OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in stroke patients since OAB symptoms are common in such patients, but their effects on stroke rehabilitation over time are unclear. METHODS: This study included 30 post-acute stroke patients who had been admitted for rehabilitation treatments. All participants completed a questionnaire evaluating urinary symptoms, including the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and general HRQOL with a Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. We assessed their performance in terms of the Function Ambulation Category, Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Modified Barthel Index, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All assessments were carried out twice at baseline and at 3 months. We divided patients into an OAB and non-OAB group with OABSS. A correlation analysis and multivariate regression were then performed. RESULTS: All performance scales showed an improvement over 3 months in the non-OAB group (n=18; p < 0.02), but, MRS and MMSE scores did not improve significantly in the OAB group (n=12) (p=0.15 and p=0.20, respectively). In the OAB group, the vitality and mental health scores significantly decreased over 3 months (p=0.011 and p=0,041, respectively), and the mental component summary (MCS) score showed a marginal decrease over 3 months (p=0.05). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that OAB symptoms were negatively correlated with the 3 months MCS score (B=−8.15, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that OAB symptoms could have negative effects on HRQOL and performance in patients suffering from a stroke.
Health Surveys ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life* ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Walking ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in stroke patients since OAB symptoms are common in such patients, but their effects on stroke rehabilitation over time are unclear. METHODS: This study included 30 post-acute stroke patients who had been admitted for rehabilitation treatments. All participants completed a questionnaire evaluating urinary symptoms, including the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and general HRQOL with a Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. We assessed their performance in terms of the Function Ambulation Category, Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Modified Barthel Index, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All assessments were carried out twice at baseline and at 3 months. We divided patients into an OAB and non-OAB group with OABSS. A correlation analysis and multivariate regression were then performed. RESULTS: All performance scales showed an improvement over 3 months in the non-OAB group (n=18; p < 0.02), but, MRS and MMSE scores did not improve significantly in the OAB group (n=12) (p=0.15 and p=0.20, respectively). In the OAB group, the vitality and mental health scores significantly decreased over 3 months (p=0.011 and p=0,041, respectively), and the mental component summary (MCS) score showed a marginal decrease over 3 months (p=0.05). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that OAB symptoms were negatively correlated with the 3 months MCS score (B=−8.15, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that OAB symptoms could have negative effects on HRQOL and performance in patients suffering from a stroke.
Health Surveys ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life* ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Walking ; Weights and Measures

Strongyloides stercoralis is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, and infections are usually asymptomatic. However, immunocompromised patients, such as those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, high-dose steroids, or chemotherapy, can develop fatal hyperinfections. An 84-year-old man without any symptoms was diagnosed with strongyloidiasis during a regular screening colonoscopy. His medical history only involved a gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer 6 months previously. Few cases have been published about asymptomatic strongyloidiasis diagnosed in an immunocompetent host via endoscopic mucosal resection with characteristic colonoscopic findings. We report a case of colon-involved asymptomatic strongyloidiasis with specific colonic findings of yellowish-white nodules. This finding may be an important marker of S. stercoralis infection, which could prevent hyperinfections.
Aged, 80 and over ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Mass Screening ; Steroids ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Strongyloides stercoralis ; Strongyloidiasis

BACKGROUND: The long-term data with direct acting antiviral agents were rare. This study investigated the durability of a sustained virologic response (SVR) and the improvement of fibrosis after daclatasvir and asunaprevir (DCV/ASV) treatment in genotype 1b (GT1b) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. METHODS: A total of 288 HCV GT1b patients without baseline non-structural 5A (NS5A) resistance-associated substitution (RAS) treated with DCV/ASV were enrolled. Virologic response was measured at 12 weeks and 1 year after treatment completion. In cirrhotic patients, liver function, aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), FIB-4 index, fibrosis index (FI), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) at baseline and 1 year after treatment completion were evaluated. RESULTS: SVR12 was obtained in 278 patients (96.5%). Six patients who checked NS5A RAS after treatment failure were RAS positive. Only one patient showed no durability of SVR. In cirrhotic patients who achieved SVR12 (n = 59), the changes of albumin (3.8 [2.2–4.7] to 4.3 [2.4–4.9] g/dL; P < 0.001), platelet count (99 [40–329] to 118 [40–399] × 103/mm3; P < 0.001), APRI (1.8 [0.1–14.8] to 0.6 [0.1–4.8]; P < 0.001), FIB-4 index (5.45 [0.6–32.8] to 3.3 [0.4–12.2]; P < 0.001), FI (5.5 [0.6–32.8] to 3.3 [0.4–12.2]; P < 0.001), and LSM (17.2 [5.3–48.0] to 11.2 [3.7–28.1] kPa; P = 0.001) between baseline and 1 year after treatment completion were observed. CONCLUSION: DCV/ASV treatment for HCV GT1b infected patients without RAS achieved high SVR rates and showed durable SVR. Cirrhotic patients who achieved SVR12 showed the improvement of liver function and fibrosis markers.
Antiviral Agents ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blood Platelets ; Fibrosis ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Liver ; Platelet Count ; Treatment Failure