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Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common life-threatening condition in critically ill patients. Itis also an important public health issue because it can cause substantial mortality and health care burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate therisk factors that impact ARDS mortality in a medical center in Taiwan. Methods: This was a single center, observational study thatretrospectively analyzed data from adults in 6 intensive care units (ICUs) at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan from 1st October, 2018to30th September, 2019. Patients needing invasive mechanical ventilation and meeting the Berlin definition criteria were included for analysis. Results: A total of 1,778 subjects were screened in 6 adult ICUs and 370 patients fulfilled the criteria of ARDS in the first 24 hours of the ICU admission. Among these patients, the prevalenceof ARDS was 20.8% and the overall hospital mortality rate was 42.2%. The mortality rates of mild, moderate and severe ARDS were 35.9%, 43.9% and 46.5%, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model, combination of driving pressure (DP) > 14cmH2O and oxygenation (P/F ratio)≤150 was an independent predictor of mortality (OR2.497, 95% CI 1.201–5.191, p = 0.014). Patients with worse oxygenation and a higher driving pressure had the highest hospital mortality rate(p<0.0001). Conclusions: ARDS is common in ICUs and the mortality rate remains high. Combining oxygenation and respiratory mechanics may better predict the outcomes of these ARDS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We examined the association between anogenital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and sexual networks in men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: A total of 253 MSM, 20 years of age and older, were recruited from the community in Southern Taiwan in 2015–2016. At baseline and at each follow-up visit, MSM were screened for HPV to identify 37 HPV genotypes. At the six-month follow-up, MSM were asked to fill out an egocentric network assessment and to report the last five persons with whom they had sex regarding the characteristics of sexual behavior with each network member. Results: A total of 182 participants (71.9%) returned for the follow-up and one third had at least one HPV type detected. A higher level of bridging network position calculated by the level of constraints in the network was significantly less likely to have HPV detection at the anal site. A high level of concurrency was associated with penile HPV detection (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.01–9.86). Conclusions: Identifying network-related characteristics can advance our understanding of high-risk populations and for prioritizing HPV vaccine recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]