H. Yasunaga

Outcomes after laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy for early-stage gastric cancer: a propensity-matched analysis.

Objective:In a large nationwide administrative database of hospitalized patients, we investigated postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy in Japan. Background:The benefits of laparoscopic gastrectomy, such as decreased length of stay and morbidity, have typically been evaluated only with limited data on the basis of small samples. Methods:Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination Database, we identified 9388 patients who were preoperatively diagnosed with stage I and II gastric cancer and underwent laparoscopic (n = 3937) or open (n = 5451) distal gastrectomy between July and December 2010. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare in-hospital mortality, postoperative complication rates, length of stay, total costs, and 30-day readmission rates between the 2 groups. Results:Patients with younger age, lower comorbidity index, or stage I cancer were more likely to receive laparoscopic gastrectomy. In the propensity-matched analysis with 2473 pairs, the laparoscopic gastrectomy group in comparison with the open gastrectomy group showed a slight reduction in median postoperative length of stay (13 days vs 15 days, P < 0.001) but a slight increase in median total costs (US

Supplemental dose of antithrombin use in disseminated intravascular coagulation patients after abdominal sepsis

21,510 vs

Necrotising soft-tissue infections of the upper limb

21,024, P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (0.36% vs 0.28%, P = 0.80), overall postoperative complications (12.9% vs 12.6%, P = 0.73), or 30-day readmission rates (3.2% vs 3.2%, P = 0.94). Conclusions:In this large nationwide cohort of patients with early-stage gastric cancer, laparoscopic gastrectomy was associated with a statistically significant but slight reduction in postoperative length of stay, but no differences between laparoscopic gastrectomy and open gastrectomy were detected in terms of early mortality and morbidity.

Perioperative factors affecting the occurrence of acute complex regional pain syndrome following limb bone fracture surgery: data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database

The effectiveness of supplemental dose antithrombin administration (1,500 to 3,000 IU/ day) for patients with sepsis-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), especially sepsis due to abdominal origin, remains uncertain. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with mechanically ventilated septic shock and DIC after emergency surgery for perforation of the lower intestinal tract using a nationwide administrative database, Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database. A total of 2,164 patients treated at 612 hospitals during the 33-month study period between 2010 and 2013 were divided into an antithrombin group (n=1,021) and a control group (n=1,143), from which 518 propensity score-matched pairs were generated. Although there was no significant 28-day mortality difference between the two groups in the unmatched groups (control vs antithrombin: 25.7 vs 22.9 %; difference, 2.8 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI], -0.8-6.4), a significant difference existed between the two groups in propensity-score weighted groups (26.3 vs 21.7 %; difference, 4.6 %; 95 % CI, 2.0-7.1) and propensity-score matched groups (27.6 vs 19.9 %; difference, 7.7 %; 95 % CI, 2.5-12.9). Logistic regression analyses showed a significant association between antithrombin use and lower 28-day mortality in propensity-matched groups (odds ratio, 0.65; 95 % CI, 0.49-0.87). Analysis using the hospital antithrombin-prescribing rate as an instrumental variable showed that receipt of antithrombin was associated with a 6.5 % (95 % CI, 0.05-13.0) reduction in 28-day mortality. Supplemental dose of antithrombin administration may be associated with reduced 28-day mortality in sepsis-associated DIC patients after emergency laparotomy for intestinal perforation.

Treatment options and outcomes of hospitalised tuberculosis patients: a nationwide study.

Necrotising soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) of the upper limb are uncommon, but potentially life-threatening. We used a national database to investigate the risk factors for amputation of the limb and death. We extracted data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database on 116 patients (79 men and 37 women) who had a NSTI of the upper extremity between 2007 and 2010. The overall in-hospital mortality was 15.5%. Univariate analysis of in-hospital mortality showed that the significant variables were age (p = 0.015), liver dysfunction (p = 0.005), renal dysfunction (P < 0.001), altered consciousness (p = 0.049), and sepsis (p = 0.021). Logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with death in hospital were age over 70 years (Odds Ratio (OR) 6.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 28.2; p = 0.011) and renal dysfunction (OR 15.4; 95% CI 3.8 to 62.8; p < 0.001). Univariate analysis of limb amputation showed that the significant variables were diabetes (p = 0.017) mellitus and sepsis (p = 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the factors related to limb amputation were sepsis (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.5 to 24.0; p = 0.013) and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1 to 21.1; p = 0.038). For NSTIs of the upper extremity, advanced age and renal dysfunction are both associated with a higher rate of in-hospital mortality. Sepsis and diabetes mellitus are both associated with a higher rate of amputation.

A skill degradation in laparoscopic surgery after a long absence: assessment based on nephrectomy case

OBJECTIVE Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) describes a broad spectrum of symptoms that predominantly localize to the extremities. Although limb fracture is one of the most frequently reported triggering events, few large-scale studies have shown the occurrence of and factors associated with CRPS following limb fracture. This study aimed to show the occurrence and identify of those factors. METHODS Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified 39 patients diagnosed with CRPS immediately after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for limb fracture from a cohort of 185 378 inpatients treated with ORIF between 1 July and 31 December of each year between 2007 and 2010. Patient and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, fracture site, duration of anaesthesia and use of regional anaesthesia were investigated by logistic regression analyses to examine associations between these factors and the in-hospital occurrence of CRPS after ORIF. RESULTS The occurrence of CRPS was relatively high in fractures of the distal forearm, but low in fractures of the lower limb and in patients with multiple fractures. Generally females are considered to be at high risk of CRPS; however, we found a comparable number of male and female patients suffering from CRPS after ORIF for limb fracture. In terms of perioperative factors, a longer duration of anaesthesia, but not regional anaesthesia, was significantly associated with a higher incidence of CRPS. CONCLUSION Although a limited number of CRPS patients were analysed in this study, reduced operative time might help to prevent the development of acute CRPS following limb fracture.

Early Rehabilitation and In-Hospital Mortality in Intensive Care Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

SETTING Although standardised multidrug treatments exist, mortality among hospitalised tuberculosis (TB) patients is high. OBJECTIVE To characterise TB patients requiring acute hospital care and identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality. DESIGN Using a Japanese national database of acute-care hospitals, we identified patients with sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB who were discharged (both deceased and alive) between July 2010 and March 2013. Demographic characteristics, comorbidity, procedures and treatments were examined. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS Of 877 treated patients (566 males, mean age 74.5 years) identified, 152 (17.3%) died. A standard four-drug regimen of isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ethambutol (EMB) and pyrazinamide was given to 279 (31.8%) patients, and INH, RMP and EMB to 335 (38.2%) patients. Multivariable analysis showed that the three-drug regimen was significantly associated with higher rates of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.87, 95%CI 1.07-3.27, P = 0.028). Other factors associated with in-hospital death were age, male sex, smoking habit, emergency admission, dementia and severe respiratory condition. CONCLUSION The risk factors for in-hospital death identified include the use of the three-drug regimen. Treatment choice could influence the outcome of hospitalised TB patients.

Effect of rehabilitation on mortality of patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome: a propensity-matched analysis using nationwide database.

Aim: To examine the laparoscopic skill-degradation effect by investigating whether a long absence from laparoscopic surgery increases laparoscopic surgery time. Methods: Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database from April 2010 to March 2012, data for patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy and nephroureterectomy for malignancy were collected. To regulate the hospital volume effect, the hospitals included in the study were limited to those with hospital volumes of 12-24 per year. Laparoscopic time was assessed by multivariate linear regression analysis including interval days, age, gender, comorbidity, oncological stage, nephrectomy or nephroureterectomy, hospital academic status, and hospital volume. Results: For intervals of ≥ 7 days (3057 cases), 8-14 days (1325 cases), 15-28 days (1424 cases), 29-56 days (711 cases), and ≤ 57 days (332 cases), the median laparoscopic times were 245, 247, 255, 265, and 260 min, respectively (P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses for laparoscopic time compared with interval of ≥ 7 days, 15-28 days, 29-56 days and ≤ 57 days were associated with slightly longer laparoscopic time (+10.5, +16.8, and +18.8 min, all P < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Absence intervals of ≤ 15 days can slightly lengthen the operation time, which suggest the existence of mild degree of a skill-degradation effect in laparoscopic surgery.

Japan: Universal Health Care at 50 years 3 Cost containment and quality of care in Japan: is there a trade-off ?

&NA; Background Community‐acquired pneumonia is one of the most common infectious diseases and can be fatal. The benefits of early rehabilitation in intensive care units are known, but the association between early rehabilitation and in‐hospital mortality of patients with communityacquired pneumonia admitted to intensive care units has not been studied. Objectives To study the association between early rehabilitation and the in‐hospital mortality of patients with community‐acquired pneumonia admitted to intensive care units, effects of early rehabilitation on unit and hospital lengths of stay, and total costs of hospitalization. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study using a national inpatient database of patients with communityacquired pneumonia admitted to intensive care units in acute care hospitals in Japan from July 2011 through March 2014. Propensity score‐matching analysis was used to compare outcomes between patients with and without early rehabilitation (within 2 days of admission). Results Among 8732 eligible patients, propensity score matching created 972 pairs of patients with and without early rehabilitation. The early rehabilitation group had significantly lower in‐hospital mortality than did the group without early rehabilitation (17.9% vs 21.9%, respectively; P = .03). The groups did not differ significantly in intensive care unit or hospital lengths of stay or in total costs of hospitalization. Conclusions Early rehabilitation within 2 days of admission was associated with reduced in‐hospital mortality of patients with community‐acquired pneumonia admitted to intensive care units.