J Formos Med Assoc
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The major dose-limiting toxicity of ribavirin is hemolytic anemia. We investigated the incidence, risk factors and impact on virological response of anemia in chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 patients receiving sofosbuvir plus ribavirin therapy. ⋯ Severe anemia was not uncommon during sofosbuvir plus ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 patients. Careful monitoring of anemia is necessary in patients with chronic kidney disease and low baseline hemoglobin level and platelet count.
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Comparative Study
Predisposing factors of necrotizing fasciitis with comparison to cellulitis in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based case-control study.
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening soft tissue infection with low incidence that requires prompt surgery. In the initial stage, it is difficult to distinguish NF and cellulitis, and limited population-based reports are available. ⋯ Age and the presence of chronic diseases are major risk factors as well as prognostic factors of NF in Taiwan. Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of NF, but does not adversely affect the outcome.
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Patients with cancer are eligible for hospice care when their life expectancy is 180 days or shorter. This study investigated the prognostic factors of patients with cancer and sepsis who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) to assist with clinical decisions of hospice care. ⋯ APACHE II score and the cancer control status may be the prognostic factors for critically ill patients with cancer and sepsis, and they may be helpful for evaluating hospice care.
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There is conflicting data regarding the utility of measuring apolipoproteins in addition to traditional lipid measures in risk assessment of cardiometabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether apolipoprotein measurements can improve the ability to predict the future development of type 2 diabetes beyond what is possible based on traditional type 2 diabetes risk factors and clinical routine lipid measurements. ⋯ Apolipoprotein measurements significantly predict diabetes risk in an Asian population. Furthermore, the predictive ability of apo B alone to detect diabetes was comparable with that of the apo B/apo A-I ratio and better than the routine lipid measurements.
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There are still oral cancer patients without surgery. To improve the survival, it is necessary to know the causes of the oral cancer patients without surgery. ⋯ One-sevenths of patients were not treated surgically because of refusal, poor condition, older age, low BMI, and advanced stage. It is necessary to encourage the patients to undergo surgery with shortening the diagnosis-to-treatment interval.