scholarly journals Use of Complementary Traditional Chinese Medicines by Adult Cancer Patients in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ting Kuo ◽  
Tung-Ti Chang ◽  
Chih-Hsin Muo ◽  
Mei-Yao Wu ◽  
Mao-Feng Sun ◽  
...  

Background. Many patients with cancer seek complementary and alternative medicine treatments. We investigated the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by adult cancer patients in Taiwan. Methods. We reviewed the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients Database of Taiwan, and included all adult patients diagnosed cancer, based on the International Classification of Diseases (ninth revision), from 2001 to 2009 and followed until 2011. This database allowed categorization of patients as TCM users (n = 74 620) or non-TCM users (n = 508 179). All demographic and clinical claims data were analyzed. Results. Compared with non-TCM users, TCM users were younger and more likely to be female, white-collar workers, and reside in highly urbanized areas. The average interval between cancer diagnosis and TCM consultation was 15.3 months. The most common cancer type was breast cancer in TCM users (19.4%), and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in non-TCM users (13.6%). The major condition for which TCM users visited clinics were endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, and immunity disorders (23.2%). A total of 33.1% of TCM users visited TCM clinics more than 9 times per year and their time from diagnosis to first TCM consultation was 5.14 months. The most common TCM treatment was Chinese herbal medicine. The common diseases for which cancer patients sought TCM treatment were insomnia, malaise and fatigue, dizziness and headache, gastrointestinal disorders, myalgia and fasciitis, anxiety, and depression. Overall, TCM users had a lower adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for mortality (aHR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.68-0.70) after adjustment for age, sex, urbanization of residence, occupation, annual medical center visits, and annual non–medical center visits. Conclusions. This study provides an overview of TCM usage among adult cancer patients in Taiwan. TCM use varied among patients with different types of cancer. Physicians caring for cancer patients should pay more attention to their patients’ use of complementary TCM.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18306-e18306
Author(s):  
Michael Gallaway ◽  
Nimi Idaikkadar

e18306 Background: Cancer patients are increasingly likely to visit an emergency department (ED) for acute care compared to the general population. Cancer patients who visit the ED often have long wait times, increased exposure to infection, and lesser quality treatment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging efforts to decrease survivor acute care visits. The purpose of this study was to examine cancer-related ED visits using a national population-based sample to understand why they are seeking care in an ED. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of U.S. patients who visited EDs between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018 was conducted using the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) BioSense Platform. Cancer patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes for any cancer type and specifically for cancers of the bladder, female breast, cervix, colon and rectum, kidney, liver, lung, ovary, pancreas, prostate, or uterus. Symptoms were identified using syndromic definitions and key-word queries. Significance testing (p-value ≤0.01), was used to assess differences in the prevalence of symptoms by cancer type. Results: There were 97 million visits to EDs during the study period, 710,297 (0.8%) were among cancer survivors. Slightly more were female (50.1%) than male (49.5%); more were aged 65 or older (53.6%) than 18-64 (1.4-35.3%). The most common symptoms were pain (19%), gastrointestinal (14%), respiratory (12%), neurologic (5%), fever (5%), and injury (4%). Prevalence of symptoms differed significantly by cancer type. Some symptoms were higher among those with specific cancer types compared to all cancers in aggregate: pain (cervical, liver, pancreas); gastrointestinal (pancreas, liver, colorectal); respiratory (lung); neurologic (liver, lung), fever (pancreas, liver), injury (prostate), and bleeding (colorectal, liver). Conclusions: Use of NSSP data enabled a descriptive characterization of more than half of the U.S. ED visits among cancer patients. These comprehensive findings inform best practices to reduce unplanned acute care and help inform possible modifications in treatment and care protocols among survivors of specific cancers.


Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. heartjnl-2021-319129
Author(s):  
Marios Rossides ◽  
Susanna Kullberg ◽  
Johan Grunewald ◽  
Anders Eklund ◽  
Daniela Di Giuseppe ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPrevious studies showed a strong association between sarcoidosis and heart failure (HF) but did not consider risk stratification or risk factors to identify useful aetiological insights. We estimated overall and stratified HRs and identified risk factors for HF in sarcoidosis.MethodsSarcoidosis cases were identified from the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR; ≥2 International Classification of Diseases-coded visits, 2003–2013) and matched to general population comparators. They were followed for HF in the NPR. Treated were cases who were dispensed ≥1 immunosuppressant ±3 months from the first sarcoidosis visit (2006–2013). Using Cox models, we estimated HRs adjusted for demographics and comorbidity and identified independent risk factors of HF together with their attributable fractions (AFs).ResultsDuring follow-up, 204 of 8574 sarcoidosis cases and 721 of 84 192 comparators were diagnosed with HF (rate 2.2 vs 0.7/1000 person-years, respectively). The HR associated with sarcoidosis was 2.43 (95% CI 2.06 to 2.86) and did not vary by age, sex or treatment status. It was higher during the first 2 years after diagnosis (HR 3.7 vs 1.9) and in individuals without a history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD; HR 2.7 vs 1.7). Diabetes, atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias were the strongest independent clinical predictors of HF (HR 2.5 each, 2-year AF 20%, 16% and 12%, respectively).ConclusionsAlthough low, the HF rate was more than twofold increased in sarcoidosis compared with the general population, particularly right after diagnosis. IHD history cannot solely explain these risks, whereas ventricular arrhythmias indicating cardiac sarcoidosis appear to be a strong predictor of HF in sarcoidosis.


Author(s):  
Hua Wang ◽  
Ke Chai ◽  
Minghui Du ◽  
Shengfeng Wang ◽  
Jian-Ping Cai ◽  
...  

Background: Large-scale and population-based studies of heart failure (HF) incidence and prevalence are scarce in China. The study sought to estimate the prevalence, incidence, and cost of HF in China. Methods: We conducted a population-based study using records of 50.0 million individuals ≥25 years old from the national urban employee basic medical insurance from 6 provinces in China in 2017. Incident cases were individuals with a diagnosis of HF (International Classification of Diseases code, and text of diagnosis) in 2017 with a 4-year disease-free period (2013–2016). We calculated standardized rates by applying age standardization to the 2010 Chinese census population. Results: The age-standardized prevalence and incidence were 1.10% (1.10% among men and women) and 275 per 100 000 person-years (287 among men and 261 among women), respectively, accounting for 12.1 million patients with HF and 3.0 million patients with incident HF ≥25 years old. Both prevalence and incidence increased with increasing age (0.57%, 3.86%, and 7.55% for prevalence and 158, 892, and 1655 per 100 000 person-years for incidence among persons who were 25–64, 65–79, and ≥80 years of age, respectively). The inpatient mean cost per-capita was $4406.8 and the proportion with ≥3 hospitalizations among those hospitalized was 40.5%. The outpatient mean cost per-capita was $892.3. Conclusions: HF has placed a considerable burden on health systems in China, and strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of HF are needed. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: ChiCTR2000029094.


2018 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Shuo Hsu ◽  
Wei-Chung Hsu ◽  
Jenq-Yuh Ko ◽  
Te-Huei Yeh ◽  
Chia-Hsuan Lee ◽  
...  

Objective To investigate readmissions among adult inpatients who underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in Taiwan. Design Population-based survey. Setting Retrospective study with the National Health Insurance Database. Methods All cases of inpatient adult UPPP (age >20 years) from 1997 to 2012 were identified through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Factors associated with readmission within 30 days after surgery were analyzed. Results A total of 38,839 adults with UPPP were identified (mean age, 39.3 years; men, 73.7%). The incidence of UPPP was 14.6 per 100 000 adults, which increased from 1997 to 2012 (6.7 to 16.7 per 100,000, Ptrend < .001). The rates of readmission for any reason, readmission for bleeding, reoperation for bleeding, and 30-day mortality were 4.2%, 1.7%, 1.0%, and 0.14%, respectively. Young age increased the risk of reoperation for bleeding, and old age increased the risk of readmission for any reason and mortality. Men had an increased risk of readmission and reoperation. Hypertension was associated with an increased risk of readmission for any reason (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.10-1.51), bleeding-related readmission (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.52-2.36), and reoperation (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.84-3.30). Concurrent hypopharyngeal surgery was associated with an increased risk of readmission for any reason (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.07-1.66) and bleeding-related readmission (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25-2.27). Finally, the use of steroids was associated with an increased risk of bleeding-related readmission and reoperation. Conclusions The incidence of adult UPPP increased from 1997 to 2012 in Taiwan. Age, sex, comorbidity, concurrent hypopharyngeal surgery, and drug administration were associated with readmission after inpatient UPPP.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 673-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Nordenskjöld ◽  
M. Englund ◽  
C. Zhou ◽  
I. Atroshi

