J Formos Med Assoc
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Observational Study
The role of brain natriuretic peptide in predicting renal outcome and fluid management in critically ill patients.
Fluid overload is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality. There is no convenient precise method to guide fluid therapy in critically ill patients. We aimed to investigate whether brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict the renal outcome and mortality of critically ill patients and be used to guide fluid management. ⋯ Our study showed that delta-BNP levels within 24 hours of admission to the ICU are better than fluid accumulation as a predictor of AKI, recovery, and mortality.
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Comparative Study
Modified expansive open-door laminoplasty technique improved postoperative neck pain and cervical range of motion.
Expansive open-door laminoplasty (EOLP) is a useful technique for multiple-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The common postoperative complications of EOLP include moderate to severe neck pain, loss of cervical lordosis, decrease of cervical range of motion, and C5 palsy. We modified the surgical technique to lessen these complications. This study is aimed to elucidate the efficacy of modified techniques to lessen the complications of traditional procedures. ⋯ MEOLP is a minimally invasive surgical method to treat multiple-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy, which decreases postoperative complications effectively.
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Review Case Reports
A two-case series of entrapment of a ruptured balloon in the coronary artery: Avoidable complications and nonsurgical management.
The entrapment of a ruptured catheter balloon during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is rare, but it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as myocardial infarction (MI) and lethal arrhythmias. Ruptured balloon entrapment usually occurs in either tortuous, calcified, or angulated coronary lesions without adequate balloon deflation. ⋯ We successfully removed the ruptured and entrapped balloons through nonsurgical techniques. Coronary interventionists should be aware of the possibility of balloon entrapment during complex coronary interventions; they should also become familiar with nonsurgical catheter-based methods for the retrieval of ruptured and entrapped balloons.
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Pediatric cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive imaging modality used to clearly demonstrate the anatomical detail of congenital heart diseases. We investigated the impact of cardiac CT on the utilization of cardiac catheterization among children with congenital heart disease. ⋯ The use of noninvasive CT in children with selected heart conditions might reduce the use of diagnostic cardiac catheterization. This may release time and facilities within the catheterization laboratory to meet the increasing demand for cardiac interventions.
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This study investigated the clinical significance of quality of life (QOL) related specifically to Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) among Taiwanese patients. ⋯ Scores on the Chinese (Taiwan) version of the GO-QOL were strongly correlated with disease severity and clinical activity. The GO-QOL is a simple and practical tool that can be used to evaluate health-related QOL in GO patients.