Laser Acupuncture versus Liraglutide in Treatment of Obesity: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a global concern, driving the search for alternative treatments beyond lifestyle changes and medications. Laser acupuncture (LA) shows promise in obesity management, yet few studies compare it with FDA-approved medications. This study aimed to assess and compare LA's impact with liraglutide on weight reduction in obese individuals. METHODS: Data from the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD) (2013-2018) were analyzed. Primary outcomes included changes in body weight and BMI within 180 days, with secondary outcomes measuring the proportion achieving 5%, 10%, and 15% weight loss. Adverse events were also assessed. RESULTS: Of 745 subjects (173 LA users, 572 liraglutide users), LA users lost more weight by day 180 (5.82 ± 4.39 vs. 2.38 ± 5.75 kg; p < 0.001) and had a greater BMI reduction (-2.27 ± 1.73 vs. -0.93 ± 2.25 kg/m2; p < 0.001). More LA users achieved 5% and 10% weight loss compared to liraglutide users (64.2% vs. 22.7%, 26.6% vs. 4.2%; all p < 0.001). After balancing baseline differences, LA's benefits remained significant. No adverse events were reported with LA. CONCLUSIONS: LA may offer superior weight reduction compared to liraglutide. Future studies should explore LA alone or in combination with liraglutide for obesity management.

Persistent Vascular Anomalies in Retinopathy of Prematurity Children: Ultrawide-field Fluorescein Angiography Findings until School Age.

Purpose: To investigate vascular abnormalities, including persistent avascular retina (PAR), in a large cohort of patients with regressed or treated retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) through long-term follow-up until school age. Design: Retrospective large cohort study. Participants: We included pediatric patients (< 18 years old) with a history of nontreated or treated ROP (treated with either photocoagulation or intravitreal injection [IVI]) and regularly followed up until 2020. Methods: Upon enrollment, we categorized patients into 4 groups: prematurity, regressed ROP, and IVI and laser treatment ROP groups. All patients had undergone visual acuity examinations, OCT, and ultrawide-field fluorescein angiography. Main Outcome Measures: Percentage of eyes with PAR (greater than or equal to the area of 2 disc diameters from the ora serrata to vascular termini) and with vascular abnormalities in the peripheral and posterior retina. Results: In total, we included 187 eyes of 95 patients. The prevalence of PAR was 0%, 33.33%, and 31.65% in eyes in the prematurity, regressed ROP, and IVI treatment groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the percentage of PAR eyes when comparing regressed ROP group (33.33%) with the IVI treatment group (31.65%). At least 1 type of vascular abnormality was noted until school age in all (100%) treated ROP eyes. Although multivariate analysis found a significant association between IVI treatment and PAR (odds ratio: 10.28, 95% confidence interval: 3.29-32.14) until the school age of 6 to 8 years old, there were no stage 3 eyes in the spontaneously regressed group, suggesting that stage 3 ROP in the IVI group could also drive the association. Conclusions: Approximately one-third of ROP eyes with spontaneous regression or IVI treatment still exhibit PAR when the child reaches school age. Several distinct vascular anomalies at the vascular-avascular juncture and within the vascularized retina can persist in these children. The clinical significance of these anomalies and the decision whether to treat them warrant further investigation to optimize their outcomes. Financial Disclosures: The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Sex differences in utilisation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and outcomes in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sex-related differences in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support (ECMO) support is still inconclusive. This population-based study aimed to investigate sex differences in short- or long-term outcomes in order to improve clinical practice. METHODS: Patients who received ECMO between 2001 to 2017 were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Propensity score matching with a 1:1 ratio was conducted in female-to-male groups, to reduce confounding of baseline covariates. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, all-cause readmission, and ECMO-related complications. Logistic regression analysis, Cox proportional hazard model, and join point regression were used to compare sex differences in both short- or long-term outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 7,010 matched patients from 11,734 ECMO receivers were included for analysis. The use of ECMO increased dramatically in past years, although the proportion of females was still lower than males. There was a decreasing trend of females undergoing ECMO over time. Female patients have lower risks of in-hospital mortality (64.08% in females vs 66.48% in males; P = 0.0352) and ECMO-related complications compared with males. Furthermore, females also had favorable long-term late outcomes such as all-cause mortality (73.35% in females vs 76.98% in males; P = 0.009) and readmission rate (6.99% in females vs 9.19% in males; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Female patients had more favorable in-hospital and long-term survival outcomes. Despite improvement in modern ECMO technique and equipment, ECMO remains underutilized in eligible female patients. Thus, females should undergo ECMO treatment if available and indicated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The institutional review board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital approved all data usage and the study protocol (registration number: 202100151B0C502; date of registration: 23/08/2021).

