Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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It has been almost 5 years since the publication of the 2010 hypertension guidelines of the Taiwan Society of Cardiology (TSOC). There is new evidence regarding the management of hypertension, including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized trials, post-hoc analyses, subgroup analyses, retrospective studies, cohort studies, and registries. More recently, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published joint hypertension guidelines in 2013. ⋯ The TSOC/THS hypertension guidelines provide the most updated information available in the management of hypertension. The guidelines are not mandatory, and members of the task force fully realize that treatment of hypertension should be individualized to address each patient's circumstances. Ultimately, the decision of the physician decision remains of the utmost importance in hypertension management.
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Ludwig's angina is a life-threatening cellulitis that involves the submandibular and sublingual spaces. It often occurs after an infection of the roots of the teeth. ⋯ This report highlights the need for medical practitioners to be alert to these rare combinations in the compromised patient after bisphosphonate therapy. To the best of our knowledge, no case of Ludwig's angina secondary to osteonecrosis of the jaw has been reported.
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In late December 2013, a deadly infectious epidemic, Ebola virus disease (EVD), emerged from West Africa and resulted in a formidable outbreak in areas including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. EVD is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate. ⋯ Currently, there is no standard treatment for EVD. To promptly identify patients and prevent further spreading, physicians should be aware of travel or contact history for patients with constitutional symptoms.
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Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) is an established treatment for patients with choledocholithiasis or common bile duct stones (CBDS), but further management of patients after ES with recurrent CBDS remains controversial. Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) has been used safely and effectively for stone removal in patients after ES with recurrent CBDS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of EPLBD in patients after complete ES with recurrent CBDS. ⋯ EPLBD is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment for recurrent CBDS in patients after ES. It can also facilitate complete clearance of CBDS and prevent further CBDS recurrence.
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Nephron-sparing surgery has become the standard treatment for T1 renal tumors. However, relevant data on the Taiwanese population are lacking, and most of the current literature uses global instead of split renal function (SRF) for postoperative renal function follow-up. We evaluated the postoperative renal function after minimally invasive partial nephrectomy in Taiwanese patients. ⋯ SRF is more sensitive for postoperative follow-up than eGFR. Longer warm ischemia time is associated with poorer postoperative renal function. RPN is a safe and feasible alternative to LPN.