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Su HC, Chang YC, Chen CH, Cheng MY, Hsih WH, Chen YJ, Chou CH, Lin YC, Hsiao CT, Shih HM, Ho MW, Hsueh PR. Unveiling the dynamics of respiratory infections revealed by multiplex PCR testing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, 2020-2023. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2024:S1684-1182(24)00147-6. [PMID: 39179462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2024.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 sparked the global COVID-19 pandemic, leading to varied vaccine policies worldwide. The evolving patterns of respiratory pathogens, aside from SARS-CoV-2, during the pandemic have had a significant impact on the development of vaccine strategies. METHODS This study explores the landscape of respiratory pathogens, encompassing SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza viruses, through a retrospective analysis of data obtained from the BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1 (RP 2.1) at China Medical University Hospital (Taichung, Taiwan) spanning from January 2020 to November 2023. RESULTS Among the 7950 respiratory samples studied, pediatric cases exhibited higher positivity (64.9%, 2488/3835) and mixed detection rates (43.8%, 1090/2488) than adults. Annual mixed detection rates increased (27.9-48%). Prevalence analysis revealed diverse patterns across age groups, with higher rates in pediatrics. Notably, human rhinovirus/enterovirus predominated (48.1%). Mixed detection illustrated viral co-detections, notably with parainfluenza viruses and adenovirus. Government policies and pandemic dynamics influenced infection patterns, with RSV resurgence after May 2022. Age-specific RSV detection demonstrated a shift, influencing vaccine considerations. Amid global vaccine initiatives, RSV's increasing trend in adults warrants attention. CONCLUSIONS This comprehensive analysis emphasizes the importance of multiplex PCR testing in shaping targeted vaccination strategies during evolving respiratory pathogen landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Chieh Su
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chang Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hao Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Yu Cheng
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hsin Hsih
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jhen Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Huei Chou
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chao Lin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Tzu Hsiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Mo Shih
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Mao-Wang Ho
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Lee PI, Hsueh PR, Chuang JH, Liu MT. Changing epidemic patterns of infectious diseases during and after COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2024:S1684-1182(24)00113-0. [PMID: 39048396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Mitigation measures aimed at curbing the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 effectively suppressed the occurrence of many respiratory infections other than coronavirus disease 2019. Several infections experienced a resurgence following the relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in Taiwan. This phenomenon, known as immune debt, primarily affected respiratory infections in young children, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Infections transmitted by means other than droplets or contact did not exhibit significant changes in their epidemic patterns, such as varicella and Japanese encephalitis. Alterations in seasonality were noted for RSV infection and influenza, and these changes are also linked to immune debt. The recent emergence of severe pediatric pneumonia in northern China may be associated with immune debt and the rise of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae associated with severe illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Ing Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Ph.D Program for Aging, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Jen-Hsiang Chuang
- Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Tsan Liu
- Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Huang SW, Chiou SY, Chen RC, Sub-r-pa C. Enhancing Hospital Efficiency and Patient Care: Real-Time Tracking and Data-Driven Dispatch in Patient Transport. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:4020. [PMID: 38931802 PMCID: PMC11207585 DOI: 10.3390/s24124020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Inefficient patient transport in hospitals often leads to delays, overworked staff, and suboptimal resource utilization, ultimately impacting patient care. Existing dispatch management algorithms are often evaluated in simulation environments, raising concerns about their real-world applicability. This study presents a real-world experiment that bridges the gap between theoretical dispatch algorithms and real-world implementation. It applies process capability analysis at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, and utilizes IoT for real-time tracking of staff and medical devices to address challenges associated with manual dispatch processes. Experimental data collected from the hospital underwent statistical evaluation between January 2021 and December 2021. The results of our experiment, which compared the use of traditional dispatch methods with the Beacon dispatch method, found that traditional dispatch had an overtime delay of 41.0%; in comparison, the Beacon dispatch method had an overtime delay of 26.5%. These findings demonstrate the transformative potential of this solution for not only hospital operations but also for improving service quality across the healthcare industry in the context of smart hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Wen Huang
- Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan; (S.-W.H.); (S.-Y.C.)
- Department of Information Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
| | - Shyue-Yow Chiou
- Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan; (S.-W.H.); (S.-Y.C.)