Effect of Hospital Volume on Outcome of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support　- Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: In modern critical care, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is crucial in the management of severe respiratory and cardiac failure. Nationwide studies of the relationship between hospital volume and outcomes of ECMO use are unavailable.Methods and Results: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 11,734 adult patients who received ECMO support in 101 hospitals between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2017. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, 1-year mortality, and ECMO-related complications. Cox proportional hazards model, locally estimated scatterplot smoothing, and restricted cubic spline regression were used to analyze the volume-outcome relationship. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 65.5%, and the 1-year mortality rate was 70.6% in this database. The 101 hospitals were divided into 4 groups based on annual volume. The in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates were significantly lower in the high-volume group (annual volume >40) than in the low-volume group (annual volume <10). CONCLUSIONS: For critical care, high-volume hospitals have superior short-term and mid-term outcomes. To make the medical system equitable and reasonable, establishing a rapid and efficient nationwide referral system should be considered.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of bronchiectasis rheumatoid overlap syndrome: A multi-institution cohort study.

The information regarding bronchiectasis with RA (BROS) is limited in Asia. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of BROS in Taiwan. This multi-institute cohort study included patients with BROS from January 2006 to December 2017. The clinical, functional and microbiological data of these patients were retrieved from the Chang Gung Research Database. Respiratory failure and mortality were the primary outcomes. Severe exacerbation was defined as bronchiectasis- related hospitalizations or emergency department visits. A total of 343 patients with BROS were identified. One hundred and eight patients had severe exacerbation and exhibited significantly more previous exacerbations, a lower FEV1 and higher BACI score (11.1 vs. 7.5) than patients without severe exacerbation. The most prevalent species in sputum were Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) (14.8 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.2 %), and fungus (5.9%). 68.8% of BROS patients used disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD), 7.9% used biological DMARD. NTM and tuberculosis infection rates were higher in bDMARD group compared with nbDMARD group and others. Overall, the 3-year respiratory failure rate and mortality rate were 14.6 and 25.7% respectively. Patients with RA diagnosed before bronchiectasis had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of mortality in a 3-year follow-up than those with RA diagnosed after bronchiectasis. In Cox regression, age, higher RF value and systemic steroid use were independent risk factors for mortality in BROS. BROS patients with severe exacerbation had a high mortality rate in Taiwan. bDMARD is associated with a trend of increased risk of NTM and TB infections.

Comparison of RetCam and Smartphone-Based Photography for Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening.

This study aimed to compare the clinical performance between a smartphone-based fundus photography device and a contact imaging device for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening. All patients were first examined with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO), which served as the reference standard. The patients were then assessed by two devices. Imaging quality, ability to judge the zone and stage of ROP, agreement with the BIO results, vital signs, and pain scores were compared between these two devices. In total, 142 eyes of 71 infants were included. For the smartphone-based fundus photography, image quality was graded excellent or acceptable in 91.4% of examinations, although it was still significantly inferior to that of the contact imaging device (p < 0.001). The smartphone-based fundus photography images had moderate agreement with the BIO results regarding the presence or absence of plus disease (Cohen's κ = 0.619), but evaluating the zone (p < 0.001) and stage (p < 0.001) of ROP was difficult. Systemic parameters, except for heart rate, were similar between the two imaging devices (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, although the smartphone-based fundus photography showed moderate agreement for determining the presence or absence of plus disease, it failed to identify the zone and stage of ROP.

