Abstract Background Multidisciplinary care is advocated as an effective chronic kidney disease treatment program in a few, but not all, studies. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of ...multidisciplinary care on renal outcome and patient survival using a larger cohort. Method A total 1382 chronic kidney disease patients, ages 18-80 years, with chronic kidney disease stage 3B-5, in nephrology outpatient clinics were enrolled. Using age, sex, chronic kidney disease stage, and diabetes mellitus as variables, 592 multidisciplinary care program participants were matched with 614 nonmultidisciplinary care patients. The primary outcomes were long-term renal replacement therapy and mortality. Secondary outcomes included changes of biochemical markers and blood pressure, infection hospitalization, cardiovascular events, and emergent start of long-term dialysis. Annual medical costs were compared. Results There were no between-group differences regarding mortality. In the multivariate competing-risk regression model, the multidisciplinary care group had a better renal survival (hazard ratio 0.640; 95% confidence interval, 0.484-0.847; P = .002). This effect was most prominent in stage 4 (hazard ratio 0.375; 95% confidence interval, 0.219-0.640; P < .001), but not in stage 3B and 5 patients. The multidisciplinary care group showed a slower estimated glomerular filtration rate decline (−2.57 vs −3.74 mL/min/1.73 m2 , P = .021), and a smaller increase in phosphate (+ 0.03 vs + 0.33 mg/dL, P = .013). Cardiovascular and infection events were both decreased in the multidisciplinary care group ( P < .001). There was also less requirement of emergent start dialysis (39.6% vs 54.5%, P = .001). The annual cost for the multidisciplinary care group was lower than the nonmultidisciplinary care group (US $2372 vs $3794, P < .001). In addition, considering the reduction of patients requiring renal replacement therapy, the multidisciplinary care program saved a total US $1931 per patient annually. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrated that the multidisciplinary care program provided better health care and reduced renal replacement therapy in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. By decreasing hospitalizations, emergent start, and the need for renal replacement therapy, the multidisciplinary care program was cost-effective.
Abstract Context Undertreatment of cancer pain among outpatient cancer patients needs to be addressed to enhance care and improve patients' quality of life (QoL). Objectives This prospective, ...cross-sectional, patient-focused study aimed to explore the prevalence of pain and undertreatment of cancer pain in outpatients in Taiwan. Methods A total of 2652 non-selected outpatients with cancer and aged 20 years or older from 16 medical centers across Taiwan were included in this survey. All patients completed a questionnaire based on the Brief Pain Inventory. Pain management index (PMI) was used to evaluate the adequacy of pain management. Possible clinical variables of patients with positive PMI were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results A total of 1659 (62.6%) outpatients had experienced some degree of pain; among these, 32.4% had negative PMI. Patients with a negative PMI score had significantly poor outcomes of QoL and a significantly higher tendency toward dissatisfaction with pain control by the physician and with the prescribed analgesic drugs. Female gender, primary tumor from breast, non–cancer-related cause of pain, and hospital locations from north Taiwan were independent variables that predicated patients with undertreatment of cancer pain. Most importantly, a forward trend of undertreatment of pain among patients who presented with lower prevalent rate of pain was observed. Conclusion One-third of Taiwanese outpatients experienced pain because of undertreatment. Awareness of the prevalence of undertreatment of cancer pain and identification of the vulnerable subjects may assist in enhancing patient care and improving patient's QoL.
Background Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening medical condition. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a salvage therapy for patients with ARDS and refractory ...hypoxia. This study compared the characteristics and outcomes of ARDS patients who did or did not receive ECMO matched with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score and age. Methods This retrospective, case-control study enrolled patients with ARDS admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary referral hospital between January 2007 and December 2012. Overall, 216 patients with ARDS—81 receiving ECMO (ECMO group) and 135 not receiving ECMO (non-ECMO group)—were enrolled in this study. Patients were paired when the difference in their APACHE II scores was within 3 points and their age difference was 3 years. In total, 126 patients could not be matched and were thus excluded. Eventually, of the 90 patients with ARDS enrolled in this study, 45 ECMO group patients were matched with 45 non-ECMO group patients. The demographic data, reasons for intensive care unit admission, and laboratory variables were evaluated. Results The primary etiology of ARDS was infection (72.2%). The APACHE II score and age-matched group receiving ECMO therapy had higher inhospital survival rates. Moreover, the patients receiving ECMO therapy had significantly lower 6-month mortality rates than did the non-ECMO group. Conclusions Patients with ARDS who received ECMO treatment had higher inhospital survival rates than did those with a similar disease severity and at a similar age who did not receive ECMO.
