Review
Oncology
Yoonjoo Kim, Wonhee Baek
Summary: This review examines the experiences of caregivers of patients with pancreatic cancer, including their multifaceted roles, lack of information, emotional challenges, and positive coping. The caregivers' demographics, patients' psychological status, and clinical characteristics are associated factors. Healthcare providers should support caregivers, provide information and psychological support, and foster coping strategies to maintain their well-being.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah Maria Najjuka, Angelique Iradukunda, Mark Mohan Kaggwa, Anastacia Nabyonga Sebbowa, Joy Mirembe, Kennedy Ndyamuhaki, Catherine Nakibuule, Joan Patience Atuhaire, Elizabeth Nabirye, Elizabeth Namukwaya, Sarah Kiguli
Summary: The study findings illustrate the fundamental role of family caregivers in caring for their loved ones, as well as the overlooked physical, psychological, and social challenges they face amidst health system tensions and conflicting roles. The needs of family caregivers should be integrated into cancer care, prevention, and control programs, especially in low-resource settings.
Article
Nursing
Zhi Hong Ni, Sheng Ding, Jin Hua Wu, Fang Wang
Summary: This qualitative study aimed to describe the nursing experiences and care needs of family caregivers caring for neonates with enterostomies in China. The findings revealed that family caregivers went through complex emotional responses, uncertainties, lack of confidence, eagerness for professional support, and active adaptation during their caregiving process.
Article
Oncology
Yuxuan Zhu, Xianbo Pei, Xiaoli Chen, Tong Li
Summary: This review aimed to synthesize family caregivers' experiences of caring for advanced cancer patients. The findings showed that when a loved one faced deterioration near the end of their life, caregivers took on a tremendous responsibility and made great efforts to alleviate their loved one's suffering, but lacked effective professional support. Cultural beliefs had a significant impact on the caregivers' sense of responsibility and role recognition. Therefore, providing effective professional support and considering cultural beliefs should be considered in supporting family caregivers in caring for advanced cancer patients.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Dami Ko, Mary S. Dietrich, Katherine A. Gifford, Sheila H. Ridner
Summary: This study found that there is a fair correlation between the subjective cognition assessments of liver transplant recipients and their caregivers and the objective cognitive assessments. Caregivers may provide more accurate estimation of cognitive functioning in liver transplant recipients compared to the recipients themselves.
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Michael Scolarici, Margaret Jorgenson, Christopher Saddler, Jeannina Smith
Summary: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are a serious complication of liver transplantation, with Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcal infections being the most common. Prophylaxis is considered a promising mechanism for reducing the risks associated with these infections in liver transplant recipients.
Article
Oncology
Tenaw Gualu Melesse, Janita Pak Chun Chau, William Ho Cheung Li, Mulugeta Ayalew Yimer
Summary: This study aimed to explore the experiences of Ethiopian family caregivers of children with haematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy. The study found that caregivers faced distress and financial difficulties, and believed chemotherapy was ineffective. They used coping strategies such as adherence to treatment, religious and spiritual therapies, and traditional medicine. Improving healthcare support, providing targeted information and education, and facilitating connections with supporting organizations would help address caregiver needs and improve child outcomes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Annamaria Bagnasco, Francesca Rosa, Nicoletta Dasso, Giuseppe Aleo, Gianluca Catania, Milko Zanini, Gennaro Rocco, Carlo Turci, Luca Ghirotto, Mark Hayter, Loredana Sasso
Summary: This study aimed to understand the experiences and support needs of informal caregivers of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following an acute exacerbation. The study found that caregivers face challenges related to physical disruption of their home, feelings of inability to cope, and lack of support from professionals. Focused support for caregivers is necessary to help them navigate these difficulties.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Andrea Costantino, Federica Invernizzi, Erica Centorrino, Maurizio Vecchi, Pietro Lampertico, Maria Francesca Donato
Summary: Most LT patients accepted COVID-19 vaccines, with a refusal rate of 6.1%. Identifying reasons influencing vaccination hesitancy is crucial to ensure adequate vaccination of LT patients, and targeted communication strategies should be established for specific vaccination campaigns.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Kathleen Yan, Lisa Forman
Summary: The use of cannabinoids after liver transplant is common, with users typically being younger in age and citing reasons such as recreation, anxiety relief, and pain management. Studies suggest that cannabinoid use is associated with decreasing age, alcohol-related and HCV cirrhosis, and tobacco use.