The prevalence and incidence of doctor-diagnosed Dupuytren’s disease in the general population is unknown. From the healthcare register for Skåne region (population 1.3 million) in southern Sweden, we identified all residents aged ⩾20 years (on 31 December 2013), who 1998 to 2013 had consulted a doctor and received the diagnosis Dupuytren’s disease (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision code M720). During the 16 years, 7207 current residents (72% men) had been diagnosed with Dupuytren’s disease; the prevalence among men was 1.35% and among women 0.5%. Of all people diagnosed, 56% had received treatment (87% fasciectomy). In 2013, the incidence of first-time doctor-diagnosed Dupuytren’s disease among men was 14 and among women five per 10,000. The annual incidence among men aged ⩾50 years was 27 per 10,000. Clinically important Dupuytren’s disease is common in the general population. Level of evidence: III


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsung-Ying Lin ◽  
Chieh Hsin Wu ◽  
Wei-Che Lee ◽  
Chao-Wen Chen ◽  
Liang-Chi Kuo ◽  
...  

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a critical illness that may result in patient mortality or morbidity. In this study, we investigated the outcomes of patients treated in medical center and nonmedical center hospitals and the relationship between such outcomes and hospital and surgeon volume. Patient data were abstracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan in the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, which contains all claims data of 1 million beneficiaries randomly selected in 2000. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, subarachnoid hemorrhage (430) was used for the inclusion criteria. We identified 355 patients between 11 and 87 years of age who had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Among them, 32.4% (115/355) were men. The median Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score was 1.3 (SD ± 0.6). Unadjusted logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low mortality was associated with high hospital volume (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.18–8.77). In this study, we found no statistical significances of mortality, LOS, and total charges between medical centers and nonmedical center hospitals. Patient mortality was associated with hospital volume. Nonmedical center hospitals could achieve resource use and outcomes similar to those of medical centers with sufficient volume.


Author(s):  
Farah N. Chowdhury ◽  
G. Sanjaya Chandrarathne ◽  
Kristopher D. Masilamani ◽  
Jennifer T. N. LaBranche ◽  
Shaun Malo ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundHereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a disease of abnormal vasculature where patients are predisposed to strokes of multiple etiologies. We assessed yearly stroke incidence among Albertans with HHT and compared with the general population. Given the tendency for stroke in HHT patients, we expected HHT patients to have higher stroke incidence, in particular at younger ages.MethodsPopulation-based administrative health data on inpatient and ambulatory admissions were extracted over a 16-year period using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10, Canada codes. We analyzed overall occurrence of strokes in Alberta by age, gender, stroke subtype, and diagnosis of HHT.ResultsThe age-standardized incidence rate of stroke in HHT was 450 per 100,000 compared with 260 per 100,000 in the general population with a rate ratio of 1.73 (95% confidence interval (CI) [1.046-2.842]). This study found a higher HHT prevalence in Alberta (1 in 3800) compared to the world average of 1 in 5000. Women were also more likely to be diagnosed with HHT, with a 3.25:1 female gender preponderance in the yearly incidence.InterpretationThis study not only shows that HHT patients are at higher risk of having a stroke but also quantifies that risk using an age-adjusted metric in Alberta. This province has a higher than expected disease burden of HHT, with the majority of cases affecting women. Our study found that acute ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks are far more common than hemorrhage in HHT. As HHT is a rare, multi-system, chronic disease, these patients should be referred to an HHT Centre of Excellence.


Hand ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel R. Yorlets ◽  
Kathleen Busa ◽  
Kyle R. Eberlin ◽  
Mohammad Ali Raisolsadat ◽  
Donald S. Bae ◽  
...  