| | - Rung-Ching Chen
- Department of Information Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
| | - Chayanon Sub-r-pa
- Department of Information Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
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Tsai SF, Hsu CT, Chung MC, Wu MJ, Huang YC, Chen CH. Reducing Waiting Times and Admission Periods through Pre-Admission Testing: A Quality Improvement Study on In-Hospital Renal Biopsy. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3445. [PMID: 38929974 PMCID: PMC11204929 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Admission for renal biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing kidney disease. However, prolonged waiting times for admission can lead to delayed diagnosis. Despite this issue, there are currently no studies demonstrating how to improve the efficiency of renal biopsy procedures. Methods: We initiated a quality improvement project to implement pre-admission testing (PAT) for renal biopsy from 2016 to 2024 (until 15 April). Our evaluation focused on waiting times for admission, length of admission periods, hospitalization expenses, percentage of cases with no renal biopsy performed, incidence of severe bleeding due to renal biopsy, and percentage of cases with adequate tissue samples obtained. Additionally, we highlighted the time periods during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. Results: The highest annual case number was observed in time period 1 (168.3/year). Following the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, there was a notable decrease in case numbers during time period 2 (119.8), which then increased to 143.0 in time period 3 (post-SARS-CoV-2 era). The mean waiting time was 13.72 ± 40.30 days for time period 1 and 10.00 ± 47.80 days for time period 2, without statistical significance. Following the implementation of PAT, patients now only need to wait approximately 0.76 days for admission, representing a significant reduction in waiting time. Subsequently, following the implementation of PAT, the waiting time decreased significantly to 2.09 ± 2.65 days. Additionally, hospitalization expenses per patient significantly decreased from approximately USD 69.62 ± 97.09 to USD 41.66 ± 52.82. The percentage of missed biopsy is significantly low (p < 0.001). Severe bleeding events (indicated as embolization and blood transfusion) were consistent across the three time periods (p = 0.617). Conclusions: The implementation of PAT can improve the pre-admission process for renal biopsy, resulting in decreased waiting times, fewer missed appointments, shorter admission durations, and reduced hospitalization expenses. We propose implementing PAT for outpatient individuals awaiting in-hospital renal biopsy procedures to mitigate delayed diagnosis, reduce pre-admission waiting periods, and streamline admission processes, thereby enhancing overall patient care efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Feng Tsai
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan; (S.-F.T.)
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 407224, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Tien Hsu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Chi Chung
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan; (S.-F.T.)
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Ju Wu
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan; (S.-F.T.)
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chin Huang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsu Chen
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan; (S.-F.T.)
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 407224, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan
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Tseng TC, Wang TM, Hsu YC, Hsu CT, Lin YH, Lin MC. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants: a retrospective national cohort study. BMJ Paediatr Open 2024; 8:e002493. [PMID: 38823798 PMCID: PMC11149170 DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN Premature infants born in 2018 were assigned to the pre-pandemic group, while those born in 2019 were assigned to the during-pandemic group. SETTING Nationwide cohort study. PATIENTS Very low birthweight premature infants registered in the Taiwan Premature Infant Follow-up Network database. INTERVENTIONS Anti-epidemic measures, including quarantine and isolation protocols, social distancing, the closure of public spaces and restrictions on travel and gatherings during COVID-19 pandemic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Outcomes were measured by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition at corrected ages of 6, 12 and 24 months old. Generalised estimating equation (GEE) was applied to incorporate all measurements into a single model. RESULTS Among the 1939 premature infants who were enrolled, 985 developed before the pandemic, while 954 developed during the pandemic. Premature infants whose development occurred during the pandemic exhibited better cognitive composite at the corrected age of 6 months (beta=2.358; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.65; p<0.001), and motor composite at corrected ages of 12 months (beta=1.680; 95% CI, 0.34 to 3.02; p=0.014). GEE analysis showed that infants who had grown during the pandemic achieved higher scores in cognitive composite (beta=1.416; 95% CI, 0.36 to 2.48; p=0.009). CONCLUSION Premature infants in Taiwan who developed during the pandemic showed better neurodevelopment compared with those born before the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Cheng Tseng
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Teh-Ming Wang
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chi Hsu
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ting Hsu
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lin
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Lin
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Lin YH, Han DS, Lee YH, Chan DC, Chang CH, Yang KC, Chang FC. Response to comments on "Social network associated with depressed mood and sarcopenia among older adults in Taiwan". J Formos Med Assoc 2024; 123:628. [PMID: 38360491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2023.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hung Lin
- Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Community Medicine and Long-Term Care, National Taiwan University Hospital Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Der-Sheng Han
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ding-Cheng Chan
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology and Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsiu Chang
- Department of Nursing, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Cheh Yang
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fong-Ching Chang
- Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Hsu CK, Hsu WH, Shiau BW, Tsai YW, Wu JY, Liu TH, Huang PY, Chuang MH, Lai CC. The effectiveness of novel oral antiviral treatment for non-hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19 during predominance of omicron XBB subvariants. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38568820 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2024.2339398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigated the association between nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) or molnupiravir and the outcomes of non-hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19 during Omicron XBB subvariants. METHODS The retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX US collaborative network to identify non-hospitalized high-risk adult patients with COVID-19 between 1 February 2023, and 31 August 2023. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match patients receiving NMV-r or MOV (the study group) with those not receiving antivirals (the control group). RESULTS Using PSM, two cohorts of 17,654 patients each with balanced baseline characteristics were identified. During the follow-up period, the study group had a lower risk of all-cause hospitalization, or death (3.2% [n = 564] versus 3.8% [n = 669]; HR, 0.796; 95% confidence interval [CI], 95% CI, 0.712-0.891). Compared with the control group, the study group had a significantly lower risk of all-cause hospitalization (3.1% vs. 3.4%; HR, 0.847; 95% CI, 0.754-0.950) and mortality (0.1% vs. 0.4%; HR, 0.295; 95% CI, 0.183-0.476). CONCLUSION The use of novel oral antiviral including NMV-r or MOV can be associated with a lower risk of all-cause hospitalization, or death in non-hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19 during Omicron XBB wave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Kuei Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Wen Shiau
- Divison of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Wen Tsai
- Center for Integrative Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Biotechnology, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiang Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Lee YL, Liu CE, Tang HJ, Huang YT, Chen YS, Hsueh PR. Epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Enterobacterales causing bloodstream infections before and during COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) in Taiwan, 2018-2021. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2024:S1684-1182(24)00072-0. [PMID: 38632023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to the spread of antimicrobial resistance, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. METHODS This study utilized data from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) surveillance program in Taiwan. Enterobacterales from patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) were collected and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and β-lactamase gene detection using a multiplex PCR assay. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare susceptibility rates and resistance genes between time periods before (2018-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). RESULTS A total of 1231 Enterobacterales isolates were collected, predominantly Escherichia coli (55.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (29.2%). The proportion of nosocomial BSIs increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (55.5% vs. 61.7%, p < 0.05). Overall, susceptibility rates for most antimicrobial agents decreased, with Enterobacterales from nosocomial BSIs showing significantly lower susceptibility rates than those from community-acquired BSIs. Among 123 Enterobacterales isolates that underwent molecular resistance mechanism detection, ESBL, AmpC β-lactamase, and carbapenemase genes were detected in 43.1%, 48.8% and 16.3% of the tested isolates, respectively. The prevalence of carbapenemase genes among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales increased during the pandemic, although the difference was not statistically significant. Two novel β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, imipenem-relebactam and meropenem-vaborbactam, preserved good efficacy against Enterobacterales. However, imipenem-relebactam showed lower in vitro activity against imipenem-non-susceptible Enterobacterales than that of meropenem-vaborbactam. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be associated with a general decrease in antimicrobial susceptibility rates among Enterobacterales causing BSIs in Taiwan. Continuous surveillance is crucial to monitor antimicrobial resistance during the pandemic and in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lin Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Ph.D Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Eng Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jen Tang
- Department of Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Tsung Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Shen Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Ph.D Program for Ageing, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Chen CL, Teng CK, Chen WC, Liang SJ, Tu CY, Shih HM, Cheng WJ, Lin YC, Hsueh PR. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes among the hospitalized elderly patients with COVID-19 during the late pandemic phase in central Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2024; 57:257-268. [PMID: 38326193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of information regarding outcomes of elderly patients hospitalized with COVID-19 following the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral agents. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted between January and August 2022, enrolling patients aged 65 years or older. Patients were categorized into two groups: 'old' (65-79 years) and 'oldest-old' (80 years or more). Multivariate regression was employed to identify independent prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS A total of 797 patients were enrolled, including 428 old and 369 oldest-old patients. In each subgroup, 66.6 % and 59.6 % of patients received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. Approximately 40 % of the patients received oral antiviral agents either before or upon hospital admission. A greater percentage of the oldest-old patients received remdesivir (53.4 % versus 39.7 %, p < 0.001), dexamethasone (49.3 % versus 36.7 %, p < 0.001), and tocilizumab (10.0 % versus 6.8 %, p < 0.001) than old patients. The mortality rate was comparable between the two age subgroups (14 % versus 15.2 %). Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality included disease severity and comorbidities such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cirrhosis, solid tumours, and haematologic malignancies. Ageing was not correlated with increased in-hospital mortality across all comorbidity subgroups. CONCLUSIONS In the later stages of the pandemic, with widespread vaccination and advancements in COVID-19 treatments, outcomes for hospitalized elderly and oldest-old patients with COVID-19 have improved. The influence of age on in-hospital mortality has diminished, while comorbidities such as ESRD, cirrhosis, solid tumours, and hematologic malignancies have been associated with mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Lung Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Kang Teng
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Cheng Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Education, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Jye Liang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yen Tu
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Mo Shih
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ju Cheng
- Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chao Lin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; PhD Program for Aging, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Lin YK, Lin CD, Lin BYJ. Junior doctors' workplace well-being and the determinants based on ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory: Educational and managerial implications from a three-year longitudinal observation after graduation. MEDICAL TEACHER 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38460181 DOI: 10.1080/0142159x.2024.2322719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Junior doctors function as trainees from an educational perspective and as employees from a human resource management perspective. Employing the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory as a conceptual framework, this study longitudinally investigated the factors affecting the workplace well-being and career progression of junior doctors over a 3-year period following their graduation from medical schools. MATERIALS AND METHODS This 3-year prospective cohort study enrolled junior doctors who graduated from 2 medical schools in June 2019 in Taiwan. This study collected data by implementing web-based, self-administered structured questionnaires at 3-month intervals between September 2019 and July 2022. The collected data encompassed ability indicators (i.e. academic performance and perceived preparedness for clinical practice), motivation indicators (i.e. educational and clinical supervision), opportunity indicators (i.e. clinical unit cultures), and workplace well-being indicators (i.e. burnout, compassion satisfaction, and job performance). A total of 107 junior doctors participated, providing 926 total responses. The data were analysed using univariate analyses and structural equation modelling with path analysis. RESULTS Over the 3-year period following graduation, the junior doctors' confidence in their preparedness for clinical practice and the educational and clinical supervision had varying degrees of influence on the junior doctors' workplace well-being. The influence of clinical unit cultures, which can provide opportunities for junior doctors, became evident starting from the second year postgraduation; notably, unit cultures that emphasised flexibility and discretion played positive and critical roles in enhancing the junior doctors' workplace well-being lasted to the third year. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide insights into the distinct critical factors that affect the socialisation of junior doctors within workplace environments over 3 consecutive years. These findings can provide guidance for medical educators and healthcare managers, helping them understand and support the progressive integration of junior doctors into their work environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Kai Lin
- Department of Surgery, Jen-Ai Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Der Lin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Blossom Yen-Ju Lin
- Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC
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11
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Kuo YM, Kang CM, Lai ZY, Huang TY, Tzeng SJ, Hsu CC, Chen SY, Hsieh SC, Chia JS, Jung CJ, Hsueh PR. Temporal changes in biomarkers of neutrophil extracellular traps and NET-promoting autoantibodies following adenovirus-vectored, mRNA, and recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccination. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29556. [PMID: 38511554 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a role in innate pathogen defense and also trigger B-cell response by providing antigens. NETs have been linked to vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia. We postulated a potential link between NET biomarkers, NET-promoting autoantibodies, and adverse events (AEs) after COVID-19 vaccine boosters. Healthy donors (HDs) who received ChAdOx1-S (A), mRNA-1273 (M), or recombinant protein (MVC-COV1901) vaccines at the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2021 and 2022 were recruited. We measured serial NET-associated biomarkers, citrullinated-histone3 (citH3), and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA. Serum citH3 and MPO-DNA were significantly or numerically higher in HDs who reported AEs (n = 100, booster Day 0/Day 30, p = 0.01/p = 0.03 and p = 0.30/p = 0.35, respectively). We also observed a positive correlation between rash occurrence in online diaries and elevated citH3. A linear mixed model also revealed significantly higher citH3 levels in mRNA-1273/ChAdOx1-S recipients than MVC-COV1901 recipients. Significant positive correlations were observed between the ratios of anti-heparin platelet factor 4 and citH3 levels on Booster Day 0 and naïve and between the ratios of anti-NET IgM and citH3 on Booster Day 30/Day 0 in the AA-M and MM-M group, respectively. The increased levels of citH3/MPO-DNA accompanied by NET-promoting autoantibodies suggest a potential connection between mRNA-1273/ChAdOx1-S vaccines and cardiovascular complications. These findings provide insights for risk assessments of future vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Kuo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Min Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Zhi-Yun Lai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infection, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Jong Tzeng
- Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chieh Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infection, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shey-Ying Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Song-Chou Hsieh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jean-San Chia
- Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chiau-Jing Jung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Wu CF, Lin TY, Chiu SK, Cheng CH, Su WL. Quality of Life and Emotional Problems of COVID-19 Patients after Discharge: A One-Month Longitudinal Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:488. [PMID: 38391863 PMCID: PMC10888067 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12040488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM The first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Taiwan occurred in May 2021 and many individuals were infected. All COVID-19 patients were quarantined in designated facilities until they fully recovered to prevent the spread of the disease. Prolonged quarantine could adversely affect these patients. In this study, we focused on investigating changes in the quality of life and mental health of individuals discharged from hospital after recovering from COVID-19. METHODS This study employed a longitudinal design and surveyed individuals discharged from a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan in 2021 within one week of their discharge and again after one month. An online questionnaire comprising the participants' background, respiratory function (COPD Assessment Test), quality of life (WHOQoL-BREF), and emotional problems (DASS-21) was administered to the participants. RESULTS A total of 56 participants actively took part in both surveys. We observed that participants with abnormal respiratory function had a lower physical and psychological quality of life, especially those with severe symptoms requiring endotracheal intubation during the treatment period of COVID-19. Additionally, approximately 30% of participants experienced anxiety problems throughout this study period. Finally, patients with COVID-19 symptoms exhibited a lower quality of life and higher levels of severe emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS According to our findings, it is necessary to monitor and provide appropriate interventions for individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, especially those who experienced severe symptoms that required endotracheal intubation during COVID-19 treatment. These interventions, such as symptom management and psychological support, can help improve their quality of life and reduce emotional problems. Therefore, after the participants are discharged, hospitals should regularly track the patients' status and provide appropriate support or referrals to help these individuals. Otherwise, future research could include more participants and follow up with them for longer to investigate the longitudinal impact of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiu-Feng Wu
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yun Lin
- Division of Nephrology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Kang Chiu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Hsuan Cheng
- Department of Nursing, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Lin Su
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan
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13
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Tey SF, Tsai YW, Wu JY, Liu TH, Chuang MH, Hsu WH, Huang PY, Lai CC, Hsu CK. Comparative outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 primary and reinfection in older adult patients. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1337646. [PMID: 38435287 PMCID: PMC10904610 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1337646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The outcomes of older adult people acquiring SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was unclear. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of older adult patients with COVID-19 reinfection and those with primary infection. Methods This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records from the TriNetX Research Network. Older adult patients (aged ≥65 years) with COVID-19 between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, were included in the study. The patients were subsequently categorized into reinfection or primary infection groups, according to whether they manifested two distinct COVID-19 episodes with an intervening period of more than 90 days. Propensity score matching was performed for covariate adjustment between the reinfection and primary infection groups. The primary outcome was a composite outcome, including emergency department visits, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation use, and mortality, following primary infection and reinfection. Results After matching, 31,899 patients were identified in both the reinfection and primary infection groups. The risk of primary composite outcomes was 7.15% (n = 2,281) in the reinfection group and 7.53% (n = 2,403) in the primary infection group. No significant difference in the primary outcome was observed between groups (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.02, p = 0.17). In addition, there was no significant differences between the reinfection and primary infection groups in terms of emergency department visit (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.11, p = 0.49), all-cause hospitalization (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.02, p = 0.14), intensive care unit admission (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.28, p = 0.62), mechanical ventilation use (HR,1.35 95% CI, 0.69 to 2.64 p = 0.38), and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.20, p = 0.62). Conclusion There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between older adult patients with COVID-19 reinfection and those with primary infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Farn Tey
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Wen Tsai
- Center for Integrative Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Biotechnology, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiang Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Kuei Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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14
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Lee YT, Lai YW, Chen JH, Chen WL, Wu MY, Chung JY. Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Emergency Department Visits in Taiwan. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:288. [PMID: 38399575 PMCID: PMC10890672 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60020288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted healthcare systems worldwide. To assess the effects of the pandemic on pediatric emergency department (ED) visits in Taiwan, we conducted a study to evaluate changes in pediatric ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included pediatric patients (age ≤ 18) who visited the ED between 21 January 2019 and 30 April 2019, at three hospitals of the Cathay Health System, and compared them with a corresponding period in 2020. Basic information, including mode of arrival, triage level, disposition, chief complaints, and incidence rates, were analyzed before and during the pandemic. Results: A total of 10,116 patients, with 6009 in the pre-pandemic group and 4107 in the pandemic group, were included in this study. The mean number of daily pediatric ED visits decreased from 60.09 before the pandemic to 40.66 during the pandemic, while ambulance use increased significantly by 2.56%. The percentage of patients with high acuity triage levels (levels 1 and 2) was significantly lower during the pandemic period (0.63% and 10.18%, respectively) than the pre-pandemic period (0.7% and 10.9%, respectively). Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of patients were discharged during the pandemic period (89.36%) than during the pre-pandemic period (88.33%). The proportion of COVID-19-related complaints, such as fever and respiratory tract infections, as well as other complaints including gastrointestinal issues, trauma, and psychological problems, significantly increased during the pandemic. Conclusions: In preparation for future pandemics, we recommend increasing emergency medical service capacity, establishing a non-contagious route for obtaining chronic medication prescriptions, optimizing staff allocation in pediatric emergency departments, and increasing the number of hospital social workers for enhanced support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei 106438, Taiwan; (Y.-T.L.); (J.-H.C.); (W.-L.C.)
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, New Taipei City 221037, Taiwan;
| | - Yen-Wen Lai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, New Taipei City 221037, Taiwan;
| | - Jiann-Hwa Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei 106438, Taiwan; (Y.-T.L.); (J.-H.C.); (W.-L.C.)
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei 242062, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lung Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei 106438, Taiwan; (Y.-T.L.); (J.-H.C.); (W.-L.C.)
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei 242062, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Yu Wu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 231016, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970374, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Yuan Chung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei 106438, Taiwan; (Y.-T.L.); (J.-H.C.); (W.-L.C.)