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Qiaomiao Zeng, Donglan Ling, Wenfeng Chen, Yao Liao, Ran An, Lianxiang He
Summary: The aim of this study was to synthesize existing qualitative evidence regarding family caregivers' experiences of caring for head and neck cancer patients. A meta-aggregation approach was used to collect and analyze the articles.
Article
Immunology
Kacey Berry, Timothy Copeland, Elaine Ku, Jennifer C. Lai
Summary: The change in sodium levels from pre- to post-liver transplant is associated with the risk of central nervous system (CNS) complications post-surgery. Even in patients with pre-LT hyponatremia, maintaining stable serum sodium levels can reduce the occurrence of post-LT CNS complications.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ravina Kullar, Ankur Prakash Patel, Sammy Saab
Summary: Studies have evaluated COVID-19 infection in liver transplant patients, with 494 patients included. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity, while fever and cough were the most common symptoms. The average time from liver transplant to COVID-19 infection was 74.1 months.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Petros Ioannou, Konstantinos Alexakis, Diamantis P. Kofteridis
Summary: This systematic review focuses on IE in liver transplant recipients, discussing epidemiology, microbiology, clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. Gram-positive microorganisms were the most common causative pathogens, with the aortic valve being the most commonly infected valve. The clinical cure rate was 57.4%, while the overall mortality rate was 43.5%.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jaroslaw Poznanski, Dariusz Soldacki, Bozena Czarkowska-Paczek, Arkadiusz Bonna, Oskar Kornasiewicz, Marek Krawczyk, Wojciech Bal, Leszek Paczek
Summary: Silver-based materials are extensively used in clinical medicine, with silver nanoparticles being released into the bloodstream through silver-containing dressings. A study found significant silver accumulation in both healthy and diseased liver biopsies, particularly in patients with hepatic pathologies. The presence of silver in cirrhotic livers, which is correlated with copper levels, may be a result of the widespread application of silver in clinical settings and could have important implications for public health due to the potential toxicity of silver nanoparticles.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Chih-Hao Lin, Cheng-Maw Ho, Chih-Horng Wu, Po-Chin Liang, Yao-Ming Wu, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee, Ming-Chih Ho
SURGICAL ENDOSCOPY AND OTHER INTERVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES
(2020)
Article
Surgery
Yueh-Tzu Chiang, Tzu-Hsin Lin, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Chu Lee, Hsin-Chin Shih
Summary: This study identified predictors of mortality in major trauma patients, including age, injury severity score, Glasgow coma scale score, injury mechanisms, preexisting comorbidities, emergency department CPR procedures, ICU blood transfusion, and treatment complications.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cheng-Maw Ho, Jann-Yuan Wang, Chi-Chuan Yeh, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee
Summary: The application of threshold-concept-based clinical teaching faced practical barriers, but was found to be a feasible strategy for educating students about acute liver failure. Students' understanding of threshold concepts varied, with TC1 and TC2 being viewed as transformative in all three surveys. The process of threshold-concept-based learning was satisfactory, enabling students to reflect on their knowledge deficiencies and identify areas for improvement in their mindset for future patient management.
JOURNAL OF THE FORMOSAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hong-Mei Chen, Fu-Jong Shih, Rey-Heng Hu, Fu-Jin Shih, Shuh-Jen Sheu
Summary: This study revealed the common and urgent demands of overseas liver transplant recipients and primary caregivers. It also identified the unique demands of recipients and primary caregivers based on their gender and roles, which were rooted in the potential influences of traditional cultures and modern medicine in an ethnic-Chinese society.
