J Formos Med Assoc
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Anti-resorptive agents are commonly used in cancer patients with bone metastasis or multiple myeloma (MM). An adverse event termed medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) was discovered in patients using these agents but relatively little attention has been paid to its prognosis. Our aims were to find out the treatment outcomes and prognostic indicators of MRONJ in cancer patients who received zoledronic acid as antiresorptive therapy. ⋯ For cancer patients with ONJ related to zoledronic acid, patients with MM endure a worse treatment outcome.
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Global pandemic resulted from the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) demands mental health concerns on the affected population. We examine the time-course shift of psychological burden among suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. ⋯ At least 16.5% of our cohort reported psychological distress upon hospital admission, with distinct time-dependent decline. Access to mental health support, alongside with promoting positive activities for good mental health are pivotal for those directly affected.
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In 2017, Long-Fa Temple, an illegal religious asylum in Taiwan, was forced to shut down. Hundreds of chronic mentally ill patients were incarcerated there but provided with no modern psychiatric treatment. This study investigated the effectiveness of providing psychiatric intervention for patients subsequently transferred from Long-Fa Temple to a medical center. ⋯ Contemporary psychiatric intervention is beneficial for chronically untreated mentally ill patients, and the patients who had a shorter duration of illness had a better reserve of recovery. These findings can serve as an important reference for psychiatric intervention in developing countries.
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Practice Guideline
Point-of-care ultrasound in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery: A prospective survey study.
The ultrasound applications, examination facilities and methods used by otolaryngology and head and neck surgeons may vary and be different. This study was conducted to assess the methods used for head-and-neck point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). ⋯ POCUS can be performed by otolaryngology and head and neck specialists with a wide scope of applications and in a cost-effective manner.