J Formos Med Assoc
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Observational Study
Long-term use of opioids in 210 officially registered patients with chronic noncancer pain in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study.
Prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain has been strictly regulated for two decades in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to survey the patients' perspectives and potential drawbacks following long-term use of opioids. ⋯ This nationwide survey described the concurrent pain intensity, daily function, and various adverse effects by long-term opioids among 210 monitored outpatients with chronic noncancer pain in Taiwan. More efforts are suggested to reduce opioid prescriptions in the 30% of patients exceeding daily watchful dose.
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Daclatasvir is a nonstructural protein 5A inhibitor with potent activity against hepatitis C virus genotypes 1-6 in vitro, and asunaprevir is a nonstructural protein 3 protease inhibitor with activity against genotypes 1, 4, 5, and 6. Despite a 90% sustained virologic response (SVR) rate, the SVR rate in patients with baseline NS5A-L31/Y93H polymorphisms decreased to around 40%. Therefore, an alternative regimen under the consideration of cost-effectiveness would be important. Whether the addition of ribavirin could improve the SVR rate among this group of patients remains unknown and hence our case series was reported. ⋯ In genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C patients with NS5A-Y93H polymorphism, the addition of ribavirin to daclatasvir/asunaprevir may increase the SVR12 rate with minimal side effects, and thus deserves more comprehensive trials in resource-limited areas.
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Serum anti-gastric parietal cell (GPCA), anti-thyroglobulin (TGA), and anti-thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) can be found in some recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients. This study mainly assessed whether serum GPCA, TGA, TMA and RAS itself played significant roles in causing anemia and hematinic deficiencies in TGA/TMA-positive RAS patients with GPCA positivity (GPCA+/TGA/TMA/RAS patients) or negativity (GPCA-/TGA/TMA/RAS patients). ⋯ GPCA+/TGA/TMA/RAS patients had significantly lower mean Hb (for men only) and vitamin B12 levels as well as significantly greater frequencies of Hb, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies than healthy control subjects. GPCA+/TGA/TMA/RAS patients had lower serum vitamin B12 level and higher MCV as well as a significantly greater frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency than GPCA-/TGA/TMA/RAS patients. Furthermore, both GPCA-/TGA/TMA/RAS and Abs-/RAS patients did have significantly lower mean Hb, MCV, and iron levels as well as significantly greater frequencies of Hb, iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies than healthy control subjects. There were no significant differences in blood data between GPCA-/TGA/TMA/RAS and Abs-/RAS patients CONCLUSION: Both serum GPCA positivity and RAS itself are the contributing factors causing anemia and hematinic deficiencies in GPCA+/TGA/TMA/RAS patients. RAS itself but not TGA/TMA positivity plays a significant role in causing anemia and hematinic deficiencies in GPCA-/TGA/TMA/RAS patients.