Background The treatment of adhesive capsulitis is a dilemma for orthopaedic rehabilitation specialists. In this study, we assessed whether extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) improves the ...functional outcome of primary shoulder adhesive capsulitis. Methods In this prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial, we enrolled 40 patients with primary adhesive capsulitis to assess whether ESWT can improve the functional outcome of primary adhesive capsulitis better than oral steroid therapy. Patients were allocated to the oral steroid group or ESWT group with randomization. Functional outcome evaluations were performed using the Constant Shoulder Score (CSS) and Oxford Shoulder Score. Results Both groups showed significant improvement in the Oxford Shoulder Score evaluation throughout the study period. In the ESWT group, the total CSS and range of motion (ROM) parameter of the CSS in the ESWT group showed significant improvement from the fourth week that was better than that in the steroid group; the activities–of–daily living (ADL) parameter of the CSS achieved significance and was better than that in the steroid group at the sixth week. For the steroid group, pain was significantly reduced from baseline to the fourth week of the study; ADL and ROM improved at the fourth to 12th week. For the ESWT group, ADL and ROM improvements were significant from baseline to the sixth week. Conclusion Our results showed that ESWT can be an alternative treatment, at least in the short-term, for primary adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. In addition, all of the side effects of ESWT were transient and tolerable.
Background The role played by hemostasis in the pathogenesis of ischemic strokes is still controversial. The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) measures the time necessary to generate ...fibrin from initiation of the intrinsic pathway. In the present study, we looked for a possible association of ischemic strokes with the shortened APTT. Methods The study population consisted of 154 patients with acute ischemic strokes who had been admitted from December 2013 to December 2014 to the Department of Neurology, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and 71 control subjects with no history of stroke. Results In a univariate risk analysis, shortened APTT was associated with an odds ratio (OR) for acute ischemic strokes of up to 1.86 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.06-3.29, P = .031). In a multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and shortened APTT, shortened APTT was still found to significantly add to the risk of ischemic stroke (OR = 2.12 with 95% CI, 1.13-3.98, P = .020). Shortened APTT was also associated significantly with neurological worsening (OR = 3.72 with 95% CI 1.03-13.5, P = .046). As for stroke severity, shortened APTT was associated with an OR for moderate/severe stroke of up to 3.42 (95% CI, 1.53-7.61, P = .003). Conclusion Shortened APTT is a prevalent and independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, stroke severity, and neurological worsening after acute stroke.
Background Blunt adrenal gland trauma (BAGT) is a potentially devastating event if unrecognized during the treatment course of patients with trauma. Because of its rarity, no current algorithm or ...consensus exists for BAGT. In the present study, we demonstrated the feasibility and safety of transcatheter angiographic embolization (TAE) in BAGT and analyzed the clinical presentation and outcome of BAGT. Methods We conducted a prospective collection and retrospective review at a level I trauma center in Taiwan. This study included all of the patients that sustained BAGT from May 2004 to May 2013. We retrieved and analyzed the patient demographic data, clinical presentation, BAGT grade, injury severity score, management, hospital stay, and mortality. Results The cohort consisted of 77 patients: 59 men and 18 women. The mean age was 34.3 ± 15.5 years. The right side was the predominant site of injury (59/77; 76.6%). Six patients underwent operation; 18 patients underwent angiography, including four TAEs, and the remaining patients underwent conservative management. The mortality rate was 9.1% (7/77), and a high injury severity score was an independent factor to predict mortality. Conclusion In conclusion, BAGT is a rare injury with a benign prognosis. Most patients can be treated conservatively. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that both TAE and operation can be used to achieve hemostasis. The mortality of BAGT was related to severe associated injuries. BAGT is an indicator of severe multiple trauma; however, it does not increase mortality or prolong hospital stay.
Kras mutation is the most common driver oncogene present in patients with NSCLC. Recently, the precision medicine for patients with Kras-mutated NSCLC has been under investigation, but the best ...treatment is still unknown. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response, and prognostic factors of patients with NSCLC with different Kras mutation subtypes.
From 2005 to 2018, we collected nonsquamous NSCLC tissue samples for Kras mutation analysis using direct Sanger sequencing or MassARRAY genotyping (Agena Bioscience, San Diego, CA) at the National Taiwan University Hospital. Clinical characteristics, ICI treatment effectiveness, time-to-tumor recurrence (TTR), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using multivariate Cox models, to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs).
Among 5278 patients with nonsquamous NSCLC, 246 (4.7%) had Kras mutations. The major Kras mutation subtypes were G12C (32.9%), G12D (23.7%), and G12V (18.9%). Patients with Kras-G12C had a higher proportion of male individuals (p = 0.018) and smokers (p < 0.001). Among the 25 patients treated with ICIs, patients with Kras-G12C had a higher response rate (53.8% versus 8.3%, p = 0.030) and longer progression-free survival (4.8 mo versus 2.1 mo, p = 0.028) than those with Kras-non-G12C. For the 85 patients with early-stage NSCLC, those with G12C had shorter TTR (22.8 mo) than those with Kras-non-G12C (97.7 mo, p = 0.004). For the 143 patients with advanced-stage NSCLC, there was a significant difference in OS between patients with Kras-G12C and Kras-non-G12C (7.7 mo versus 6.0 mo, p = 0.018) and patients with Kras-G12V had the shortest OS (5.2 mo). Multivariate analysis revealed association of shorter OS with Kras-G12V (HR = 2.47, p = 0.002), stage IV disease status (HR = 2.69, p = 0.008), and NSCLC—not otherwise specified histology (HR = 3.12, p = 0.002).
