Medicine
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Serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Distinguishing SBI from self-limiting viral infections is a very important task in the emergency department (ED), especially in the children with fever without source (FWS). The aim of this study was to analyze whether parents' statements about clinical manifestations, which were categorized according to grades, are related to the actual diagnosis of SBI in children with FWS. ⋯ The AUC was 0.54 (95% CI 0.41-0.67) for duration of fever, 0.52 for activity (95% CI 0.40-0.64), 0.42 for feeding (95% CI 0.32-0.53), and 0.51 for urination (95% CI 0.39-0.62). There was no evidence that the test performance of the clinical manifestations is valid for predicting SBIs, even considering the severity of manifestations. For optimal evaluation of the children with FWS, more comprehensive approach including laboratory tests, are needed.
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Observational Study
Association between palliative care and end-of-Life care for patients with hematological malignancies: A population-based study.
To date, few studies have examined the end-of-life (EOL) care for patients with hematological malignancies (HMs). We evaluated the effects of palliative care on the quality of EOL care and health care costs for adult patients with HMs in the final month of life. We conducted a population-based study and analyzed data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, which contains claims information for patient medical records, health care costs, and insurance system exit dates (our proxy for death) between 2000 and 2011. ⋯ Patients with HMs who had received palliative care could benefit from less aggressive EOL cancer care in the final month of life. However, 8.6% patients with HMs received palliative care. The related factors of more hospitalizations and dying in hospital warrant further investigation.
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Microsurgery is widely utilized for patients with cerebral hemorrhage (CH). The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of microsurgery for the treatment of patients with CH secondary to gestational hypertension (GH). ⋯ PROSPERO CRD42019145750.
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The knowledge of weaning ventilation period is fundamental to understand the causes and consequences of prolonged weaning. In 2007, an International Consensus Conference (ICC) defined a classification of weaning used worldwide. However, a new definition and classification of weaning (WIND) were suggested in 2017. ⋯ Our results were able to find the clinical relevance of WIND classification, mainly in prolonged, no weaning, and severely ill patients. All mechanically ill patients were classified, even those sicker with tracheostomy and those that could not finish weaning, thereby enabling comparisons among different ICUs. Finally, it seems that the new classification fits better in the ICU routine, especially for more severe and prolonged weaning patients.
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Observational Study
The risk of herpes zoster virus infection in patients with depression: A longitudinal follow-up study using a national sample cohort.
The features of herpes zoster share some commonalities with depression, including decreased cellular immunity, a close correlation with nutritional status, and a higher prevalence in the elderly population. We aimed to assess the association between herpes zoster infection and depression in the Korean population. We performed a longitudinal follow-up study of a nationwide sample cohort derived from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. ⋯ Subgroup analyses revealed that the adjusted HRs for herpes zoster infection were higher only in women younger than 60 years among participants with depression. These HRs were 1.13 (95% CI: 1.02-1.25; P = .016) in women younger than 40 years and 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04-1.17; P < .001) in women aged 40-59 years. Depression is a predictor of herpes zoster infection in Korean women younger than 60 years.