Prostate-Specific Antigen Kinetics Effects on Outcomes of Low-Volume Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to analyse factors influencing the effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic castration-naïve prostate cancer (mCNPC), especially in low-volume disease (LVD), according to subclassification of metastatic prostate cancer established by the CHAARTED trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 648 patients with newly diagnosed mCNPC receiving ADT at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from January 2007 to December 2016. Basic characteristics and PSA kinetics profile were subsequently evaluated. RESULTS: 48.3% of LVD patients progressed to castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Among them, CRPC group had significantly shorter time to PSA nadir (TTN) and faster time from PSA nadir to CRPC (TFNTC) (p < 0.001) compared to non-CRPC group. PSA doubling time (PSADT) < 4 months tended to be associated with faster disease progression and shorter overall survival (OS). Among all patients with metastatic prostate cancer, those with shorter TTN <9 months, higher nadir PSA level ≥1 ng/mL, and shorter PSADT <3 months had increased tendency for biochemical progression. CONCLUSIONS: PSADT is an effective clinical predictor for disease progression and survival in LVD. Other PSA kinetics including TTN and TFNTC, though not the major predictors for disease progression or OS in LVD, might be the predictors for disease control status.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Increases the Risk of Mortality among Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwan. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with CRC mortality in several population-based studies. However, this effect of COPD on CRC shows no difference in some studies and remains unclear in Taiwan's population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's nationwide database. Patients newly diagnosed with CRC were identified from 2007 to 2012 via the Taiwan Cancer Registry dataset and linked to the National Health Insurance research database to obtain their medical records. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied at a ratio of 1:2 in COPD and non-COPD patients with CRC. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Cox regression method. Results: This study included 43,249 patients with CRC, reduced to 13,707 patients after PSM. OS was lower in the COPD group than in the non-COPD group. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for COPD was 1.26 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19-1.33). Moreover, patients with CRC plus preexisting COPD showed a higher mortality risk in all stage CRC subgroup analysis. Conclusions: In this 5-year retrospective cohort study, patients with CRC and preexisting COPD had a higher mortality risk than those without preexisting COPD, suggesting these patients need more attention during treatment and follow-up.

The survival outcome of nasopharyngeal cancer patients with traditional Chinese medicine external use: A hospital-based study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: External-use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) agents are widely used to relieve the adverse effects of radiation therapy in nasopharyngeal cancer patients. AIM OF THE STUDY: Our study aimed to evaluate the influence of external-use TCM agents to relieve radiotherapy-related adverse effects on the efficacy of radiation therapy and the prognosis of nasopharyngeal cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD), we analyzed 1823 newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal cancer patients with radiotherapy-related adverse effects between 2001/01 and 2015/12. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model to estimate the differences in effects on survival outcomes between two groups, TCM external users and non-TCM external users. RESULTS: We found that TCM external users had significantly better 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates (log-rank test, p = 0.0377 and p = 0.034, respectively) than non-TCM external users. The 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival rates were not statistically significantly different between the groups. We also found a trend of improved 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates in TCM external users with advanced-stage disease, without statistical significance (log-rank test, p = 0.10 and p = 0.089, respectively). The subgroup analysis revealed lower risks of mortality in TCM external users among the nonhypertension, nonhyperlipidemia, nonischemic heart disease, noncirrhosis, and nonchronic kidney disease groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that TCM agents external use could significantly improve 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates in nasopharyngeal cancer patients with radiotherapy-related adverse effects.

