Background: pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a potentially life-threatening disease in middle-to-old aged persons. Objective: to compare the differences in clinical features and outcomes between older and younger PLA patients, and to identify predictors of outcomes in older patients. Design: retrospective chart review of all PLA patients between July 1999 and June 2007. Setting: a 1,600-bed primary and tertiary care centre. Subjects: in total, 339 patients were enrolled and included 118 ≥65 years of age (the elderly group) and 221 patients <65 years of age (the non-elderly group). Methods: clinical features, laboratory, imaging and microbiologic findings, treatment and outcomes for each of the included patients were collected. The predictor of outcome was determined using logistic regression and purposeful selection of covariates. Results: the elderly group had a higher APACHE II score on admission, a biliary abnormality, a malignancy, a pleural effusion, polymicrobial, anaerobic or multi-drug-resistant isolates, inappropriate initial antibiotics, a longer hospitalisation and a longer parenteral antibiotic treatment period than the non-elderly group, whereas the non-elderly group was more likely to be alcoholic men with cryptogenic origin of abscess and Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. There was no difference in case fatality between the elderly (13.6%) and non-elderly (8.6%) groups despite the elderly group having a poorer host status on admission. In multivariate analysis, age (P = 0.028) and APACHE II score at admission ≥15 (P = 0.001) were risk factors, but K. pneumoniae infection (P = 0.012) was a protective factor for fatality in older PLA patients. Conclusions: these data suggest that older PLA patients wound have a fair outcome compared to younger patients, but require longer hospitalisations.

No abstract

The predominant causes of E. coli liver abscess were biliary diseases. This report also highlights that E. coli liver abscess has a relatively high mortality rate, which is associated with underlying malignancy, multiple abscesses and profound hypoalbuminemia.

Introduction: To investigate the attitudes of medical and nursing student towards the older Chinese population. Materials and Methods: A reliable and valid Chinese language version of Kogan’s Attitudes toward Older People (KAOP) with 17 matched item pairs (34 items) was completed by 275 medical and nursing students. Descriptive data analysis was employed. Results: Participants reported slightly to have a more positive attitudes (Mean, 144.30 ± 17.89) than those reported from studies in other countries (Jordanian: Mean, 110.6 ± 21.79). Students who were females (Mean, 148.27 ± 18.97), younger (Mean, 146.01 ± 18.59) and studying nursing (Mean, 156.86 ± 17.56) were more likely to have a more positive attitudes than older (Mean, 140.04 ± 15.31), males (Mean, 140.47 ± 15.93), studying medicine (Mean, 138.77 ± 15.04). Discussion: Results show that students may have greater ambivalence attitudes on 10 out of 17 matched item pairs which provides useful information for faculty involved in aged care curriculum design. Working as a volunteer in the university hospital may increase students’ interactions with the elderly and may positively influence attitudes towards the elderly. Key words: Gerontologycurriculum, Gerontologicaleducation, Gerontological nursing, KAOP

The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a large-scale outbreak and has rapidly spread across China and multiple countries. We reported countermeasures in infection control for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) infection and the experiences of point of care diagnostics and medical quarantine for presumed SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on subjects came to Chung Shan Medical University Hospital with suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection during January to March, 2020. We performed the real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing (rRT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2-infection and reported the results of testing and treatment. A total of 212 participants were enrolled due to suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Five of those were confirmed COVID-19 cases after monitoring for a period of 14 days and were cured. The time to rRT-PCR test conversion after treatment is variate. The infection control measures of home quarantine and mandatory medical quarantine combined with rapid diagnosis seem to postpone the speed of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection at once in Taiwan. Due to lack of vaccination and confirmed antiviral therapy, it is important to strictly abide by the infection control measures.