Complications and Mortality After Surgery in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on a Multicenter Clinical Database.

Objective: To evaluate the postoperative complications and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease.

Methods: Biochemical measurements, diagnosis codes for CKD and comorbid conditions for surgical patients aged ≥20 years were obtained from electronic medical records of three large hospitals in Taiwan in 2009-2017. We conducted this retrospective cohort study by using propensity score-matching methods to balance the baseline characteristics between CKD and non-CKD groups.

Intraoperative cardiogenic shock induced by refractory coronary artery spasm in a patient with myasthenia gravis: A case report.

Background: Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is a rare but critical condition during surgery. Clinical manifestations can vary from only subtle electrocardiography change to sudden death. In this case report, we present the case of a patient with myasthenia gravis (MG) who developed refractory CAS-related cardiogenic shock during thymoma surgery.

Preoperative renal insufficiency predicts postoperative adverse outcomes in a mixed surgical population: a retrospective matched cohort study using the NSQIP database.

Background: The incidence of chronic kidney disease is increasing, but most cases are not diagnosed until the accidental finding of abnormal laboratory data or the presentation of severe symptoms. Patients with chronic kidney disease are reported to have an increased risk of postoperative mortality and morbidities, but previous studies mainly targeted populations undergoing cardiovascular surgery. The authors aimed to evaluate the risk of postoperative mortality and complications in a surgical population with preoperative renal insufficiency (RI).

Smoking increases the risk of postoperative wound complications: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

Cigarette smoking is associated with surgical complications, including wound healing and surgical site infection. However, the association between smoking status and postoperative wound complications is not completely understood. Our objective was to investigate the effect of smoking on postoperative wound complications for major surgeries.

Outcomes following diabetes admission in patients who had influenza vaccination: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: The beneficial effect of influenza vaccination (IV) in patients with diabetes was not completely understood.

Methods: Using the research data of health insurance, we performed a cohort study of patients aged ≥20 years who were admitted to inpatient care due to diabetes in 2008-2013 in Taiwan. We performed the propensity score matching and the outcomes of complications and mortality following the diabetes admission was compared between patients with and without IV.

Risk of acute atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis.

The association between pancreatitis and acute myocardial infarction or stroke remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term risk of acute atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in people with acute and chronic pancreatitis. Using research database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance, we identified 2678 patients aged ≥ 20 years with newly diagnosed pancreatitis in 2000-2008.

Risk and outcomes of diabetes in patients with epilepsy.

The risk and outcomes of diabetes in patients with epilepsy remains unclear. We evaluated these risks using an epilepsy cohort analysis and a diabetes admission analysis. In the epilepsy cohort analysis, we identified 2854 patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy in 2000-2008 from the research data of National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

Septicemia and mortality after noncardiac surgery associated with CHA2DS2-VASc score: a retrospective cohort study based on a real-world database.

Background: Little was know about the association between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and postoperative outcomes. Our purpose is to evaluate the effects of CHA2DS2-VASc score on the perioperative outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: We identified 47,402 patients with AF over the age of 20 years who underwent noncardiac surgeries between 2008 and 2013 from claims data of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

The protective effect of statins against pressure ulcers in stroke patients: A propensity-score matched study based on a real-world database.

Background And Aims: Limited information is available regarding the association between statins and pressure ulcers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the beneficial effects of statins on pressure ulcers in stroke patients.

Methods: Using the claims data of Taiwan's National Health Insurance, we conducted a retrospective cohort study and identified new-onset stroke patients in 2000-2004.

Outcomes after surgery in patients with diabetes who used metformin: a retrospective cohort study based on a real-world database.

Introduction: Limited information was available regarding the perioperative outcomes in patients with and without use of metformin. This study aims to evaluate the complications and mortality after major surgery in patients with diabetes who use metformin.

Research Design And Methods: Using a real-world database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance from 2008 to 2013, we conducted a matched cohort study of 91 356 patients with diabetes aged >20 years who used metformin and later underwent major surgery.

Adverse outcomes after major surgery in children with intellectual disability.

Aim: To evaluate outcomes after major surgery in children and adolescents with intellectual disability.

Method: We used 2004 to 2013 claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme to conduct a nested cohort study, which included 220 292 surgical patients aged 6 to 17 years. A propensity score matching procedure was used to select 2173 children with intellectual disability and 21 730 children without intellectual disability for comparison.

Risk of dementia in patients with periodontitis and related protective factors: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the long-term risk of dementia in patients with periodontitis and its associated factors.

Materials And Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database, we identified 56,018 patients aged ≥50 years with newly diagnosed periodontitis in 2000-2008. A cohort of 56,018 adults without periodontitis was selected for comparison, with matching by age and sex.

Hospitalization outcome of heart diseases between patients who received medical care by cardiologists and non-cardiologist physicians: A propensity-score matched study.

Background And Aims: The effects of physician specialty on the outcome of heart disease remains incompletely understood because of inconsistent findings from some previous studies. Our purpose is to compare the admission outcomes of heart disease in patients receiving care by cardiologists and noncardiologist (NC) physicians.

