title: Adult liver abscess: characteristics of patients living in rural north-eastern Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyse the characteristics of adult liver abscess (LA) patients living in rural townships of Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively screened the electronic admission records of a rural community hospital located in north-eastern Taiwan from 1 April, 2002 to 30 April, 2006. Relevant data, including subjects' basic characteristics, laboratory findings and infectious microorganisms, were extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six subjects (mean age: 66.1 +/- 15.9 years; range: 23-94 years) were enrolled; one patient had an amoebic LA and 55 had pyogenic LA. Five subjects died in hospital. Overall, 80.5% of patients complained of having a fever, 87.5% had single abscess, 71.4% had right hepatic lobe involvement and 58.9% underwent invasive drainage. Most subjects (66.1%) did not have diabetes mellitus, 94.6% did not have a hepato-biliary tumour, 73.2% did not have gallstones, 78.6% did not have hepatitis and 87.5% did not have prior hepato-biliary surgery. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common infecting microorganism. Previous hepato-biliary surgery and serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dl were significantly more common in patients >or=65 years of age (p = 0.031). Diabetes mellitus was more common in female subjects (p = 0.021). Invasive drainage and single abscess were not significantly correlated to prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult LA patients living in rural north-eastern Taiwan have different characteristics than patients living in urban areas. Geriatric LA patients should be managed cautiously because of the possibility of renal insufficiency or previous hepato-biliary surgery. Female LA patients should be evaluated for the presence of diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Medicine, I-Lan Hospital, I-Lan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: N-W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: G-J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S-J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: C-P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008101:Liver Abscess, Amebic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D046290:Liver Abscess, Pyogenic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult