Humans ; Hong Kong/epidemiology* ; COVID-19

Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has three public health systems under different systems, which plays an important role in the construction of the public health system in China. Further strengthening the construction of the public health system in the GBA will play an important reference role in the optimization and upgrade of China's public health system in the future. Based on the key consulting project of "research on the strategy of the modern public health system and capacity building in China" by Chinese Academy of Engineering, this paper deeply analyzes the current status and existing problems of public health system construction in GBA and suggests to improve and innovate the mechanisms of collaborative prevention and control of public health risks, resource coordination and joint research and result sharing, information sharing and exchange, personnel training and team building in order to comprehensively improve the capacity of public health system in GBA, and promote the construction of Healthy China.
Humans ; China ; Hong Kong ; Macau ; Public Health

OBJECTIVE: Functional constipation (FC) is a common intestinal disease worldwide. Despite the presence of criteria such as Roman IV, there is no standardized diagnosis and treatment algorithm in Hong Kong that combines both Western and Chinese medicine approaches. This study integrates current effective and safe diagnosis and treatment methods for FC and provides a clear and scientific pathway for clinical professionals and patients. METHODS: A systematic search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was performed from their inception to June 30th, 2022, collecting the current evidence about the efficacious integrative management for FC. We organized a meeting of professionals in fields relevant to treatment and management of FC to develop a consensus agreement on clinical pathway process. RESULTS: We developed a clinical pathway for the treatment of FC based on the most recent published guidelines and consultation with experts. This pathway includes a hierarchy of recommendations for every step of the clinical process, including clinical intake, diagnostic examination, recommended labs, diagnostic flowchart, and guidance for selection of therapeutic drugs. CONCLUSION This pathway establishes clinical standards for the diagnosis and treatment of FC using Chinese medicine and Western medicine; it will help to provide high-quality medical services in Hong Kong for patients with FC. Please cite this article as: Wei DJ, Li HJ, Lyu ZP, Lyu AP, Bian ZX, Zhong LL. A clinical pathway for integrative medicine in the treatment of functional constipation in Hong Kong, China. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 550-560.
Humans ; Hong Kong ; Integrative Medicine ; Critical Pathways ; China ; Constipation/therapy*

BACKGROUND: Omega-5-gliadin (O5G) allergy, also known as wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, is commonly reported in the Western, but not Asian, populations. Although significant differences in O5G allergy presentation across different populations are likely but there have been no previous reports on this important topic.OBJECTIVE: To report on the prevalence and characteristics of O5G allergy in Hong Kong (HK) compared with the United Kingdom (UK).METHODS: O5G allergy patients attending Queen Mary Hospital (HK cohort), and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London (UK cohort) were studied and compared.RESULTS: A total of 46 O5G allergy patients (16 HK; 30 UK) were studied. In the HK cohort, 55% of all patients previously labeled as “idiopathic anaphylaxis” were diagnosed with O5G allergy. Exercise was the most common cofactor in both cohorts, followed by alcohol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). A higher proportion of the HK cohort reported NSAID as a cofactor (13% vs. 0%, p = 0.048). In the HK cohort, more patients presented with urticaria and cardiovascular manifestations (100% vs. 77%, p = 0.036; 100% vs. 70%, p = 0.015, respectively); the range of presentation was more diverse in the UK cohort. In HK fewer patients adhered to wheat avoidance (50% vs. 87%, p = 0.007) and more patients avoided cofactors only (44% vs. 10%, p = 0.008).CONCLUSION: O5G allergy appears relatively underdiagnosed in HK. Urticaria and cardiovascular manifestations are common; NSAID plays an important role as a cofactor and patients are less concordant with dietary avoidance measures than in the Western population.
Anaphylaxis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Great Britain ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Prevalence ; Triticum ; Urticaria

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of Hong Kong αα (HK αα) gene in α3.7 positive samples among carriers from Fujian area. METHODS: Routine genetic testing for thalassemia was carried out for 10145 patients with positive screening results. Single PCR and two-round nested PCR were utilized to detect HK αα among 507 patients with α3.7/αα and 2 patients for whom electrophoresis showed α3.7, -αSEA and normal α2 alleles. Reverse dot blot test was used for detecting non-deletional α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia variants. RESULTS: Among the 507 patients with α3.7/αα, HK αα was identified in 35 cases, which included 25 HK αα/αα, 5 HK αα/α3.7, 4 HK αα/αα with heterozygous CD41/42 (HBB: c.126_129delCTTT) variant, 1 HK αα/αα with IVS-II-654 (HBB: c.316_197C>T) heterozygous variant. One patient was confirmed to have α3.7/anti4.2 genotype. The two cases with α3.7, -αSEA and normal α2 alleles were confirmed to be HK αα/--SEA. The frequency of HK αα genotype in Fujian area was therefore 7.27% among patients with α3.7 and 0.36% in the general population. CONCLUSION A certain proportion of HK αα has been detected in Fujian area, which will enable more accurate diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; alpha-Thalassemia ; beta-Thalassemia

BACKGROUND: Eczema is the most common skin problem among children in Hong Kong. Previous studies have highlighted that the quality of life of the families of children with eczema influences the effects of eczema interventions. However, the Chinese version of the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (C-FDLQI), a tool for measuring the quality of life of the families of children with eczema, has not yet been validated. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the psychometric properties of the C-FDLQI among parents and caregivers of children with eczema in Hong Kong. METHODS: This study evaluated the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and structural validity of the C-FDLQI and its convergent validity by examining its correlations with the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and the Cantonese version of the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (C-CDLQI) among 147 Chinese parents/caregivers of children with varying degrees of eczema.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Caregivers ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatology ; Eczema ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Parents ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Semantics ; Skin

