Ci ji yi xue za zhi = Tzu-chi medical journal最新文献

Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate a Chinese version of the modified Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) instrument used by nurses in stroke patients with dysphagia and explore the feasibility of the simplified instrument.

Materials and methods: This study involved a cross-sectional design. Nurses independently applied the modified SSA to 127 patients with stroke before a complete dysphagia evaluation conducted by a speech-language pathologist. Factor analysis of eight dysphagia variables in the modified SSA was performed to evaluate construct validity. The accuracy of the screening instrument was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results: The comprehensive swallowing assessment revealed that 49.6% of the stroke patients had dysphagia. The modified SSA had an acceptable internal consistency coefficient. The inter-rater agreement between nurses using the modified SSA showed a Kappa coefficient of 0.509. All items had a communality loading of >0.5, and two factors accounted for 73.89% of the response variance. The area under the ROC curve was 0.79 (95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.87). The sensitivity and specificity derived for dysphagia detection were satisfactory according to the results obtained from the original 8-item and simplified 6-item scales (sensitivities = 82.50% and 81.00% and specificities = 59.40% and 64.10%, respectively; accuracy = 70.87% and 72.44%, respectively).

Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that the modified SSA is a potentially reliable and valid nurse-administered screening instrument for dysphagia detection in patients with stroke.

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction is the earliest change in atherosclerosis. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is used to assess endothelial function in humans. However, this assessment is not easy in small animals. This study demonstrated the reliability and reproducibility of a proposed instrument for in vivo assessment of FMD in a rodent model using infrared pulse sensors.

Materials and methods: We used 24 adult male Wistar Kyoto rats randomly divided into three groups. FMD was measured under continuous infusion of normal saline followed by intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine (Ach; n = 8), sodium nitroprusside (SNP; n = 8), or N^ω-nitro-_L-arginine methyl ester (_L-NAME; n = 8).

Results: The dilatation indices (DIs) of all three groups were similar before application of the vasoactive agents (1.82 ± 0.46, 1.81 ± 0.44, and 1.93 ± 0.40, P = 0.877, by one-way analysis of variance). The DI was significantly increased during infusion of Ach (2.97 ± 1.03 vs. 1.82 ± 0.46, P = 0.015), unchanged during infusion of SNP (1.81 ± 0.44 vs. 1.98 ± 0.40, P = 0.574), and attenuated during infusion of _L-NAME (1.91 ± 0.40 vs. 1.42 ± 0.35; P = 0.028).

Conclusion: The results of this study correlated well with those of human studies, suggesting that this method can be used for in vivo evaluation of endothelial function in small animals.

Objective: Anesthetic management for super-superobese (SSO) patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥60 kg/m²) presents a challenge for anesthesiologists. This study aimed at characterizing the early complications and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) utilization in SSO patients receiving laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Materials and methods: Totally, 25 SSO patients receiving laparoscopic bariatric surgery between June 2006 and December 2011 were reviewed. The data collected included patient demographics, preoperative comorbidities, anesthetic techniques, airway management, perioperative adverse events, ICU utilization, and early complications occurring within 30 days of index surgery. Early complications were defined as the adverse events that led to permanent detrimental effects or required significant additional intervention.

Results: A retrospective analysis was performed on data from 25 consecutive SSO patients (age: 31.2 ± 11.1 years; BMI: 64.9 ± 4.7 kg/m²). Tracheal intubation was attempted successfully in all patients but was difficult in two cases when using laryngoscopy. Bronchospasm was observed in five cases (20%) after tracheal intubation. Postoperative ICU utilization was required in five cases (20%). Early complications occurred in two cases during their stay in postanesthesia care unit (including one case of respiratory failure and one case of hyperkalemia) and in two cases during their stay in ICU (both with respiratory failure). The incidence of early complications was 16%. All patients were discharged from the hospital without sequelae.

Conclusions: It is imperative to anticipate the potential for developing perioperative adverse events and postoperative complications in SSO patients after bariatric surgery. Appropriate utilization of ICU resources may enhance patient safety.

Gastrostomy is commonly used to provide long-term enteral access for patients with feeding impairment. Routine replacement is a safe procedure, but it has various complications. We present a case of nasopharyngeal cancer, who visited the emergency department for gastrostomy tube dislodgement. Diffuse abdominal pain developed 3 days after replacement of the gastrostomy tube with a temporary silicone Foley tube. Emergency diagnostic laparoscopy was performed and found tip migration and causing duodenal perforation. Tip migration and compression necrosis of mucosa were the possible mechanisms. The condition was successfully treated by emergency laparoscopic duodenorrhaphy.

The sacroiliac (SI) joint is among the most common sources of chronic low back pain, accounting for 15%-30% of patients presenting chronic low back pain. The complex anatomic structures, nerve innervation, and functional biomechanisms of the SI region make it challenging to diagnose and treat the SI joint as a pain source. In addition to physical therapy and medication for treating SI joint pain, multiple interventional measures including steroid injection, radiofrequency ablation, prolotherapy, and SI joint fusion have been proposed with various efficacies. This article describes the etiology, risk factors, and diagnostic methods as well as the different treatment modalities, focusing on interventional pain management options for patients suffering from SI joint pain.

