Clinical Data Analysis And Reporting System Research Articles

Validation of diagnostic coding for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in an electronic health record system in Hong Kong.

Electronic health record databases can facilitate epidemiology research regarding diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common medical condition worldwide. We aimed to assess the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code algorithms for identifying COPD in Hong Kong's territory-wide electronic health record system, the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS). Adult patients diagnosed with COPD at all public hospitals in Hong Kong and specifically at Queen Mary Hospital from 2011 to 2020 were identified using the ICD-9 code 496 (Chronic airway obstruction, not elsewhere classified) within the CDARS. Two respiratory specialists reviewed clinical records and spirometry results to confirm the presence of COPD in a randomly selected group of cases. During the study period, 93 971 and 2479 patients had the diagnostic code for COPD at all public hospitals in Hong Kong and specifically at Queen Mary Hospital, respectively. Two hundred cases were randomly selected from Queen Mary Hospital for validation using medical records and spirometry results. The overall positive predictive value was 81.5% (95% confidence interval=76.1%-86.9%). We also developed an algorithm to identify COPD cases in our cohort. This study represents the first validation of ICD-9 coding for COPD in the CDARS. Our findings demonstrated that the ICD-9 code 496 is a reliable indicator for identifying COPD cases, supporting the use of the CDARS database for further clinical research concerning COPD.

SABINA + Hong Kong: a territory wide study of prescribing trends and outcomes associated with the use of short-acting β2 agonists in the Chinese population

BackgroundExcessive use of short-acting β2 agonists (SABA) in patients with asthma continues to be a notable concern due to its link to higher mortality rates. Global relevance of SABA overuse in asthma management cannot be understated, it poses significant health risk to patients with asthma and imposes burden on healthcare systems. This study, as part of global SABINA progamme, aimed to describe the prescribing patterns and clinical outcomes associated with SABA use in the Chinese population.MethodsRetrospective cohort study was conducted using anonymized electronic healthcare records of Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) from Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA). Patients newly diagnosed with asthma between 2011 and 2018 and aged ≥12 years were included, stratified by SABA use (≤2, 3–6, 7–10, or ≥11 canisters/year) during one-year baseline period since asthma diagnosis date. Patients were followed up from one-year post-index until earliest censoring of events: outcome occurrence and end of study period (31 December 2020). Cox proportional regression and negative binomial regression were used to estimate the mortality risk and frequency of hospital admissions associated with SABA use respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose. Outcomes include all-cause, asthma-related, and respiratory-related mortality, frequency of hospital admissions for any cause, and frequency of hospital admissions due to asthma.Results17,782 patients with asthma (mean age 46.7 years, 40.8% male) were included and 59.1% of patients were overusing SABA (≥ 3 canisters per year). Each patient was prescribed a median of 5.61 SABA canisters/year. SABA overuse during baseline period was associated with higher all-cause mortality risk compared to patients with ≤2 canisters/year. Association was dose-dependent, highest risk in those used ≥11 canisters/year (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.79) and 3–6 canisters/year (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.50). Higher SABA prescription volume associated with increased frequency of hospital admissions with greatest risk observed in 7–10 canisters/year subgroup (adjusted rate ratio: 4.81, 95% CI: 3.66, 6.37).ConclusionsSABA overuse is prevalent and is associated with increased all-cause mortality risk and frequency of hospital admissions among the patients with asthma in Hong Kong.

Descriptive analysis of poisoning cases involving attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications in Hong Kong.

The number of poisoning cases involving attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications has reportedly risen with their increased use. However, there is limited relevant evidence from Asia. We analysed the characteristics of poisoning events involving these medications in Hong Kong. We retrieved data regarding ADHD medication-related poisoning cases from the Hong Kong Poison Information Centre and conducted a descriptive analysis of the demographic information and poisoning information including sources of cases, exposure reason, exposure location, and outcome. The HKPIC data were linked with the Hospital Authority Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) via de-identified Accident and Emergency numbers of public hospitals to investigate clinical characteristics. We also retrieved ADHD medication prescription records from the CDARS, then compared trends between poisoning cases and ADHD medication use. We identified 72 poisoning cases involving ADHD medications between 2009 and 2019, of which approximately 70% occurred in the affected individual's residence; most were intentional poisoning events (65.3%). No statistically significant association was observed between ADHD medication prescription trends and poisoning events involving ADHD medications. Of the 66 cases (91.7%) successfully linked to CDARS, 40 (60.6%) occurred in individuals with ADHD (median age: 14 years); 26 (39.4%) occurred in individuals who lacked ADHD (median age: 33 years) but displayed higher rates of other mental disorders including depression and anxiety. No significant correlation was evident between ADHD medication prescriptions and poisoning events involving ADHD medications. However, medication management and caregiver education must be emphasised to prevent potential poisoning events.

