Effectiveness of antiresorptive medications in women on long-term dialysis after hip fracture: A population-based cohort study.

There is no clear evidence how effective the antiresorptive (AR) drugs alendronate and raloxifene are at reducing risk of second hip fracture and mortality in dialysis populations. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of hospitalization for second hip fracture and risk of mortality between AR user and non-user groups in Taiwanese women on long-term dialysis with hip fractures. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Datasets.

Medication adherence to oral anticancer drugs: systematic review.

Many studies have demonstrated that non-adherence to oral anticancer drugs (OACDs) has challenged treatment efficacy. Otherwise, few validated tools exist to measure patients' adherence to medication regimen in clinical practice. To synthesize previous studies on adherence by cancer patients taking OACDs, especially in targeted therapy, a systematic search of several electronic databases was conducted.

Quantitative analysis of insulin in total parenteral nutrition bag in Taiwan.

Regular insulin can reduce hyperglycemia when directly added to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions. Insulin is not routinely added to all TPN solutions. For patients who require insulin prior to the initiation of TPN supplement, one-third to one-half of the usual total daily dose can be added to the TPN bag as regular human insulin.

Trace analysis of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with antipsychotic drugs for Alzheimer's disease by capillary electrophoresis with on column field-amplified sample injection.

A simple and sensitive capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV detection (214 nm) was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), donepezil, and rivastigmine, with antipsychotic drugs in plasma. A sample pretreatment by liquid-liquid extraction and subsequent quantification by CZE with field-amplified sample injection (FASI) was used. The optimum separation for these analytes was achieved in <20 min at 25 °C with a fused-silica capillary column of 60.

Reliability of 95% confidence interval revealed by expected quality-of-life scores: an example of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy using EORTC QLQ-C 30.

Background: Many researchers use observed questionnaire scores to evaluate score reliability and to make conclusions and inferences regarding quality-of-life outcomes. The amount of false alarms from medical diagnoses that would be avoided if observed scores were substituted with expected scores is interesting, and understanding these differences is important for the care of cancer patients. Using expected scores to estimate the reliability of 95% confidence intervals (CIs) is rarely reported in published papers.

Trends of benzodiazepine prescribing and the risk of hip fracture in elderly patients in Taiwan: A population-based study.

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to explore the trends of prescribing potentially inappropriate benzodiazepine use (PIBU) and the risk of fractures in an elderly population in Taiwan. Methods.

Validation of a shortened Taiwanese version of an asthma quality-of-life questionnaire by Rasch model.

The purpose of this study was to assess the one-dimensionality, item fit, redundancy, and differential item functioning (DIF) of a Taiwanese version of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (TAQLQ) using Rasch model and to examine the test-retest reliability, validity of a simplified version of the TAQLQ and the original AQLQ. The design of this study was a two-time assessment on a 1-month interval. A total of 143 asthmatic outpatients were requested to administer the original 7-point 32-item TAQLQ questionnaires at the first visit and the 5-point 27-item TAQLQ questionnaires at the second visit.

Cost-effectiveness of trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer: a systematic review.

Objective: To identify published, original, cost-effectiveness analyses presenting cost/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) ratios for trastuzumab used as an adjuvant treatment for HER2-positive early breast cancer and to evaluate the quality of reporting the favorable cost-effectiveness ratios.

Data Sources: The terms trastuzumab adjuvant therapy, cost-effectiveness, quality-adjusted, QALY, and early breast cancer were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and CancerLit, as well as in Cochrane economic evaluation and reference lists from 1998 to June 2008. Only English-language publications were eligible.

Direct medical costs in patients with Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan: A population-based study.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has the potential to become a major health concern and associated health care costs may become a significant economic burden on society.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the direct medical costs attributable to AD in patients aged ≥60 years in Taiwan from 2000 through 2002 and to explore the correlation of these costs with patients' age and sex.

Methods: This study was based on the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) program.

Transdermal delivery of treatment for Alzheimer's disease: development, clinical performance and future prospects.

There is increasing interest in the potential of transdermal drug delivery systems for the treatment of neurological disorders, especially in the elderly. In this population, the higher incidence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease and chronic pain, has dramatically increased the need for long-term medications. Additionally, elderly patients often have a combination of several chronic diseases, meaning drug delivery, drug-drug interactions, absorption/blood concentrations, toxicity and compliance are of concern for patients as well as for their caregivers and physicians.

Cost evaluation of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients in Taiwan: A prospective, descriptive, observational study.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (AADRs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In the United States, ADR-related morbidity and mortality costs have been estimated at US $330 billion to US $1130 billion annually.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ADRs in Taiwan, to identify the drug classes that are most commonly related to ADRs, and to determine the direct medical costs to hospitals associated with prolonged hospitalizations due to ADRs.

