hospital stay and treatment duration in GNB bacteremia. The risk of bias was critical, and no firm data were available to support mechanisms.

Pivoxil-containing cephalosporins can result in symptomatic hypocarnitinemia in children. We herein report a case of an 85-year-old man at risk of carnitine deficiency who developed relapsing symptomatic hypoglycemia after treatment with cefcapene pivoxil for urinary tract infection. On admission, laboratory tests showed low blood carnitine concentrations with low normal blood ketone levels. The patient was successfully treated by the oral administration of levocarnitine and dietary modification, including aggressive consumption of meat and dairy products, and remained symptom-free for nine months after the correction of carnitine concentrations. Healthcare providers should be cautious when prescribing pivoxil-containing antimicrobials to patients at high risk of hypocarnitinemia.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a newly described illness over the last several years. A 57-year-old man, who had been followed for chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic pancreatitis and history of operated cholangitis, was admitted to our hospital for abdominal pain and worsening renal function. Serum levels of IgG and IgG4 were elevated. CT scan showed the characteristic findings of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis, pancreas and kidney disease. An endoscopic biopsy revealed the finding compatible with IgG4-RD. Steroid therapy led to the remission of his abdominal pain. Patients with CKD of unknown aetiology may have IgG4-RD.

Many diseases can cause hypercalcaemia, including primary hyperparathyroidism, cancer, drugs and granulomatous diseases. A nursing home resident aged 81 years was admitted because of altered mental status. The patient did not have fever, cough, sputum or night sweat. Hypercalcaemia was identified as a cause of the consciousness disturbance. Chest radiograph showed no acute process. Laboratory workups revealed elevated serum levels of 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 and positive T-spot test. Microscopic examination of the suctioned sputum identified acid-fast bacilli, which was confirmed as Mycobactrium tuberculsosis Tuberculosis should be considered as the important cause of hypercalcaemia since early diagnosis and treatment is recommended for preventing its outbreak among people with close contacts with patients.