Background: Recent studies have shown that low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is effective for the early detection of lung cancer. However, the utility of chest radiography (CR) and LDCT for other thoracic diseases has not been as well investigated as it has been for lung cancer. This study aimed to clarify the usefulness of the veridical method in the screening of various thoracic diseases. Methods: Among individuals who had received general health checkups over a 10-year period, those who had undergone both CR and LDCT were selected for analysis. The present study included 4317 individuals (3146 men and 1171 women). We investigated cases in which abnormal opacity was detected on CR and/or LDCT. Results: A total of 47 and 124 cases had abnormal opacity on CR and LDCT, respectively. Among these, 41 cases in which the abnormal opacity was identified by both methods contained 20 treated cases. Six cases had abnormalities only on CR, and none of the cases required further treatment. Eighty-three cases were identified using LDCT alone. Of these, many cases, especially those over the age of 50 years, were diagnosed with thoracic tumors and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which required early treatment. In contrast, many cases of pulmonary infections have improved spontaneously, without any treatment. Conclusion: These results revealed that LDCT allowed early detection of thoracic tumors and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, especially in individuals over the age of 50 years. CR is still a useful imaging modality for other thoracic diseases, especially in individuals under the age of 49 years.

Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the operations of healthcare field and various infection control measures are being carried out at each hospital and clinic. Aim: We have administered infection control measures using air catalysts which is a new antiviral and antibacterial technology being employed at our healthcare center. Methodology: We used a product called Health Bright® and this liquid substance was sprayed to coat every part of the facility. After that, we measured the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in coated places, including the waiting room, examination room and endoscopy room. Results: The amount of ATP decreased the day after the treatment in each room, and of note is that the amount of ATP was still low after 6 months and 12 months. Conclusion: Our current data showed the possible efficacy of air catalysts against bacteria and virus in the healthcare facility.