J Formos Med Assoc
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Safety and efficacy of twice-daily exenatide in Taiwanese patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Exenatide has been predominantly studied in non-Asian populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of twice-daily (BID) exenatide versus placebo in a subpopulation of Taiwanese patients from a larger study on Asian patients. ⋯ This subgroup analysis of Taiwanese patients was consistent with the overall study results, which showed that exenatide BID is superior to placebo for improving glycemic control in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes who experienced inadequate glycemic control when using oral antidiabetic therapy.
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Multicenter Study
Antimicrobial drug-resistant microbes associated with hospitalized community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia: a multi-center study in Taiwan.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) may be caused by potential antimicrobial drug-resistant (PADR) microbes. The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidences and risk factors associated with PADR microbes observed in patients with pneumonia occurring outside the hospital setting in Taiwan. ⋯ PADR microbes were common in patients with HCAP and CAP in Taiwan. Broad-spectrum antibiotics targeting PADR microbes should be administered to patients who have undergone previous hospitalization and who exhibit neurological disorders and/or malignancies.
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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality of early central located non-small-cell lung cancer, and in patients who are unsuitable for surgical intervention. Most complications of PDT reported in the literature are minor and can be easily handled. We report a case presenting with nearly fatal complication: airway obstruction following bronchoscopic photodynamic therapy for early endobronchial lung cancer, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. ⋯ Due to multiple comorbidity and high surgical risk we performed bronchoscopic PDT instead of aggressive lung resection for the patient. After the procedure, he developed severe airway obstruction by tumor debris and required temporary cardiopulmonary support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The patient recovered smoothly after the episode and was free from tumor recurrence for >2 years without any neurological sequelae.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of quadriceps-sparing minimally invasive and medial parapatellar total knee arthroplasty: a 2-year follow-up study.
Quadriceps-sparing minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been proposed to limit surgical dissection without compromising surgical outcome. We conducted a prospective and randomized study to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent quadriceps-sparing TKA with the outcomes of those who underwent standard medial parapatellar TKA, after a 2-year follow-up period. ⋯ Patients undergoing quadriceps-sparing and standard medial parapatellar TKA had comparable outcomes for quadriceps muscle strength, hamstring-quadriceps balance, and knee function; however, the quadriceps-sparing TKA was more time consuming surgically and resulted in a less accurate prosthesis position.