Medicine
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Multicenter Study
Herpes zoster as a risk factor for osteoporosis: A 15-year nationwide population-based study.
The objective of this study was to investigate the risk of osteoporosis in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) infection using a nationwide population-based dataset. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was used to compare data between 11,088 patients aged 20 to 49 years diagnosed with HZ during 1996 to 2010 and a control group of 11,088 patients without HZ. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2010 to measure the incidence of osteoporosis. ⋯ Further evaluation of the value of bone mineral density test in detecting osteoporosis after HZ may be suggested. HZ vaccination could also be evaluated to lower the incidence of HZ and possibly subsequent osteoporosis. Physicians should be alerted to this association to improve early identification of osteoporosis in patients with HZ.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Butorphanol suppresses fentanyl-induced cough during general anesthesia induction: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Fentanyl-induced cough (FIC) is unwanted in the patients requiring stable induction of general anesthesia. This study was designed to evaluate the suppressive effects of butorphanol pretreatment on the incidence and severity of FIC during the induction of general anesthesia. A total of 315 patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomized into 3 equally sized groups (n = 0105). ⋯ The severe FIC was not observed in groups II and III, but was recoded from 6 patients in group I. At 2 minutes after fentanyl injection (T2), the mean arterial pressure was significantly higher in group I than that in groups II and III (P < 0.01, vs group II; P < 0.05, vs group III), but the values remained within safe limits. In conclusion, pretreatment with butorphanol could effectively and safely suppress FIC during anesthesia induction.
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Multicenter Study
Associations between television viewing and physical activity and low back pain in community-based adults: A cohort study.
Two systematic reviews concluded that there was limited evidence to support an association between physical activity and sedentary behavior and developing low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to examine the associations of physical activity and television viewing time with LBP intensity and disability in community-based adults. Five thousand fifty-eight participants (44% men) of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study had physical activity and television viewing time measured in 1999 to 2000, 2004 to 2005, and 2011 to 2012, and LBP intensity and disability assessed in 2013 to 2014 using the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire. ⋯ Insufficient physical activity (<2.5 hours/week) was not associated with LBP intensity or disability. High television viewing time (≥2 hours/day) was associated with greater prevalence of LBP disability in women (low disability OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.73; high disability OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01-1.72). Although it needs to be confirmed in RCTs our findings suggest that targeting time spent watching television and possibly other prolonged sedentary behaviors may have the potential to reduce LBP disability in community-based adults, particularly in women.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Social support and the self-rated health of older people: A comparative study in Tainan Taiwan and Fuzhou Fujian province.
The lack of social support in elderly populations incurs real societal costs and can lead to their poor health. The aim of this study is to investigate the self-rated health (SRH) and social support among older people as well as its associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 312 urban community-dwelling elderly aged 65 to 90 years in Tainan Taiwan and Fuzhou Fujian Province from March 2012 to October 2012. ⋯ Marital status (-2.133, 95% CI: -2.768 to -1.499, P = 0.000), education (1.697, 95% CI: 0.589-2.805 P = 0.003), living conditions (4.20, 95% CI: 1.762-6.638, P = 0.000), and SRH (-3.144, 95% CI: -4.502 to -1.727, P = 0.000) were the associated factors. Thus, city, age, marital status, education, living conditions, and SRH might be the associated factors for social support among older people. This study presents some feasible implications for social support improvement in China and in other nations worldwide.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine as Self-Care Strategies in Community Health Centers: Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Pearl River Delta Region of China.
In China, Community Health Centers (CHCs) are major providers of primary care services, but their potential in empowering patients' self-management capacity has not been assessed. This study aims to describe self-care practice patterns amongst CHC attendees in urban China. In this cross-sectional quantitative study, 3360 CHC patients from 6 cities within the Pearl Delta Region were sampled using multistage cluster sampling. ⋯ These results suggest that CHCs should start initiatives in fostering appropriate use of OTC CHM, vitamins, and minerals. Engaging community pharmacists in guiding safe and effective use of OTC CHM amongst the uninsured is essential given their low accessibility to CHC services. Prescription of Taiji instead of physical exercises to women and older people could be more culturally appropriate, and the possibility of including this as part of the CHC services worth further exploration.