J Formos Med Assoc
-
To investigate the association between patient-to-physician ratios, a measure of physician workload, and various patient outcomes in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Higher patient-to-physician ratios are associated with worse outcomes for ED patients. Our findings suggest that maintaining ratios below 10 may be ideal for optimizing care quality, while ratios exceeding 20 pose significant risks to patients.
-
Clinical and experimental evidence have demonstrated the protective benefits of colchicine in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through its potential anti-inflammatory effect. However, investigations on the Asian population are limited. ⋯ Low-dose colchicine led to a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular death than non-users among patients with a recent myocardial infarction. They benefit from early, in-hospital initiation of colchicine after AMI.
-
Stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR) has proven to be effective in refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT). We report the long-term results in first Asian series of STAR for refractory VT in a group of Taiwanese. ⋯ In patients with medication and catheter ablation refractory VT, STAR is associated with a marked acute reduction in the burden of VT. The acute response of VT burden reduction helps to bridge patients to the next treatment step of heart failure, including medical optimization or surgical management, and enhance clinical outcomes.
-
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory follicular disease characterized by painful, recurrent, inflamed lesions most commonly occurring in the axillary, inguinal, and anogenital regions. HS can inflict immense physical and psychological impact on patients who suffer from this distressing disease. ⋯ In light of recent evidence supporting the effectiveness of biologic agents in the treatment of HS, the Taiwanese Dermatological Association established an expert panel of nine dermatologists to develop consensus statements aimed to provide up-to-date evidence-based guidance in optimizing HS patient management in Taiwan. The recommendations described in the statements were summarized in a management algorithm in terms of general care, topical treatment, systemic treatment, and procedural treatment.
-
While Reddy proposed the H2FPEF diagnostic algorithm to aid in diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), certain parameters like age and obesity are not suitable for Asian population, especially given the increasing incidence of HFpEF in younger individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an easy-to-use nomogram with non-invasive indices that can be used in outpatient clinics in Taiwan to quickly estimate the probability of HFpEF and help decide whether further invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is needed. ⋯ The noninvasive HFpEF nomogram provides a preliminary estimation of the probability of HFpEF in Taiwanese outpatients with unexplained dyspnea and fatigue, which may help the decision-making on further invasive CPET.