Background: Although fingertip injuries are common, there is limited literature on the epidemiology and hospital charges for fingertip injuries in children. This descriptive study reports the clinical features of and hospital charges for fingertip injuries in a large pediatric population treated at a tertiary medical center. Methods: Our hospital database was queried using International Classification of Diseases, Revision 9 (ICD-9) codes, and medical records were reviewed. Frequency statistics were generated for 1807 patients with fingertip injuries who presented to the emergency department (ED) at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) between 2005 and 2011. Billing records were analyzed for financial data. Results: A total of 1807 patients were identified for this study; 59% were male, and the mean age at time of injury was 8 years. Most commonly, injuries occurred when a finger was crushed (n = 831, 46%) in a door or window. Average length of stay in the ED was 3 hours 45 minutes, 25% of cases needed surgery, and, on average, patients had more than 1 follow-up appointment. About one-third of patients were referred from outside institutions. The average ED charge for fingertip injuries was $1195 in 2014, which would amount to about $320 430 each year (in 2014 dollars) for fingertip injuries presenting to BCH. Conclusion: Fingertip injuries in children are common and result in significant burden, yet are mostly preventable. Most injuries occur at home in a door or window. Although these patients generally heal well, fingertip injuries pose a health, time, and financial burden. Increased awareness and education may help to avoid these injuries.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e019113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Bourke ◽  
Kingsley Wong ◽  
Helen Leonard

ObjectivesTo investigate how well intellectual disability (ID) can be ascertained using hospital morbidity data compared with a population-based data source.Design, setting and participantsAll children born in 1983–2010 with a hospital admission in the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System (HMDS) were linked with the Western Australian Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers (IDEA) database. The International Classification of Diseases hospital codes consistent with ID were also identified.Main outcome measuresThe characteristics of those children identified with ID through either or both sources were investigated.ResultsOf the 488 905 individuals in the study, 10 218 (2.1%) were identified with ID in either IDEA or HMDS with 1435 (14.0%) individuals identified in both databases, 8305 (81.3%) unique to the IDEA database and 478 (4.7%) unique to the HMDS dataset only. Of those unique to the HMDS dataset, about a quarter (n=124) had died before 1 year of age and most of these (75%) before 1 month. Children with ID who were also coded as such in the HMDS data were more likely to be aged under 1 year, female, non-Aboriginal and have a severe level of ID, compared with those not coded in the HMDS data. The sensitivity of using HMDS to identify ID was 14.7%, whereas the specificity was much higher at 99.9%.ConclusionHospital morbidity data are not a reliable source for identifying ID within a population, and epidemiological researchers need to take these findings into account in their study design.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1092-1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
José MA Wijnands ◽  
Feng Zhu ◽  
Elaine Kingwell ◽  
Yinshan Zhao ◽  
Okechukwu Ekuma ◽  
...  

Background: The multiple sclerosis (MS) prodrome is poorly characterized. Objective: To phenotype the MS prodrome via health care encounters. Methods: Using data from a population-based cohort study linking administrative and clinical data in four Canadian provinces, we compared physician and hospital encounters and prescriptions filled (via International Classification of Diseases chapters, physician specialty or drug classes) for MS subjects in the 5 years before the first demyelinating claim in an administrative cohort or the clinical symptom onset in an MS clinic-derived cohort, to age-, sex- and geographically matched controls. Rate ratios (RRs), 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and proportions were estimated. Results: The administrative and clinical cohorts included 13,951/66,940 and 3202/16,006 people with and without MS (cases/controls). Compared to controls, in the 5 years before the first demyelinating claim or symptom onset, cases had more physician and hospital encounters for the nervous (RR (range) = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.05–5.10 to 4.75; 95% CI: 3.11–7.25), sensory (RR (range) = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.34–1.46 to 2.28; 95% CI: 1.72–3.02), musculoskeletal (RR (range) = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.07–1.33 to 1.70; 95% CI: 1.57–1.85) and genito-urinary systems (RR (range) = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.05–1.30 to 1.59; 95% CI: 1.48–1.70). Cases had more psychiatrist and urologist encounters (RR (range) = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.36–1.62 to 1.80; 95% CI: 1.61–2.01), and higher proportions of musculoskeletal, genito-urinary or hormonal-related prescriptions (1.1–1.5 times higher, all p < 0.02). However, cases had fewer pregnancy-related encounters than controls (RR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.71–0.86 to 0.88; 95% CI: 0.84–0.92). Conclusion: Phenotyping the prodrome 5 years before clinical recognition of MS is feasible.


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