Published papers

Introduction: The optimal distribution of burn centers remains unclear. We aimed to determine the appropriate number of burn centers per population (density) and examined a nationwide registry with the hypothesis that low-density burn centers would be associated with unfavorable outcomes. Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the Japanese Society of Burn Injury registry (2011–2021). Burn center density was defined as the number of burn centers per one million population in each prefecture, and centers were trisected on the basis of density. Hospital-free days until day 30 were compared between patients at high-, middle-, and low-density centers. Inverse probability weighting was conducted to adjust baseline characteristics, including age, burn mechanism, and burn severity. Results: We included 6764, 6209, and 2200 patients at high-, middle-, and low-density burn centers, respectively. After adjusting for patient demographics and burn severity, patients at high- and middle-density centers (≥0.4 centers per one million population) had longer hospital-free days compared with those at low-density centers (11 [0–23] vs 11 [0–23] vs 8 [0–22] days; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Low burn center density (<0.4 centers per one million population) was associated with longer hospital stay, whereas no higher limit was determined.

Purpose: This research aimed to establish a scoring system for selecting candidates for urgent angioembolization (AE). Methods: Patients with blunt trauma were retrospectively identified in a nationwide trauma registry. Patients aged ≥ 15 years with a systolic blood pressure of ≥90 mmHg were included. These individuals were then categorized into development and validation cohorts based on the date of admission. Next, an eight-point scaled system was developed using odds ratios obtained from the multivariate analysis of patients’ clinical factors on their arrival at the hospital, with the implementation of urgent AE as a dependent variable. Results: The development cohort and validation cohort included 158,192 and 116,941 patients, respectively, and 3296 (2.1%) patients in the development cohort and 2,550 (2.2%) patients in the validation cohort underwent urgent AE. The frequency of transfusion within 24 h after arrival and the Injury Severity Score were similar between the two cohorts (16,867 [10.7%] vs. 11,222 [9.6%] and 10 [9–18] vs. 10 [9–17], respectively). The number of patients who were discharged and hospital-free days were comparable between the two cohorts (139,436 [94.4%] vs. 106,107 [95.6%] and 72 [53–84] vs. 73 [57–84] days, respectively). The probabilities and the observed rates of urgent AE increased proportionally from 2% at a score of ≤ 3 to almost 15% at a score of ≥ 7. In terms of predictive factors, no significant interaction was noted. Conclusion: The Trauma-Angio scoring system can be used as a trigger to suggest the possibility of urgent AE. Trial Registration: 20090087, 31st July 2009.

© American Burn Association 2019. All rights reserved. Self-inflicted burn accounts for considerable morbidity and mortality in more economically developed countries, and there is a substantial debate regarding the pathophysiological relevance between self-inflicted burns and unfavorable outcomes. To validate whether self-inflicted injury is an independent predictor of high mortality regardless of the severity of burn, they conducted a retrospective observational study using the Japan Trauma Data Bank, a nationwide database including over 200 major tertiary care centers. Among 2006 patients with burn who had arrived at collaborating centers between 2004 and 2016, they included patients aged ≥15 years, those who did not present with cardiopulmonary arrest upon arrival, and those who had ≥10 percent total body surface area burns. Patients with missing survival data or unknown mechanism of injury were excluded. In total, 1094 patients were eligible, of whom 222 (20.3 percent) had self-inflicted burns. The patients were divided into the self-inflicted and non-self-inflicted groups, and propensity score was calculated using the demographic information of the patients, injury variab

© 2020 The Author(s). High oxygen tension in blood and/or tissue affects clinical outcomes in several diseases. Thus, the optimal target PaO2 for patients recovering from cardiac arrest (CA) has been extensively examined. Many patients develop hypoxic brain injury after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC); this supports the need for oxygen administration in patients after CA. Insufficient oxygen delivery due to decreased blood flow to cerebral tissue during CA results in hypoxic brain injury. By contrast, hyperoxia may increase dissolved oxygen in the blood and, subsequently, generate reactive oxygen species that are harmful to neuronal cells. This secondary brain injury is particularly concerning. Although several clinical studies demonstrated that hyperoxia during post-CA care was associated with poor neurological outcomes, considerable debate is ongoing because of inconsistent results. Potential reasons for the conflicting results include differences in the definition of hyperoxia, the timing of exposure to hyperoxia, and PaO2 values used in analyses. Despite the conflicts, exposure to PaO2 > 300 mmHg through administration of unnecessary oxygen should be avoided because no obvious benefit has been demonstrated. The feasibility of titrating oxygen administration by targeting SpO2 at approximately 94% in patients recovering from CA has been demonstrated in pilot randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Such protocols should be further examined.

Purpose: Although early prediction of mortality is useful for the management of patients with colorectal perforations, no significant perioperative predictive factors have been identified. The purpose of this study was to identify useful prognostic factors for patients with colorectal perforation. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients undergoing emergency surgery for colorectal perforation from January 2012 to December 2019. The primary outcome was combined 30 day and in-hospital mortality. Patient- and disease-related factors obtained perioperatively were evaluated for mortality prediction. A scoring system was developed to enhance clinical utility. Results: Overall, 146 patients were included and 20 (14%) died after surgery. Multivariate logistic regression identified five predictive factors: age, hemodialysis, uncommon perforation etiology, plasma albumin level, and decreased platelet count. The area under the receiver operating curve for the scoring system using these parameters was 0.894 (95% CI 0.835–0.952). Patients at high-risk of mortality were classified by the proposed score with a sensitivity of 90.0% and negative predictive value of 98.0%. Conclusion: This study identified five perioperative factors significantly associated with mortality of patients with colorectal perforation. Although these parameters predict mortality of patients with colorectal perforation using a score with high discrimination, further study is required to confirm these findings.

Purpose: Data regarding harm from nasal intubation in trauma patients have been conflicting. This study aims to elucidate whether nasal intubation is associated with increased in-hospital mortality compared with oral intubation. Methods: A retrospective cohort study on a nationwide trauma registry of 2004–2019 was conducted. Adult trauma patients who underwent nasal or oral intubation during initial resuscitation were selected. In-hospital mortality and lung complications were compared between nasal and oral intubations. A generalized estimating equation model accounting for within-institution clustering was adopted. Patient demographics, comorbidities, mechanism, injury severity, and vital signs on hospital arrival were adjusted. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, Abbreviated Injury Scale [AIS] for the head and face, and vital signs on arrival. Results: Among 29,271 patients eligible for the study, 667 were intubated nasally. In-hospital mortality was higher in nasal intubation compared with oral intubation (OR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.01–1.64]). There were more noninfectious pulmonary complications in nasal intubation (OR, 1.48 [1.14–1.94]). The harms of nasal intubation were observed only in the elderly (age ≥ 75), patients with severe head injury (AIS in the head ≥ 4), and normotensive patients (systolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg). Conversely, mortality was comparable regardless of the route of intubation in patients with complicated facial injury (AIS in the face ≥ 3). Conclusion: Nasal intubation was associated with increased in-hospital mortality, particularly in older patients and severe head injury, but not severe facial injury. The route of intubation should be judiciously decided during trauma resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Phlebitis is an important complication occurring in patients with peripheral intravascular catheters (PIVCs). The risk factors for phlebitis in the intensive care unit (ICU) was examined. METHODS: A secondary analysis of a prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted, involving 23 ICUs in Japan-the AMOR-VENUS study. Consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years admitted to the ICU with newly inserted PIVCs after ICU admission were enrolled. Characteristics of the ICU, patients, PIVCs, and the drugs administered via PIVCs were recorded. A marginal Cox regression model was used to identify the risk factors associated with phlebitis. RESULTS: A total of 2741 consecutive patients from 23 ICUs were reviewed for eligibility, resulting in 1359 patients and 3429 PIVCs being included in the analysis population. The median dwell time was 46.2 h (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.3-82.9). Phlebitis occurred in 9.1% (95% CI, 8.2-10.1%) of catheters (3.5 cases/100 catheter days). The multivariate analysis revealed that the only factors that increased the risk of developing phlebitis were drugs administered intravenously. This study included 26 drugs, and 4 were associated with increased phlebitis: nicardipine (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.29-2.66), noradrenaline (HR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.40-4.20), amiodarone (HR, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.75-7.71) and levetiracetam (HR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.80-11.4). Alternatively, factors significantly associated with a reduced risk of phlebitis were: standardized drug administration measures in the ICU (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17-0.76), 30≤ BMI (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.95), catheter inserted by a doctor as nurse reference (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32-0.94), and upper arm insertion site as forearm reference (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.85). The nitroglycerin was associated with a reduced phlebitis risk (HR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.05-0.92). CONCLUSION: Various factors are involved in the development of phlebitis caused by PIVCs in critically ill patients, including institutional, patient, catheter, and drug-induced factors, indicating the need for appropriate device selection or models of care in the ICU. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR, the Japanese clinical trial registry (registration number: UMIN000028019, July 1, 2017).