Catabacter hongkongensis is an anaerobic gram-positive coccobacillus that was first isolated in Hong Kong. It is infectious and causes high mortality in patients with rare but underlying diseases. Alistipes indistinctus is an anaerobic gram-negative coccobacillus. This bacterium is a common member of the human intestinal microbiota. We report a case of C. hongkongensis and A. indistinctus isolated from blood cultures of a patient with acute appendicitis. A 35-year-old female patient with no specific medical history was admitted to the hospital due to abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea experienced on the day before admission. On admission, laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis, neutropenia, and elevated C–reactive protein and procalcitonin levels. Following an abdominal computed tomography showing acute appendicitis with suspected perforation, emergency surgery was performed. Growth was observed in two anaerobic blood culture bottles after four days. After further culturing of the bacteria on Brucella Blood Agar, two types of bacteria were obtained. The two bacterial isolates, one gram-positive and one gram-negative, were unable to be identified using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Thus, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis was performed, resulting in identification of the bacteria as C. hongkongensis and A. indistinctus. The patient was administered antibiotics and discharged two days after surgery. Although MALDI-TOF MS enables fast and accurate identification of bacteria, C. hongkongensis and A. indistinctus were not listed in the spectral library, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis was useful for identifying the two bacteria.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendicitis ; Bacteria ; Brucella ; Diarrhea ; Emergencies ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Genes, rRNA ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mortality ; Nausea ; Neutropenia ; Sequence Analysis ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Previous Caucasian studies have described venous thromboembolism in pregnancy; however, little is known about its incidence during pregnancy and early postpartum period in the Chinese population. We investigated the risk of venous thromboembolism in a “real-world” cohort of pregnant Chinese women with no prior history of venous thromboembolism. METHODS: In this observational study, 15,325 pregnancies were identified in 14,162 Chinese women at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong between January 2004 and September 2016. Demographic data, obstetric information, and laboratory and imaging data were retrieved and reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age at pregnancy was 32.4±5.3 years, and the median age was 33 years (interquartile range, 29–36 yr). Pre-existing or newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus was present in 627 women (4.1%); 359 (0.7%) women had pre-existing or newly detected hypertension. There was a small number of women with pre-existing heart disease and/or rheumatic conditions. Most deliveries (86.0%) were normal vaginal; the remaining were Cesarean section 2,146 (14.0%). The incidence of venous thromboembolism was 0.4 per 1,000 pregnancies, of which 83.3% were deep vein thrombosis and 16.7% were pulmonary embolism. In contrast to previous studies, 66.7% of venous thrombosis occurred in the first trimester. CONCLUSION: Chinese women had a substantially lower risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period compared to that of Caucasians. The occurrence of pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism was largely confined to the early pregnancy period, probably related to the adoption of thromboprophylaxis, a lower rate of Cesarean section, and early mobilization.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cesarean Section ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Early Ambulation ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Observational Study ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnant Women ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: Outbreaks of scarlet fever in Mexico in 1999, Hong Kong and mainland China in 2011, and England in 2014-2016 have received global attention, and the number of notified cases in Korean children, including in Jeju Province, has also increased since 2010. To identify relevant hypotheses regarding this emerging outbreak, an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis of scarlet fever incidence was conducted among children in Jeju Province, Korea. METHODS: This study analyzed data from the nationwide insurance claims database administered by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. The inclusion criteria were children aged ≤14 years residing in Jeju Province, Korea who received any form of healthcare for scarlet fever from 2002 to 2016. The age and year variables were categorized into 5 groups, respectively. After calculating the crude incidence rate (CIR) for age and calendar year groups, the intrinsic estimator (IE) method was applied to conduct the APC analysis. RESULTS: In total, 2345 cases were identified from 2002 to 2016. Scarlet fever was most common in the 0-2 age group, and boys presented more cases than girls. Since the CIR decreased with age between 2002 and 2016, the age and period effect decreased in all observed years. The IE coefficients suggesting a cohort effect shifted from negative to positive in 2009. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the recent outbreak of scarlet fever among children in Jeju Province might be explained through the cohort effect. As children born after 2009 showed a higher risk of scarlet fever, further descriptive epidemiological studies are needed.
Child ; China ; Cohort Effect ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; England ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Exotoxins ; Female ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance ; Korea ; Methods ; Mexico ; National Health Programs ; Scarlet Fever ; Streptococcus pyogenes

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In addition to the globally endorsed Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, other algorithms or staging systems have been developed, including the Hong Kong Liver Cancer (HKLC) staging system. This study aimed to validate the HKLC staging system relative to the BCLC staging system for predicting survival for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in Korea. METHODS: From 2004 to 2013, 2,571 patients newly diagnosed with HCC were consecutively enrolled at three Korea University medical centers. RESULTS: Both staging systems differentiated survival well (p < 0.001). However, 1-year and 3-year survival were predicted better using the HKLC system than the BCLC system (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.869 vs 0.856 for 1 year, p=0.002; 0.841 vs 0.827 for 3 years, p=0.010). In hypothetical survival curves, the HKLC system exhibited better median overall survival than the BCLC system (33.1 months vs 19.2 months). In evaluations of prognosis according to either BCLC or HKLC treatment guidelines, risk of death was reduced in the group following only HKLC guidelines compared with the group following only BCLC guidelines (hazard ratio, 0.601; 95% confidence interval, 0.443 to 0.816; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although both staging systems predicted and discriminated HCC prognoses well, the HKLC system showed more encouraging survival benefits than the BCLC system.
Academic Medical Centers ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Liver ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve