Internal medicine
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Observational Study
Multiple Types of Taste Disorders Among Patients with COVID-19.
Objective Based on the increasing incidence of smell and taste dysfunction among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, such issues have been considered an early symptom of infection. However, few studies have investigated the type of taste components that are most frequently affected in COVID-19 patients. This study investigated the difference in frequencies of the types of taste component disorders among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Hypersensitivity to salty taste was most frequently observed (19 patients, 20.9%). Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 develop multiple types of taste disorders, among which salty taste disorder was the most frequent, with many patients developing hypersensitivity to salty taste. As smell and taste are subjective senses, further studies with the combined use of objective examinations will be required to confirm the findings.
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Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a collapse of the medical care system, with effective triage proving vital. The Kanagawa admission priority assessment score, version-1 (KAPAS-1) and version-2 (KAPAS-2), was developed to determine the need for hospitalization. Patients with a high KAPAS (≥5) are recommended for hospitalization. ⋯ The proportions of high KAPAS-1 and high KAPAS-2 were significantly higher in OXY than in NOXY (90.0% vs. 37.1%, and 90.0% vs. 46.4%, respectively). Conclusion The KAPAS was significantly correlated with oxygen requirement. Furthermore, the KAPAS may be useful for deciding which patients are most likely to require hospitalization and for selecting non-hospitalized patients who should be carefully monitored.
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Capnocytophaga species are among the typical zoonotic pathogens causing infections following direct contact with animals. Recently, a putative novel species of zoonotic Capnocytophaga, Capnocytophaga stomatis, was reported. We herein report the first case of bacteremia caused by C. stomatis. ⋯ On a blood culture, thin, Gram-negative rods were detected, which were identified as C. stomatis by whole-genome sequencing. The patient was successfully treated with ampicillin-sulbactam treatment. Our case highlights the pathogenic potential of the putative novel Capnocytophaga, C. stomatis, in immunocompromised hosts.
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Case Reports
A Case of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Caused by Exposure to a Gray Parrot (Psittacus erithacus).
A 73-year-old woman complaining of cough and dyspnea was admitted to our hospital. High-resolution computed tomography chest revealed patchy ground-glass attenuation in the upper lung field. ⋯ An immunoblotting analysis with the patient's serum demonstrated IgG-binding fractions to the gray parrot's feathers only; no binding was noted with the budgerigar antigens. The patient was conclusively diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis related to exposure to a gray parrot.