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: The beneficial effect of epinephrine during resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been inconclusive, and potential harm has been suggested, particularly in trauma victims. Although no significant improvement in neurological outcomes has been found among resuscitated patients using epinephrine, including trauma patients, the use of epinephrine is recommended in the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol. Given that the use of vasopressors was reported to be associated with increased mortality in patients with massive bleeding, the undesirable effects of epinephrine during the resuscitation of traumatic OHCA should be elucidated. We hypothesised that resuscitation with epinephrine would increase mortality in patients with OHCA following trauma. Methods: This study is a post-hoc analysis of a prospective, multicentre, observational study on patients with OHCA between January 2012 and March 2013. We included adult patients with traumatic OHCA who were aged ≥15 years and excluded those with missing survival data. Patient data were divided into epinephrine or no-epinephrine groups based on the use of epinephrine during resuscitat

© 2019, The Author(s). Hydrogen has therapeutic and preventive effects against various diseases. Although animal and clinical studies have reported promising results, hydrogen distribution in organs after administration remains unclear. Herein, the sequential changes in hydrogen concentration in tissues over time were monitored using a highly sensitive glass microsensor and continuous inhalation of 3% hydrogen gas. The hydrogen concentration was measured in the brain, liver, kidney, mesentery fat and thigh muscle of rats. The maximum concentration, time to saturation, and other measurements representing the dynamics of distribution were obtained from the concentration curves, and the results obtained for different organs were compared. The time to saturation was significantly longer (20.2 vs 6.3–9.4 min. P = 0.004 in all cases) and increased more gradually in muscle than in the other organs. The maximum concentration was the highest in liver and the lowest in the kidney (29.0 ± 2.6 vs 18.0 ± 2.2 μmol/L; P = 0.03 in all cases). The concentration varied significantly depending on the organ (P = 0.03). These results provide the fundamentals for elucidating the mechanisms underly

© 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Purpose: Debate remains about the threshold cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration associated with futile emergency department thoracotomy (EDT). To validate the CPR duration associated with favorable outcomes, we investigated the relationship between CPR duration and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after EDT in blunt trauma. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at three tertiary centers over the last 7 years. We included bluntly injured adults who were pulseless and required EDT at presentation, but excluded those with devastating head injuries. After multivariate logistic regression identified the CRP duration as an independent predictor of ROSC, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the threshold CPR duration. Patient data were divided into short- and long-duration CPR groups based on this threshold, and we developed a propensity score to estimate assignment to the short-duration CPR group. The ROSC rates were compared between groups after matching. Results: Forty patients were eligible for this study and ROSC was obtained in 12. The CPR duration was in

In late March 2020, we faced a nosocomial outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Presently, COVID-19 is an unprecedented worldwide biohazard, and a nosocomial outbreak can occur in any hospital at any time. Therefore, we reviewed the literature regarding hospital preparedness, the initial management of COVID-19, and the surveillance of healthcare workers (HCWs) to find information that would be generally useful for physicians when confronted with COVID-19. In terms of hospital preparedness, each hospital should develop an incident management system and establish a designated multidisciplinary medical team. To initiate case management, COVID-19 should be suspected based on patient symptoms and/or high-risk history and then should be confirmed by viral testing, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Although some patients will become critically ill, the guidelines for respiratory failure and septic shock for non-COVID-19 cases can be followed for supportive treatment. Antiviral medications should be carefully selected because the available information is confused by the large volume of preprint literature and unreliable data. HCWs who have come into contact with patients with COVID-19 can generate new in-hospital clusters of COVID-19 cases. Quarantine following contact tracking with risk stratification is effective in preventing transmission, and the essentials of medical surveillance include monitoring different types of symptoms, delegation of supervision, and continuation of surveillance regardless of the RT-PCR results. Preparation for COVID-19 is recommended before the first COVID-19 case is encountered.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread worldwide since early 2020, and there are still no signs of resolution. The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock (J-SSCG) 2020 Special Committee created the Japanese rapid/living recommendations on drug management for COVID-19 using the experience of creating the J-SSCGs. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to determine the certainty of the evidence and strength of the recommendations. The first edition of this guideline was released on 9 September, 2020, and this document is the revised edition (version 3.1) (released 30 March, 2021). Clinical questions (CQs) were set for the following seven drugs: favipiravir (CQ1), remdesivir (CQ2), hydroxychloroquine (CQ3), corticosteroids (CQ4), tocilizumab (CQ5), ciclesonide (CQ6), and anticoagulants (CQ7). Favipiravir is recommended for patients with mild COVID-19 not requiring supplemental oxygen (GRADE 2C); remdesivir for moderate COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen/hospitalization (GRADE 2B). Hydroxychloroquine is not recommended for all COVID-19 patients (GRADE 1B). Corticosteroids are recommended for moderate COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen/hospitalization (GRADE 1B) and severe COVID-19 patients requiring ventilator management/intensive care (GRADE 1A); however, their use is not recommended for mild COVID-19 patients not requiring supplemental oxygen (GRADE 1B). Tocilizumab is recommended for moderate COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen/hospitalization (GRADE 2B). Anticoagulant therapy is recommended for moderate COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen/hospitalization and severe COVID-19 patients requiring ventilator management/intensive care (GRADE 2C). We hope that these clinical practice guidelines will aid medical professionals involved in the care of COVID-19 patients.

