Influence of Comorbidities and Airway Clearance on Mortality and Outcomes of Patients With Severe Bronchiectasis Exacerbations in Taiwan.

Bronchiectasis is characterized by systemic inflammation and multiple comorbidities. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes based on the bronchiectasis etiology comorbidity index (BACI) score in patients hospitalized for severe bronchiectasis exacerbations. We included non-cystic fibrosis patients hospitalized for severe bronchiectasis exacerbations between January 2008 and December 2016 from the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD) cohort.

Comparing end-of-life care in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with and without palliative care in Taiwan.

Background: We investigated the difference of clinical practice pattern between end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with and without palliative care at the end of life in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: A total of 91 COPD patients who died in an acute care hospital were enrolled from one community teaching hospital in northern Taiwan between September 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009. The patients were divided into palliative (n = 17) and non-palliative care (n = 74) groups.

Comparing end-of-life care for hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in Taiwan.

When it comes to end-of-life care, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are often treated differently from lung cancer patients. However, few reports have compared end-of-life care between these two groups. We investigated the differences between patients with end-stage COPD and end-stage lung cancer based on end-of-life symptoms and clinical practice patterns using a retrospective study of COPD and lung cancer patients who died in an acute care hospital in Taiwan.

Effectiveness of paced walking to music at home for patients with COPD.

The use of rhythmic music is beneficial in assisting with the exercise intensity at home. This paper investigated the effects of paced walking to music at home with an 80% VO(2) peak for patients with COPD. A prospective randomized clinical trial consisting of a treatment group (n = 20) assigned to a 12-week period of paced walking to music at home, while the patients in the control group (n = 21) were only given educational information.