{"title":"Utility of Alpha-Fetoprotein and Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Liver Cancer","authors":"Dongfang Huang, Jianhuai Zhang, Jianbo Xu, Qiang Niu, Dinghua Zhou","doi":"10.2147/jmdh.s449276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s449276","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: To investigate the utility of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular liver cancer (HCC). Methods: Using retrospective convenience sampling, 401 patients with HCC who underwent transarterial chemoembolisation at the Department of Oncology of The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between June 2015 and January 2020 were recruited and assigned to the case group. Simultaneously, patients matched to the case group in terms of gender and age but excluded for HCC were enrolled at a 1:1 ratio and classified as the control group. Relevant parameters were collected from both groups for comparison. Results: Both AFP levels and ultrasound results demonstrated diagnostic value for patients with HCC ( P < 0.05). Their combined use exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy for the cancer, with an area under the curve of 0.896 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.876, 0.923), a sensitivity of 67.65% and a specificity of 91.22%. In terms of overall survival (OS), statistically significant differences in the OS rates were observed between the low-AFP (L-AFP) group and high-AFP (H-AFP) group as well as between the low-tumour-diameter (LTD) group and high-tumour-diameter (HTD) group (81.31% vs 52.22% and 85.11% vs 63.41%, respectively; P < 0.05). Regarding the progression-free survival (PFS), significant differences in the PFS rates were also noted between the L-AFP and H-AFP groups and between the LTD and HTD groups (81.31% vs 52.22% and 85.11% vs 63.41%, respectively; P < 0.05). Conclusion: Ultrasound and AFP display notable distinctions when used in the diagnosis of HCC. The sensitivity of ultrasound as a standalone diagnostic tool surpasses that of AFP alone. However, their combined use results in much higher specificity than the use of either test individually. In addition, both techniques hold predictive value for patients’ OS and PFS, enabling timely prognostic assessment.","PeriodicalId":505971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare","volume":"43 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140796571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Participatory Health Cadre Model to Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding Coverage with King’s Conceptual System","authors":"Ellyzabeth Sukmawati, Merry Wijaya, D. Hilmanto","doi":"10.2147/jmdh.s450634","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s450634","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The purpose of this research is to develop a participatory health cadre model to enhance exclusive breastfeeding coverage through initial stages using the Imogene King model. Methods: This study employs a mixed-methods approach with sequential exploratory designs. Qualitative research utilized in-depth interviews with informants including the head of the community health center, nutrition officers from the health center, the coordinator of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) midwives, village midwives, breastfeeding mothers, families of breastfeeding mothers, and health cadres. Quantitative research respondents consist of health cadres. The quantitative study utilizes a quasi-experimental method with a design paradigm known as the one-group pre and post-test design to measure health cadre perception on exclusive breastfeeding. Results: This study yields elements from Imogene King that form a participatory health cadre model to enhance exclusive breastfeeding coverage, consisting of interaction, perception, communication, transaction, role, growth and development, time, and space. Transactions represent the objective integration of the health cadre participation model, as demonstrated by the behavioral shifts observed in mothers regarding breastfeeding their infants. The t -test results indicate that exclusive breastfeeding monitoring training is effective and successful in enhancing exclusive breastfeeding coverage (Sig. value = 0.000 < 0.05). In addition, the effectiveness of exclusive breastfeeding monitoring training falls within the category of good or high. Conclusion: The research findings indicate the success of the participatory health cadre model in improving exclusive breastfeeding coverage.","PeriodicalId":505971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare","volume":"691 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140782596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Increasing Risk of Dementia Among Patients with Subsequent Epilepsy Within 2 Years Post-Traumatic Brain Injury: A Population‐Based Case-Control Study","authors":"Shu-Fen Chu, Kuo-Hsing Liao, Li Wei","doi":"10.2147/JMDH.S452086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S452086","url":null,"abstract":"Background Although the association between neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) has long been known, the association between dementia and TBI with epilepsy has been controversial. Aim This data-driven population-based study is designed to investigate the association between dementia and epilepsy after TBI within a 2-year period. Methods This case-control cohort study was conducted using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). We included 784 individuals ambulatory or hospitalized for TBI with epilepsy from 2001 to 2011, compared with 2992 patients with TBI without epilepsy who were matched for characteristics including sex, age, and healthcare resource use index date. Every participant was followed up for 5 years to ascertain any dementia development. Data were stratified and analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Through the 5-year follow-up period, 39 patients (5.21%) with TBI with epilepsy and 55 (1.53%) with TBI without epilepsy developed dementia. TBI with epilepsy was independently associated with a >3.03 times risk of dementia after correcting for age, sex, and comorbidities. Conclusion These findings suggest an increased risk of dementia in patients with TBI with epilepsy. Our research recommends that individuals with TBI and epilepsy be monitored more intensively.","PeriodicalId":505971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare","volume":"4 2","pages":"1447 - 1457"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140399899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}