Predicting oral cancer survival-Development and validation of an Asia-Pacific nomogram.

Nomograms are graphical calculating devices that predict response to treatment during cancer management. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a lethal and deforming disease of rising incidence and global significance. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram to predict individualized OSCC survival using a population-based dataset obtained from Queensland, Australia and externally validated using a cohort of OSCC patients treated in Hong Kong. Clinico-pathological data for newly diagnosed OSCC patients, including age, sex, tumour site and grading, were accessed retrospectively from the Queensland Cancer Registry (QCR) in Australia and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was used to construct overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) prediction models. Nomograms were internally validated using 10-fold cross validation, and externally validated against the Hong Kong dataset. Data from 9885 OSCC patients in Queensland and 465 patients from Hong Kong were analysed. All clinico-pathological variables significantly influenced survival outcomes. Nomogram calibration curves demonstrated excellent agreement between predicted and actual probability for Queensland patients. External validation in the Hong Kong population demonstrated slightly poorer nomogram performance, but predictive power remained strong. Based upon readily available data documenting patient demographic and clinico-pathological variables, predictive nomograms offer pragmatic aid to clinicians in individualized treatment planning and prognosis assessment in contemporary OSCC management.

Validation of diagnostic coding for bronchiectasis in an electronic health record system in Hong Kong.

Electronic medical record (EMR) databases can facilitate epidemiology research in various diseases including bronchiectasis. Given the diagnostic challenges of bronchiectasis, the validity of the coding in EMR requires clarification. We aimed to assess the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code algorithms for identifying bronchiectasis in the territory-wide electronic medical health record system of Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. Adult patients who had the diagnosis of bronchiectasis input from Queen Mary Hospital in 2011-2020 were identified using the ICD-9 code of 494 by CDARS. All patients who had high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were reviewed by respiratory specialists to confirm the presence of bronchiectasis on HRCT. 19 617 patients who had the diagnostic code of bronchiectasis among all public hospitals in Hong Kong and 1866 in Queen Mary Hospital in the same period. 648 cases were randomly selected and validated using medical record and HRCT review by a respiratory specialist. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 92.7% (95% CI 90.7-94.7). This was the first ICD-9 coding validation for bronchiectasis in Hong Kong CDARS. Our study demonstrated that using ICD-9 code of 494 was reliable to support utility of CDARS database for further clinical research on bronchiectasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Validation of Diagnostic Coding for Asthma in an Electronic Health Record System in Hong Kong.

Electronic health record (EHR) databases can facilitate epidemiology research into various diseases including asthma. Given the diagnostic challenges of asthma, the validity of the coding in EHR requires clarification. We aimed to assess the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code algorithms for identifying asthma in the territory-wide electronic medical health record system of the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. Adult patients who had the diagnosis of asthma input from all public hospitals in Hong Kong and those from Queen Mary Hospital in 2011-2020 were identified using the ICD-9 code of 493 (493.0, 493.1, 493.2, and 493.9) by CDARS. Patients' clinical record and spirometry were reviewed by two respiratory specialists to confirm the presence of asthma in the randomly selected cases. There were 43,454 patients who had the diagnostic code of asthma among all public hospitals in Hong Kong and 1852 in Queen Mary Hospital in the same period. A total of 200 cases were randomly selected and validated using medical record and spirometry review by a respiratory specialist. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 85.0% (95% CI 80.1-89.9%). This was the first ICD-9 code validation for CDARS (EHR) in Hong Kong on asthma. Our study demonstrated that using ICD-9 code (493.0, 493.1, 493.2 and 493.9) to identify asthma can result in a PPV that was reliable to support the utility of the CDARS database for further research on asthma among the Hong Kong population.

