A newly derived small synthetic compound alleviated ventricular fibrillation in a pig model with chronic myocardial infarction as revealed by optical mapping

published_or_final_versionThe 16th Medical Resarch Conference (MRC), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, 22 January 2011. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17, suppl. 1, p. 13-14, abstract no. 1

Nonvolatile organic transistor-memory devices using various thicknesses of silver nanoparticle layers

Author name used in this publication: C. W. LeungAuthor name used in this publication: P. K. L. Chan2010-2011 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Interfacial defects in resistive switching devices probed by thermal analysis

Author name used in this publication: C. W. LeungAuthor name used in this publication: W. H. HuAuthor name used in this publication: P. K. L. Chan2008-2009 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

High sensitivity organic temperature sensor

Posterpostprin

Impact of Antithrombotic Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation on the Presentation of Coronary Artery Disease

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Maggot debridement therapy in chronic wound care

Objective: To review the current evidence on the mechanism of actions and clinical applications of maggot debridement therapy. Data sources: Literature search of PubMed and Medline was performed up to January 2007. Study selection: Original and major review articles related to maggot debridement therapy were reviewed. Key words used in the literature search were 'maggot debridement therapy', 'wound healing', and 'chronic wound management'. Data extraction: All relevant English and Chinese articles. Data synthesis: The mechanism of such maggot therapy was shown to be due to the debridement, disinfection, and wound healing enhancement actions of maggot excretions/secretions. The efficacy of maggot debridement therapy in chronic wound management has been demonstrated in chronic venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, and diabetic ulcers. There is also a new delivery system for the excretions/secretions, which has been shown to be as effective as using live maggots. Conclusions: Maggot debridement therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective means of chronic wound management. However, there are a number of limitations when considering its local applicability. Future development of the delivery system may help to overcome some of these limitations and improve its acceptability.published_or_final_versio

One-year clinical outcomes of patients implanted with a Resolute Onyx™ zotarolimus-eluting stent

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Quinidine for Brugada syndrome: Panacea or poison?

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Use of the SAMe-TT2R2 Score to Predict Good Anticoagulation Control with Warfarin in Chinese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Relationship to Ischemic Stroke Incidence

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of warfarin therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) depends on the time in therapeutic range (TTR). We aimed to assess the predictive ability of SAMe-TT2R2 score in Chinese AF patients on warfarin, whose TTR is notoriously poor. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a single-centre retrospective study. Patients with non-valvular AF on warfarin diagnosed between 1997 and 2011 were stratified according to SAMe-TT2R2 score, and TTR was calculated using Rosendaal method. The predictive power of SAMe-TT2R2 scores for good TTR i.e. >70% was assessed. We included 1,428 Chinese patients (mean age 76.2+/-8.7 years, 47.5% male) with non-valvular AF on warfarin. The mean and median TTR were 38.2+/-24.4% and 38.8% (interquartile range: 17.9% and 56.2%) respectively. TTR decreased progressively with increasing SAMe-TT2R2 score (p = 0.016). When the cut-off value of SAMe-TT2R2 score was set to 2, the sensitivity and specificity to predict TTR/=70% had a lower annual risk of ischemic stroke of 3.67%/year compared with than those with TTR/=4 (6.41%/year)(p2 having high sensitivity and negative predictive values for poor TTR. Ischemic stroke risk increased progressively with increasing SAMe-TT2R2 score, consistent with poorer TTRs at high SAMe-TT2R2 scores.published_or_final_versio

Continuation of dabigatran therapy in "real-world" practice in Hong Kong

Background: Dabigatran, an oral direct thrombin inhibitor, possesses several advantages over warfarin that can in principle simplify the management of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). Nonetheless it remains unclear whether these advantages can translate to clinical practice and encourage long-term therapy. The objective was to describe long-term dabigatran therapy for stroke prevention in AF and to identify risk factors for discontinuation of therapy. Methods and Results: We studied 467 consecutive Chinese patients (72±11 years, male: 53.8%) with a mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3.6 prescribed dabigatran for stroke prevention in AF from March 2010 to September 2013. Over a mean follow-up of 16 months, 101 patients (21.6%) permanently discontinued dabigatran. The mean time-to-discontinuation was 8 months. The most common reason for discontinuation was dyspepsia (30.7%), followed by other adverse events (17.8%) such as minor bleeding (8.9%), major gastrointestinal bleeding (7.9%), and intracranial hemorrhage (1%). Other reasons included dosing frequency (5.9%), fear of side effects (4.0%), lack of laboratory monitoring (1.0%), and cost (1.0%). Multivariable analysis revealed that low baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.02), absence of hypertension (p= 0.01), and prior use of a proton-pump inhibitor (p = 0.02) and H2-receptor blocker (p = 0.01) were independent predictors of drug discontinuation. In addition, there were altogether 9 ischemic strokes (1.5%/years), 3 intracranial hemorrhages (0.5%/year), and 24 major gastrointestinal bleedings (4.1%/year). Conclusion: Dabigatran discontinuation is very common amongst Chinese AF patients. This reveals a management gap in the prevention of stroke in AF. © 2014 Ho et al.published_or_final_versio