Hospital Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Hong Kong - The Trend from 2006 to 2014.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause for hospital admission. This study aims to review the hospital burden of COPD in Hong Kong (HK) and the trend from year 2006 to 2014.

Methods: A multi-center, retrospective study of the characteristics of COPD patients discharged from the public hospitals of HK from year 2006 to 2014.

Comorbidities, mortality, and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who required admissions to public hospitals in Hong Kong - computerized data collection and analysis.

Background: COPD is a common cause for hospital admission. Conventional studies of the epidemiology of COPD involved large patient number and immense resources and were difficult to be repeated. The present study aimed at assessing the utilization of a computerized data management system in the collection and analysis of the epidemiological and clinical data of a large COPD cohort in Hong Kong (HK).

Prevalence of allergic rhinitis and its associated morbidity in adults with asthma: a multicentre study.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in adult patients with asthma in Hong Kong, and to compare the morbidity endured by asthma patients with and without allergic rhinitis.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Respiratory clinics of four major public hospitals in Hong Kong.

Management of patients admitted with pneumothorax: a multi-centre study of the practice and outcomes in Hong Kong.

Objective: To examine the management practice of pneumothorax in hospitalised patients in Hong Kong, especially the choice of drainage options and their success rates, as well as the factors associated with procedural failures.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Multi-centre study involving 12 public hospitals in Hong Kong.

Effectiveness of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of acute respiratory failure in severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Objectives: To study the effectiveness of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in the treatment of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the associated infection risk.

Methods: All patients with the diagnosis of probable SARS admitted to a regional hospital in Hong Kong from March 9 to April 28, 2003, and who had SARS-related respiratory distress complications were recruited for NIPPV usage. The health status of all health-care workers working in the NIPPV wards was closely monitored, and consent was obtained to check serum for coronavirus serology.

Occult pneumomediastinum in a SARS patient presenting as recurrent chest pain and acute ECG changes mimicking acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly emergent disease due to a novel coronavirus, which caused outbreaks worldwide.

Methodology: We report a SARS patient who had developed recurrent chest pain and acute T-wave inversion over the precordial leads on electrocardiography (ECG).

Results: She developed progressive subcutaneous emphysema a few days later.

Development of a standard treatment protocol for severe acute respiratory syndrome.

A series of 31 patients with probable SARS, diagnosed from WHO criteria, were treated according to a treatment protocol consisting of antibacterials and a combination of ribavirin and methylprednisolone. Through experience with the first 11 patients, we were able to finalise standard dose regimens, including pulsed methylprednisolone. One patient recovered on antibacterial treatment alone, 17 showed rapid and sustained responses, and 13 achieved improvement with step-up or pulsed methylprednisolone.