Hip Fracture as a Predictive Marker for the Risk of Dementia: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

This study aimed to investigate the association between hip fracture and the risk of dementia. A retrospective real-world propensity score-matched cohort study was conducted using the real-world hip fracture cohort (RHFC). Electronic health record data from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong were used. A total of 52,848 patients aged ≥65years and with at least an event of fall from 2006 to 2015 were included in the RHFC. The incidence of fall, hip fracture, and dementia was determined using their International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Competing risk regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Hip fracture was associated with an increased risk of dementia (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.15, P < .001). The subgroup analysis showed that association was significant in women but not in men. Hip fracture was associated with the increased risk of dementia among older adults. Further studies investigating the potential roles of hip fracture in the development of dementia could benefit the management of both conditions in older adults.

Low Bone Mineral Density With Risk of Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study

Osteoporosis and dementia often coexist, but the association between the 2 diseases remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of incident dementia. Prospective cohort study, the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study (HKOS). Data were from the HKOS and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. A total of 5803 participants aged ≥40years and free of dementia were included in the HKOS. The baseline BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, trochanter, and total hip were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The incidence of dementia was identified using their International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. The median follow-up time of the HKOS was 16.8years. Higher BMD T scores at the lumbar spine, trochanter, and total hip were significantly associated with the reduced risk of dementia with the respective HR of 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.95; P= .004), 0.78 (95% CI 0.68-0.90; P < .001), and 0.82 (95% CI 0.72-0.93; P= .003). The subgroup analyses showed that associations were significant in women but not in men, whereas the associations were unaltered after adjusting for serum estradiol. Low BMD was associated with an increased risk of dementia, particularly in women. Future studies evaluating the clinical usefulness of BMD on dementia prediction and management are warranted.

Associations between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorders: analysis from electronic health records in Hong Kong

There has been a lack of high-quality evidence concerning the association between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric diagnoses particularly for Axis II disorders. This study aimed to examine the association between childhood maltreatment exposure and Axis I and Axis II psychiatry disorders using electronic health records. In this study, the exposed group (n = 7473) comprised patients aged 0 to 19 years with a first-time record of maltreatment episode between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2010, whereas the unexposed group (n = 26,834) comprised individuals of the same gender and age who were admitted into the same hospital in the same calendar year and month but had no records of maltreatment in the Hong Kong Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS). Data on their psychiatric diagnoses recorded from the date of admission to January 31, 2019 were extracted. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was fitted to estimate the hazard ratio (HR, plus 95% CIs) between childhood maltreatment exposure and psychiatric diagnoses, adjusting for age at index visit, sex, and government welfare recipient status. Results showed that childhood maltreatment exposure was significantly associated with subsequent diagnosis of conduct disorder/ oppositional defiant disorder (adjusted HR, 10.99 [95% CI 6.36, 19.01]), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (7.28 [5.49, 9.65]), and personality disorders (5.36 [3.78, 7.59]). The risk of psychiatric disorders following childhood maltreatment did not vary by history of childhood sexual abuse, age at maltreatment exposure, and gender. Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment are vulnerable to psychiatric disorders. Findings support the provision of integrated care within the primary health care setting to address the long-term medical and psychosocial needs of individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Validation of diagnostic coding for interstitial lung diseases in an electronic health record system in Hong Kong.

Large electronic medical record (EMR) databases can facilitate epidemiology research into uncommon diseases such as interstitial lung disease (ILD). Given the rarity and diagnostic difficulty of ILD, the validity of the coding in EMR requires clarification. We aimed to assess the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code algorithms for identifying ILD in the territory-wide electronic medical health record system of Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. Patients who visited the Queen Mary Hospital in 2005-2018 with ILD were identified using the following ICD-9 codes: post-inflammatory pulmonary fibrosis (PPF; ICD-9: 515), idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis (IFA; ICD-9: 516.3), connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD; ICD-9: 517.2, 517.8, 714.81), sarcoidosis (ICD-9: 135) and extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA; ICD-9: 495). A random selection was conducted in cases with diagnostic code of PPF and IFA, where a relative higher case number was identified. All the cases of CTD-ILD, sarcoidosis and EAA were included in validation for relatively small case number. Two hundred and sixty nine cases were validated using medical record review by a respiratory specialist. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 79% (95% CI, 74%-84%). In subgroup analysis, true positive case numbers of PPF, IFA, CTD-ILD, sarcoidosis and EAA were 74/100 (74%), 95/100 (95%), 11/15 (73%), 27/32 (84%) and 6/22 (27%), respectively. This was the first ICD-9 coding validation for ILD in Hong Kong CDARS. Our study demonstrated that using ICD-9 algorithms 515, 516.3, 517.2, 517.8, 714.81 and 135 enhanced identifications of ILDs with PPV that was reliable to support utility of CDARS database for further clinical research on ILDs. The validity is particularly high with 516.3.

