• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.2783-2787
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• 2013

To assess the risk of cancer incidence after medical radiation exposure for coronary artery disease (CAD), a retrospective cohort study was conducted based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Patients with CAD were identified according to the International Classification of Diseases code, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), and their records of medical radiation procedures were collected from 1997 to 2010. A total of 18,697 subjects with radiation exposure from cardiac imaging or therapeutic procedures for CAD were enrolled, and 19,109 subjects receiving cardiac diagnostic procedures without radiation were adopted as the control group. The distributions of age and gender were similar between the two populations. Cancer risks were evaluated by age-adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) and association with cumulative exposure were further evaluated with relative risks by Poisson regression analysis. A total of 954 and 885 subjects with various types of cancers in both cohorts after following up for over 10 years were found, with incidences of 409.8 and 388.0 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The risk of breast cancer (aIRR=1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-3.00) was significantly elevated in the exposed female subjects, but no significant cancer risk was found in the exposed males. In addition, cancer risks of the breast and lung were increased with the exposure level. The study suggests that radiation exposure from cardiac imaging or therapeutic procedures for CAD may be associated with the increased risk of breast and lung cancers in CAD patients.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.513-523
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic. Results: The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.878-886
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Moderate aortic stenosis (AS) confers a surprisingly adverse prognosis, approaching that of severe AS. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical course of patients with moderate AS with evidence of concomitant heart failure manifesting as elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study of 332 patients with elevated BNP. 165 patients with moderate AS were compared with 167 controls with none-mild AS. The Median follow-up duration was 3.85 years. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of all-cause hospitalizations and all-cause mortality. Results: BNP levels were 530 and 515 pg/mL in the study and the control groups, respectively. Moderate AS had significantly higher rates of primary composite endpoint in both univariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.97; p=0.004) and adjusted analysis (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05-2.01; p=0.02). Moderate AS had 1.41 (95% CI, 1.18-1.69; p<0.001) times more all-cause hospitalization per patient-year of follow-up compared to controls in the univariate model. After adjustment for significant covariates, moderate AS remained an independent predictor of all-cause hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.45; 95% CI, 1.18-1.79; p=0.005). Furthermore, moderate AS was significantly associated with higher all-cause hospitalization rates in both heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (IRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02-1.75; p=0.038) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [IRR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.03-1.67; p=0.026). Conclusions: Moderate AS in conjunction with elevated BNP portends a significantly worse prognosis than those without moderate AS and should be followed closely.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.208-212
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• 2024

Background: Traffic accidents involving professional drivers have serious societal repercussions. Unique occupational stressors and health risks exacerbate the likelihood of traffic accidents among professional drivers. This study explores the association between presenteeism-impaired work performance due to working while unwell-and traffic accident risk among professional taxi drivers in Japan. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from June 2022 to February 2023, involving taxi drivers from a single company in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Presenteeism was assessed using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun). Primary outcome involved the number of self-reported minor traffic accidents. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of minor traffic accident occurrences was estimated using a Poisson regression analysis, adjusted for confounders including sex, age, and driving experience. Results: Of 838 targeted drivers, 435 were included in the analysis. Higher baseline work functioning impairment was associated with a significant trend of increasing IRR of minor traffic accidents (p for trend = 0.045). A dose-response relationship was seen between the degree of presenteeism and incidence rate of minor traffic accidents. Conclusion: Higher levels of presenteeism were associated with an increased risk of traffic accidents among taxi drivers. The findings underscore the need for socio-economic support and prioritized health management to mitigate traffic accident risk among professional drivers. This study highlights the importance of managing non-critical health issues alongside serious health conditions for safer driving practices among professional drivers in Japan.