Methods: Using reimbursement claims data of Taiwan's National Health Insurance from 2008-2013, we conducted a matched study of 6264 patients aged ≥20 years who received a cardiologist's care during admission for heart disease.

Risk Of Urticaria In Geriatric Stroke Patients Who Received Influenza Vaccination: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Urticaria is a mast cell-related disease caused severe itching and the lifetime prevalence of urticaria is about 20% in general population. Our purpose is to evaluate risk of urticaria in geriatric stroke patients received influenza vaccination (IV).

Methods: In a cohort of 192,728 patients with newly diagnosed stroke aged over 65 years obtained from 23 million people in Taiwan's National Health Insurance between 2000 and 2008, we identified 9890 stroke patients who received IV and 9890 propensity score-matched stroke patients who did not receive IV.

Evaluating Risk of Incident Diabetes Between Patients Who Used Lovastatin and Red Yeast Rice Prescriptions (LipoCol Forte): A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on a Real-World Database.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of incident diabetes between people who used lovastatin and red yeast rice (RYR) prescriptions.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the real-world database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance. We identified the RYR cohort, which included 34,504 persons age 20 years or older who began their use of a RYR prescription in 2010-2014.

A population-based cohort study of mortality of intensive care unit patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: The impact of liver cirrhosis on the outcomes of admission to intensive care unit (ICU) is not completely understood. Our purpose is to identify risk factors for mortality in ICU patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Using reimbursement claims from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from in 2006-2012, 1,250,300 patients were identified as having ICU stays of more than 1 day, and 37,197 of these had liver cirrhosis.

Protective effect of influenza vaccination on outcomes in geriatric stroke patients: A nationwide matched cohort study.

Background And Aims: The effects of influenza vaccination (IV) on stroke outcomes are unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes after stroke in elderly individuals who have received an IV.

Methods: We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database 2000-2009 claims data to conduct a nested stroke cohort study including 148,909 hospitalized stroke patients aged 66 years and older.

Adverse Outcomes after Major Surgeries in Patients with Diabetes: A Multicenter Matched Study.

The impact of diabetes on perioperative outcomes remains incompletely understood. Our purpose is to evaluate post-operative complications and mortality in patients with diabetes. Using the institutional and clinical databases of three university hospitals from 2009⁻2015, we conducted a matched study of 16,539 diabetes patients, aged >20 years, who underwent major surgery.

Defining risk of general surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Background: The relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and perioperative outcomes remains incompletely understood. Our purpose is to evaluate the features of postoperative adverse outcomes for geriatric surgical patients with COPD receiving non-thoracic surgeries.

Aim: To evaluate the potential impact of COPD history on the outcome after general surgery.

Decreased risk of pneumonia in stroke patients receiving acupuncture: A nationwide matched-pair retrospective cohort study.

Background: Acupuncture treatment is common among stroke patients, but there is limited information available on whether acupuncture effectively prevents post-stroke pneumonia. The aim of this study was to analyze the differential risk of pneumonia after stroke between patients who did and did not receive acupuncture after discharge.

Methods: We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct a retrospective cohort study using propensity score matched-pairs of new stroke patients in 2000-2004 who did and did not receive acupuncture post-stroke.

Stroke risk and outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease: Two nationwide studies.

Background And Aims: Because the risk and outcomes of stroke in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were unclear, we evaluated these risks using a retrospective cohort study and a nested cohort study.

Methods: We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 1378 patients aged ≥20 years who had ESRD in 2000-2004. An age- and sex-matched CKD cohort (n = 5512) and a control cohort (n = 11,024) were selected for comparison.

Effect of Influenza Vaccination Against Postoperative Pneumonia and Mortality for Geriatric Patients Receiving Major Surgery: A Nationwide Matched Study.

Background: Limited information is available on the association between influenza vaccination and postoperative outcomes.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database reimbursement claims data from 2008-2013, we conducted a matched cohort study of 16903 patients aged >66 years who received influenza vaccinations and later underwent major surgery. Using a propensity score matching procedure adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, medical condition, surgery type, and anesthesia type, 16903 controls who underwent surgery but were not vaccinated were selected.

Risk and adverse outcomes of fractures in patients with liver cirrhosis: two nationwide retrospective cohort studies.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate fracture risk and post-fracture outcomes in patients with and without liver cirrhosis (LC).

Design: Retrospective cohort study and nested fracture cohort study.

Setting: This study was based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database that included information on: (1) 3941 patients aged 20 years and older newly diagnosed with LC between 2000 and 2003; (2) 688290 hospitalised fracture patients aged 20 years and older between 2006 and 2013.

Diabetes risks and outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: Two nationwide population-based retrospective cohort studies.

Objective: The relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes remains incompletely understood. This study evaluated diabetes risk and post-diabetes outcomes in COPD patients with and without exacerbations.

Methods: We identified 4671 adults newly diagnosed with COPD exacerbations and 9342 adults newly diagnosed with COPD without exacerbations during 2000-2008 using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.