Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Opioids are effective for severe pain; however, the safety issue is also a primary concern. To better understand the opioid use in Taiwan, we conducted this study. ⋯ The total number of opioid prescriptions in Taiwan gradually increased annually, among which morphine was the most commonly used opioid. Cancer patients consumed more opioid prescriptions than noncancer patients and most of the prescriptions in noncancer patients were used in acute pain service. The number of prescriptions increased with the age of the patients in both cancer and noncancer patients. The low prescription rate of opioids in chronic pain in Taiwan is not similar as those in high opioid-consuming countries, such as United States.
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Clinical Trial
Low-Dose Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate Supplementation in Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis Patients.
Provision of parenteral or oral iron supplementation can restore iron stores and maintain stable hemoglobin levels in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. The route for oral or intravenous (IV) administration of iron depends on the acuity of anemia, costs, and patient tolerance. IV iron can restore iron stores rapidly but also carries higher risks for allergy and infection. Oral iron supplementation is limited by high gastrointestinal adverse effects. ⋯ Ferrous bisglycinate chelate is a well-tolerated oral iron supplementation for CKD and HD patients.
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There is growing evidence linking low levels of vitamin D3 to an increased risk of many autoimmune diseases. Compared to the general population, hypovitaminosis D is more prevalent among children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can be associated with sun exposure avoidance, long-term corticosteroid treatment, and renal disease. Therefore, we launched this study to assess the correlation between 25 (OH) D3 (VitD3) levels and the disease activity of children with SLE (cSLE) in Taiwan. ⋯ This study shows that VitD3 deficiency is common in patients with cSLE. It was also noted that serum VitD3 levels negatively correlate to SLEDAI-2K, which can be partially explained by less usage of SCS.
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The comprehensive surveillance for interval changes in signal-averaged P-wave (SAPW) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains lacking. We aimed to analyze the SAPW parameters before and after PVI and explored their link to the left atrial electrical properties. ⋯ The consistent changes in SAPW and left atrial electrical properties after PVI suggest that SAPW may be used as a noninvasive tool to monitor the responses to PVI.
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Allergic rhinitis is a frequent disorder during pregnancy, while in children it is triggered by significantly lower serum vitamin E level. This research aimed to investigate whether serum vitamin E level exhibited clinical significance in pregnant women with allergic rhinitis. ⋯ In conclusion, this research has demonstrated that pregnant women with allergic rhinitis showed significantly lower serum level of vitamin E. The decreased vitamin E showed a correlation with the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis in pregnant women.