• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.170-184
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Several cases involving severe right ventricular (RV) failure in advanced cancer patients have been found to be pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathies (PTTMs). This study aimed to discover the nature of rapid RV failure syndrome with a suspected diagnosis of PTTM for better diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction in clinical practice. Methods: From 2011 to 2021, all patients with clinically suspected PTTM were derived from the one tertiary cancer hospital with more than 2000 in-hospital bed. Results: A total of 28 cases of clinically suspected PTTM with one biopsy confirmed case were included. The most common cancer types were breast (9/28, 32%) and the most common tissue type was adenocarcinoma (22/26, 85%). The time interval from dyspnea New York Heart Association (NYHA) Grade 2, 3, 4 to death, thrombocytopenia to death, desaturation to death, admission to death, RV failure to death, cardiogenic shock to death were 33.5 days, 14.5 days, 7.4 days, 6.4 days, 6.1 days, 6.0 days, 3.8 days and 1.2 days, respectively. The NYHA Grade 4 to death time was 7 days longer in those who received chemotherapy (7.1 days vs. 13.8 days, p value=0.030). However, anticoagulation, vasopressors or intensive care could not change clinical course. Conclusions: Rapid RV failure syndrome with a suspected diagnosis of PTTM showed a rapid progressive course from symptom onset to death. Although chemotherapy was effective, increased life survival was negligible, and treatments other than chemotherapy did not help to improve the patient's prognosis.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.481-492
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and imaging characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in hospitalized immunocompromised patients in comparison with immunocompetent patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed consecutive adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at two academic medical centers between June 2021 and December 2022. Immunocompromised patients (with active solid organ cancer, active hematologic cancer, active immune-mediated inflammatory disease, status post solid organ transplantation, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome) were compared with immunocompetent patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of immune status on severe clinical outcomes (in-hospital death, mechanical ventilation, or intensive care unit admission), severe radiologic pneumonia (≥ 25% of lung involvement), and typical CT pneumonia. Results: Of 2218 patients (mean age, 69.5 ± 16.1 years), 274 (12.4%), and 1944 (87.6%) were immunocompromised an immunocompetent, respectively. Patients with active solid organ cancer and patients status post solid organ transplantation had significantly higher risks for severe clinical outcomes (adjusted odds ratio = 1.58 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01-2.47], P = 0.042; and 3.12 [95% CI, 1.47-6.60], P = 0.003, respectively). Patient status post solid organ transplantation and patients with active hematologic cancer were associated with increased risks for severe pneumonia based on chest radiographs (2.96 [95% CI, 1.54-5.67], P = 0.001; and 2.87 [95% CI, 1.50-5.49], P = 0.001, respectively) and for typical CT pneumonia (9.03 [95% CI, 2.49-32.66], P < 0.001; and 4.18 [95% CI, 1.70-10.25], P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: Immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 breakthrough infection showed an increased risk of severe clinical outcome, severe pneumonia based on chest radiographs, and typical CT pneumonia. In particular, patients status post solid organ transplantation was specifically found to be associated with a higher risk of all three outcomes than hospitalized immunocompetent patients.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.434-443
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• 2023

