Parkpoom Phatharacharukul

Chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease are risk factors for poor outcomes of Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to assess the clinical outcomes of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in patients with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD).

The risk of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea in nasogastric tube insertion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a major concern of public health worldwide. The risk of CDAD in patients with nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of incidence of CDAD in patients with NGT insertion. METHODS A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through August 2015. Studies that reported relative risks, odds ratios, or hazard ratios comparing the risk of CDAD in patients with NGT insertion versus those who did not were included. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method. RESULTS Eleven observational studies were included in our analysis to assess the association between NGT insertion and risk of CDAD. The pooled RR of CDAD in patients with NGT insertion was 1.87 (95% CI, 1.06-3.28, I(2)=73). When meta-analysis was limited only to cohort and case-control studies, the pooled RR of CDAD was 1.99 (95% CI, 1.05-3.77, I(2)=76). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated a statistically significant association between NGT insertion and risk of CDAD. This finding may impact clinical management and primary prevention of CDAD.

Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of osteoporosis: A meta-analysis

Background/Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the most common infections worldwide. Several epidemiologic studies have suggested that patients with HCV infection might be at an increased risk of osteoporosis. However, the data on this relationship remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis was conducted with the aim to summarize all available evidence. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to June 2016. Studies that reported relative risks, odd ratios (OR), or hazard ratios comparing the risk of osteoporosis among HCV-infected patients versus those without HCV infection were included. Pooled OR and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method. Results: Four studies met our eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. We found a higher risk of osteoporosis among patients with chronic HCV with OR of 1.65 (95% CI: 0.98–2.77). Sensitivity analysis including only studies with higher quality yielded a higher OR, and the result was statistically significant (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.03–5.93). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated a higher risk of osteoporosis among HCV-infected patients. Further studies are required to clarify how this risk should be addressed in clinical practice.

Outcome and validation of a new clinically based staging system for predicting survival of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma patients: Clinical staging system for cholangiocarcinoma

Currently available staging systems for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are not applicable to patients with unresectable stage. A new clinical staging system for perihilar CCA (pCCA) subtype has been recently developed in a US cohort, with a good performance in predicting survival of all pCCA patients. We aimed to determine outcomes of pCCA patients and evaluate predictive performance of this staging system in an Asian population.