Risk of self-harm or suicide associated with specific drug use disorders, 2004-2016: a population-based cohort study.

Drug use disorders are associated with increased risk of self-harm. Risk differences associated with specific types of drug use disorders are yet to be comprehensively reported. This study aimed to examine the risk of self-harm or suicide associated with different drug use disorders in Hong Kong. Population-based cohort study. The Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) managed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Cases were people ages 10years or older who visited a hospital Accident and Emergency department between 1 January, 2004 and 31 December, 2016 with any of 10 specific drug use disorders (comprising opioid; ketamine; methamphetamine; sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic; amphetamine or related stimulant; cocaine; cannabis; hallucinogen; unspecified or other drug; and polydrug). Each case was matched with two controls, selected from a subset of people in CDARS sharing the same gender, age and psychiatric profile. A total of 8270 cases and 16 540 matched controls were included. Incidence and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of subsequent self-harm or suicide for each specific drug use disorder were estimated. The most prevalent drug use disorder was opioid use disorder (2523; 30.51%) and the least prevalent was hallucinogen use disorder (77; 0.93%). The crude incidence of self-harm or suicide ranged from 26.57 (95% CI, 14.23-44.55) per 1000 person-years for cannabis use disorder to 91.97 (77.32-108.37) for polydrug use disorder. The highest risk of self-harm or suicide was observed in ketamine (aHR, 16.36; 95% CI, 11.03-24.29) and opioid (15.97; 10.73-23.23) use disorders. In Hong Kong, all types of drug use disorders appear to be significantly associated with increased risk of self-harm or suicide, but risk levels vary by type of drug use disorder.

Secular trends in fall-related hospitalizations in adolescents, youth and adults: a population-based study

BackgroundFalls are one of the major causes of injury globally. However, there is a lack of population-based studies on falls among adolescents, young and middle-aged adults. We therefore aimed to conduct a large-scale population study on the secular trend in incidence of fall-related hospitalization. MethodsA population-wide electronic database, Hong Kong's Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS), was used in this retrospective cohort study. Patients aged≥10, hospitalized with diagnosis of accidental falls (ICD-9-CM E880-E888) from 2005-2018, were included. Outcome measures included the number, age- and sex-standardized incidence rate of fall-related hospital admissions, their length of stay (LOS) and 1-year all-cause mortality. Linear regression and average annual percentage change (AAPC) using joinpoint regression were computed for trend analysis. FindingsFrom 2005 to 2018, a total of 336,439 patients aged≥10 were identified with fall-related hospitalization. Among these fall patients, 33.7% occurred at age<60. The number of fall-related hospital admissions episodes increased significantly by 83.7% during the study period. The standardized incidence rate of falls per 1000 person-years increased from 3.67 (95% CI 3.62-3.72) in 2005 to 4.79 (95% CI 4.74-4.84) in 2018. Although the total hospitalized bed-days increased from 178,723 days in 2005, to 299,273 days in 2018 (+67.5%,p<.0001), the median length of stay per episode of falls decreased from 4.90 days to 3.79 days (p<.0001). InterpretationContinuous increase in the incidence of fall-related hospitalization in people aged≥10 was observed. This suggested that falls are a public health issue in all ages. Further studies on the differences in the underlying risk factors and comorbidities between younger and older fall patients are warranted. FundingNone.

Linking cohort-based data with electronic health records: a proof-of-concept methodological study in Hong Kong

ObjectivesData linkage of cohort-based data and electronic health records (EHRs) has been practised in many countries, but in Hong Kong there is still a lack of such research. To expand...

OP0103 5-YEAR CARDIOVASCULAR EVENT RISK IN EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED TREAT-TO-TARGET MANAGEMENT: A POPULATION-BASED COHORT STUDY

Background:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk due to the underlying inflammation (1). It is uncertain if the excess CV risk could be reduced by effective suppression of inflammation using the treat-to-target (T2T) approach in patients with early RA (ERA).Objectives:This study compared the 5-year cardiovascular event (CVE) rate among ERA patients managed by a T2T strategy with a CV risk factor-matched non-RA population.Methods:This was an observational study using the Hong Kong Hospital Authority population-based hospital database known as the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) and the Clinical Rheumatology Systematic Treat-to-target in Asia Leadership (CRYSTAL) registry. ERA subjects from the registry with baseline disease duration less than 2 years were recruited between 2012-2016. All patients received a tight control, T2T treatment strategy aiming at remission and had been followed for at least 5 years. Each ERA subject was matched to 3 non-RA controls according to age, gender, smoking status, and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT) and hyperlipidaemia (HL). All subjects on antiplatelet agents, with pre-existing CVD or chronic kidney disease were excluded. All subjects were analysed up to 5 years from baseline. The primary end point was the first occurence of a CVE, namely ischaemic cerebrovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure.Results:The study identified 261 ERA subjects and 783 matched controls. Their characteristics were shown on Table 1. The mean age was 60+/-12 years, 78% were female, 18% were smokers, 8%, 25% and 22% had DM, HT and HL respectively.Table 1.Characteristics of ERA subjects and the matched controlsERA (n=261)Controls (n=783)p-valueAge (mean +/- SD)60.2 +/- 1260.3 +/- 120.99Total cholesterol (mean +/- SD)4.8 +/- 0.944.9 +/- 1.000.34High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (median, IQR)1.4 (1.2-1.6)1.4 (1.2-1.7)0.612Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mean +/- SD)2.8 +/- 0.82.6 +/- 0.80.27Triglyceride (median, IQR)0.96 (0.7-1.3)1.2 (0.8-1.7)0.00Atherogenic index# (mean +/- SD)-0.07 +/-0.29-0.15 +/- 0.280.48RA disease characteristicsBaselinelast visitSeropositivity89.3%Disease duration (median days, IQR)177 (96-299)2026 (1818-2126)Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mean +/- SD)55.7 +/- 3432.6 +/- 21.3C-reactive protein (median, IQR)7.9 (3.5-22.2)2.1 (1.0-5.0)Swollen joint count (median, IQR)3 (2-6)0 (0-1)Tender joint count (median, IQR)6 (3-10)0 (0-1)Patient’s global assessment (mean mm +/- SD)50.7 +/- 26.816.0 +/- 18.3DAS28-ESR (mean +/- SD)5.2 +/- 1.32.4 +/- 1.8DAS28-CRP (mean +/- SD)4.4 +/- 1.31.8 +/- 1.5Health assessment questionnaire (mean +/- SD)0.77 +/- 0.740.38 +/- 0.51# Atherogenic index = log10 (triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol)SD: standard deviation, IQR: interquartile range, DAS28: disease activity score-28CVEs occurred in 2.3% ERA subjects and in 3.3% controls. The difference was statistically insignificant. The CVE-free survival was shown in Figure 1.Figure 1.CVE-free survival curves of ERA subjects &amp; matched controlsIn the ERA cohort, after adjusting for baseline age and atherogenic index, cox-regression analysis showed that i) a longer DAS28 remission duration was protective for CVE with an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 0.46 (95% CI 0.23-0.93), while ii) poor baseline function as reflected by a higher health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score was predictive of CVE with an AHR of 5.2 (95% CI 1.2-23).Conclusion:ERA patients treated by a T2T strategy did not develop excess CVE compared to CV risk factor-matched controls over 5 years. A longer disease remission duration was protective while a higher baseline HAQ was associated with a higher CVE risk.

Surgical management of pleuro-peritoneal fistula in chronic renal failure patient-safety and effectiveness.

