[Objective] This study investigated the applicability of a 3-m zigzag walk test for the prediction of falls and examined the relationships among fall history, the 3-m zigzag walk test, 10-m walk, and age. [Subjects] A total of 50 elderly individuals (23 males and 27 females) aged 65 and over, who were able to walk independently, were studied. [Methods] Four poles made of PET bottles were placed on a 3-m walkway in a straight line to create a zigzag course, and the time needed to walk it was measured. The best results on days 1 and 2 were adopted for the fall and no-fall groups, and intra-rater reproducibility was evaluated by calculating the intra-class correlation coefficient and performing the paired t-test. For comparison of the time needed to walk the zigzag between the 2 groups, the unpaired t-test was performed. The relationships between the times needed to walk the 3-m zigzag and 10 m and age were analyzed by calculating the correlation coefficient with fall history as the dependent variable, in multiple logistic regression analysis with the times needed to walk the 3-m zigzag and 10 m and age as independent variables. For the optimal classification of the fall and no-fall groups, cutoffs were calculated based on the ROC curve. [Results] The paired t-test results did not show differences between measurements, and the ICC was 0.97 in the fall, and 0.94 in the no-fall groups. The fall group needed significantly more time than the no-fall group to walk the 3-m zigzag. Further, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient revealed a significant correlation between the times needed to walk the 3-m zigzag and 10 m, while no correlation was observed between the time needed to walk the 3-m zigzag and age (r=0.225). The time needed to walk the 3-m zigzag was extracted as a factor associated with fall history in multiple logistic regression analysis, with an odds ratio of 0.377. Its significance as a variable was p<0.01. In the Hosmer-Lemeshow test of the study model, the rate of discrimination between the predicted and actual values was 82.0%. [Conclusion] The cutoff time to walk the 3-m zigzag was estimated to be 10.5 seconds, suggesting that this model may be a valid index for the prediction of falls.
Streptococcus pyogenesis most popularpathogen caused respiratory tract infection disease. This study was conducted to find out the recent clinical characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from respiratory tract at Japanese hospital in 2014. Streptococcus pyogenes was identified by standard laboratory procedure. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by micro dilution assay according to CLSI recommendation. Respiratory tract isolates were defined as isolation from pharynx, nasal discharge, tonsillar, and sputum. Total one hundred sixty-one Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated among which 136 were from respiratory tract and 25 were from non-respiratory tract. Respiratory tract-associated Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated among which 102 were from male and 59 were from female. The age incidence among 0 -1 years age group was 8, among 1 -18 years age group, 131 (p < 0.01), among 19 -64 years age group, 17 (p < 0.01), and in 65-years it was 5. Although we investigated the relationship between season and bacterial isolation, we did not find any significant differences between respiratory tract and no respiratory tract isolation. However, our study revealed that clarithromycin was less antimicrobial effective in respiratory tract disease than in no respiratory tract disease significantly (p < 0.01). Although several antibiotics such as penicillin are still effective against Streptococcus pyogenes, incidence of Streptococcus pyogenes infection is not decreasing worldwide. Our study suggests the need for continuous epidemiological surveillance of Streptococcus pyogenes.
Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius are pathogenic bacteria which cause various infectious diseases from acute pharyngitis to streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Although Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius infection has been increasing recently, the recent characteristic investigation of respiratory tract associated Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius has not been performed in Japan. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between respiratory tract and norespiratory tract associated Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius by investigating the recent clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptible patterns of 98Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius isolated during 2013-2015 in Japan. There was significant difference of gender between respiratory tract and no respiratory tract associated Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius. No Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius from no respiratory tract were found under 18 years-old patients. The prevalence of clindamycin non susceptible Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius isolates from respiratory tract was significant greater than those from non-respiratory tract. We also analyzed the relationship between respiratory tract associated Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius and Streptococcus pyogenes in 2014.There was no significant difference of gender between Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius and Streptococcus pyogenes. The numbers of Streptococcus pyogenes-infected patients were significantly greater than those of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilius-infected patients in children from 1 to 18 years old. From antimicrobial resistance, we found that the numbers of clarithromycin resistant Streptococcus pyogenes were greater than those
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