Objective: To investigate the association between pelvic bone computed tomography (CT)-derived body composition and patient outcomes in older adult patients who underwent surgery for proximal femur fractures. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified consecutive patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent pelvic bone CT and subsequent surgery for proximal femur fractures between July 2018 and September 2021. Eight CT metrics were calculated from the cross-sectional area and attenuation of the subcutaneous fat and muscle, including the thigh subcutaneous fat (TSF) index, TSF attenuation, thigh muscle (TM) index, TM attenuation, gluteus maximus (GM) index, GM attenuation, gluteus medius and minimus (Gmm) index, and Gmm attenuation. The patients were dichotomized using the median value of each metric. Multivariable Cox regression and logistic regression models were used to determine the association between CT metrics with overall survival (OS) and postsurgical intensive care unit (ICU) admission, respectively. Results: A total of 372 patients (median age, 80.5 years; interquartile range, 76.0-85.0 years; 285 females) were included. TSF attenuation above the median (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-4.05), GM index below the median (adjusted HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.33-5.26), and Gmm index below the median (adjusted HR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.12-4.55) were independently associated with shorter OS. TSF index (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 6.67; 95% CI, 3.13-14.29), GM index (adjusted OR, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.49-7.69), GM attenuation (adjusted OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.02-5.56), Gmm index (adjusted OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.22-5.88), and Gmm attenuation (adjusted OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.01-5.00) below the median were independently associated with ICU admission. Conclusion: In older adult patients who underwent surgery for proximal femur fracture, low muscle indices of the GM and gluteus medius/minimus obtained from their cross-sectional areas on preoperative pelvic bone CT were significant prognostic markers for predicting high mortality and postsurgical ICU admission.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.17-43
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• 2024

Objectives: Underpinned by the context of a Korean traditional medicine cohort study on healthy aging, this research primarily aims to guide the selection of Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs) for elderly healthy aging patient registry research, offering insights into the selection process; and secondly, to streamline the resource-intensive process of obtaining permissions for validated COAs, benefiting future traditional Korean medicine clinical researchers. Methods : In this study, we identified outcomes through a review of previous studies, followed by a process involving expert consultations to select the final outcomes. Subsequently, for the selected outcomes that were Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs) developed tools, we searched in commercial databases to confirm the availability of Korean versions and the necessity of obtaining permissions. Finally, we obtained permissions for their utilization and, when needed, acquired the original instrument questionnaire through payment. Results: Through a literature review of existing observational studies, a total of 57 outcomes were selected, with 19 of them identified as COA instruments. Upon verifying usage permissions for these 19 instruments, it was found that 17 required author-specific permissions, and among these, 2 needed a purchase as they were commercially available. Conclusion: This study provides a detailed overview of outcome selection and permission acquisition for elderly patient registry research. It underscores the importance of Clinical Outcome Assessment (COA) tools and the rigorous approval process, aiming to enhance research reliability. Continuous verification of COA information is essential, and future research should explore Core Outcome Set (COS) development through consensus-building approaches like Delphi studies.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권8호
