Outcome and risk factors associated with surgical site infections after cardiac surgery in a Taiwan medical center.

Background/purpose: Surgical site infection (SSI) after cardiac surgery leads to morbidity and mortality. Identifying SSI risk factors, which vary between populations, is important in preventing infection.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of adult cases receiving cardiac surgery in a Taiwan medical center in 2004 and 2005.

Impact of late-stage CKD and aging on medical utilization in the elderly population: a closed-cohort study in Taiwan.

Background: Taiwan has the highest incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease globally, especially in the elderly population. The elderly with chronic kidney disease (CKD) also had high mortality. However, population-based research on how the elderly with CKD utilize medical services is still unexplored.

Fractionated evaluation of immunohistochemical hormone receptor expression enhances prognostic prediction in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy.

Objective: To compare the prognostic prediction between dichotomized and fractionated evaluations of hormone receptor expressions.

Methods: Patients with stages I-III breast cancers, who received adjuvant tamoxifen, were enrolled. The expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Planned creation of vascular access saves medical expenses for incident dialysis patients.

Hospitalization to initiate hemodialysis (HD) through temporary catheterization and subsequent creation of permanent vascular access (VA) is costly. Therefore, we studied the influence of the timing of VA creation on medical expenses, length of stay (LOS) and 1-year primary patency rate in incident HD patients. We analyzed the medical expenses associated with hospitalization and LOS at VA creation in 486 incident HD patients at two hospitals in southern Taiwan.

Adherence to a diabetic care plan provides better glycemic control in ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes.

Tight control of blood sugar improves the outcomes for diabetic patients, but it can only be achieved by adhering to a well-organized care plan. To evaluate the effect of a diabetes care plan with reinforcement of glycemic control in diabetic patients, 98 ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes who visited our diabetes clinic every 3-4 months and who completed four education courses given by certified diabetes educators within 3 months after the first visit, were defined as the Intervention group. A total of 82 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria for the Intervention group but who missed at least half of the diabetes education sessions were selected as controls.