Reference values for the locomotive syndrome risk test quantifying mobility of 8681 adults aged 20–89 years: A cross-sectional nationwide study in Japan

Background The locomotive syndrome risk test was developed to quantify the decrease in mobility among adults, which could eventually lead to disability. The purpose of this study was to establish reference values for the locomotive syndrome risk test for adults and investigate the influence of age and sex. Methods We analyzed 8681 independent community dwellers (3607 men, 5074 women). Data pertaining to locomotive syndrome risk test (the two-step test, the stand-up test, and the 25-question geriatric locomotive function scale [GLFS-25]) scores were collected from seven administrative areas of Japan. Results The reference values of the three test scores were generated and all three test scores gradually decreased among young-to-middle-aged individuals and rapidly decreased in individuals aged over 60 years. The stand-up test score began decreasing significantly from the age of 30 years. The trajectories of decrease in the two-step test score with age was slightly different between men and women especially among the middle-aged individuals. The two physical test scores were more sensitive to aging than the self-reported test score. Conclusion The reference values generated in this study could be employed to determine whether an individual has mobility comparable to independent community dwellers of the same age and sex

Evaluation of a Triage Checklist for Mild COVID-19 Outpatients in Predicting Subsequent Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalization during the Isolation Period: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Managing mild illness in COVID-19 and predicting progression to severe disease are concerning issues. Here, we investigated the outcomes of Japanese patients with mild COVID-19, and identified triage risk factors for further hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits at a single tertiary hospital. A triage checklist with 30 factors was used. Patients recommended for isolation were followed up for 10 days for subsequent ED visits or hospital admission. Overall, 338 patients (median age, 44.0; 45% women) visited the clinic 5.0 days (median) after symptom onset. Thirty-six patients were immediately hospitalized following triage; others were isolated. In total, 72 non-hospitalized patients visited the ED during their isolation, and 30 were hospitalized after evaluation for oxygen desaturation. The median ED visit and hospitalization durations after symptom onset were 5.0 and 8.0 days, respectively. The checklist factors associated with hospitalization during isolation were age > 50 years, body mass index > 25 kg/m2, hypertension, tachycardia with pulse rate > 100/min or blood pressure > 135 mmHg at triage, and >3-day delay in hospital visit after symptom onset. No patients died. Altogether, 80% of patients with mild COVID-19 could be safely isolated at home. Age, BMI, underlying hypertension, date after symptom onset, tachycardia, and systolic blood pressure at triage might be related to later hospitalization

Intraoperative transit-time flowmetry in patients undergoing coronary surgery to determine relationships between graft flow and patency and prior coronary interventions and flow demand: a retrospective study

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to delineate impacts of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), flow demand, and status of myocardium on graft flow. Methods We retrospectively assessed 736 individual coronary artery bypass grafts that had been created as the sole bypass graft for a vascular region in 405 patients. The grafts comprised 334 internal thoracic artery (ITA) to left anterior descending (LAD), 129 ITA and 65 saphenous vein grafts (SVG) to left circumflex (LCX), and 142 gastroepiploic artery (GEA) and 66 SVG to right coronary artery (RCA). Minimal luminal diameter, size of revascularized area, history of myocardial infarction, and PCI in the relevant area were examined to determine whether these factors are associated with flow insufficiency (FI), which was defined as ≤ 20 mL/min. Results FI developed in 123/736 grafts (16.7%) and correlated significantly with stenosis in the distal portion (23.0% vs. 12.8%, p = 0.0003). Prior myocardial infarction significantly correlated with FI in GEA–RCA (p = 0.002) and ITA–LCX grafts (p = 0.04). There was a history of PCI to the LAD (PCI group) in 54 ITA to LAD bypass grafts (16.2%), whereas the remaining 280 had no history of PCI to the LAD (no-PCI group). Graft flow was significantly greater in the no-PCI than in the PCI group (53 ± 29 vs. 42 ± 27; p = 0.006). The incidences of FI and graft failure were significantly higher in the PCI than the no-PCI group (22.2%, vs. 8.2%; p = 0.003; 9.2% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusions Prior PCI has a negative impact on graft flow. The influences of small revascularized area, myocardial infarction, and PCI are greater, necessitating consideration of factors associated with flow demand or microvasculature when planning revascularization

コアシェル型逆相HPLCカラムを用いた生薬成分分析 ―センナ及びダイオウの品質評価法の開発―

　This paper describes the development of the quality evaluation method of herbal medicines (crude drugs) by the reversed-phase (RP) HPLC with core-shell (CS) type columns, which have a core part and a superficial porous silica part, leading to high performance (high theoretical plate number) and relatively low column pressure drops. This time, fast quality evaluation methods for Sennae Folium (senna leaf) and Rhei Rhizoma (rhubarb), both are well well-known herbal medicines containing agents for promoting bowel movements (laxatives), have been investigated. Target active ingredients contained in these herbal medicines are sennoside A and sennoside B. Referring Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) 18th edition, the mobile phase for HPLC and the extraction solvent were optimized. By employing a mixture of diluted acetic acid (100) (1 in 80) and acetonitrile (4:1) as a mobile phase, and a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate (1 in 1000) as an extraction solvent, successful separation and determination of sennoside A and sennoside B in these herbal medicines were obtained. Sennoside B and sennoside A eluted in this order within 5 min, leading to a fast assay method. Further other agents having pharmacological effects in Rhei Rhizoma, rhein and emodin, were also successfully determined by the RP-HPLC with CS type columns. Obtained contents of sennoside A and B in powdered senna leaf (not less than 1.0%) and powdered rhubarb (not less than 0.25%) tested conformed with JP18 specifications