Perimenopause and incidence of depression in midlife women: a population-based study in Taiwan.

Aim: To examine the relationships between depressive symptoms, menopausal status, and menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women.

Material And Methods: This cross-sectional, population-based study involved patients in the Taiwanese community. Data were retrieved from the nationwide 2002 Health Promotion Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance Survey in Taiwan.

Surgical management of giant hepatic hemangiomas: complications and review of the literature.

Background: Hepatic hemangiomas are the most common benign hepatic tumors, and they are usually asymptomatic with normal liver function. When hepatic hemangiomas reach 4 cm, we define them as giant hemangiomas. Treatment options for giant hemangiomas are observation, surgical resection, and transcatheter arterial embolization.

Astrovirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children of less than 5 years of age in Taiwan, 2009.

Background/purpose: Acute gastroenteritis is a common illness in children under 5 years old. Although rotavirus is a leading cause, other viruses including astrovirus are also important, but have been the subject of limited studies. This is a prospective study to investigate astrovirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children in Taiwan.

Single-dose antimicrobial prophylaxis in transoral surgical lung biopsy: a preliminary experience.

Background: The feasibility of the transtracheal approach to the thoracic cavity has been demonstrated, but surgical lung biopsy via the tracheal approach still remains a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and outcome of transoral surgical lung biopsy under a single preoperative dose of parenteral antibiotics.

Methods: Transoral thoracoscopy and surgical lung biopsy were performed for 10 anesthetized dogs after a single intravenous injection of cefazoline (20 mg/kg).

Feasibility of endoscopic transoral thoracic surgical lung biopsy and pericardial window creation.

Background: The thoracic cavity approach for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is technically challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a transoral endoscopic technique for a surgical lung biopsy and pericardial window creation

Methods: Under general anesthesia, a 12 mm incision was made over the vestibulum oris region. Under video guidance, a homemade metallic tube was introduced through the incision, extending along the pre-tracheal space to the substernal space with blunt dissection technique, and used as the entrance into the thoracic cavity.

Medical conditions and medications as risk factors of falls in the inpatient older people: a case-control study.

Objective: The majority of inpatient falls are older people who have various medical conditions and are on several medications. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between medical conditions and medications and falls in older people in hospital.

Method: Using a case-control design, we selected older people (aged 65 or over) who were reported to the Taiwan Patient-Safety Reporting System for the fall incidents in a large academic hospital in 2006 (n = 165).

Feasibility of the transtracheal approach for the thoracic cavity in a large animal model.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a novel transtracheal endoscopic technique for thoracic evaluation and intervention in a large animal model.

Methods: In 12 animals (6 pigs and 6 dogs) under general anesthesia, a tracheal incision was made on the right lateral wall of the lower trachea and used as an entrance for thoracic evaluation and intervention. Postoperative follow-up included endoscopy at 1 and 2 weeks after surgery and necropsy at 2 weeks after surgery.

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among Taiwanese children in 2005 and 2006.

From July 2005 to October 2006, a total of 3,046 children, of ages between 2 months and 5 years, presented for a well-child health care visit to one of three medical centers, which are located in the northern, central, and southern parts of Taiwan, and were surveyed for nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The overall prevalences of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage among the children were 23% and 7.