Plos One
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Whether statins and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) / angiotensin receptor blockors (ARBs) are associated with reduced risks of infection events is still inconclusive. This study aimed to explore the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia among patients who had received treatment with ACEIs/ARBs and/or statins using a population-based dataset. This study included 19,281 patients as cases who were hospitalized for pneumonia and 19,281 controls. ⋯ Furthermore, we found that statin-only users (adjusted OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.40~0.50) and statin and ACEI/ARB users (adjusted OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.52~0.58) were less likely to be hospitalized for pneumonia treatment compared to ACEI-only users. However, combined statin and ACEI/ARB users (adjusted OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.10~1.40) were more likely to have been hospitalized for pneumonia treatment compared to statin-only users. Although we found use of both statins and ACEI/ARB were significantly associated with a lower risk of pneumonia, the combination of the two medications did not provide additional protection against pneumonia risk.
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The annual increase in costs and the quality of life of survivors of cardiac arrest are major concerns. This study used National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan to evaluate the 1-year survival rate and the annual healthcare costs of survivors after cardiac arrest. ⋯ There was a great burden of the annual healthcare costs of survivors of cardiac arrest. Socioeconomic status and comorbidity were major confounders of costs. The outcome measures of cardiac arrest should extend beyond the death, and encompass destitution. These findings add to our knowledge of the health economics and indicate future research about healthcare of cardiac arrest survivors.
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Whether preoperative spirometry in non-thoracic surgery can predict postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) is controversial. We investigated whether preoperative spirometry results can predict the occurrence of PPCs in patients who had undergone laparoscopic abdominal surgery. This retrospective observational study analyzed the records of patients who underwent inpatient laparoscopic gastric or colorectal cancer surgery at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between January 2010 and June 2017. ⋯ A 1% greater preoperative forced vital capacity (FVC) was associated with a 2% lower incidence of PPCs after laparoscopic gastric or colorectal cancer surgery (odds ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.97-0.99, P = 0.018). However, the preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (%) and FEV1/FVC (%) were not significantly associated with PPCs (P = 0.059 and P = 0.147, respectively). In conclusion, lower preoperative spirometry FVC, but not FEV1 or FEV1/FVC, may predict PPCs in high-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of supplemental vitamin D and calcium on markers of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in the normal colorectal mucosa of colorectal adenoma patients.
To clarify the roles of vitamin D and calcium as potential chemopreventive agents against colorectal cancer in humans, and to develop "treatable", pre-neoplastic, phenotypic biomarkers of risk for colorectal neoplasms, we estimated the effects of supplemental vitamin D3 (1,000 IU/day [25 μg/day]) and calcium (1,200 mg/day), alone and in combination, on biomarkers of proliferation (mib-1), differentiation (p21), and apoptosis (bax [apoptosis-promoting] and bcl-2 [apoptosis-inhibiting]), in the normal-appearing rectal mucosa in a subsample of participants (n = 104) in a larger randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial among colorectal adenoma patients. The biomarkers were measured in rectal biopsies at baseline and after one year of follow up, using automated immunohistochemistry and quantitative image analysis. ⋯ All estimated treatment effects on bcl-2 expression were close to the null. These pilot study results support further investigation of whether 1) vitamin D and calcium promote colorectal epithelial cell differentiation, reduce proliferation, and promote apoptosis in the normal-appearing human colorectal mucosa, 2) vitamin D and calcium act as chemopreventive agents against colorectal neoplasms, and 3) mib-1, p21, and bax are potential "treatable", pre-neoplastic, biomarkers of risk for colorectal neoplasms.
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The complexity and severity of traumatic wounds in military and civilian trauma demands improved wound assessment, before, during, and after treatment. Here, we explore the potential of 3 charge-coupled device (3CCD) imaging values to distinguish between traumatic wounds that heal following closure and those that fail. Previous studies demonstrate that normalized 3CCD imaging values exhibit a high correlation with oxygen saturation and allow for comparison of values between diverse clinical settings, including utilizing different equipment and lighting. ⋯ Imaging using 3CCD technology may provide a non-invasive and cost-effective method of aiding surgeons in deciding if wounds are ready for closure and could potentially decrease the number of required débridements and hospital days. The process may be automated to provide real-time feedback in the operating room and clinic. The low cost and small size of the cameras makes this technology attractive for austere and shipboard environments where space and weight are at a premium.