J Formos Med Assoc
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Folic acid deficiency (FAD) may result in macrocytic anemia. This study assessed the hematinic deficiencies and anemia statuses in oral mucosal disease patients with FAD (defined as folic acid ≤ 6 ng/mL). ⋯ In addition to macrocytic anemia (2.0%), FAD patients may have concomitant normocytic (23.7%) or microcytic (11.1%) anemia.
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Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) has been shown to produce long-term symptom improvement in Parkinson's disease. The aim of this study was to identify the target symptoms that show the most improvement at 1 year and at 5 years after STN-DBS. ⋯ The long-term effect of STN-DBS on motor function is promising, although the magnitude of its effectiveness varied over the 5-year period.
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Mannitol is commonly used in patients with increased intracranial pressure (ICP), but its effect on cerebrovascular pressure reactivity (CVPR) is uncertain. We analyzed the changes of pressure reactivity index (PRx) during the course of mannitol treatment. ⋯ Despite lowering ICP, mannitol may have diverse effects on CVPR in patients with intracranial hypertension. Our study suggests that mannitol infusion may have a beneficial effect on CVPR, particularly in those with a low cerebral perfusion pressure at baseline.
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Tracheal intubation is a critical life-saving invasive procedure. Medical students generally obtain the skill of performing tracheal intubation in the operating theater during their anesthesiology rotation. In this study, we sought to characterize medical students' skill acquisition of tracheal intubation. ⋯ Medical students acquired the ability of tracheal intubation and overcame major challenges through cumulative clinical practice of the procedure.