Paragangliomas occurring primarily in the liver parenchyma are extremely rare. The radiological features mimic hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, we describe a case with a presurgical diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, which was pathologically confirmed as hepatic paraganglioma after surgery. A 41-year-old woman visited our hospital for evaluation of a hepatic mass detected incidentally in a health examination 7 years previously. Triple-phase computed tomography of the liver showed a homogeneous and strongly arterial enhancing mass, followed by portovenous washout at the posterior segment of the right lobe. In view of the enhancement pattern and highly vascular nature, the hepatocellular carcinoma was included in the differential diagnosis. Anatomical resection of segment VII was carried out. Grossly, the mass was encapsulated and soft. Microscopically, it had a typical "Zellballen pattern." Immunohistochemical staining for CD56 was positive, and sustentacular cells at the periphery of the tumor cell nests were also demonstrated by S-100 protein. Therefore, the diagnosis of primary paraganglioma of the liver was confirmed. In conclusion, hepatic paraganglioma should be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of hepatic masses displaying "early enhancement, early washout."

The 7-year medical education program in Taiwan has been established since 1949. More than 60 years later, many medical professionals have observed and voiced its deficiencies following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. The deficiencies are three-fold: (1) specialties are excessively institutionalized, (2) students engage in passive learning and memorization, and (3) passing one written national examination serves as the means of granting permanent physician qualification. The situation has aroused concerns and discussions among medical professionals and educators for a new medical education program. Authorized by the Conference of Deans of Medical Schools in Taiwan, Prof. Chyi-Her Lin assembled a team for planning medical curricular reform. Subsequently, Prof. Shan-Chwen Chang organized a task force team which has been monitoring the new 6-year program since 2013. The aims of medical reform by Prof. Lin are (1) to eliminate the specialty training part, (2) to use innovative teaching methods to motivate students to learn proactively, and (3) to implement competency-based medical education. Now, the first class of physicians will enter the workplace in 2019, subject to various clinical challenges.

Objective: Frey syndrome is a complication followed by parotidectomy which caused gustatory sweating and facial flush. There were several methods for the prevention of Frey syndrome, but most of them had no obvious effects. In this study, we compare the intra-auricular modification of facelift incision with the traditional lazy-S incision to see if it can decrease the risk of Frey syndrome.

Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study. From 2003 to 2009, a total of 61 patients with benign parotid tumor who received parotidectomy at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and were followed at outpatient department for at least 5 years were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of incisions during operation: (1) Group M: intra-auricular modification of facelift incision or (2) Group S: traditional lazy-S incision. All patients received the partial thickness sternocleidomastoid muscle flap. Clinical data including age, gender, pathologic result, presentation of Frey syndrome, size of tumor, length of operation, blood loss from surgery, length of placement of drain, total amount of drainage, and length of stay were collected and analyzed.

Results: Sixty-one patients were enrolled. Eighteen patients were in Group M and forty-three were in Group S. There was no significant difference of age, gender, and size of tumor between the two groups. The pathologic results included parotitis, pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin's tumor, and others. No significant difference of pathologic results, blood loss from surgery, length of placement of drain, total amount of drainage, and length of stay between two groups was obtained. The length of operation was longer in Group M (P = 0.001) and the incidence of Frey syndrome was lower in Group M than Group S (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The use of intra-auricular modification of facelift incision can decrease the incidence of Frey syndrome.

Objective: There is controversy about the association between the allopurinol use and the risk of acute myocardial infarction. The aim of the study was to examine the association between allopurinol use and acute myocardial infarction in older people in Taiwan.

Materials and methods: We used the 2000-2013 database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program to conduct a case-control study. Cases were assigned as subjects aged 65 years and older with the first incident acute myocardial infarction. Matched controls were assigned as subjects aged 65 years and older without any type of coronary artery disease. Ever use of allopurinol was defined as subjects who had at least a prescription of allopurinol before the diagnosis date of first incident acute myocardial infarction. The odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for acute myocardial infarction associated with allopurinol use were estimated by the multivariable logistic regression model.

Results: There were 4701 cases with the first incident acute myocardial infarction and 9369 matched controls. The adjusted OR of acute myocardial infarction was 2.2 (95% CI 1.7- 2.7) for subjects with ever use of allopurinol, compared with never use. The adjusted ORs of acute myocardial infarction were 2.0 (95% CI 1.5-2.6) for subjects with average daily dosage of allopurinol <200 mg and 2.5 (95% CI 1.6-4.0) for subjects with average daily dosage of allopurinol ≥200 mg.

Conclusion: Allopurinol use is associated with increased odds of acute myocardial infarction in older people, which is dosage dependent.