- School of Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
- Department of Education, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei 106438, Taiwan
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15
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Lin LY, Husnayain A, Chen YT, Kuo CY. The association between interest of nutritional supplements and COVID-19 pandemic - evidence from Google Trends. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:109. [PMID: 38184540 PMCID: PMC10771707 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, the interest of nutritional supplements has emerged. Limited data are available on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the search interest in nutritional supplements in Taiwan and worldwide. The study aims to investigate changes in public search interest of nutritional supplements pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Our World in Data dataset was used to collect both global and local (Taiwan) number of COVID-19 newly confirmed cases and deaths. Google Trends search query was being used to obtain relative search volumes (RSVs) covering a timeframe between 2019 to 2022. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients were used to measure relationships between confirmed new cases and deaths and RSVs of nutritional supplements. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the effect of domestic and global new cases and deaths on the RSVs of nutritional supplements. RESULTS The mean RSVs for nutritional supplements were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic period (between 2020 to 2022) compared to the pre-pandemic period (year of 2019) for both Taiwan and worldwide. In terms of seasonal variations, except for vitamin D, the mean RSVs of probiotics, vitamin B complex, and vitamin C in winter were significantly lower compared to other seasons in Taiwan. The RSVs of nutritional supplements were not only affected by domestic cases and deaths but also by global new cases and deaths. CONCLUSIONS The interests in nutritional supplements had substantially increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The RSVs of nutritional supplements in Taiwan were not only influenced by global and domestic pandemic severity but also by seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yin Lin
- Department of Leisure Industry and Health Promotion, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Atina Husnayain
- Department of Public Health, Monash University, Banten, 15345, Indonesia
| | - Yi-Tui Chen
- Smart Healthcare Interdisciplinary College, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
- Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, 103, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Yang Kuo
- Smart Healthcare Interdisciplinary College, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, 112, Taiwan.
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16
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Hien NTK, Tsai FJ, Chang YH, Burton W, Phuc PT, Nguyen PA, Harnod D, Lam CSK, Lu TC, Chen CI, Hsu MH, Lu CY, Huang CW, Yang HC, Hsu JC. Unveiling the future of COVID-19 patient care: groundbreaking prediction models for severe outcomes or mortality in hospitalized cases. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 10:1289968. [PMID: 38249981 PMCID: PMC10797111 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1289968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have identified COVID-19 risk factors, such as age and chronic health conditions, linked to severe outcomes and mortality. However, accurately predicting severe illness in COVID-19 patients remains challenging, lacking precise methods. Objective This study aimed to leverage clinical real-world data and multiple machine-learning algorithms to formulate innovative predictive models for assessing the risk of severe outcomes or mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods Data were obtained from the Taipei Medical University Clinical Research Database (TMUCRD) including electronic health records from three Taiwanese hospitals in Taiwan. This study included patients admitted to the hospitals who received an initial diagnosis of COVID-19 between January 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. The primary outcome was defined as the composite of severe infection, including ventilator use, intubation, ICU admission, and mortality. Secondary outcomes consisted of individual indicators. The dataset encompassed demographic data, health status, COVID-19 specifics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory results. Two modes (full mode and simplified mode) are used; the former includes all features, and the latter only includes the 30 most important features selected based on the algorithm used by the best model in full mode. Seven machine learning was employed algorithms the performance of the models was evaluated using metrics such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results The study encompassed 22,192 eligible in-patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In the full mode, the model using the light gradient boosting machine algorithm achieved the highest AUROC value (0.939), with an accuracy of 85.5%, a sensitivity of 0.897, and a specificity of 0.853. Age, vaccination status, neutrophil count, sodium levels, and platelet count were significant features. In the simplified mode, the extreme gradient boosting algorithm yielded an AUROC of 0.935, an accuracy of 89.9%, a sensitivity of 0.843, and a specificity of 0.902. Conclusion This study illustrates the feasibility of constructing precise predictive models for severe outcomes or mortality in COVID-19 patients by leveraging significant predictors and advanced machine learning. These findings can aid healthcare practitioners in proactively predicting and monitoring severe outcomes or mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, improving treatment and resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thi Kim Hien
- Master Program in Global Health and Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Jen Tsai
- Master Program in Global Health and Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Global Health and Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hui Chang
- PharmD Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Whitney Burton
- International Ph.D. Program in Biotech and Healthcare Management, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Phan Thanh Phuc
- International Ph.D. Program in Biotech and Healthcare Management, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Phung-Anh Nguyen
- Clinical Data Center, Office of Data Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center of Health Care Industry Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Dorji Harnod
- Department of Emergency, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Carlos Shu-Kei Lam
- Department of Emergency, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Emergency, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Chien Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-I Chen
- Department of Healthcare Administration, School of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Huei Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Christine Y. Lu
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and the Northern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chih-Wei Huang
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Chia Yang
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center of Big Data and Meta-analysis, Wanfang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jason C. Hsu
