塩塚 潤二

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative walking ability has been identified as a crucial prognostic indicator for older patients undergoing major cardiac surgeries. This study was designed to investigate the predictive value of preoperative lower extremity muscle mass and muscle echo intensity for postoperative walking ability in older patients undergoing cardiac surgeries. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A single-center study conducted at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 109 elective cardiac surgery patients, 65 years of age or older, were prospectively enrolled. INTERVENTIONS: Preoperative muscle mass and quality of the rectus femoris were assessed using muscle cross-sectional area and echo intensity on ultrasound images, respectively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome of interest was the walking distance achieved in a 6-minute walk test after cardiac surgery. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with 6-minute walk distance after surgery. Higher muscle cross-sectional area and lower echo intensity of the rectus femoris, measured by ultrasonography, were associated with a significantly longer 6-minute walk distance upon discharge. Higher muscle mass and lower echo intensity were also significantly associated with shorter hospital length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative measurement of cross-sectional area and echo intensity of the quadriceps muscles can be used as a predictor of postoperative 6-minute walk distance in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The spillover impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients without COVID-19 in ICUs should be assessed. We aimed to assess the association of ICUs' medical burden and capacity changes with clinical outcomes in such patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Twenty-three ICUs in Japan. PATIENTS: Patients without COVID-19 in ICUs from January 2019 to February 2023. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: These ICUs completed a web-based questionnaire on medical burden and capacity limitations in November 2023, and they were classified as having a limited capacity if their scores exceeded the median; otherwise, they were categorized as having a maintained capacity. The primary outcome was the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), calculated with the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III-j model, compared with the pre-pandemic level. Using individual-level patient data, a generalized linear Poisson mixed-effects model including an offset-time term was employed to assess the association of capacity limitation, the number of patients with COVID-19, and ICU bed occupancy on the day of admission, with hazard ratios for in-hospital death. Nine and fourteen ICUs had a limited capacity (25,568 patients) and a maintained capacity (45,068 patients), respectively. SMRs increased in four epidemic waves in the ICUs with a limited capacity but in only one wave in those with a maintained capacity. After adjustment, capacity limitation (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01-1.41; p = 0.04) and the number of patients with severe COVID-19 (per five patients; hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.16; p = 0.002) were associated with in-hospital mortality, but ICU bed occupancy was not. CONCLUSIONS: SMRs increased more frequently in ICUs with a limited capacity during the pandemic. Our findings emphasize the need for proactive strategies to mitigate medical burden and capacity limitations for future preparedness.

Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is used in combination with chemotherapy for various malignancies, including metastatic colorectal cancer. While effective, bevacizumab can inhibit normal blood vessel growth, leading to cardiovascular side effects not typically associated with conventional chemotherapy. We report a rare case, from an international perspective, of a 73-year-old man with a history of gastric cancer and newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer complicated by a pre-existing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) measuring 52 mm. The aneurysm was initially managed conservatively, as the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the patient agreed to prioritize chemotherapy despite the known rupture risk, given his wish to avoid delaying treatment for his cancer. After the diagnosis of colorectal cancer during chemotherapy, bevacizumab was added to his regimen. He developed a rupture of the AAA two days after the fourth dose. Emergent open surgical repair was successfully performed without wound healing complications. This case highlights the potential risk of large-vessel complications associated with bevacizumab, especially in patients with known vascular anomalies. Careful imaging assessment and monitoring are imperative when considering bevacizumab for patients at risk of aortic rupture. In selected cases, prophylactic measures such as preemptive aneurysm repair should be contemplated to optimize safety.

We report a case of long QT syndrome (LQTS) associated with torsades de pointes (TdP) in a 57-year-old female patient transferred to our cardiac care unit/intensive care unit with septic shock secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI) from an adjacent hospital. The patient had no notable medications or electrolyte abnormalities that could have contributed to acquired LQTS, with normal potassium and only slightly reduced calcium (1.06 mmol/L) and magnesium (1.8 mg/dL). After detailed history taking and exploration, the patient was diagnosed with Sheehan syndrome secondary to a complicated delivery she experienced 20 years before. The diagnosis was confirmed by a combination of clinical history (poor lactation after delivery, progressive lethargy), laboratory findings showing anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies, and imaging evidence of empty sella on pituitary MRI. The diagnosis had been missed for two decades due to a lack of regular medical checkups and the gradual onset of symptoms that went unrecognized. Hypothyroidism and adrenal crisis precipitated by sepsis were considered as the underlying etiology for her LQTS-associated TdP. Concurrent supplementation with levothyroxine and hydrocortisone for two weeks successfully shortened the QTc interval from 722 msec to 434 msec, with sustained normalization thereafter.