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• pp.1007-1017
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate the predictive abilities of clinical and computed tomography (CT) features for outcome prediction in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Materials and Methods: The clinical and CT data of 238 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in our two hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. One hundred sixty-six patients (103 males; age 43.8 ± 12.3 years) were allocated in the training cohort and 72 patients (38 males; age 45.1 ± 15.8 years) from another independent hospital were assigned in the validation cohort. The primary composite endpoint was admission to an intensive care unit, use of mechanical ventilation, or death. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed to identify independent predictors. A nomogram was constructed based on the combination of clinical and CT features, and its prognostic performance was externally tested in the validation group. The predictive value of the combined model was compared with models built on the clinical and radiological attributes alone. Results: Overall, 35 infected patients (21.1%) in the training cohort and 10 patients (13.9%) in the validation cohort experienced adverse outcomes. Underlying comorbidity (hazard ratio [HR], 3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67-6.71; p < 0.001), lymphocyte count (HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.38; p < 0.001) and crazy-paving sign (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.03-4.48; p = 0.042) were the independent factors. The nomogram displayed a concordance index (C-index) of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.76-0.88), and its prognostic value was confirmed in the validation cohort with a C-index of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82-0.96). The combined model provided the best performance over the clinical or radiological model (p < 0.050). Conclusion: Underlying comorbidity, lymphocyte count and crazy-paving sign were independent predictors of adverse outcomes. The prognostic nomogram based on the combination of clinical and CT features could be a useful tool for predicting adverse outcomes of patients with COVID-19.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.125-132
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the residual echocardiographic findings including strain analysis among post-coronavirus disease (COVID) patients. The aim of our study is to prospectively phenotype post-COVID patients. METHODS: All patients discharged following acute COVID infection were systematically followed in the post-COVID-19 Recovery Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital. At 4-18 weeks post diagnosis, patients underwent comprehensive echocardiographic assessment. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed by 3D, 2D Biplane Simpson's, or visual estimate. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured using a vendor-independent 2D speckle-tracking software (TomTec). RESULTS: A total of 127 patients (53% female, mean age 58 years) were included in our analyses. At baseline, cardiac conditions were present in 58% of the patients (15% coronary artery disease, 4% heart failure, 44% hypertension, 10% atrial fibrillation) while the remainder were free of cardiac conditions. COVID-19 serious complications were present in 79% of the patients (76% pneumonia, 37% intensive care unit admission, 21% intubation, 1% myocarditis). Normal LVEF was seen in 96% of the cohort and 97% had normal right ventricular systolic function. A high proportion (53%) had abnormal LV GLS defined as < 18%. Average LV GLS of septal and inferior segments were lower compared to that of other segments. Among patients without pre-existing cardiac conditions, LVEF was abnormal in only 1.9%, but LV GLS was abnormal in 46% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Most post-COVID patients had normal LVEF at 4-18 weeks post diagnosis, but over half had abnormal LV GLS.

