The Iwate Score (IS) have not been well-validated for specific procedures, especially for right posterior sectionectomy (RPS). In this study, the utility of the IS was determined for laparoscopic (L)RPS and the effect of tumor location on surgical outcomes was investigated.
Post-hoc analysis of 647 L-RPS performed in 40 international centers of which 596L-RPS cases met the inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes of patients stratified based on the Iwate score were compared to determine whether a correlation with surgical difficulty existed. A 1:1 Mahalanobis distance matching was utilized to investigate the effect of tumor location on L-RPS outcomes.
The patients were stratified into 3 levels of difficulty (31 intermediate, 143 advanced, and 422 expert) based on the IS. When using a stepwise increase of the IS excluding the tumor location score, only Pringle\'s maneuver was more frequently used in the higher surgical difficulty level (35.5%, 54.6%, and 65.2%, intermediate, advanced, and expert levels, respectively, Z = 3.34, p = 0.001). Other perioperative results were not associated with a statistical gradation toward higher difficulty level. 80 of 85 patients with a segment VI lesion and 511 patients with a segment VII lesion were matched 1:1. There were no significant differences in the perioperative outcomes of the two groups including open conversion, operating time, blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative stay, major morbidity, and mortality.
Among patients undergoing L-RPS, the IS did not significantly correlate with most outcome measures associated with intraoperative difficulty and postoperative outcomes. Similarly, tumor location had no effect on L-RPS outcomes.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing rate is low in our local area and the true rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection may include many asymptomatic individuals. We conducted a serosurveillance using antibody testing in an area where official report of COVID-19 infection is not done yet. Blood samples were obtained from 1404 healthcare workers (41 ± 11 years) in our hospital on May 29-31, 2020. First, the potential infection frequency was confirmed using two quantitative antibody tests. In addition, the usefulness of rapid antibody kit testing for COVID-19 serosurveillance was examined. A COVID-19-indected case was defined as showing positive results in both quantitative tests. None of 1404 samples had positive results from the two quantitative tests. The false positive rates were 0.36% and 0.07%, whereas those in rapid antibody kits were 3.3% and 3.0%. In conclusion, as of May, 2020, potential spread mainly by asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19 was not found in our local area where there was no official report of COVID-19, even if the PCR testing rate was low. Rapid antibody kits might not be useful due to the high false positive rate in an area with a low incidence of COVID-19 infected individuals.

Of the 47 prefectures in Japan, Iwate had the fewest cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the first diagnosis officially confirmed on July 28, 2020. A baseline serological survey of COVID-19 antibodies is essential to accurately evaluate an epidemic outbreak. The primary purpose of this study was to determine pre-epidemic prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among healthcare workers, using two laboratory-based quantitative tests. In addition, a point-of-care (POC) qualitative test, rapid, simple, and convenient for primary care clinics, was compared with the laboratory-based tests. All antibody tests were performed on serum from 1,000 healthcare workers (mean age, 40 ± 11 years) in Iwate Prefectural Central Hospital, May 29-31, 2020. A COVID-19 case was defined as showing positive results in both laboratory-based quantitative tests. None of 1,000 samples had positive results in both of the laboratory immunoassays. The POC test showed positive results in 33 of 1,000 samples (3.3%) (95% confidence interval:2.19-4.41), but no samples were simultaneously positive in both laboratory-based tests. In conclusion, COVID-19 cases were not serologically confirmed by a baseline control study of healthcare workers at our hospital in late May, 2020. Moreover, the POC qualitative test may offer no advantage in areas with very low prevalence of COVID-19, due to higher false-positive reactions compared with laboratory-based quantitative immunoassays.

Trichinellosis is a meat-borne zoonotic disease caused by nine Trichinella speices and three unclassified genotypes. In Japan, four domestic outbreaks of human trichinellosis are reported sporadically and were associated with the consumption of wild bear meat. This study examined Trichinella prevalence and its species in black bears, Ursus thibetanus japonicus in Iwate prefecture, Japan. Trichinella T9 larvae identified molecularly were first detected in 1.4% (2/144) of the masseters of black bears examined, and their densities were low (1 and 0.3 larvae /g muscle, respectively). Two cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) haplotypes (sequences) of Trichinella T9 were found in distinct bear populations, suggesting that Trichinella T9 populations isolated genetically by bear populations would occur in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The development of laparoscopic liver surgery is slower than in other disciplines. Two different scoring systems have been proposed to estimate difficulty of laparoscopic liver resections (LLR) preoperatively. The aim of this analysis was to compare these two scores in an independent patient cohort regarding the predictability of morbidity.
METHODS: All LLRs performed between 01/2011 until 01/2019 were identified from our prospective institutional database. Patient characteristics as well as intra- and postoperative data were analyzed. Postoperative complications were graded according to Dindo-Clavien classification. Difficulty of LLR was classified using IWATE- and Halls-score.
RESULTS: We identified 100 LLR, of which 13 were performed in liver cirrhosis. Conversion rate was 4%, postoperative complications (≥°III) occurred in 10% of the patients, and two patients died within 90 days. Higher difficulty levels were associated with higher intraoperative blood loss (P < .001 and P = .002), longer duration of surgery (both P < .001) and hospital stay (P = .012 and P = .033) for the Halls- and IWATE-scores, respectively. ROC curve analysis revealed better performance for the Halls- than for the IWATE-score regarding morbidity as well as for mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: The IWATE- and the Halls-score correlate well with postoperative morbidity. The Halls-score predicted postoperative morbidity and mortality slightly better than the IWATE-score.