Internal medicine
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Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reportedly causes thromboembolic complications due to coagulopathy with hypercoagulability and a hypofibrinolytic state. We evaluated the time-course of coagulopathy in patients with severe COVID-19 from admission to discharge from our intensive-care unit (ICU). Methods We conducted a retrospective study of adults with severe COVID-19 admitted to our ICU between January 20, 2021, and March 31, 2022. ⋯ The maximum lysis at 60 minutes in the extrinsic coagulation pathway (EXTEM) and intrinsic coagulation pathway (INTEM), as markers of the fibrinolytic function, were both significantly lower at discharge than at admission [median (interquartile range), admission vs. discharge: EXTEM, 3 (2-4) vs. 1 (0-2), p=0.011; INTEM, 3 (1-6) vs. 1 (0-2), p=0.008]. Conclusion This study revealed a persistent hypercoagulable state at ICU discharge and a worse hypofibrinolytic state at discharge than at admission. These results may contribute to a better understanding of coagulopathies in the acute to subacute phases of severe COVID-19.
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Objective The prognostic factors for azacitidine in untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients ineligible for intensive therapy remain unknown. To identify prognostic factors for azacitidine monotherapy and assist clinicians in deciding whether to use azacitidine monotherapy or other therapies. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 27 patients with AML who were newly treated with azacitidine between 2013 and 2021 at our hospital. ⋯ Log-rank testing showed that the 0-point group (n=12) had a median OS of 680 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 220-898 days] and a 1-year OS rate of 80.8% (95% CI 42.3-94.9%), the 1-point group (n=11) had a median OS of 90 days (95% CI 62-345 days) and a 1-year OS rate of 18.2% (95% CI 2.9-44.2%), and the 2-point group (n=4) had a median OS of 82 days [95% CI 19-not applicable (NA) days] and a 1-year OS rate of 0% (95% CI NA-NA). The p value of 0.00008 indicated that this scoring was useful. Conclusion The ECOG PS and Plt can be used to predict the OS with azacitidine monotherapy in untreated AML patients ineligible for intensive therapy.
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Chronic nausea and vomiting syndrome (CNVS), one of a functional gastroduodenal disorder, was identified in an 8-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy who had complained of nausea for more than 4 months following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to normality of their head computed tomography and upper gastrointestinal tract images. The patients' symptoms responded quickly to acotiamide, a medication that is effective for treating functional dyspepsia (FD). Despite being a distinct illness from FD, CNVS is also a functional gastrointestinal disorder, and acotiamide may be just as effective for CNVS following COVID-19 as for FD.
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Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer characterized by the expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Survival times of patients with MM have increased due to the development of novel therapeutic agents. ⋯ The outcome for patients with MM showing high levels of serum ammonia continues to be poor, even with the use of novel therapies. For such patients showing a consciousness disorder, hyperammonemia should be considered as a possible cause.