J Formos Med Assoc
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Patients with cancer are eligible for hospice care when their life expectancy is 180 days or shorter. This study investigated the prognostic factors of patients with cancer and sepsis who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) to assist with clinical decisions of hospice care. ⋯ APACHE II score and the cancer control status may be the prognostic factors for critically ill patients with cancer and sepsis, and they may be helpful for evaluating hospice care.
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Our previous study found 284 gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA)-positive atrophic glossitis (AG) patients (so-called GPCA+AG patients in this study) in a group of 1064 AG patients. This study evaluated whether high-titer (GPCA titer ≥ 160) GPCA+AG patients had greater frequencies of anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, macrocytosis, and hyperhomocysteinemia than low-titer (GPCA titer < 160) GPCA+AG patients. ⋯ For GPCA+AG patients, high-titer GPCA+AG patients have greater frequencies of anemia, serum vitamin B12 deficiency, macrocytosis, and hyperhomocysteinemia than low-titer GPCA+AG patients.
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The prevalence rate of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the community Down syndrome (DS) children is not clear. Moreover, the impact of OSA and sleep structure on the cognitive function is inconclusive. The present study aimed to investigate 1) the prevalence rate of OSA in the community DS children and 2) the impact of OSA and sleep structure on cognitive performance. ⋯ This study identified that OSA may be highly prevalent in community DS children. Among 6-12-year-old DS children, OSA and % REM were associated with their language function.
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Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presenting as subcentimeter lung tumor was increasing due to the popularity of low dose CT in recent years. However, the ideal surgical management is still controversial. We utilized our lung cancer surgery database to study the important issue, aiming to find the optimal treatment with VATS. ⋯ Lung cancer with subcentimeter size will be more and more encountered. VATS plays an important role in the management with good post-operative outcome, whether with wedge resection, segmentectomy and lobectomy. However, VATS segmentectomy can deliver 100% overall survival and progression-free survival in our series. Further randomized controlled trial should be conducted to prove the concept.
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The impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not fully elucidated. We aimed to assess the correlation between NAFLD and CKD in a large population study. ⋯ NAFLD per se was not a risk factor for CKD, but NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis faced a higher possibility of CKD. Hence, patients with NAFLD and advanced fibrosis should be screened for CKD and prompted to receive treatment if the diagnosis was made.