- International Ph.D. Program in Biotech and Healthcare Management, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Clinical Data Center, Office of Data Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center of Health Care Industry Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Yii YC, Shih HM, Chen CL, Lai ZL, Hsu YL, Lai CH, Hsueh PR, Cho DY. Effect of pre-hospitalization use of oral antiviral agents on reducing critical illness and mortality for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107020. [PMID: 37898365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.107020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effect of administering nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir before hospitalisation on subsequent critical illness among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who required hospitalisation between 1 January 1 2022 and 31 August 2022. The primary outcomes were the development of critical illness, including intensive care unit admission, use of mechanical ventilation, or mortality. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the varying risks of critical illness and mortality. A total of 1,011 COVID-19 patients were analysed. Among them, 304 (30.1%) received molnupiravir and 131 (13.0%) received nirmatrelvir/ritonavir before hospitalisation. RESULTS There were significant reductions for critical illness (adjusted odds ratio 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.21-0.39, P < 0.001) and mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.27-0.59, P < 0.001) in patients receiving oral antivirals compared with those who did not. No significant differences in critical illness were observed between molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. The combination of COVID-19 vaccines and oral antivirals can further reduce the risk of critical illness in high-risk populations. CONCLUSION Administering molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir before hospitalisation reduced the risk of COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe pneumonia progressing to critical illness and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Cheng Yii
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Mo Shih
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Lung Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Zi-Lun Lai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lung Hsu
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Disease, China Medical University Children's Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hong Lai
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Der-Yang Cho
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
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18
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Huang HC, Hsu CY, Shih CI, Huang HC, Yang HF, Fan SY. Working Experiences of Care Aides in Long-Term Care Institutions Following the Relaxation of COVID-19 Regulations in Taiwan: A Qualitative Study. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2024; 10:23337214241260147. [PMID: 38854459 PMCID: PMC11159543 DOI: 10.1177/23337214241260147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Care aides in long-term care (LTC) institutions care for older disabled residents at high risk for COVID-19. However, they experienced many stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the working experiences of care aides in LTC institutions following the relaxation of COVID-19 regulations in Taiwan. This qualitative descriptive study included 20 care aides who had cared for residents with COVID-19. Data were obtained via semi-structured interviews. Caring for residents with COVID-19 and the difficulties, resources and teamwork, and impact of care aides' work on their lives were discussed. Consequently, four themes were identified. First, difficulties in care, which included physical limitations by protection, workload, and impact of work schedule on the lives of the care aides. Second, psychological impact, such as worry, social isolation, and burnout. Third, interpersonal relationships with supervisors, colleagues, residents, and their families. Fourth, infection control policy from the institution and government. When infection control policies were relaxed, care aides had difficulties in caring for residents; furthermore, their family and social lives were also affected. They were required to learn knowledge of and skills for COVID-19 management. Institutions were required to provide support in materials, care processes, environment, and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chun Huang
- Pau-Kan Social Welfare and Charitable Foundation, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | | | - Chen-I Shih
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Chen Huang
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Fei Yang
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
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19
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Liu TH, Huang PY, Wu JY, Chuang MH, Hsu WH, Tsai YW, Lai CC. Comparison of post-acute sequelae following hospitalization for COVID-19 and influenza. BMC Med 2023; 21:480. [PMID: 38049876 PMCID: PMC10696681 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03200-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have directly compared the risk and magnitude of post-acute sequelae following COVID-19 and influenza, and most of these studies were conducted before emergence of the Omicron. This study investigated the prevalence of post-COVID conditions and the long-term risk of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in patients with COVID-19 and compared their risk with that of patients with influenza. METHODS A retrospective study based on the TriNetX databases, a global health research network. We identified patients with COVID-19 and influenza who required hospitalization between January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2023. We compared the risk of developing any post-COVID conditions between the two groups and also analyzed each post-COVID-19 condition and all-cause ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in both populations during the follow-up 90-180 days. RESULTS Before matching, 7,187 patients with COVID-19 were older (63.9 ± 16.7 vs. 55.4 ± 21.2) and were predominantly male (54.0% vs. 45.4%), and overweight/obese (16.1% vs. 11.2%) than 11,266 individuals with influenza. After propensity score matching, 6,614 patients were identified in each group, resulting in well-balanced baseline characteristics. During follow-up, the COVID-19 group had a higher incidence of any post-COVID-19 condition when compared with the influenza group (17.9% vs. 13.0%), with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.398 (95% CI, 1.251-1.562). Compared to the influenza group, the COVID-19 group had a significantly higher incidence of abnormal breathing (HR, 1.506; 95% CI, 1.246-1.822), abdominal symptoms (HR, 1.313; HR, 1.034-1.664), fatigue (HR, 1.486; 95% CI, 1.158-1.907), and cognitive symptoms (HR, 1.815; 95% CI, 1.235-2.668). Moreover, the COVID-19 group had a significantly higher risk of the composite outcomes during all-cause ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths when compared with the influenza group (27.5% vs. 21.7; HR, 1.303; 95% CI, 1.194-1.422). CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that hospitalized COVID-19 patients are at a higher risk of long-term complications when compared with influenza survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiang Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Wen Tsai
- Center for Integrative Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, No 901, Chunghwa Road, Yongkang District, Tainan City 710, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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20
