Temperature effects on hospital admissions for kidney morbidity in Taiwan.

Objective: This study aimed to associate hospital admissions of kidney diseases with extreme temperature and prolonged heat/cold events in 7 regions of Taiwan.

Methods: Age-specific (<65 years, 65+years and all ages) hospital admission records of nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, or nephrosis, in the form of electronic insurance reimbursement claims, were retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database during the period of 2000-2008. The area-age-specific relative risk (RR) accounting for 8 days of lag for temperature on hospital admissions of kidney diseases were estimated using distributed lag non-linear models with the Poisson distribution controlling for extreme temperature events, levels of air pollutants (PM(10), O(3), and NO(2)) and potential confounders.

The effectiveness of a health education intervention on self-care of traumatic wounds.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the effectiveness of wound care programme for emergency traumatic patient in Taiwan.

Background: Wound care is one of the most major issues for trauma patients at home. Wound infection has been alerted mostly on medical treatment.

Temperature, nitrogen dioxide, circulating respiratory viruses and acute upper respiratory infections among children in Taipei, Taiwan: a population-based study.

Objective: This study investigated whether outpatient visits of acute upper respiratory infections for children aged less than 15 years are associated with temperature, air pollutants and circulating respiratory viruses in Taipei, Taiwan, from 2003 to 2007.

Methods: Outpatient records for acute upper respiratory infections (ICD9 CM codes: 460, 462, 463,464, 465.9 and 487) in a randomly selected sample (n=39,766 children in 2005) was used to estimate the cumulative relative risks (RR) associated with average temperature lasting for 8 days (lag 0-7 days), air pollutants (NO2, O3 and PM(2.

The effects of repeat laparoscopic surgery on the treatment of complications resulting from laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery is frequently applied in the operative management of appendicitis and symptomatic cholelithiasis because it is a minimally invasive procedure. There are, however, some complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) that result in the need for reoperation. In the current study, we examine the effects of repeat laparoscopic surgery on the treatment of complications arising from LC/LA.

Anterior-posterior compression pelvic fracture increases the probability of requirement of bilateral embolization.

Introduction: Transarterial embolization has become an effective method in the management of pelvic fracture-related retroperitoneal hemorrhage. However, the selection of bilateral embolization or selective unilateral embolization remains controversial. The anterior-posterior compression (APC) pelvic fracture creates a complete diastasis of the anterior pelvis, which might be associated with bilateral sacroiliac joint injuries and further bilateral arterial injuries.

Trauma during pregnancy: a population-based analysis of maternal outcome.

Background: Serious injury during pregnancy is known to cause adverse maternal outcomes. However, the significance of minor injuries in adverse maternal outcomes requires clarification because most injuries sustained during pregnancy are minor ones.

Methods: Two population-based databases (inpatient and ambulatory care) were used to identify pregnant women who had severe (required hospitalization) or minor injuries (required ambulatory care only) prenatally.

Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration in patients with complicated cholecystitis: a safety and feasibility study.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is nowadays a preferred one-stage treatment. However, the influence of complicated cholecystitis (CC) on LCBDE has rarely been addressed. In the present study we aimed to verify whether severe gallbladder inflammation would adversely affect the outcome of LCBDE.

Population study on chronic and acute conjunctivitis associated with ambient environment in urban and rural areas.

The objective of this study is to evaluate whether daily clinic visits for conjunctivitis are associated with the ambient environment in urban and rural areas of Taiwan. The incidences of acute and chronic conjunctivitis (International Classification of Disease 9 Clinical Modification 372.0 and 372.

Association between rehabilitation timing and major complications of total knee arthroplatsy.

Objective: To investigate the association between rehabilitation timing and the occurrence of post-total knee arthroplasty complications and related medical service utilization.

Methods: Data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2003-2006 were used to perform a retrospective study on patients who received their initial total knee arthroplasty during 2004-2005 (a total of 21,143 subjects). All subjects were divided into 1 of 3 groups based on the timing of their rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty, namely, the within 2 weeks group, the after 2 weeks group or the no-rehabilitation group.

Can early laparoscopic cholecystectomy be the optimal management of cholecystitis with gallbladder perforation? A single institute experience of 74 cases.

Background: Gallbladder perforation is a rare but serious complication of cholecystitis. It was usually managed by percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) followed by elective cholecystectomy. However, evidences are emerging that early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is still feasible under these conditions.

High-temperature indices associated with mortality and outpatient visits: characterizing the association with elevated temperature.