• 대한유전성대사질환학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2024

선천성 부신 과형성증, 21-수산화효소 결핍증은 부신스테로이드 생성에 영향을 미치는 상염색체 열성 질환으로, 무기질코르티코이드와 글루코코르티코이드의 합성이 저하됩니다. 선천성 부신 과형성증은 저혈압, 무기력, 구토, 저혈당과 같은 증상을 유발할 수 있으며, 염분소실형에서 심각한 경우 생명을 위협하는 부신 위기를 초래할 수 있습니다. 이 보고는 전형적인 부신 위기 증상 없이 지속되는 황달로 내원하여 염분소실형의 복합 이형접합체로 진단받은 드문 사례를 제시합니다. 선천성 부신 과형성증의 신속한 진단과 치료가 심각한 합병증을 예방하는 데 필요함을 강조하며, 신생아 선별검사와 철저한 임상 관찰의 중요성을 강조하는 바 입니다.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.3-18
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• 1988

The general objective of this research is to study behavioral pattern of health care utilization and to measure the level of utilization of the traditional medicine. The specific objective is to study utilization pattern and content of folk medicine which is the indegenous medical technology recognized part of traditional medicine. This research was under taken to generate valid information that will provide basis data for formulating general direction for health education activities and for designing service package for general population. A social survey method was employed to obtain required information for the research activities, The survey field team consisted of 20 surveyors who all participated is an intensive 2 day training course. A total of 3091 households were visited and interviewed by the field team during the period 7 September to 6 October 1987. The major findings obtained from the information collected by the field survey are as follows ; 1) General characteristics of the study households 2562 households out of 3091 households visited were selected for final data process, 80.2 of the selected households were nuclear families ; 17.4%, extended families ; others 2.4%. Only 4.3 percent of the study population in the urban households indicated "no schooling" whereas 14.2% of the rural household members falls within this category. Study population in the urban areas are more protected against diseases by the national medical insurance system than those in rural areas. In their self appraisal of living standard, those who responded with low group are 39.6% and 50.3% respectively by urban and rural households. 2) Morbidity status Period prevalence rate for all diseases during the preceding 15 days before the date of the household interview v as 243,0 per 1,000 study population. For cases with the illness duration of within 15 days, the initial points of medical entry were diversied ; 56.9%, drug stores ; 30.9%, clinics and hospitals ; 4.6% folk medicine ; 1.7% clinics of Korean oriental medicine. Among the chronic case; with illness duration of over 90 days, 34.6% of these people utilized clinics and hospitals of modern medicine ; 31.6%, drug stores ; 18.6% clinics of Korean oriental medicine ; 6.8% folk medical techniques. Noticeable is the almost ten fold increase from the mere 0.9% in the utilization of Korean oriental medicine, whereas in the utilization of folk medicine, it is short of two-fold increase. 3) Folk medicine and its utilization Households that use folk medicine for relief and care of signs and symptoms commonly encountered in daily life, number 1969 households, which accounts for 76.9% of all the study households. This rather high level use of folk medicine is not different from rural to urban areas. The order of frequency of utilizing folk medicine among the study people are : the highest 14.3% for the relief of indigestion ; 8.6% for burns ; 5.1% for common cold ; 4.7% for hiccough ; and 4.2% for hordeolum. A present various procedures of folk medicine is being used to relieve all kinds of symptoms. 