The evaluation of free influenza vaccination in health care workers in a medical center in Taiwan.

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of free influenza vaccination for healthcare workers in Taiwan.

Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a partially vaccinated sample of healthcare workers in a medical centre in the southern part of Taiwan. A convenience sample of 500 employees received a questionnaire.

Interaction between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in rats--In-Chen-How and acetaminophen.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the interaction effects of In-Chen-How (Artemisia capillaries Thunb.) on the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen and on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 enzyme activity in rats. The rats were divided into control group (n = 8) without In-Chen-How and the pretreated group (n = 8) administered with In-Chen-How (approximately 1.

Real-time dynamic monitoring of nonprotein-bound copper in the blood.

To obtain real-time dynamic changes of non-protein-bound copper in the blood, we have developed an online microdialysis sampling system coupled with a flow-injection graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-GFAAS). The analytical performances of the online system such as linearity, limit of detection, precision, and spiked recoveries were validated. Before the in vivo experiments, the in vivo recovery was conducted.

Simultaneous determination of celecoxib, meloxicam, and rofecoxib using capillary electrophoresis with surfactant and application in drug formulations.

A simple and selective CE using surfactant with UV detection is described for the simultaneous determination of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, celecoxib, meloxicam, and rofecoxib. The simultaneous analysis of celecoxib, meloxicam, and rofecoxib was performed in Tris buffer (10 mM; pH 11) with 60 mM sodium octane-sulfonate and 20% ACN as an anionic surfactant and organic modifier, respectively. Under this condition, good separation with high efficiency and the required short analysis time is achieved.

Determination of indomethacin in plasma by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with UV detection for premature infants with patent ducts arteriosus.

A simple and selective micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) is described for determination of indomethacin in plasma. Plasma proteins are precipitated by acetonitrile. An aliquot of supernatant was evaporated and reconstituted with Tris buffer for MEKC analysis.

Simultaneous determination of cefepime and L-arginine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography and applications to commercial injections.

A simple micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with UV detection is described for simultaneous analysis of cefepime and L-arginine. The determination of cefepime and L-arginine in pharmaceutical preparations was performed at 25degreesC using a background electrolyte consisting of Tris buffer with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the electrolyte solution. Several parameters affecting the separation of the drugs were studied, including the pH and concentrations of the Tris buffer and SDS.

Trace analysis of zotepine and its active metabolite in plasma by capillary electrophoresis with solid phase extraction and head-column field-amplified sample stacking.

A sensitive high-performance capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with head-column field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) in binary system has been developed for the simultaneous determination of zotepine and its active metabolite, norzotepine, in human plasma. The separation of zotepine and norzotepine was performed using a background electrolyte consisting of 50% ethylene glycol-borate buffer (20mM, pH 8.0) solution with 20% methanol as the running buffer and on-column detection at 200 nm.

Rapid and selective micellar electrokinetic chromatography for simultaneous determination of amikacin, kanamycin A, and tobramycin with UV detection and application in drug formulations.

A simple and selective micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with UV detection is described for simultaneous determination of amikacin, tobramycin, and kanamycin A, performed in Tris buffer (180 mM; pH 9.1) with 300 mM sodium pentanesulfonate (SPS) as an anionic surfactant. Under this condition, good separation with high efficiency and the required short analysis time is achieved.

Simultaneous determination of theophylline and dyphylline by micellar electrokinetic chromatography and application in drug formulations.

A simple micellar electrokinetic chromatography is described for well resolution of theophylline, dyphylline and caffeine. The separation was performed at 25 degrees C using a background electrolyte consisting of 10mM borate buffer at pH 9 and 40 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as running buffer. Under this condition, good separation with high efficiency and short analyses time required is achieved.

Highly sensitive analysis of iodide anion in seaweed as pentafluorophenoxyethyl derivative by capillary gas chromatography.

A simple and sensitive gas chromatography (GC) method is described for the trace analysis of iodide anion (iodide) in processed seaweed as an organic derivative. The method is based on the derivatization of aqueous iodide extracted from seaweed with 2-(pentafluorophenoxy)ethyl 2-(piperidino)ethanesulfonate in toluene using tetra-n-hexylammonium bromide as a phase-transfer catalyst. The resulting pentafluorophenoxyethyl iodide is highly responsive to an electron-capture detector (ECD) and was analyzed by GC-ECD, giving a low detection limit of approximately 2.

Trace analysis of tobramycin in human plasma by derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is established for the trace determination of tobramycin in human plasma by derivatization. The method is based on the chemical derivatization of aminoglycoside antibiotic, tobramycin in human plasma, with 1-naphthyl isothiocyanate (NITC) in pyridine at 70 degrees C. After derivatization reaction, a methylamine/acetonitrile solution was added to the reaction mixture to eliminate the excess derivatizing agent and shorten the analysis time.