Article
Oncology
Cheng-Maw Ho, Chih-Hsin Lee, Ming-Chia Lee, Jun-Fu Zhang, Chin-Hua Chen, Jann-Yuan Wang, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee
Summary: This study analyzed the survival of patients with post-transplant HCC recurrence, finding that early recurrence within two years after surgery had a poorer prognosis compared to late recurrence. Factors such as transplant era before 2008 and radiofrequency ablation were associated with better outcomes, while receiving sorafenib and radiotherapy were linked to poorer prognosis.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Chih-Yang Hsiao, Ming-Chih Ho, Cheng-Maw Ho, Yao-Ming Wu, Po-Huang Lee, Rey-Heng Hu
Summary: The study investigated the impact of tacrolimus blood concentration after five years of liver transplant on long-term patient survival outcomes, with findings suggesting that patients with a tacrolimus trough level of 4.6-10.2 ng/mL had significantly better long-term survival. The recommendation from the study is that adult liver transplant patients should maintain a tacrolimus level of no lower than 4.6 ng/mL for optimal long-term survival.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ya-Hui Chen, Hui-Ling Chen, Cheng-Maw Ho, Hung-Yen Chen, Shu-Li Ho, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee, Mei-Hwei Chang
Summary: The study demonstrates the feasibility of using Cell Saver(R) Elite(R) system in isolating and maintaining the function of hepatocytes. Transplanting the hepatocytes into an acute liver-injured model showed successful engraftment and proliferation in the recipient, leading to improved liver function.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cheng-Maw Ho, Chi-Ling Chen, Chia-Hao Chang, Meng-Rui Lee, Jann-Yuan Wang, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee
Summary: IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP) was found to be a protective biomarker against the development of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in tuberculosis patients, while additional risk factors like IP-10 and sCD163 proved to be effective in predicting the occurrence of DILI.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Chih-Horng Wu, Yu-Hsin Lee, Po -Chin Liang, Rey-Heng Hu, Tiffany Ting -Fang Shih, Ming-Chih Ho
Summary: The study investigated the clinical factors associated with changes in preoperative tumor stage between dynamic CT and EOB-MRI. The results showed that 20.2% of patients had changes in tumor staging between the two modalities.
JOURNAL OF THE FORMOSAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Peter Schemmer, Patrizia Burra, Rey-Heng Hu, Christian M. Hueber, Carmelo Loinaz, Keigo Machida, Arndt Vogel, Didier Samuel
Summary: Chronic HBV infection is a major cause of HCC, with HBsAg playing a direct oncogenic role through various mechanisms. HBV-related HCC recurrence post-surgery may involve expansion of residual tumor cells and independent replication of HBV. The role of HBsAg in HCC development and recurrence post-surgical intervention has implications for immunotherapy.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cheng-Maw Ho, Chi-Chuan Yeh, Jann-Yuan Wang, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee
Summary: This study investigated the impact of online learning on curiosity stimulation and short-term learning outcomes in medical education. It was found that the level of curiosity in medical students after learning each concept through online videos significantly correlated with the degree to which the concept was learned. Students spent a median of 1.6 hours online, and pause frequency correlated with curiosity in certain concepts.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Hui-Ying Lin, Cheng-Maw Ho, Pei-Yin Hsieh, Min-Heuy Lin, Yao-Ming Wu, Ming-Chih Ho, Po-Huang Lee, Rey-Heng Hu
Summary: The study retrospectively reviewed the time and risk factors associated with interruptions in the live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) process, finding that patients with hepatitis B virus, encephalopathy, hypertension, and increased total bilirubin were at higher risk of not undergoing LDLT. Major barriers included patients' critical illnesses, donors' physical conditions, motivation for live donation, and stability on the waiting list.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Hao-Yun Liu, Tzu-Hsin Lin, Ke-Cheng Chen, Wei-Ling Hsiao, Rey-Heng Hu, Hsien-Chi Liao
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of non-surgical and surgical treatments in major trauma patients without brain injuries. The results showed that the surgical group had significantly improved pain scores and shorter hospital stays compared to the non-surgical group. Therefore, surgical management of rib fractures can have positive effects on pain and hospital stay in major trauma patients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2023)
Letter
Surgery
Cheng-Maw Ho, Rey-Heng Hu
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cheng-Maw Ho, Chi-Chuan Yeh, Jann-Yuan Wang, Rey-Heng Hu, Po-Huang Lee
Summary: The study found that medical students preferred class styles of thorough introduction and concept orientation, with high-engagement viewing patterns associated with difficult concepts and providing comments. There was not a clear linkage between medical students' class style expectations and online video-viewing patterns.
ANNALS OF MEDICINE
(2021)