This study aimed to identify optimal high-temperature indices to predict risks of all-cause mortality and outpatient visits for subtropical islanders in warm seasons (May to October). Eight high-temperature indices, including three single measurements (average, maximum and minimum temperature) and five composite indices (heat index, humidex, temperature humidity index, apparent temperature and wet-bulb globe temperature), and their standardized Z scores, were used in distributed lag non-linear models. Cumulative 8-day (lag zero to seven days) relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated, 1 and 2 standardized deviations above the medium (i.

Diabetes mellitus and cerebrovascular disease as independent determinants for increased hospital costs and length of stay in open appendectomy in comparison with laparoscopic appendectomy: a nationwide cohort study.

Comorbidity has been proven to increase hospital costs and length of hospital stays in patients receiving appendectomy for the treatment of acute appendicitis. However, the specific comorbidities that independently influence discrepancy of hospital costs and length of stay between open appendectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy still need to be elucidated. Using multivariate linear analysis, administrative claims data were obtained from Taiwan's National Health Institute Research Database to compare differences of hospitalization costs and length of stay between open appendectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy categorized by various comorbidities defined in Charlson comorbidity score.

Late initiation of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration therapy is associated with a lower survival rate in surgical critically ill patients with postoperative acute kidney injury.

There is controversy about the appropriate timing for renal replacement therapy in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). We are interested in the appropriate timing for initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy in critically ill surgical patients with postoperative acute kidney injury. Seventy-three critically ill surgical patients with postoperative AKI who received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) were enrolled.

Selective computed tomography and angioembolization provide benefits in the management of patients with concomitant unstable hemodynamics and negative sonography results.

Background: The FAST (focused assessment of sonography for trauma) examination can rapidly identify free fluid in the abdominal or thoracic cavity, which is indicative of hemorrhage requiring emergency surgery in multiple-trauma patients. In patients with negative FAST examination results, it is difficult to identify the site of the hemorrhage and to plan treatment accordingly. We attempted to delineate the role of selective computed tomography (CT) and transarterial angioembolization (TAE) in the management of such unstable patients.

Associating emergency room visits with first and prolonged extreme temperature event in Taiwan: A population-based cohort study.

The present study evaluated emergency room visit (ERV) risks for all causes and cardiopulmonary diseases associated with temperature and long-lasting extreme temperatures from 2000 to 2009 in four major cities in Taiwan. The city-specific daily average temperatures at the high 95th, 97th, and 99th percentiles, and the low 10th, 5th, and 1st percentiles were defined as extreme heat and cold. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the cumulative relative risk (RR) of ERV for morbidities associated with temperatures (0 to 3-day lags), extreme heat and cold lasting for 2 to 9 days or longer, and with the annual first extreme heat or cold event after controlling for covariates.

Differential neuronal changes in medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens after postweaning social isolation.

The mesocorticolimbic system contains dopamine (DA)-producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and their projection targets, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala (AMY) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Disruption of this system might attribute to mental illnesses. In the present study, we adopted the postweaning social isolation paradigm to model neuropsychiatric disorders and studied the functional and structural changes of the mesocorticolimbic system.

Water outage increases the risk of gastroenteritis and eyes and skin diseases.

Background: The present study used insurance claims data to investigate infections associated with short-term water outage because of constructions or pipe breaks.

Methods: The present study used medical claims of one million insured persons for 2004-2006. We estimated incidences of gastroenteritis and eye and skin complaints for 10 days before, during, and after 10 days of water supply restriction for outpatient visits and for emergency and in-patient care combined.

Tomographic findings are not always predictive of failed nonoperative management in blunt hepatic injury.

Background: Nonoperative management (NOM) has become the standard treatment of blunt hepatic injury (BHI) for stable patients. Contrast extravasation (CE) on computed tomography (CT) scan had been reported as a sign that is associated with NOM failure. The goal of this study was to further investigate the risk factors of NOM failure in patients with CE on CT scan.

Mortality risk associated with temperature and prolonged temperature extremes in elderly populations in Taiwan.

Background: This study investigated mortality risks from all causes, circulatory and respiratory diseases for the elderly associated with prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures in four major cities of Taiwan.

Methods: Daily average temperatures at the high 99th, 97th, and 95th percentiles were defined as extreme heat, and those at the low 10th, 5th, and 1st percentiles were defined as extreme cold for each city in 1994-2007. Distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of mortality associated with 30-day lag temperature, and heat and cold extremes lasting for 3-5, 6-8, and >8 days.