BackgroundPleuro-peritoneal fistula (PPF) is a known complication arising in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) as a form of renal replacement therapy with an incidence of approximately 2% (1). Previous literature has shown that the recurrence rate of non-operative management of PPF to be ~45%. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been shown to be an effective and safe means of treating patients with PPF. However, to the author’s knowledge, there is currently no sizeable case series that discuss the various intra-operative findings, operative techniques employed, post-operative complications, duration of peritoneal dialysis suspension and fistula recurrence in this particular patient group.MethodsFrom January 2009 to January 2019, patients who underwent VATS for the repair of PPF at The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong were retrieved from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS). Patient’s epidemiological data, comorbidities and surgical data were analyzedResultsThere were 35 patients who underwent VATS PPF repair in our series. The mean age was 60.8 years (44 to 82 years), the (54.3%), mean operative time was 60.8 minutes (15–224 minutes). There were 8 patients (25.8%) who suffered from recurrence of pleural effusion after re-initiation of CAPD. Concomitant use of mechanical and talc pleurodesis was statistically significant in preventing PPF recurrence with an odds ratio of 0.1201 when compared to non-operative techniques. One patient suffered from hemothorax requiring re-operation on post-operative day one. There were no 30-day mortalities.ConclusionsVATS appears to be a safe and effective surgical treatment to prevent recurrence of continuous peritoneal dialysis associated PPF. Concomitant mechanical and talc pleurodesis appears to have additional benefit.

Predicting dementia diagnosis from cognitive footprints in electronic health records: a case–control study protocol

IntroductionDementia is a group of disabling disorders that can be devastating for persons living with it and for their families. Data-informed decision-making strategies to identify individuals at high risk of...

Gastrointestinal bleeding risk with rivaroxaban vs aspirin in atrial fibrillation: A multinational study.

Comparative gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) risk between rivaroxaban and low-dose aspirin is unknown in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study investigated GIB risk with rivaroxaban vs aspirin among two separate AF cohorts in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, using a common protocol approach. This was a population-based cohort study using separate data from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (2010-2018) and The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database in the United Kingdom (2011-2017). Patients with AF newly prescribed aspirin or rivaroxaban were included. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare GIB risks for rivaroxaban vs aspirin, accounting for confounders using propensity score fine stratification approach. In CDARS, 29 213 patients were included; n = 1052 (rivaroxaban), n = 28 161 (aspirin). Crude GIB event rates per 100 patient-years in CDARS were 3.0 (aspirin) and 2.6 (rivaroxaban). No difference in GIB risk was observed between rivaroxaban and aspirin overall (HR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.76-1.42), and in dose-stratified analyses (HR = 1.21, 95%CI = 0.84-1.74 [20 mg/day]; HR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.44-1.45 [≤15 mg/day]). In THIN, 11 549 patients were included, n = 3496 (rivaroxaban) and n = 8053 (aspirin). Crude GIB event rates were 1.3 (aspirin) and 2.4 (rivaroxaban) per 100 patient-years. No difference in GIB risk was observed between rivaroxaban and aspirin overall (HR = 1.40, 95%CI = 1.00-1.98) and low-dose rivaroxaban (≤15 mg/day) (HR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.56-1.30), but increased GIB risk was observed for rivaroxaban 20 mg/day vs aspirin (HR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.08-2.29). In patients with AF, GIB risk was comparable between aspirin and rivaroxaban ≤15 mg/day. GIB risk for rivaroxaban 20 mg/day vs aspirin remains uncertain and warrants further investigation.

Epidemiology of gout in Hong Kong: a population-based study from 2006 to 2016

ObjectiveTo determine the incidence and prevalence of gout in the general population and the utilisation of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) among patients with gout in Hong Kong.MethodsA total of 2,741,862 subjects who attended any outpatient clinics or accident and emergency department (with or without hospitalisation) in 2005 and did not die before 2006 were identified from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) of the Hospital Authority in Hong Kong. All subjects were followed until the end of 2016 or death.Demographics, diagnosis of gout, serum urate levels, and ULT prescriptions were retrieved from CDARS. Gout was defined by the diagnosis codes in CDARS. The serum urate levels achieved after prescribing ULT were the means of all serum urate levels measured 6 months after prescriptions. Results were analysed by R version 3.3.3 with package ‘prevalence’ version 0.4.0.ResultsThe crude incidence of gout increased from 113.05/100,000 person-years (PY) in 2006 to 211.62/100,000 PY in 2016. The crude prevalence of gout increased from 1.56% in 2006 to 2.92% in 2016. Only 25.55% of patients with gout were prescribed ULT in 2016. 35.8% of patients treated with ULT were able to achieve the target serum urate level of < 6 mg/dL.ConclusionsPopulation ageing as well as other risk factors contributed to an increase in the incidence and prevalence of gout in Hong Kong. In 2016, the crude prevalence of gout in Hong Kong was comparable to that in many western countries. However, only one in four patients with gout in Hong Kong was prescribed ULT.

