J Formos Med Assoc
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Multicenter Study
Reappraisal of the clinical role of metronidazole therapy for Clostridioides difficile infection in Taiwan: A multicenter prospective study.
Although metronidazole is not recommended to treat Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Western countries, it was still to be recommended for the treatment of non-severe CDI among Taiwanese adults in 2020. This controversy in the clinical role of metronidazole therapy for CDI was examined in a prospective clinical study. ⋯ For Taiwanese adults with CDI, the failure rate of metronidazole therapy approached 50%, which suggests the reappraisal of the therapeutic role of metronidazole therapy, especially for patients with leukocytosis or underlying congestive heart failure.
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Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hormone that modulates metabolic pathways, which acts as a myokine under metabolic stress. We aimed to explore the association of serum FGF21 levels with skeletal muscle mass and mortality in patients on hemodialysis (HD). ⋯ Serum FGF21 levels exhibited a positive association with skeletal muscle mass but were not predictive of mortality in patients undergoing chronic HD.
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To evaluate the changes in clinical outcome and urodynamic parameters after tailored anterior transvaginal mesh (ATVM) surgeries in a mid-term follow-up. ⋯ In women with advanced cystocele, the ATVM surgery provides a favorable anatomic reduction outcome with an acceptable mesh extrusion rate. The ATVM provides an anti-incontinence effect, both in subjective symptoms and objective parameters, but this effect might decline after postoperative 2 years.
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The actual relative dose intensity (RDI) of the attenuated R-CCOP regimen (rituximab, cytoxan, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin [PLD], vincristine, and prednisone) has not been fully investigated in Chinese geriatric patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In particular, the optimum dose for PLD remains unclear. ⋯ The optimal dose of PLD for elderly patients with DLBCL in China remains to be determined. Evaluating the tolerance and identifying risk categories are critical for clinical decision-making in this population.
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Data on self-harm (SH) repetition in non-Western adolescents are limited; this study is to survey the predictors. ⋯ The continuation rate of SH was similar to that reported in Western countries. These predictors should be included in the treatment plan to prevent SH continuation.