Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Over recent years, new evolution in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) contributes to clinical benefits in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The additional medical expenditure may be a concern due to the current financial constraint. This study aimed to investigate the medical costs and clinical effectiveness of contemporary GDMT in recently hospitalized HFrEF patients. ⋯ The higher adoption of GDMT was associated with greater medical expenses but better clinical outcomes in recently decompensated HFrEF patients.
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Plate and locked intramedullary nailing for humeral fractures are golden standard procedure, but the humerus is a nonweight-bearing bone and can tolerate a larger range of acceptable alignment. We believe the elastic stable intramedullary nails (ESINs) can provide enough relative stability for humeral shaft fractures in certain adult patients. ⋯ We have reported good results using ESINs for the displaced fractures of the humerus in the four indication adults who would not be able to tolerate plate fixation or intramedullary nailing. The ESINs fixation method is a simple procedure that provides a small incision, minimal blood loss, short surgical time, and relative stability fixation.
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Comparative Study
Efficacy of periarticular injection intraoperatively for mini-open rotator cuff repair: A comparative study.
The optimal postoperative analgesia after open rotator cuff repair surgery remains unclear. This study compared the use of a multimodal pain regimen including periarticular injection (PAI), with a control condition. We hypothesized that PAI leads to decreased opioid consumption and lower pain scores. ⋯ In our study, PAI in the shoulder after mini-open rotator cuff repair showed effective pain control on the day of the surgery, postponed the time of the first dosage of intravenous pain medication, and reduced the total dosage of the intravenous pain medication.
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Hepatoma upregulated protein (HURP) and Ki-67 have been identified as cancer-related genes involved in cell growth and proliferation. Previous experimental studies have suggested an essential role for HURP expression in liver carcinogenesis. However, data regarding HURP expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its correlation with patient outcomes are limited. In this study, we examined the clinicopathologic features associated with HURP expression in HCC, and compared them to the results of the Ki-67 study. ⋯ In our study, HURP expression in HCC tissue was not associated with post-resection survival. Ki-67 expression was an independent prognostic factor for survival. Our results suggest that the effect of HURP activity on growth, invasion, and postresection outcome of HCC in actual patients is less than previously demonstrated in experimental studies.
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with complicated interaction between immune, gut microbiota, and environmental factors in a genetically vulnerable host. Dysbiosis is often seen in patients with IBD. We aimed to investigate the fecal microbiota in patients with IBD and compared them with a control group in Taiwan. ⋯ Compared with the healthy control, the IBD group showed dysbiosis with a significant decrease in both richness and diversity of gut microbiota.