The Japanese surveillance committee conducted the first nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens responsible for female acute uncomplicated cystitis at 43 hospitals throughout Japan from April 2009 to November 2010. In this study, the causative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents were investigated by isolation and culturing of bacteria from urine samples. In total, 387 strains were isolated from 461 patients, including E. coli (n = 301, 77.8 %), S. saprophyticus (n = 20, 5.2 %), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 13, 3.4 %), and Enterococcus faecalis (n = 11, 2.8 %). S. saprophyticus was significantly more common in premenopausal women (P = 0.00095). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 19 antibacterial agents used for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute manual. At least 87 % of E. coli isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins, and 100 % of S. saprophyticus isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains were 13.3 % and 4.7 %, respectively. It is important to confirm the susceptibility of causative bacteria for optimal antimicrobial therapy, and empiric antimicrobial agents should be selected by considering patient characteristics and other factors. However, the number of isolates of fluoroquinolone-resistant or ESBL-producing strains in gram-negative bacilli may be increasing in patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Japan. Therefore, these data present important information for the proper treatment of UTIs and will serve as a useful reference for future surveillance studies.

SUMMARYBackground: Several studies in Western countries showed that proton-pump inhibitors are superior to histamine 2 -receptor antagonists or placebo in the treatment of non-erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. The efficacy of acid-suppressive drugs for nonerosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in Japan, in which the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is higher compared with Western countries, is unknown. Aim: To compare the efficacy of famotidine and omeprazole in Japanese patients with non-erosive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease by a prospective randomized multicentre trial. Methods: A total of 98 patients received either famotidine 20 mg b.d. (n ¼ 48) or omeprazole once daily (n ¼ 50). Frequency of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms and health-related quality of life were evaluated at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment.

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Cite as: Can Urol Assoc J 2014;8(1-2):e20-5. http://dx

Objectives Narrow band imaging cystoscopy can increase the visualization and detection of Hunner's lesions. A single‐center, prospective clinical trial was carried out aiming to show the effectiveness of narrow band imaging‐assisted transurethral electrocoagulation for ulcer‐type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. Methods A total of 23 patients (19 women and 4 men) diagnosed as having ulcer‐type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome were included. All typical Hunner's lesions and suspected areas identified by narrow band imaging were electrocoagulated endoscopically after the biopsy of those lesions. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed prospectively by using visual analog scale score of pain, O'Leary–Sant's symptom index, O'Leary–Sant's problem index and overactive bladder symptom score. Results The mean follow‐up period was 22 months. All patients (100%) experienced a substantial improvement in pain. The average visual analog scale pain scores significantly decreased from 7.3 preoperatively to 1.2 1 month postoperatively. A total of 21 patients (91.3%) who reported improvement had at least a 50% reduction in bladder pain, and five reported complete resolution. Daytime frequency was significantly decreased postoperatively. O'Leary–Sant's symptom index, O'Leary–Sant's problem index and overactive bladder symptom score were significantly decreased postoperatively. However, during the follow‐up period, a total of six patients had recurrence, and repeat narrow band imaging‐assisted transurethral electrocoagulation of the recurrent lesions was carried out for five of the six patients, with good response in relieving bladder pain. Conclusions Our results showed that narrow band imaging‐assisted transurethral electrocoagulation could be a valuable therapeutic alternative in patients with ulcer‐type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, with good efficacy and reduction of recurrence rate.

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The present study aimed to investigate the impact of pre-treatment C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the prediction of prognosis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), who were classified as intermediate-risk patients using the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) risk classification and who received molecular targeted therapy. The oncological outcome of 140 patients with mRCC who underwent molecular targeted therapy was analyzed. Patients were divided into favorable-, intermediate- and poor-risk groups (groups F, I and P, respectively) based on the MSKCC risk classification. The patients in group I were then further classified into two groups based on pre-treatment serum CRP levels. The overall survival (OS) rates of the patients in these groups were then assessed. The OS rate of the patients in group I with normal pre-treatment CRP levels was found to be significantly increased compared with that of patients with high pre-treatment CRP levels (P<0.0001), while there was no significant difference in the OS rate in the patients with normal pre-treatment CRP levels in group I compared with those in group F. Multivariate analyses revealed that high pre-treatment CRP levels were an independent prognostic factor for OS in the patients in group I (P<0.0001; hazard ratio, 3.898). Thus, pre-treatment CRP levels may be a candidate predictor for OS in patients with intermediate-risk mRCC.

Our data indicate that familiarity with laparoscopic surgery is not associated with any advantage in learning the most fundamental techniques of robot-assisted surgery.