Opposite effects of Covid-19 infection on pitchers and batters: a retrospective study on Chinese Professional Baseball League players.

Background: The influence of COVID-19 infection on elite athletes remains largely unknown, especially on baseball players. The goal of this study is to examine the actual performance of infected elite baseball players from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) from a sabermetric point of view.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational cohort study.

Long-term survival after major trauma: a retrospective nationwide cohort study from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

Background: Most trauma-related studies are focused on short-term survival and complications within the index admission, and the long-term outcomes beyond discharge are mainly unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and to assess the long-term survival of major trauma patients after being discharged from the index admission.

Material And Methods: This retrospective, observational study included all patients with major trauma (injury severity score ≥16) in Taiwan from 2003 to 2007, and a 10-year follow-up was conducted on this cohort.

Preinjury warfarin does not cause failure of nonoperative management in patients with blunt hepatic, splenic or renal injuries.

Background: For patients sustaining major trauma, preinjury warfarin use may make adequate haemostasis difficult. This study aimed to determine whether preinjury warfarin would result in more haemostatic interventions (transarterial embolization [TAE] or surgeries) and a higher failure rate of nonoperative management for blunt hepatic, splenic or renal injuries.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2003 to 2015.

Aspirin does not increase the need for haemostatic interventions in blunt liver and spleen injuries.

Purpose: The prohemorrhagic effect of aspirin may cause concern about worse prognoses when treating blunt hepatic or splenic injuries. This study investigated whether preinjury aspirin yields an increasing need for haemostatic interventions.

Methods: Admission and outpatient records were extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2003 to 2015.

Prevalence and predictors of hypovitaminosis D among the elderly in subtropical region.

The prevalence of low vitamin D status in the elderly population of subtropical area and the potential risk/protective factors have not been addressed. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, which collected demographic/anthropometric data and information on diet habit and sun exposure, recruited 170 subjects with mean age 70.9±5.

Redistributive effects of the National Health Insurance on physicians in Taiwan: a natural experiment time series study.

Background: Previous studies have evaluated the effects of various health manpower policies but did not include full consideration of the effect of universal health insurance on physician re-distribution. This study examines the effects of implementing National Health Insurance (NHI) on the problem of geographic mal-distribution of health providers in Taiwan.

Methods: Data on health providers and population between 1971 and 2001 are obtained from relevant governmental publications in Taiwan.

Effects of global budgeting on the distribution of dentists and use of dental care in Taiwan.

Objective: To examine the effects of global budgeting on the distribution of dentists and the use and cost of dental care in Taiwan.

Data Sources: (1) Monthly dental claim data from January 1996 to December 2001 for the entire insured population in Taiwan. (2) The 1996-2001 population information for the cities, counties and townships in Taiwan, abstracted from the Taiwan-Fukien Demographic Fact Book.