Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy
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J. Infect. Chemother. · Jan 2022
Reactogenicity following two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine: Real-world evidence from healthcare workers in Japan.
As the first authorized COVID-19 vaccine in Japan, the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is utilized for mass vaccination. Although efficacy has been proved, real-world evidence on reactogenicity in Japanese personnel is needed to prepare the public. Healthcare workers in a large academic hospital in Japan received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from March 17 to May 19, 2021. ⋯ Reactogenicity was more commonly seen in young, female groups. 19.3% of participants took days off from work after the second dose (2.2% after the first dose), with 4.7% absent for more than two days. Although most participants reported reactogenicity, severe cases were limited. This study provides real-world evidence for the general population and organizations to prepare for BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in Japan and other countries in the region.
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J. Infect. Chemother. · Oct 2021
Usefulness of β-lactam and macrolide combination therapy for treating community-acquired pneumonia patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit: Propensity score analysis of a prospective cohort study.
Whether β-lactam and macrolide combination therapy reduces mortality in severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of β-lactam and macrolide combination therapy for SCAP patients hospitalized in the ICU. ⋯ Combination therapy with β-lactam and macrolides significantly improved the prognosis of SCAP patients hospitalized in the ICU compared with a non-macrolide-containing β-lactam regimen.
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J. Infect. Chemother. · Jun 2021
Case ReportsCOVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in a Japanese man: A case report.
CAPA (COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis) is an important complication of COVID-19. It has been reported that the incidence of CAPA is as high as 19%-33% worldwide. However, its onset has not been reported in Japan. ⋯ The patient was clinically diagnosed with CAPA and treated with voriconazole. However, his progress deteriorated and he died. High-risk COVID-19 patients should be tested for Aspergillus to ensure early diagnosis of CAPA.
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J. Infect. Chemother. · May 2021
Blood urea nitrogen-to-serum albumin ratio and A-DROP are useful in assessing the severity of Pneumocystis pneumonia in patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection.
There is an increasing incidence of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) among individuals without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (non-HIV PcP). However, prognostic factors for patients with non-HIV PcP have not been identified. Moreover, A-DROP (for classifying the severity of community-acquired pneumonia) or the blood urea nitrogen-to-serum albumin ratio (BUN/Alb), which is reported to be a predictor of mortality of community-acquired pneumonia, has not been established as an efficient prognostic factor in patients with non-HIV PcP. In this study, we analyzed the prognostic factors for non-HIV PcP and evaluated the prognostic ability of A-DROP and the BUN/Alb ratio. ⋯ In patients with non-HIV PcP, a high BUN/Alb ratio is an independent prognostic predictor of mortality risk, and A-DROP is useful for classifying the severity.
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J. Infect. Chemother. · Apr 2021
Clinical validation of quantitative SARS-CoV-2 antigen assays to estimate SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in nasopharyngeal swabs.
Expansion of the testing capacity for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important issue to mitigate the pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by this virus. Recently, a sensitive quantitative antigen test (SQT), Lumipulse® SARS-CoV-2 Ag, was developed. It is a fully automated chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay system for SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ Presented results indicate that SQT is highly concordant with RT-PCR and should be useful for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in any clinical setting. Therefore, this fully automated kit will contribute to the expansion of the testing capability for SARS-CoV-2.