192 symptoms are identified at present. The most frequently used procedures of folk medicine appear to be based either on principles of the Korean oriental medicine or of scientific knowledge. Based on these survey findings, proposals for utilizing folk medicine are as follows First, this survey's findings will be feed back to both on the job training and on the spot guidance of community health practitioners, public health nurses and other peripheral work force in the health field, who are in daily contacts with community. This feed back will assure that the health personnel carry out their health education and information activities that are based on the utilization pattern of folk medicine as found in the survey result. Second, studies will be soon implemented that are designed to measure the efficiency and potency of these procedures and to improve these procedures of folk medicine were most frequently used by the community. Third, studies will continue to systematize medicinal plants and skills of Korean oriental medicine that are easily available at minimal cost in daily life for the prevention of diseases and management of emergency cases.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제48권11호
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• pp.1187-1192
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• 2005

목 적 : 신생아 중환자실에서의 환자 치료의 질적, 양적 성장과 효과적인 항생제의 개발에도 불구하고, 여전히 신생아 패혈증은 신생아기 사망과 이환의 중요한 원인으로 남아 있다. 신생아 패혈증의 치료는 현재 항생제와 더불어 보존적 치료에 의존하고 있으나 최근 면역치료에 대한 연구가 많이 시도되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 만삭아를 대상으로 임상적으로 의심되는 신생아 패혈증 환아에 있어서 정맥용 면역 글로불린의 치료 효과 및 부작용을 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 임상적으로 패혈증이 의심되는 만 2개월 미만의 신생아 40명을 대상으로 실험군(n=20)은 정맥용 면역 글로불린(IVIG) 1 g/kg을 투여하였고, 대조군(n=20)은 동량의 생리 식염수를 정주 하였다. IVIG 투여 전 혈액배양, 소변배양, 대변배양, 뇌척수액 배양, 급성 염증 반응 물질, CBC, PT/PTT, 혈청 전해질과 혈청 IgG 수치를 검사하였고, IVIG 주입 전후와 주입중의 활력 징후 측정과 신체검사를 실시하여 부작용 발생 여부를 관찰하였다. IVIG 투여 후 5일째 IVIG 투여 전에 시행되었던 혈액 검사를 재시행하였다. 각 군에서 IVIG 및 생리 식염수 투여 전후의 CBC, IgG, 급성 염증 반응 물질의 변동 사항과 사망률, 입원기간, 항생제 사용 기간 등을 비교 분석하였다. 결 과 : IVIG를 투여하는 동안과 투여한 후 주요한 부작용은 관찰되지 않았으며, 한 명에서 일시적인 빈호흡, 빈맥, 저체온이 있었으나 특별한 조치 없이 호전되었다. IVIG와 생리식염수 투여 하루 전날과 투여 후 5일째의 혈액 검사를 비교한 결과 총백혈구수 및 혈소판수, 혈청 전해질, 간효소, BUN/Cr, PT/PTT 투여 전후에 통계학적으로 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았으나 혈색소치의 경우 두 군 모두에서 투여 전에 비해 투여 후 5일째 통계학적으로 유의하게 감소하였다. IVIG 투여 전날보다 투여 후 5일째 혈청 IgG는 실험군에서는 통계학적으로 유의하게 증가하였으나, 대조군에서는 통계학적으로 유의하게 감소하였다. IVIG 투여 전날 혈청 IgG는 각 군간 통계학적으로 유의한 차이가 없었으나, IVIG 투여 후 5일째의 혈청 IgG는 대조군보다 실험군에서 통계학적으로 월등하게 증가하였다. CRP는 실험군에서 IVIG 투여 후 5일째 투여 전보다 통계학적으로 유의하게 감소하였으나 대조군에서는 변동이 없었다. 항생제의 평균 사용기간은 실험군에서 $10.6{\pm}4.4$일, 대조군에서 $10.3{\pm}3.4$일로 통계학적으로 유의한 차이가 없었고, 평균 입원기간도 실험군에서 $11.0{\pm}3.3$일, 대조군에서 $10.9{\pm}3.4$일로 통계학적으로 유의한 차이가 없었으며, 패혈증으로 인한 사망도 두 군 모두에서 없었다. 결 론 : 본 연구에서는 IVIG 투여로 인한 주요 합병증이 없어서 임상적으로 의심되는 신생아 패혈증에 사용하기에 비교적 안전한 것으로 보인다. IVIG 투여 후 5일째 혈청 IgG 수치가 실험군에서 통계학적으로 유의하게 상승하고 대조군에서는 통계학적으로 유의하게 감소하는 것으로 보아, IVIG의 투여로 인한 높은 혈청 IgG 유지가 패혈증 신생아의 체액성 면역 증강에 기여하는 것으로 여겨진다. 그러므로 신생아 패혈증에서 항생제 등 기존의 치료에 부가적으로 사용되었을 때 치료효과의 상승이 있을 것으로 보인다. 본 연구에서는 항생제의 사용기간, 입원 기간 및 사망률에 있어서는 유의한 차이를 입증하지 못 하였지만 IVIG 투여로 CRP가 더 빨리 감소하는 것으로 보아 신생아 패혈증 치료에 도움이 되리라 생각되며 향후 대규모의 환자를 대상으로 한 추가적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.365-368
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• 2002

배경: 관상동맥우회술은 많은 비용이 소요되며 시술의 방법이나 질적 수준에 따라 환자의 생존율이나 진료비와 같은 진료결과에 큰 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 저자들은 체외순환 없는 관상동맥우회술과 전통적인 관상동맥우회술의 병원내 자원소모량을 비교함으로써 체외순환 없는 관상동맥우회 술의 경제적 측면에서의 유용성을 평가하고자 하였다. 재료 및 방법: 1998년 1월부터 1999년 7월까지 관상동맥우회술을 받은 184명을 대상으로 하였다. 이들 중 체외순환 없는 관상동맥우회술을 받은 환자(1군)은 111명이었고, 전통적인 관상동맥우회술을 받은 환자(2군)은 73명이었다. 환자의 진료결과 및 진료비에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 환자의 수술 전 위험요인과 병원 내 자원소모량을 조사하였다. 결과: 수술전 위험요인들의 분포와 술후 합병증의 발생율 및 술후 재원일수 등은 두 군간에 차이가 없었다. 하지만 두 군간의 중환자실 재원시간 (51.3$\pm$49.8 hr vs 128.3$\pm$150.2 hr; p<0.01)과 인공호흡기 사용시간 (14.9$\pm$22.7 hr vs 56.2$\pm$ 124.9 hr ; p<0.01)에는 유의한 차이가 있었다. 환자 본인 부담금과 의료보험공단 부담금을 합한 총 진료비는 1군이 1,722만 원, 2군이 7,125만 원으로 두 군간에 유의한 차이가 있었다(p<0.01). 항목별 진료비 중에서는 수술료, 재료대, 수혈료, 방사선검사료가 두 군간에 유의한 차이가 있었다. 1군에서 방사선검사료를 제외한 모든 항목별 진료비가 2군에 비하여 낮았다. 결론: 체외순환없는 관상동맥우회 술은 전통적인 수술법에 비해 저렴한 비용으로 우수한 효과를 얻을 수 있는 좋은 방법이다.