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Wu JY, Liu MY, Liu TH, Chuang MH, Hsu WH, Huang PY, Tsai YW, Lai CC. Association between nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir and the outcomes of non-hospitalized obese patients with COVID-19. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 62:106984. [PMID: 37769748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.106984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) and the outcomes of non-hospitalized obese patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS This retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX research network to identify non-hospitalized obese adult patients with COVID-19 between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023. Propensity score matching was used to match patients receiving NMV-r (NMV-r group) with those not receiving NMV-r (control group). The primary outcome was the compositive outcome of all-cause emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization or death during the 30-day follow-up period. RESULTS Using propensity score matching methods, two cohorts of 30,969 patients each with balanced baseline characteristics were identified. During the follow-up period, the NMV-r group had a lower risk of all-cause ED visits, hospitalization or death [4.80% (n=1489) vs 5.50% (n=1705); hazard ratio (HR) 0.900, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.839-0.965]. Compared with the control group, the NMV-r group had a lower risk of all-cause ED visits (HR 0.812, 95% CI 0.740-0.891) and all-cause mortality (HR 0.089, 95% CI 0.027-0.288). The lower risk in the NMV-r group compared with the control group was observed consistently in most subgroup analyses according to body mass index (30.0-34.9 kg/m2: HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55-0.82; 35.0-39.9 kg/m2: HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87), age (4-64 years: HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.92; ≥65 years: HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98), sex (men: HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.79; women: HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.63-0.76) and vaccination status (unvaccinated: HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.70-0.81). CONCLUSION NMV-r is associated with reduced risk of all-cause ED visits, hospitalization and death for non-hospitalized obese patients with COVID-19. Accordingly, these findings support the use of NMV-r in obese patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Yuan Liu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiang Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Wen Tsai
- Centre of Integrative Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Centre, Tainan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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21
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Liu TH, Huang PY, Wu JY, Chung KM, Lai CC, Tang HJ. Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination against multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:1299-1300. [PMID: 37673732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
| | - Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
| | - Kun-Ming Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
| | - Hung-Jen Tang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan.
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22
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Chen WY, Lin FL. On the Asymmetric Relationship Between Physician Mental Health Disorders on Quality of Healthcare Under the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Quantile on Quantile Regression Analyses. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2023; 16:2291-2307. [PMID: 37953809 PMCID: PMC10638657 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s429516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose When examining the nexus of physician mental health disorders and healthcare quality from the empirical perspective, mental health disorders are frequently associated with cyclical patterns corresponding to cyclic seasonality, mood swings, emission of air pollution and business cycles, the potential asymmetric effects of physician mental health disorders on healthcare quality have not received adequate attention from researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the asymmetric relationship between physician mental health disorders and healthcare quality during the pandemic outbreak in Taiwan. Methods Daily data for care quality indicators and physician mental health disorders were collected from the National Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, and the quantile-on-quantile regression model was applied to proceed with our analyses. Results Our results indicated that the overall aggregate effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders on the cumulative quantiles of healthcare quality are negative (positive) for the 14-day readmission rate (preventable hospitalization rate and non-urgent ED-visit rate). Positively (negatively) cumulative effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders were detected in the middle (low and high) quantiles of the preventable hospitalization rate. The cumulative effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders on the high (low and middle) quantiles of the 14-day readmission rate are negative (positive), but the cumulative effects on various quantiles of the non-urgent ED-visit rate exhibit the opposite pattern. Conclusion The observed variation in the relationship between physician mental health disorders and different quantiles of healthcare quality suggests the need for tailored strategic interventions based on distinct levels of healthcare quality when addressing the higher risk of physician mental health disorders during the pandemic outbreak conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yi Chen
- Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Li Lin
- Department of Accounting, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, Taiwan
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Hsu WH, Shiau BW, Liu TH, Wu JY, Tsai YW, Huang PY, Chuang MH, Lai CC, Chen CH. Clinical effectiveness of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir in the treatment of COVID-19 in patients with cirrhosis. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:1143-1151. [PMID: 37795869 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2267846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This retrospective cohort study assessed the clinical effectiveness of nirmatrelvirplus ritonavir (NMV-r) in treating COVID-19 in patients with liver cirrhosis(LC). METHODS The data of non-hospitalized adult patients with LC who had COVID-19 were selected from the TriNetX platform for the period between 1 March 20201 March 2020, and 31 December 202231 December 2022. Propensity score matching was used to match patients receiving NMV-r (theNMV-r group) with those not receiving NMV-r (the control group). Hazard ratios(HRs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the primary outcome - a composite of all-cause hospitalization or mortality during the 30-day follow-up period - were calculated and compared. RESULTS Two cohorts of 2,369 patients each with balanced baseline characteristics were identified.During the follow-up period, the NMV-r group had a lower risk of all-cause hospitalization or mortality (HR, 0.642;95% CI, 0.503-0.819) than did the control group.NMV-r was also associated with a reduced risk of individual all-cause hospitalization (HR 0.681, 95% CI 0.530-0.876])and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.270; 95% CI,0.129-0.562). This association was consistently observed in the subgroups of age, sex, vaccination status, and LC severity. CONCLUSIONS NMV-r can reduce all-cause hospitalization and mortality among patients with LC who have COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Wen Shiau
- Divison of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Hui Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Nutrition, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Wen Tsai
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsiang Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Lai
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hsing Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
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