ABSTRACT
Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread worldwide. In Japan, From April 16 to May 25, 2020, a state of emergency was declared and people were “strongly requested to refrain from going out unnecessarily and thoroughly reduce contact with others.” As a result, the number of steps of all generations was expected to be lower than usual due to the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. This study investigated the weather walking steps decrease in the collegiate student due to COVID-19. A total of 221 collegiate students used their smartphones to enter the average number of steps taken every month from January to May. The number of steps taken by all students was 4,988±2,345 steps in January, 5182±2,516 steps in February, 5,118±2,291 steps in March, 3,281±1,689 steps in April, and 2,834±1,676 steps in May. A comparison between sex groups showed that the number of steps in April and May was significantly different (p<0.05), which means that the steps of women group was lower than that of men. These results suggest that the number of steps taken by students decreased with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement is effective for dysphagia that results from malignant obstruction of the esophagus or gastric cardia; however, stent-related complications may be life-threatening. Thus, the goal of this study was to identify risk factors associated with complications following esophageal stenting. METHODS: Of the 71 patients who underwent SEMS placement for dysphagia as a result of malignant stricture of the esophagus or gastric cardia, 53 patients with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma, without previous SEMS placement, without a fistula, and without recurrent tumor after surgery were retrospectively identified. The occurrence of stent-related complications was used as an endpoint. RESULTS: Stent-related complications were identified in 26 patients (49.1%), and major complications occurred in 14 patients (26.4%). The use of an Ultraflex stent (odds ratio [OR], 6.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54 to 30.00; p=0.011) and prior chemotherapy (OR, 6.13; 95% CI, 1.46 to 25.70; p=0.013) were significantly associated with stent-related complications. Moreover, the use of an Ultraflex stent (OR, 19.60; 95% CI, 2.26 to 170.00; p=0.007) and prior radiation (OR, 25.70; 95% CI, 2.37 to 280.00; p=0.008) significantly increased the risk of major complications. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an Ultraflex stent and prior radiation and/or chemotherapy may represent risk factors for complications following esophageal SEMS placement.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenocarcinoma , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Cardia , Constriction, Pathologic , Deglutition Disorders , Drug Therapy , Esophagus , Fistula , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , StentsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: A barbed puncture needle with a side hole was recently developed to improve sample quality and quantity in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). In this study, we retrospectively assessed the usefulness of this puncture needle. METHODS: Factors affecting diagnostic yield, safety, and diagnostic accuracy were investigated in 76 patients who consecutively underwent EUS-FNA for neoplastic lesions at our hospital between January and December 2013. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all cases; the rates of sample collection and determination of the correct diagnosis were 92.1% and 89.5%, respectively. The mean number of needle passes required for diagnosis was 1.1. Complications included mild intraluminal bleeding in two patients (2.6%). Multivariate analysis revealed that lesion size (< or =20 mm) was significantly associated with a decreased chance of determining the correct diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Core biopsy needles with a side hole are safe and provide a satisfactory diagnostic yield. However, the side hole may potentially reduce the rate of making the correct diagnosis in small lesions.