Respiratory medicine
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This study took advantage of a large population-based database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) to investigate the epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in Taiwan. ⋯ In Taiwan, elderly men were the major group suffering from IPF. Survival time was short after IPF diagnosis, and the poor survival was largely attributable to quick IPF progression after diagnosis.
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Respiratory medicine · Nov 2012
Predictors of oxygen saturation ≤95% in a cross-sectional population based survey.
Pulse oximetry has become an important tool in evaluating, and monitoring pulmonary diseases, but the knowledge about arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) values in a general population is limited. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of low pulse oximetry values in a general adult population and their association with certain predictors. ⋯ Airflow limitation and other known signs of pulmonary diseases were, as expected, strongly associated with decreased oxygen saturation. Obesity was also a strong predictor of low SpO(2), and should be included among possible explanations when low SpO(2) values are encountered.