J Formos Med Assoc
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Multicenter Study
Microbial dynamics, risk factors and outcomes of secondary pneumonia in critically ill patients with COVID-19: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.
Secondary pneumonia has a significant clinical impact on critically ill patients with COVID-19. ⋯ Secondary pneumonia in critical COVID-19 patients significantly raised in-hospital mortality and extended hospital and ICU stays. Moreover, the presence of GNB notably predicted an unfavorable prognosis.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Multicenter registry of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Paired comparison with Kawasaki disease.
This study aimed to identify clinical characteristics to differentiate multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease (KD) in Taiwan, an island with a delayed cluster of MIS-C and a high incidence of KD. Additionally, we studied risk factors for developing severe complications in patients with MIS-C. ⋯ We identified two independent risk factors associated with hemodynamic compromise in MIS-C patients. The comparison between matched MIS-C and KD patients highlighted significant differences in clinical presentations, like BCG red halos, which may aid in the differential diagnosis of the two disease entities, especially in regions with a high incidence rate of KD.
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In this study, using Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) as an example of a single-payer system, we examined the extent of pharmaceutical procurement profits (PPP) and evaluated their impact on the financial performance of healthcare institutions. ⋯ Average PPP increased during the study period, increasingly affecting hospitals' financial stability across all strata. The gap between TOP and HSP in medical centers has gradually widened, suggesting an increase in non-health service profits. In this study, we propose a payment policy reform that fosters sustainability of the healthcare and financing system under universal health coverage and corrects the potential distortions caused by PPP.