J Formos Med Assoc
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Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) could increase mortality risk in people with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether NPS affects mortality risk in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether any specific syndrome of NPS influences this risk are still unclear. ⋯ Mortality risk is high for patients with AD. Not only for AD, patients with MCI presenting with NPS, particularly mood symptoms, have high death risk.
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Invasive candidiasis is a severe infectious disease that could lead to mortality in critically ill children. ⋯ Candidemia-related mortality was related to azole resistance; therefore, empirical therapy with echinocandin or amphotericin B is recommended pending species and susceptibility results.
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Observational Study
The application of ultrasound shear wave elastography in the prediction of paradoxical upgrading reaction in tuberculous lymphadenitis. a pilot study.
Paradoxical upgrading reaction (PUR) indicates the unanticipated deterioration during therapy in patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis. We investigated the diagnostic performance of the ultrasonography and shear wave elastography (SWE) in predicting the therapeutic response of peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis. ⋯ A high and non-declining Emax level and heterogeneous echogenicity were associated with the next-month PUR of tuberculous lymphadenitis. Ultrasonography with SWE may be a potential radiologic marker to predict the therapeutic response of tuberculous lymphadenitis.
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Hyperendemic townships of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should devote extra efforts to eliminate HCV. We aimed to evaluate efficacy of the screening and linkage to care in two HCV hyperendemic townships. ⋯ Since NNT was low, it was worthwhile conducting intensive screening in these hyperendemic townships. For high treatment rate, accessible outreach hepatology clinic is feasible especially in areas without adequate medical resources.
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Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, alirocumab and evolocumab, are currently approved for clinical use by Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) in patients who had a recent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with persistent LDL-C levels >135 mg/dL despite high-intensity statin (HIS) or maximally tolerated statin in combination with ezetimibe treatment. Since January 2020 to July 2020, total of 10 patients who had received coronary revascularization received NHI-approved alirocumab or evolocumab in our institution. ⋯ The patients in our study were younger, had more frequently received HIS/ezetimibe, and had higher baseline LDL-C levels with a greater LDL-C reduction following PCSK9 inhibitors treatment compared with those patients in previously studies. Our findings highlight that the NHI's regulation of PCSK9 inhibitors application should be re-evaluation to increase the use of NHI-approved PCSK9 inhibitors in high-risk patients.