J Formos Med Assoc
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of electroacupuncture merged with rehabilitation for frozen shoulder syndrome: A single-blind randomized sham-acupuncture controlled study.
Frozen shoulder syndrome (FSS) causes pain and reduces the range of motion in the shoulder joint. To investigate the short and medium-term effects of electroacupuncture in people with FSS, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of true and sham electroacupuncture on pain relief and improvement of shoulder function. ⋯ These results suggest that electroacupuncture plus rehabilitation may provide earlier pain relief for patients with FSS and could be applied clinically.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized controlled clinical effectiveness of adjunct 660-nm light-emitting diode irradiation during non-surgical periodontal therapy.
The irradiation of 660-nm light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has exhibited potential to accelerate oral wound healing and prevent periodontal breakdown in rodents. This study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of 660-nm LEDs during non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). ⋯ LED light irradiation during or after scaling and root planing assisted in the recovery of periodontium and can be used as an adjunct treatment during NSPT, specifically for sites with severe periodontal breakdown.
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Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been gradually introduced in the diagnosis of mediastinal tuberculous (TB) lymphadenitis. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the utility of polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB-PCR) using EBUS-TBNA rinse fluid and to explore the factors that influence the accuracy of EBUS-TBNA. ⋯ EBUS-TBNA is a valuable tool for diagnosis of mediastinal TB lymphadenitis. Using TB-PCR assay and targeting LNs with a necrotic component would improve the diagnostic performance of EBUS-TBNA.
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Rituximab is effective in treating pemphigus both as the first-line treatment and as an add-on treatment for refractory disease. A high rate of relapse among patients receiving rituximab means that maintenance therapy is frequently required. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the use of azathioprine as maintenance therapy for patients receiving rituximab and to investigate the efficacy and safety of one or multiple cycles of rituximab treatment. ⋯ This study provides an insight that azathioprine could serve as a good choice of maintenance therapy for patients receiving rituximab. The efficacy and safety of rituximab remain favorable even with repeated administration.
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The impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not fully elucidated. We aimed to assess the correlation between NAFLD and CKD in a large population study. ⋯ NAFLD per se was not a risk factor for CKD, but NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis faced a higher possibility of CKD. Hence, patients with NAFLD and advanced fibrosis should be screened for CKD and prompted to receive treatment if the diagnosis was made.