Predicting Healthy C5 Spinal Nerve Stumps Eligible for Grafting with MRI, Tinel Test, and Rhomboid Electromyography: A Retrospective Study of 295 Consecutive Brachial Plexus Surgeries.

Background MRI, Tinel test, and rhomboid electromyography (EMG) can be used to predict whether C5 spinal nerve stumps are healthy and eligible for grafting in acute adult brachial plexus injuries, but their comparative diagnostic efficacies have not been evaluated. Purpose To compare diagnostic performances of MRI, Tinel test, and rhomboid EMG in predicting healthy C5 spinal nerve stumps that are eligible for grafting. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients with acute brachial plexus injury who underwent microreconstructions between January 2008 and December 2018. Healthy C5 spinal nerve stumps eligible for grafting with preceding normal intradural nerve rootlets were diagnosed by an experienced neuroradiologist using an avulsion severity score system based on fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition or FIESTA neurography, which separates intradural nerve rootlets into normal, partial mild, severe, and complete avulsions. Tinel test and rhomboid EMG results were assessed by an experienced nerve surgeon and neurologist, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the three tests were compared using microdissection as the reference standard. P < .05 was considered to indicate a significant difference. Results A total of 251 patients (mean age, 31 years ± 13 [standard deviation]; 217 men) with brachial plexus injuries who had -undergone MRI (n = 251), Tinel test (n = 235), rhomboid EMG (n = 181) and MRI, Tinel test, and EMG (n = 172) were -included. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively, in predicting healthy C5 spinal nerve stumps eligible for grafting were 93% (233 of 251), 84% (58 of 69), and 96% (175 of 182) for MRI; 59% (139 of 235), 56% (37 of 66), and 60% (102 of 169) for Tinel test; and 39% (71 of 181), 85% (43 of 50), and 21% (28 of 131) for rhomboid EMG. MRI (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.90; P < .001) -outperformed MRI and Tinel test (AUC, 0.74), Tinel test (AUC, 0.59), and rhomboid EMG (AUC, 0.53). Conclusion MRI performed best in the prediction of healthy graftable C5 spinal nerve stumps in acute adult brachial plexus injuries. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Low acuity paediatric emergency visits under single-payer universal health insurance in Taiwan, 2000-2015: a population-based repeated cross-sectional design.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency services utilisation is a critical policy concern. The paediatric population is the main user of emergency department (ED) services, and the main contributor to low acuity (LA) ED visits. We aimed to describe the trends of ED and LA ED visits under a comprehensive, universal health insurance programme in Taiwan, and to explore factors associating with potentially unnecessary ED utilisation. DESIGN AND SETTING: We used a population-based, repeated cross-sectional design to analyse the full year of 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 National Health Insurance claims data individually for individuals aged 18 years and under. PARTICIPANTS: We identified 5 538 197, 4 818 213, 4 401 677 and 3 841 174 children in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, respectively. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We adopted a diagnosis grouping system and severity classification system to define LA paediatric ED (PED) visits. Generalised estimating equation was applied to identify factors associated with LA PED visits. RESULTS: The annual LA PED visits per 100 paediatric population decreased from 10.32 in 2000 to 9.04 in 2015 (12.40%). Infectious ears, nose and throat, dental and mouth diseases persistently ranked as the top reasons for LA visits (55.31% in 2000 vs 33.94% in 2015). Physical trauma-related LA PED visits increased most rapidly between 2000 and 2015 (0.91-2.56 visits per 100 population). The dose-response patterns were observed between the likelihood of incurring LA PED visit and either child's age (OR 1.06-1.35 as age groups increase, p<0.0001) or family socioeconomic status (OR 1.02-1.21 as family income levels decrease, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite a comprehensive coverage of emergency care and low cost-sharing obligations under a single-payer universal health insurance programme in Taiwan, no significant increase in PED utilisation for LA conditions was observed between 2000 and 2015. Taiwan's experience may serve as an important reference for countries considering healthcare system reforms.