Impact of COVID-19 on the awareness and interest in infectious disease specialization among Japanese medical students.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the critical deficiency of infectious disease (ID) specialists, a subspecialty that remains underrepresented among Japanese medical students.

Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional survey was administered between April and August 2024 via an online questionnaire distributed to medical students throughout Japan. The survey assessed awareness of and interest in ID specialization, categorizing students by academic year: lower (first- and second-year students), middle (third- and fourth-year students), and upper grades (fifth- and sixth-year students).

Autopsy Case of a Disseminated Cytomegalovirus Infection with a Cutaneous Ulcer Mimicking Rheumatoid Vasculitis.

A 60-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis and an impaired consciousness was referred to our hospital. Prior to transfer, the patient underwent intensified immunosuppressive therapy under a diagnosis of rheumatoid vasculitis that had developed in her buttocks. Upon hospitalization, she developed severe multiorgan failure and hemophagocytic syndrome.

Should Japanese athletes undergo booster vaccination for pertussis?

Pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by , has demonstrated a global resurgence in the post-COVID-19 era, with the emergence of macrolide-resistant strains. In Japan, the routine immunization schedule for pertussis remains limited compared with international standards, leaving young populations under-immunized and at elevated risk of infection. Despite international recommendations for booster vaccinations during adolescence, Japan currently provides only a four-dose primary series during infancy, without subsequent boosters.

Nasal Mucosal Manifestation of Behçet's Disease: A Case Report.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory condition that rarely affects the nasal mucosa. We report the case of a 25-year-old man presenting with prolonged fever, bilateral rhinalgia, and nasal obstruction, who was subsequently diagnosed with nasal ulcers associated with BD. These ulcers resolved along with the systemic symptoms following treatment with colchicine, apremilast, and prednisolone.

Purpura fulminans caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 23A in a young post-splenectomy man: A case report.

Purpura fulminans is a rare but severe complication of septic shock, often associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in asplenic individuals, with high mortality and limb amputation risk. Although pneumococcal vaccines are available, infections caused by non-vaccine serotypes remain a major concern. A 39-year-old man with a history of splenectomy 18 years prior presented with dyspnea, malaise, and gastrointestinal symptoms for two days.

Global trends in mortality related to pulmonary embolism: an epidemiological analysis of data from the World Health Organization mortality database from 2001 to 2023.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a major contributor to the global disease burden. However, disparities in international trends of PE-related mortality have not been comprehensively examined across geographic, economic, and healthcare system parameters. We employed multifaceted stratification to analyse long-term trends in PE-related mortality.

Time to positivity for differentiating blood culture contamination: A 20-hour cutoff for major contaminants.

Background: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bacteremia; however, contamination inevitably occurs in 2-3% of cases, requiring differentiation between true bacteremia and contamination. Although time to positivity (TTP) aids in this clinical decision, with detection after 24 hours generally indicating contamination, technological advances in blood culture systems may have shortened this threshold interval.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed blood culture data in our hospital from April 2023 to January 2025 to determine the optimal TTP cutoff.

Trends in the incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Japan: an observational study from 2013 to 2022.

We aimed to determine the 10-year trend in the incidence of Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan. This retrospective observational study used a publicly available national database. Trends in the incidence of SFTS with annual percent changes (APC) were examined using Joinpoint regression analysis with stratification by patient age, season, and region.

Association Between Initial Symptoms and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19.

Background: The clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ranges from localized respiratory symptoms such as cough and sore throat to systemic symptoms such as fever and fatigue. To our knowledge, no study has assessed severe disease risk by dividing onset symptoms into localized respiratory and other symptoms. We aimed to determine whether the risk of severe COVID-19 differs depending on whether the symptoms at onset are limited to local respiratory symptoms.

Does Syphilis need to be Examined in Cases of Blood and Body Fluid Exposure in Hospitals?

Background: Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum, represents a significant sexually transmitted infection capable of systemic manifestation. Current guidelines do not recommend syphilis serological screening following blood and body fluid exposure (BBFE) in healthcare settings. This cross-sectional study examined current practices of rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and T.

-Associated Pyogenic Osteomyelitis With Direct Extension From Postoperative Empyema.

can cause postoperative empyema. -associated empyema may be associated with osteomyelitis. Rifampicin is a viable therapeutic option for infection.

Impact of full-time equivalent allocation on the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship activities: A multicenter study in Okayama, Japan.

Background: Optimized administration of antimicrobial agents is critical for mitigating the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between antimicrobial stewardship (AS) activities and antimicrobial prescription trends and patterns.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter, longitudinal study was conducted between April 2014 and March 2023 (9-year fiscal period).

Trends in nontuberculous mycobacterial disease mortality based on 2000-2022 data from 83 countries.

Objectives: To examine the international trends for nontuberculous mycobacterial-associated mortality rates, as nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are becoming increasingly prevalent and pose a significant public health challenge, especially in older populations.

Methods: This retrospective observational study used data from the World Health Organization mortality database, which included patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in 83 countries. We stratified the data by sex, age, and geographic region and calculated crude and age-standardized mortality rates to estimate long-term mortality trends.

Gaps between the days of antibiotic spectrum coverage (DASC) and clinical sense of antimicrobial spectrum.

Days of Antibiotic Spectrum Coverage (DASC) is a novel metric assessing antibiotic use in stewardship. This study evaluated its validity by comparing ASC scores with Japanese pharmacists' evaluations. Discrepancies in ASC scores for some antimicrobial agents indicate that local adjustments are needed to enhance clinical relevance and acceptability.

Recurrent diffuse panbronchiolitis after lung transplantation: Off-label use of inhaled tobramycin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa control in a transplant recipient.

Objectives: This report highlights a clinical case of recurrent diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) after bilateral lung transplantation (LTx), with a focus on the therapeutic impact of off-label inhaled tobramycin solution for inhalation (TSI) in managing Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization.

Methods: A Japanese woman with a history of DPB experienced disease recurrence following bilateral LTx. Persistent colonization by P.

Impact of Lifestyle Changes on Body Weight Gain During Nationwide Lockdown Due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people in Japan were urged to stay at home as much as possible, and this resulted in significant changes in lifestyle behavior. The new lifestyle included factors affecting both energy intake and energy consumption, and it is now thought that weight gain during the lockdown was the result of complex effects. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships among lifestyle habits, laboratory data, and body weight gain during the lockdown using medical check-up data.