Background: Angiography has been conducted as a hemostatic procedure for trauma patients. While several complications, such as tissue necrosis after embolization, have been reported, little is known regarding subsequent acute kidney injury (AKI) due to contrast media. To elucidate whether emergency angiography would introduce kidney dysfunction in trauma victims, we compared the incidence of AKI between patients who underwent emergency angiography and those who did not. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a nationwide trauma database (2004–2019), and adult trauma patients were included. The indication of emergency angiography was determined by both trauma surgeons and radiologists, and AKI was diagnosed by treating physicians based on a rise in serum creatinine and/or fall in urine output according to any published standard criteria. Incidence of AKI was compared between patients who underwent emergency angiography and those who did not. Propensity score matching was conducted to adjust baseline characteristics including age, comorbidities, mechanism of injury, vital signs on admission, Injury Severity Scale (ISS), degree of traumatic kidney injury, surgical procedures, and surgery on the kidney, such as nephrectomy and nephrorrhaphy. Results: Among 230,776 patients eligible for the study, 14,180 underwent emergency angiography. The abdomen/pelvis was major site for angiography (10,624 [83.5%]). Embolization was performed in 5,541 (43.5%). Propensity score matching selected 12,724 pairs of severely injured patients (median age, 59; median ISS, 25). While the incidence of AKI was rare, it was higher among patients who underwent emergency angiography than in those who did not (140 [1.1%] vs. 67 [0.5%]; odds ratio = 2.10 [1.57–2.82]; p < 0.01). The association between emergency angiography and subsequent AKI was observed regardless of vasopressor usage or injury severity in subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Emergency angiography in trauma patients was probably associated with increased incidence of AKI. The results should be validated in future studies.

Background: The prevalence of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been increasing rapidly worldwide. However, guidelines or clinical studies do not provide sufficient data on ECPR practice. The aim of this study was to provide real-world data on ECPR for patients with OHCA, including details of complications. Methods: We did a retrospective database analysis of observational multicenter cohort study in Japan. Adult patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology who received ECPR between 2013 and 2018 were included. The primary outcome was favorable neurological outcome at hospital discharge, defined as a cerebral performance category of 1 or 2. Results: A total of 1644 patients with OHCA were included in this study. The patient age was 18–93 years (median: 60 years). Shockable rhythm in the initial cardiac rhythm at the scene was 69.4%. The median estimated low flow time was 55 min (interquartile range: 45–66 min). Favorable neurological outcome at hospital discharge was observed in 14.1% of patients, and the rate of survival to hospital discharge was 27.2%. The proportions of favorable neurological outcome at hospital discharge in terms of shockable rhythm, pulseless electrical activity, and asystole were 16.7%, 9.2%, and 3.9%, respectively. Complications were observed during ECPR in 32.7% of patients, and the most common complication was bleeding, with the rates of cannulation site bleeding and other types of hemorrhage at 16.4% and 8.5%, respectively. Conclusions: In this large cohort, data on the ECPR of 1644 patients with OHCA show that the proportion of favorable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge was 14.1%, survival rate at hospital discharge was 27.2%, and complications were observed during ECPR in 32.7%.