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Physicians consider several criteria during decision-making regarding oral intake resumption, which can be assigned to two clusters. Future studies are required to develop generalizable and objective criteria. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 810-818.

ObjectivesThe present study investigated the incidence of hyperammonemia in urinary tract infections and explored the utility of urinary obstruction relief and antimicrobial administration to improve hyperammonemia.MethodsThis was an observational study. Subjects were patients who were diagnosed with urinary tract infection and hospitalized between June 2008 and June 2009. We measured plasma ammonia levels on admission in patients who were clinically diagnosed with urinary tract infection and hospitalized. We assessed each patient's level of consciousness on admission using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and performed urine and blood cultures. We also assessed hearing prior to hospitalization using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS). In cases with high ammonia levels on admission, plasma ammonia and GCS were measured 24 hours and 5–7 days later.ResultsSixty-seven candidates were enrolled; of these, 60 cases (89.6%) with bacterial cell counts ≥104 CFU/mL were studied. Five cases (8.3%) presented with high plasma ammonia levels. Cases with hyperammonemia were significantly more likely to present with low GCS scores and urinary retention rate. All five cases received antimicrobial therapy with an indwelling bladder catheter to relieve urinary retention. The case 5 patient died shortly after admission due to complicated aspiration pneumonia; in the remaining cases, plasma ammonia levels were rapidly normalized and the level of consciousness improved.ConclusionsThe occurrence of hyperammonemia in urinary tract infections is not rare. The cause of hyperammonemia is urinary retention obstruction. Therefore, along with antimicrobial administration, relief of obstruction is important for the treatment of hyperammonemia caused by this mechanism.

SUMMARYA 56-year-old man presented to our department with a 2-month history of fever and chills. He had received a mitral valvuloplasty 3 years ago. He had been administered levofloxacin for 2 months. We discontinued levofloxacin and repeated the blood cultures. Bacterial blood cultures were positive and transoesophageal echocardiography revealed vegetation attached to the posterior mitral leaflet. We started the patient on intravenous antibiotic therapy for infectious endocarditis by Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus. A colonoscopic screening revealed adenomatoid intracellular carcinoma. Previous studies have reported a weak association between colorectal cancer and Streptococcus bovis biotype II/2, which includes S gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus; however, the rate is notably higher than the rate of colorectal cancer as indicated by positive faecal occult-blood test results. We conclude that colonoscopies should be routine while scanning for colorectal cancer in all patients with S bovis bacteraemia, regardless of the subspecies. BACKGROUND

Background: Aspiration pneumonia (AsP), a phenotype of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), is a common and problematic disease with symptomless recurrence and fatality in old adults. Characteristic factors for distinguishing AsP from CAP need to be determined to manage AsP. No such factorial markers in oldest-old adults, who are often seen in the primary-care settings, have yet been established. Methods: From the database of our Primary Care and General Practice Study, including the general backgrounds, clinical conditions and laboratory findings collected by primary care physicians and general practitioners, the records of 130 patients diagnosed with either AsP (n = 72) or CAP (n = 58) were extracted. Characteristic factors associated with the diagnosis of AsP were statistically compared between AsP and CAP. Results: The patients were older in the AsP group (median 90 years old) than in the CAP group (86 years old). The body temperature, heart rate, and diastolic blood pressure were lower in the patients with AsP than in those with CAP. Witnessed meal dysphagia by families and caregivers was reported only in AsP. Living in a nursing home, comorbidities of cerebral infarction and dementia (as positive factors) and hypertension (as a negative factor) were considered predictive to diagnose AsP in a stepwise logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Among oldest-old adults in primary-care settings, living in a nursing home and the dysphagia risks are suggested to be characteristic factors for diagnosing AsP. Age and some relevant clinical information may help manage AsP and also be useful for families and caregivers.