Kras-G12C was associated with favorable ICI treatment effectiveness in patients with NSCLC. Kras-G12C mutation was associated with shorter TTR in patients with early-stage NSCLC, and Kras-G12V mutation was associated with shorter OS in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC when comparing with Kras-G12C.
In Taiwan, breast cancer has the highest incidence among all cancers. Although adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine treatment (TCM) have been used to ameliorate the side effects or discomfort ...caused by cancer treatments, no study has focused on the assessment of the quality of life of patients undergoing adjunctive TCM treatments. This study compared the quality of life between breast cancer patients treated with and without adjunctive TCM. Questionnaires were collected from 7 hospitals with a Chinese medicine clinic in 2018 to 2019. Breast cancer patients who had cancer stages I, II, or III and also underwent resection surgery were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups: patients receiving cancer treatments with adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM group) and those receiving cancer treatments without adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine (non-TCM group). A 1:1 matching was used to obtain the study participants. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test and ANOVA to compare the differences between variables. The conditional multiple regression model was applied to explore the factors associated with quality of life in breast cancer patients. A total of 543 participants were surveyed, and 450 participants were included in the study. The EQ-5D score of the TCM group (81.60 ± 11.67) was significantly higher than that of the non-TCM group (78.80 ± 13.10; P < .05). The results of a conditional multiple regression model showed that the TCM group had a higher (3.45 points) quality of life than non-TCM group (P = .002) after adjusting for other related factors. After stratifying by cancer stage, patients with cancer stages II and III scored 5.58 and 4.35 points higher in the TCM group than did those in the non-TCM group (P < .05). Breast cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment with adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine have a higher quality of life than those treated without adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine.
Background Malfunction of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is an important cause of morbidity and hospitalization in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of far ...infrared therapy on the maturation and patency of newly created AVFs in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5. Study Design Randomized controlled study. Setting & Participants Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 5-20 mL/min/1.73 m2. Intervention 40 minutes of far infrared therapy 3 times weekly for a year. Outcomes The primary outcome is the rate of AVF malfunction within 12 months, with malfunction defined as either: (1) thrombosis without thrill for AVFs not undergoing HD or (2) receiving any type of interventional procedure due to a lower Kt/V (<1.2) for patients undergoing HD. Secondary outcomes include: (1) cumulative primary unassisted AVF patency, defined as time from creation of the AVF to the first episode of AVF malfunction; (2) physiologic maturation of the AVF by the definition of AVF access blood flow (Qa) ≥500 mL/min and AVF diameter ≥4 mm at 3 months; and (3) clinical maturation of the AVF suitable for HD at 1 year. Measurements AVF Qa was measured by Doppler ultrasonography at 2 days and 1, 2, 3, and 12 months. Results We enrolled 122 patients who were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 60) and control (n = 62) groups. In comparison to controls, patients in the intervention group had higher Qa values at 1, 2, 3, and 12 months; a higher rate of physiologic maturation (90% vs 76%; P = 0.04) at 3 months; and a lower rate of AVF malfunction (12% vs 29%; P = 0.02) but higher rates of AVF cumulative unassisted patency (87% vs 70%; P = 0.01) and clinical maturation (82% vs 60%; P = 0.008) within 12 months. Limitations This is a single-center nonblinded study. Conclusions Far infrared therapy improves the access flow, maturation, and patency of newly created AVFs in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 4 and 5.
To explore the effectiveness of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) at different timing after administration compared with physical therapy, placebo, and intra-articular injections in patients with ...chronic shoulder pain.
Two electronic data sources, PubMed and Scopus, were mainly searched from the earliest record to September 2015.
Eleven randomized controlled trials that compared SSNB with physical therapy, placebo, and intra-articular injections were included, comprising 591 patients.
Patient demographics, regimens for SSNB and intra-articular injections, use of fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance, conjunction with physical therapy, methods of randomization, and measurements of functional change and pain improvement were retrieved. The standardized mean differences (SMDs) of pain relief and functional improvement were calculated 1, 4, and 12 weeks after intervention.
Regarding pain relief, SSNB provided better pain relief for 12 weeks compared with physical therapy (SMD=.75; 95% confidence interval CI, .35-1.14) and placebo injections (SMD=.70; 95% CI, .40-1.00), but was not superior to intra-articular injections. Differences in patient populations and use of pulsed radiofrequency did not cause a significant variation in therapeutic efficacy, but guidance using ultrasound showed consistently better effectiveness than guidance using surface landmarks and fluoroscopy.
This meta-analysis demonstrated the superiority of SSNB to placebo and physical therapy and a similar efficacy of SSNB compared with intra-articular injection for treatment of chronic shoulder pain. Ultrasound was the most preferable guidance tool, and future studies are advised to integrate physical therapy in order to improve the long-term effectiveness of SSNB.
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