Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Rescuer Safety.

Background: High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a key element in the rescue of cardiac arrest patients but is difficult to achieve in circumstances involving aerosol transmission, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This prospective randomized crossover trial included 30 experienced health care providers to evaluate the impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) on CPR quality and rescuer safety. Participants were asked to perform continuous CPR for 5 minutes on a manikin with three types of PPE: level D-PPE, level C-PPE, and PAPR.

Double-Lumen Endotracheal Tube-Predicting Insertion Depth and Tube Size Based on Patient's Chest X-ray Image Data and 4 Other Body Parameters.

In thoracic surgery, the double lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) is used for differential ventilation of the lung. DLT allows lung collapse on the surgical side that requires access to the thoracic and mediastinal areas. DLT placement for a given patient depends on two settings: a tube of the correct size (or ‘size’) and to the correct insertion depth (or ‘depth’).

Investigation of cell cytotoxic activity and molecular mechanism of 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23()-diene-3β,19(),25-triol isolated from on hepatoma cells.

Context: L. (Cucurbitaceae), known as bitter melon, is an edible fruit cultivated in the tropics. In this study, an active compound, 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23()-diene-3β,19(),25-triol (ECDT), isolated from was investigated in regard to its cytotoxic effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

Pediatric Nuclear Medicine Examinations and Subsequent Risk of Neoplasm: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

To evaluate the association between radiation exposure from repeated nuclear medicine (NM) examinations and the subsequent risk of neoplasm in pediatric patients. From 2000 to 2017, participants under 18 years of age who underwent NM scanning were identified using the Health and Welfare Data Science Center (HWDC) dataset, which was extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Both the exposed cohort and unexposed subjects were followed up with until the presence of any malignancy arose, including malignant brain, lymphoid and hematopoietic tumors and benign brain or other central nervous tumors.

Cembranoids from Octocoral (von Marenzeller, 1886).

Two cembranoids, including a new compound, lobocrassin I (), as well as a known analogue, lobohedleolide (), were obtained by solvent extraction from octocoral . This study employed a spectroscopic approach to establish the structures of these two cembranoids, and utilized single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis to determine their absolute configurations. The results of biological activity assays demonstrated that cembranoid exhibited bioactivity against the protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical decortication in the elderly with thoracic empyema: Five years' experience.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with decortication is a major treatment for thoracic empyema in the fibropurulent stage. Compared to open thoracotomy, VATS decortication has similar efficacy but fewer postoperative complications in the treatment of thoracic empyema. The role of VATS decortication in the elderly had rarely been investigated.

Mammography and the risk of thyroid and hematological cancers: a nationwide population-based study.

To investigate the association between thyroid cancer as well as the most radiosensitive hematological cancers and radiation exposure from mammography. This study used information from a random sample of two million persons enrolled in the nationally representative Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database. The exposed group was composed of women aged 18-65 who had undergone diagnostic mammography between 2000 and 2007.

Comparative chest computed tomography findings of non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with acid fast bacilli smear-positive sputum.

Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung diseases (NTM-LD) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are important clinical issues. The present study aimed to compare and identify the chest CT characteristics that help to distinguish NTM lung disease from PTB in patients with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum.

Methods: From January 2009 to April 2012, we received 467 AFB smear-positive sputum specimens.

The risk of cataract associated with repeated head and neck CT studies: a nationwide population-based study.

Objective: Medical radiation-induced cataracts, especially those resulting from head and neck CT studies, are an issue of concern. The current study aimed to determine the risk of cataract associated with repeated radiation exposure from head and neck CT.

Materials And Methods: This study used information from a random sample of 2 million persons enrolled in the nationally representative Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Both gefitinib and erlotinib induced drug-related interstitial lung disease in a patient with pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer with gefitinib and erlotinib is efficacious. However, while many studies have reported on gefitinib-related interstitial lung disease (ILD), less published data are available regarding erlotinib-induced ILD. Here, we report a case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma who developed ILD due to gefitinib initially and erlotinib thereafter.

Risk factors in patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who receive inappropriate antituberculous treatment.

Background: Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive sputum is usually an initial clue in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB); however, the test is not disease-specific. Nontuberculous mycobacterium-related colonization or lung disease often has AFB smear-positive sputum results, and physicians may prescribe unnecessary antituberculous drugs for these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with AFB smear-positive sputum who received unnecessary anti-TB treatment.

Gefitinib-related interstitial lung disease in Taiwanese patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Gefitinib (Iressa; AstreZeneca, Wilmington, DE) is effective in the treatment of NSCLC, especially in the Asian population. However, ILD is usually a serious pulmonary adverse effect and almost leads to cessation of gefitinib treatment. In this study, we investigated the incidence, clinical features, and prognosis of gefitinib-related ILD in Taiwanese patients with NSCLC.

The value of positron emission tomography in early detection of lung cancer in high-risk population: a systematic review.

Background: Early detection trials with chest radiography and sputum cytology were ineffective in decreasing lung cancer mortality. The advent of low-dose spiral chest computed tomography (LDCT) provided clinicians with a new tool that could be with early diagnosis; however, this also raised significant concerns regarding the systematic use of LDCT with its high false-positive rate for benign nodules. At this time, there is limited information about the true role of PET (positron emission tomography) for early detection of lung cancer.

Health effects of medical radiation on cardiologists who perform cardiac catheterization.

Background: We investigated the health effects of low-dose radiation on cardiologists exposed to scattered radiation while performing cardiac catheterization (CC) in a hospital setting from 2003 to 2006.

Methods: We performed a 4-year retrospective study on 2, 292 medical doctors, using claims data from all contracted hospitals of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Taiwan. We gathered statistical data regarding radiation-related diseases using the International Classification of Diseases, 9(th) Revision, Clinical Modification record numbers of each doctor.

Successful treatment of gefitinib-induced acute interstitial pneumonitis with high-dose corticosteroid: a case report and literature review.

Cytotoxic chemotherapy offers a modest benefit for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with response rates of 20-35% and median survival of 10-12 months. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), gefitinib and erlotinib are active against lung cancer. In retrospective studies, EGFR-TKI therapy among patients harboring EGFR mutations showed response rates higher than 65% and a median survival of 20-30 months.

Detection of subarachnoid hemorrhage at acute and subacute/chronic stages: comparison of four magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequences and computed tomography.

Background: Acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has traditionally been diagnosed by computed tomography (CT); however, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modality currently used to detect acute SAH. CT is insensitive in the detection of subacute or chronic SAH. The purpose of this study was to compare 4 MRI pulse sequences and CT in the detection of SAH in acute and subacute-to-chronic stages.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging in 12 cases.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a potentially devastating neurologic syndrome, but timely treatment may lead to complete reversal of the disease course. We reviewed 12 cases of PRES and describe the clinical history and imaging findings, including conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and calculated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, used to establish the diagnosis of PRES. Three male and nine female patients aged between 11 and 70 years (mean, 37 years) with clinical and imaging findings consistent with PRES were enrolled in the study.