Prevalence and risk factors for repetition of non-fatal self-harm in Hong Kong, 2002–2016: A population-based cohort study

BackgroundA history of self-harm is strongly associated with future self-harm attempts. Large-scale Asian cohort studies examining risk factors for repeated self-harm are lacking. This paper reports on annual prevalence, cumulative risk, annual risk of non-fatal self-harm repetition, and risk factors among Hong Kong patients with a history of self-harm. MethodsThe Hong Kong Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) provided all accident & emergency department and inpatient self-harm records between Jan 1, 2002 and Dec 31, 2016. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted. Annual prevalence, over-time cumulative and annual risks of non-fatal self-harm repetition were estimated, and the adjusted hazard ratios (HR; plus 95% CIs) of putative risk factors associated with repetition were estimated using Wei-Lin-Weissfeld (WLW) generalization of the Cox model for recurrent event analysis. FindingsThere were 127,801 self-harm episodes by 99,116 individuals. Annual prevalence of repeated self-harm, of all self-harms, ranged from 7•36% to 28•71% during the study period. Risk of self-harm repetition within one year of the index event was 14•25% (95% CI, 14•04%-14•46%). People with four or more previous self-harm episodes carried the highest risk of self-harm repetition (adjusted HR 4•81 [95% CI 4•46–5•18]). Significant risk factors for non-fatal self-harm repetition included male gender (1•08 [1•05–1•11]), older age (65+ years) (1•07 [1•01–1•13]), social welfare for payment (1•30 [1•27–1•34]), psychiatric admission (1•60 [1•50–1•72]), self-injury only (1•19 [1•15–1•23]), self-injury combined with self-poisoning (1•38 [1•24–1•53]), depression and bipolar disorders (1•09 [1•04–1•14]), personality disorders (1•18 [1•06–1•32]), substance misuse (1•31 [1•27–1•36]), and asthma (1•18 [1•02–1•36]). InterpretationHong Kong self-harm patients with non-fatal self-harm events should be supported by effective, timely and ongoing aftercare plans based on their risk profiles, to reduce risk of self-harm reoccurrence. FundingResearch Grants Council, General Research Funding: 17611619.

Collateral Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Hospitalizations and Clinical Outcomes in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases: A Territory-wide Observational Study in Hong Kong

Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a huge impact on healthcare systems globally. Decline in hospital admissions for common medical emergencies was observed. We investigated its collateral effect on hospitalizations and clinical outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases in Hong Kong. Methods We performed a territory-wide retrospective cohort study in Hong Kong from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020. Data were retrieved through Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System. We included patients admitted to hospitals with top diagnoses of luminal GI cancers, pancreatico-hepatobiliary cancers, benign pancreaticobiliary disorders, liver diseases, non-infective enteritis and colitis, non-variceal and variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). We excluded patient-based hospital admissions without emergency department attendance and length of stay equal to or shorter than one day. The primary endpoint was the total number of index hospital admissions related to these diagnoses at different time points. The secondary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit admission, elective or emergency operations and endoscopy. The COVID-19 period was defined as the time after the first local case in January 2020, week 4. Results We recorded a total of 195,867 hospital admissions related to GI diseases during the study period, and 125,049 of them were included in the final analysis. Comparing the same pre-COVID19 and COVID-19 periods, we observed a significant decline in the average number of hospitalizations for GI diseases (17.0% reduction, P Conclusions The number of hospitalizations related to GI diseases reduced drastically during the COVID-19 epidemic, yet no excessive in-hospital mortality was observed. More emergency endoscopies and operations were required, particularly for UGIB and benign pancreaticobiliary conditions.