Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Various inhaled bronchodilators have been associated with cardiovascular safety concerns. This study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the safety of COPD medications in patients after their first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ⋯ This study demonstrated that AMI patients with COPD had higher mortality rates than those without COPD. Using inhaled short-acting bronchodilators and corticosteroids reduced survival, whereas long-acting bronchodilators provided survival benefits in AMI and NSTEMI patients. Therefore, appropriate COPD medication for acute AMI is crucial.
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The Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) methods are two common methods for assessing bone age (BA). The applicability of these methods for populations other than those in the United States and Europe has been questioned. Thus, this study tested the applicability of these methods for Taiwanese children. ⋯ The GP and TW3-RUS methods exhibit strong agreement in the pubertal and postpubertal stages for both sexes. With appropriate adjustments based on Taiwanese data, both methods are applicable to our children.
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Moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is known to cause right ventricular (RV) failure and death. Although TR is traditionally classified as primary or secondary, recently, a new class of TR called idiopathic TR has been proposed, with varying definitions among different studies. ⋯ Idiopathic TR was associated with better RV function than the other secondary TRs. Thus, idiopathic TR should be strictly defined and regarded as a distinct type of TR.