Annual Report 2023

Department of Infectious Diseases

Osamu Kobayashi, Mika Shiotsuka, Kaoru Kuroda, Haruna Togaru

Introduction

 The Department of Infectious Diseases supports clinical practice in relation to infectious diseases in National Cancer Center Hospital in cooperation with the Office of Infection Control and Prevention. We also conduct research activities for infectious diseases and vaccines in cooperation with other departments inside/outside the hospital. Our department consists of infectious disease specialists and office clerks.

The Team and What We Do

• Advise on infection control and prevention, especially focusing on healthcare-associated infections, problematic pathogens including multidrug-resistant bacteria or SARS-CoV-2, and occupational infections.
• Consult with physicians on appropriate diagnosis of and treatment for infectious diseases.
• Implement antimicrobial stewardship strategy based on the local data from our hospital and the current clinical evidence.
• Make weekly rounds in the wards to monitor the environmental maintenance and the compliance with the Infection Prevention and Control Manual.
• Conduct surveillance for healthcare-associated infections and drug-resistant bacteria.
• Provide education to the staff on standard practices regarding infection control and prevention with up-to-date evidence.
• Check the immunization status of the hospital staff and encourage those with insufficient protective immunity to be vaccinated.
• Advise on building and refurbishment projects from the perspective of infection control.
• Hold conferences or mutual site visits with other regional hospitals to promote improvement in one another's infection control and prevention practices.

Table 1. Number of consultation from other departments (April 2023-March 2024)

Research Activities

 In 2023, we conducted research on cancer patients complicated by COVID-19 as we saw in our daily work, and presented the results.

 In addition, as a medical expert, he published an English-language paper on the effectiveness of antiviral drugs related to development.

Education

 We accepted three medical students for four-week placements, and provided practical education of infectious disease treatment and infection control at a cancer hospital.

 We also provided education to trainees and visitors to the nursing, pharmacy and clinical laboratory departments as required.

 We gave a lecture to doctors on the usefulness of vaccination in the systematic implementation of cancer treatment.

Future Prospects

 Our final goal is to establish an ideal and feasible model of an infection control system for cancer centers around the world and to develop human resources for management of infectious diseases, infection control and appropriate use of antimicrobial agents.

List of papers published in 2023

Journal

1. Katsuya Y, Yoshida T, Takashima A, Yonemori K, Ohba A, Yazaki S, Yagishita S, Nakahama H, Kobayashi O, Yanagida M, Irino Y, Hamada A, Yamamoto N. Immunogenicity after vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with cancer: a prospective, single center, observational study. International journal of clinical oncology, 29:386-397, 2024

2. Hirano K, Maruki Y, Yamashige D, Kobayashi O, Shiotsuka M, Morizane C, Imamura T, Hiraoka N, Okusaka T. Two Cases of Disseminated Alveolar Echinococcosis: The Diagnosis, Management, and Differential Considerations for Liver Lesions. Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan), 63:1247-1252, 2024

3. Iwata S, Kobayashi O, Kurashima K, Doi Y, Kunishima H, Shinkai M, Tsushima K, Yamato M, Kano A, Hibino M, Yamatake T, Sakurai T, Ogura T. Findings from a discontinued clinical trial of favipiravir in high-risk patients with early-onset COVID-19. Journal of infection and chemotherapy, 30:219-227, 2024

4. Tanimura K, Nakajima M, Shirakawa N, Tao K, Sugiyama M, Watanabe Y, Arakawa A, Kikuchi M, Takahashi M, Narita Y, Shiotsuka M, Kobayashi O, Iwata S, Yoshida A, Abe M, Yamagoe S, Miyazaki Y, Ogawa C. Surgical site infection caused by Rhizopus caespitosus after metastasectomy for osteosarcoma: First report of infection in humans. Pediatric blood & cancer, 70:e30049, 2023

5. Itoh N, Akazawa N, Kurai H, Kawamura I, Okinaka K, Fujita T, Sekiya N, Takeda K, Shiotsuka M, Ishikane M, Iwamoto N, Ohmagari N, Suzuki T. A nationwide cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire survey of the duration of isolation of COVID-19 inpatients with cancer at Japanese cancer centers. Journal of infection and chemotherapy, 29:1185-1188, 2023