Does Hospitalist Care Enhance Palliative Care and Reduce Aggressive Treatments for Terminally Ill Patients? A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Background: Information on the use of palliative care and aggressive treatments for terminally ill patients who receive care from hospitalists is limited.

Methods: This three-year, retrospective, case-control study was conducted at an academic medical center in Taiwan. Among 7037 patients who died in the hospital, 41.

The Removal, Excision, Sterilization, and Quarantine (RESQ) Method is a Feasible Alternative Treatment for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infections.

Background: Current guidelines recommend that all infected cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) should be removed. However, financial or anatomical concerns can lead to management of infection with simple debridement, as opposed to complete removal. In this observational study, we report the outcomes of our modified procedure for this real-world dilemma.

The Autonomic Imbalance of Myocardial Ischemia during Exercise Stress Testing: Insight from Short-Term Heart Rate Variability Analysis.

Exercise stress testing (EST) has limited power in diagnosing obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). The heart rate variability (HRV) analysis might increase the sensitivity of CAD detection. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between short-term HRV and myocardial ischemia during EST, including the acceleration, maximum, and recovery stages of heart rate (HR).

Using Healthcare Resources Wisely: A Predictive Support System Regarding the Severity of Patient Falls.

Background: An injurious fall is one of the main indicators of care quality in healthcare facilities. Despite several fall screen tools being widely used to evaluate a patient's fall risk, they are frequently unable to reveal the severity level of patient falls. The purpose of this study is to build a practical system useful to predict the severity level of in-hospital falls.

Duration of Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Associated With Electrocardiographic Outcomes Before and After Sacubitril/Valsartan.

Aim: Changes in QRS duration in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) after sacubitril/valsartan therapy is not fully understood. This study aimed to assess the association of duration of HFrEF diagnosis with electrocardiographic and echocardiographic outcomes between before and after sacubitril/valsartan.

Methods: We included HFrEF patients who received naïve sacubitril/valsartan therapy for ≥3 months, between January 2016 and March 2018.

The autonomic balance of heart rhythm complexity after renal artery denervation: insight from entropy of entropy and average entropy analysis.

Background: The current method to evaluate the autonomic balance after renal denervation (RDN) relies on heart rate variability (HRV). However, parameters of HRV were not always predictive of response to RDN. Therefore, the complexity and disorder of heart rhythm, measured by entropy of entropy (EoE) and average entropy (AE), have been used to analyze autonomic dysfunction.

General Use of Chinese Herbal Products among Female Patients with Mastitis in Taiwan.

Objectives: Little information is available regarding the use of Chinese herbal medicine to treat mastitis. This study evaluated the prescription patterns of Chinese herbal medicine products in women with mastitis in Taiwan.

Design: This is a population-based cross-sectional study.

The Association between Bodily Pain and Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Background: Bodily pain is a common condition in older adults and interferes with individuals' cognitive functioning. We aimed to evaluate the association between bodily pain and related locations and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan.

Method: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we enrolled 2022 participants aged 60‒70 years, from the Taiwan Biobank.

Rhythm control without catheter ablation may have benefits beyond stroke prevention in rivaroxaban-treated non-permanent atrial fibrillation.

The current treatment paradigm for atrial fibrillation (AF) prioritizes rate control over rhythm control; however, rhythm control has shown benefits over other AF strategies. This study compares the outcomes of rivaroxaban with and without concomitant antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs), using propensity score matching to correct for statistical effects of baseline discrepancies. This multi-center retrospective study included 1,477 patients with non-permanent AF who took rivaroxaban for at least one month between 2011 and 2016 and had not received catheter ablation.

Preprocedural features of patients under antihypertensive drugs may help identify responders to renal denervation: a hypothesis-generating study.

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) is effective to lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) in essential hypertension. However, patient selection under medications remains an important unmet clinical need.

Methods: This multicenter study aimed at observing whether preprocedural features associated with increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activity influence RDN response.

Exploratory Evaluation of Rhythm Control by Dronedarone in Combination With Low-Dose Rivaroxaban, Warfarin, Antiplatelet, or None of the Antithrombotic Therapy in High-Risk Patients With Non-Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The emerging data supports rhythm control to prevent major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Limited data demonstrated rivaroxaban 10 mg combining dronedarone seemed feasible. This study aimed at investigating clinical events in a dronedarone-treated cohort.

Safety and Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban in Combination with Various Antiarrhythmic Drugs in Patients with Non-Permanent Atrial Fibrillation.

Introduction: Rivaroxaban reduces the risk of thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, who often also receive antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) to maintain sinus rhythm. Current guidelines contraindicate concomitant use of rivaroxaban with the popular AAD dronedarone, despite little data demonstrating interactions with AADs. This study investigates the outcomes of concomitant rivaroxaban and AAD drug use in a real-world cohort.

Antipsychotic Medication in Schizophrenic Patients is Associated with Higher Risks of Developing Bone Fractures and Refractures.

Objective: : The relationship of antipsychotics and the risk of refracture in treated patients is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between prolonged antipsychotic and the incidences of bone fractures and refractures in schizophrenia.

Methods: This is a retrospective nested case-control study using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database recorded from 2000 to 2005, with cases followed up to end of 2011.

Comparison of Labor and Delivery Complications and Delivery Methods Between Physicians and White-Collar Workers.

To evaluate labor and delivery complications and delivery modes between physicians and white-collar workers in Taiwan, this retrospective population-based study used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We compared 1530 physicians aged 25 to 50 years old who worked and had singleton births between 2007 and 2013 with 3060 white-collar workers matched by age groups, groups of monthly insured payroll-related premiums, previous cesarean delivery, perinatal history anemia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The logistic regression models were used to assess the labor and delivery complications between the two groups.

High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio predict poor survival in rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

This study explored the prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).Between January 2006 and December 2016, 184 patients with newly-diagnosed rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant CCRT were enrolled. Risk of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models.

Cumulative use of therapeutic bladder anticholinergics and the risk of dementia in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms: a nationwide 12-year cohort study.

Background: Studies have shown an association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and an increased risk of dementia. Whether anticholinergic use contributes to the development of dementia in patients with LUTS remains unknown, especially in Asian populations. This study aims to investigate the association between anticholinergic use and dementia in patients with LUTS.

The impact of pre-existing shoulder diseases and traumatic injuries of the shoulder on adhesive capsulitis in adult population: A population-based nested case-control study.

Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common chronic disorder for adult patients; however, whether a history of pre-existing shoulder diseases may affect the development of AC is still not fully understood. We aimed to investigate the incidence and prevalence of AC and to assess the association of pre-existing shoulder diseases and traumatic injuries of the shoulder with the development of AC in adults.This retrospective population-based cohort and nested case-control study used data from the National Health Institute Research Database of Taiwan.

Prior uterine myoma and risk of ovarian cancer: a population-based case-control study.

Objective: Uterine myoma which results in the magnitude of ovarian cancer remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the association between women with previous uterine myoma and the risk of ovarian cancer.

Methods: This population-based case-control study was conducted using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2006 and 2010.

Depression is a major risk factor for the development of dementia in people with lower urinary tract symptoms: A nationwide population-based study.

Background/objectives: Studies have shown a strong relationship between depression and dementia. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were reported to be independently associated with depression and dementia. However, the relationship between depression and cognitive dysfunction in patients with LUTS is not well characterized.

Surgical Trends and Time Frame Comparison of Surgical Types of Hysterectomy: A Nationwide, Population-based 15-year Study.

Study Objective: To investigate the surgical trends among different types of hysterectomy (abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic, and subtotal) over a 15-year period in Taiwan.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A population-based National Health Insurance Research Database.