Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of herpes zoster among liver cirrhosis patients during the 1-, 3-, and 5-year follow-up periods from the index ambulatory visit or inpatient care in 1998–2005.

<p>Adjustments were made for patients’ gender, age, urbanization level, geographic region, monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus, organ transplantation, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chronic renal failure, systemic lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and alcoholism.</p

Demographic characteristics of selected patients, stratified by the presence/absence of liver cirrhosis in 1998–2005 (n<i> = </i>28,002).

<p>Footnote: SD, standard deviation; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; SLE, systemic lupus erythematous; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.</p><p>*The average exchange rate in was US$1.00 ≈ New Taiwan (NT)$32.6.</p

Flow chart of the selection of study subjects and control subjects from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.

<p>Flow chart of the selection of study subjects and control subjects from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan.</p

Herpes zoster-free survival rates for patient with liver cirrhosis and comparison groups in 1998

<p>–<b>2005.</b></p

Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of herpes zoster among liver cirrhosis patients during the 5-year follow-up period from the index ambulatory visit or inpatient care in 1998–2005.

<p>Adjustments are made for patients’ gender, age, urbanization level, geographic region, monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus, organ transplantation, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chronic renal failure, systemic lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and alcoholism.</p

Multivariate stratified analyses of the association of liver cirrhosis with herpes zoster. In each stratum, liver cirrhosis was not statistically associated with herpes zoster.

<p>Multivariate stratified analyses of the association of liver cirrhosis with herpes zoster. In each stratum, liver cirrhosis was not statistically associated with herpes zoster.</p

Predicting Mortality of Incident Dialysis Patients in Taiwan - A Longitudinal Population-Based Study

<div><p>Background</p><p>Comorbid conditions are highly prevalent among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and index score is a predictor of mortality in dialysis patients. The aim of this study is to perform a population-based cohort study to investigate the survival rate by age and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) in incident dialysis patients.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Using the catastrophic illness registration of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for all patients from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2008, individuals newly diagnosed with ESRD and receiving dialysis for more than 90 days were eligible for our study. Individuals younger than 18 years or renal transplantation patients either before or after dialysis were excluded. We calculated the CCI, age-weighted CCI by Deyo-Charlson method according to ICD-9 code and categorized CCI into six groups as index scores <3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12, 13–15, >15. Cox regression models were used to analyze the association between age, CCI and survival, and the risk markers of survival.</p><p>Results</p><p>There were 79,645 incident dialysis patients, whose mean age (± SD) was 60.96 (±13.92) years; 51.43% of patients were women and 51.2% were diabetic. In cox proportional hazard models and stratifying by age, older patients had significantly higher mortality than younger patients. The mortality risk was higher in persons with higher CCI as compared with low CCI. Mortality increased steadily with higher age or comorbidity both for unadjusted and for adjusted models. For all age groups, mortality rates increased in different CCI groups with the highest rates occurring in the oldest age groups.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Age and CCI are both strong predictors of survival in Taiwan. The older age or higher comorbidity index in incident dialysis patient is associated with lower long-term survival rates. These population-based estimates may assist clinicians who make decisions when patients need long-term dialysis.</p></div

Hospitalization days per year and total hospitalization cost stratified by age and Charlson comorbidity index in elderly hemodialysis patients.

<p>(A) Increased duration of hospital stay for patients in the same age group with increased CCI levels (B) Increased mean admission costs (US dollars) for patients in the same age group with increased CCI levels (one United States dollars = 32.59 New Taiwan dollars).</p

The effect of age and CCI on the survival of dialysis patients by cox regression (univariate and multivariable).

<p><b>Footnotes:</b> CCI, Charlson comorbidity index; HR, Hazard ratio.</p

Average comorbidity scores by age group.

<p>Average comorbidity scores by age group.</p