Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
-
Observational Study
Impact of screening COVID-19 on orthopedic trauma patients at the emergency department: A consecutive series from a level I trauma center.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed a major threat to the clinical practice of orthopedic surgeons, especially in the emergency department. We aim to present: (1) the criteria established by the Surgery Management Committee of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in response to COVID-19 and (2) the impact of COVID-19 screening on orthopedic trauma patients in the emergency department. ⋯ We developed safe and reliable screening criteria for this COVID-19 pandemic. The delay in surgery was reasonable and did not adversely affect in-patient outcomes.
-
Alzheimer's disease (AD) exerts significant financial expenses on caregivers, and knowledge of caregivers' support for out-of-pocket payment is of great importance for policymaking on the insurance coverage of future AD medication in Taiwan. We aimed to investigate caregivers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical curative AD medication and the effect of different factors on the amount of WTP. ⋯ Support for out-of-pocket WTP for a hypothetical curative AD medication was significantly related to caregiver's income.
-
Patient satisfaction with oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is an important metric of care quality and has been associated with higher medication persistence. Among OACs, dabigatran has been shown to be non-inferior to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) with increased ease of use for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study, we sought to evaluate the expectations, convenience, and satisfaction of Taiwanese AF patients on dabigatran and VKA therapies as well as associated clinical outcomes. ⋯ In Taiwanese patients with AF and initially treated with VKA, switched to dabigatran resulted in higher convenience and treatment satisfaction. For those patients on newly initiated OAC treatment, VKA and dabigatran convenience and satisfaction scores were similar.
-
The timing of post-operative full weight-bearing in patients of isolated displaced lateral malleolar fractures remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of early full weight-bearing after rigid internal fixation of such fractures with locking plates. ⋯ For patients with isolated displaced lateral malleolar fractures, full weight-bearing is safe and effective, without an increase in the rate of complications, 2 weeks after open reduction and rigid fixation with locking plates.