J Formos Med Assoc
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Sex differences in response to noxious stimuli or analgesia have been demonstrated. We investigated sex differences in conscious sedation during upper gastrointestinal panendoscopic examination with regard to drug dose and entropy scores. ⋯ Women need more analgesic agents than men during panendoscopic examination. There was no significant difference between men and women with regard to anesthetic depth and response to noxious stimuli, as revealed by similar SE and RE values.
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Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a periodic and Stereotypic pattern of intractable nausea or vomiting episodes, which has been well-recognized in previous decades, although the actual pathogenesis is still unclear. Recurrent, discrete, but self-limited symptoms of nausea and vomiting bother children, and increase the cost of family and health care. This report described the clinical features of patients who fulfill the diagnostic criteria for CVS. ⋯ The diagnosis of CVS must be based on the detailed history of the clinical manifestations of vomiting pattern, complete symptom-free intervals between the attacks, and absence of neurological, gastrointestinal, or metabolic abnormalities. Most of our patients improve when they grow up, but prompt diagnosis and early intervention may improve quality of life.
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Revision total hip arthroplasty is technically demanding, especially when treating a large defective femur. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of cementless total hip arthroplasty revision in patients with advanced femoral bony defects. ⋯ The canaloplasty technique could be an alternative solution to help revision surgery in some younger patients with advanced femoral defects.
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Comparative Study
Comparison between Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and Taiwan Triage System in emergency departments.
Since the implementation of National Health Insurance in Taiwan, Emergency Department (ED) volume has progressively increased, and the current triage system is insufficient and needs modification. This study compared the prioritization and resource utilization differences between the four-level Taiwan Triage System (TTS) and the standardized five-level Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) among ED patients. ⋯ CTAS provided better discrimination for ED patient triage, and also showed greater validity when predicting hospitalization, LOS, and medical resource consumption. An accurate five-level triage scale appeared superior in predicting patient acuity and resource utilization.
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Serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1), a detector of acute inflammatory response to microbial products and a good marker for diagnosing sepsis and pneumonia, has not yet been described as a predictor for infection or a prognostic factor in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ⋯ Serum sTREM-1 level might not be a reliable marker for infection in ARDS patients. However, as an inflammatory marker, initial serum sTREM-1 level and its trend over time, especially in the first 5 days, could be predictive of short-term mortality. A progressive decline in serum sTREM-1 levels during follow-up indicates a favorable outcome, whereas persistently elevated sTREM-1 indicates a poor prognosis and should lead to a re-evaluation of therapy.