• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.65 no.6
• /
• pp.772-778
• /
• 2022

Objective : Endovascular treatment of large, wide-necked intracranial aneurysms by coil embolization is often complicated by low rates of complete occlusion and high rates of recurrence. A flow diverter device has been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of not only large and giant unruptured aneurysms, but small and medium aneurysms. However, in Korea, its use has only recently been approved for aneurysms <10 mm. This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of flow diversion and coil embolization for the treatment of unruptured aneurysms ≥7 mm. Methods : The participants will include patients aged between 19 and 75 years to be treated for unruptured cerebral aneurysms ≥7 mm for the first time or for recurrent aneurysms after initial endovascular coil embolization. Participants assigned to a flow diversion cohort will be treated using any of the following devices : Pipeline Flex Embolization Device with Shield Technology (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA), Surpass Evolve (Stryker Neurovascular, Fremont, CA, USA), and FRED or FRED Jr. (MicroVention, Tustin, CA, USA). Participants assigned to a coil embolization cohort will undergo traditional endovascular coiling. The primary endpoint will be complete occlusion confirmed by cerebral angiography at 12 months after treatment. Secondary safety outcomes will evaluate periprocedural and post-procedural complications for up to 12 months. Results : The trial will begin enrollment in 2022, and clinical data will be available after enrollment and follow-up. Conclusion : This article describes the aim and design of a multi-center, randomized, open-label trial to compare the safety and efficacy of flow diversion versus traditional endovascular treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms ≥7 mm.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.120-131
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Low early pregnancy serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels can increase gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk, although inconsistent findings related to that association have been reported. This study examined the association of serum vitamin D with GDM and the possible influencers on this association. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 259 pregnant women within the Seremban Cohort Study (SECOST). Blood samples at < 14 weeks of gestation were drawn to determine serum 25(OH)D levels. GDM diagnosis was made at 24 to 32 weeks of gestation using a standard procedure. Association between serum vitamin D and GDM was tested using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Nearly all women (90%) had mild (68.3%) or severe (32.2%) vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Non-GDM women with mild VDD had a significantly higher mean vitamin D intake than GDM women with mild VDD (t = 2.04, p < 0.05). Women with higher early pregnancy serum vitamin D levels had a greater risk of GDM. However, this significant association was only identified among those with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and in women with a body mass index indicating overweight or obese status. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of VDD in this sample of pregnant women underscores the need for effective preventive public health strategies. Further investigation of this unexpected association between serum vitamin D level and GDM risk in predominantly VDD pregnant women and the potential effects of adiposity and family history of T2DM on that association is warranted.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.569-579
• /
• 2022

Open and closed rhinoplasty are two main approaches to perform nasal modifications. According to current literature, there is no current consensus among plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists on which technique is preferred in terms of aesthetic result, complications, and patient satisfaction. This study uses published research to determine whether open or closed rhinoplasty leads to superior patient outcomes. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews were followed and a literature search was conducted in four databases based on our search strategy. Articles were then imported into COVIDENCE where they underwent primary screening and full-text review. Twenty articles were selected in this study after 243 articles were screened. There were 4 case series, 12 retrospective cohort studies, 1 prospective cohort study, 1 case-control, and 2 outcomes research. There were three cosmetic studies, eight functional studies, and nine studies that included both cosmetic and functional components. Sixteen studies utilized both open and closed rhinoplasty and four utilized open rhinoplasty. Both techniques demonstrated high patient and provider satisfaction and no advantage was found between techniques. Based on available studies, we cannot conclude if there is a preference between open or closed rhinoplasty in terms of which technique leads to better patient outcomes. Several studies determined that open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty leads to comparative patient satisfaction. To make outcome reporting more reliable and uniform among studies, authors should look to utilize the Nasal Obstruction and Septoplasty Effectiveness scale and the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.85 no.4
• /
• pp.349-357
• /
• 2022

Background: The most consistently identified mortality determinants for the new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection are aging, male sex, cardiovascular/respiratory diseases, and cancer. They were determined from heterogeneous cohorts that included patients with different disease severity and previous conditions. The main goal of this study was to determine if activities of daily living (ADL) dependence measured by Barthel's index could be a predictor for COVID-19 mortality. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed with a consecutive sample of 340 COVID-19 patients representing patients from all over the northern region of Portugal from October 2020 to March 2021. Mortality risk factors were determined after controlling for demographics, ADL dependence, admission time, comorbidities, clinical manifestations, and delay-time for diagnosis. Central tendency measures were used to analyze continuous variables and absolute numbers (proportions) for categorical variables. For univariable analysis, we used t test, chi-square test, or Fisher exact test as appropriate (α=0.05). Multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression. IBM SPSS version 27 statistical software was used for data analysis. Results: The cohort included 340 patients (55.3% females) with a mean age of 80.6±11.0 years. The mortality rate was 19.7%. Univariate analysis revealed that aging, ADL dependence, pneumonia, and dementia were associated with mortality and that dyslipidemia and obesity were associated with survival. In multivariable analysis, dyslipidemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17-0.71) was independently associated with survival. Age ≥86 years (pooled OR, 2.239; 95% CI, 1.100-4.559), pneumonia (pooled OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.362-6.606), and ADL dependence (pooled OR, 6.296; 95% CI, 1.795-22.088) were significantly related to mortality (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve, 82.1%; p<0.001). Conclusion: ADL dependence, aging, and pneumonia are three main predictors for COVID-19 mortality in an elderly population.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.57-64
• /
• 2022

Background: There are various conservative treatment options for lateral epicondylitis (LE). The aim is to evaluate pain, daily functioning, and complications after ultrasound-standardized autologous blood injections in patients with LE. Methods: For this prospective cohort study, consecutive patients (>18 years) diagnosed with LE were included. Autologous blood was injected using a medical device containing an injection disposable with 12 small needles (Instant Tennis Elbow Cure [ITEC]) device. Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE), subjective elbow score (SES), palpation and provocation pain, satisfaction, and complications of treatment were measured at baseline and two months after treatment. Paired t-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used for calculating the difference between pre- and post-treatment outcomes. Results: Fifty-five elbows were analyzed. Mean time between pre- and post-treatment was 11.1 weeks (standard deviation [SD], 8.9 weeks). The mean PRTEE score decreased from 68.2 (SD, 15.7) before surgery to 53.2 (SD, 25.9; p<0.001) after. The mean SES improved from 36.9 (SD, 20.8) to 51.7 (SD, 27.4; p<0.001). Despite this improvement, only 44.7% of patients showed relevant clinical improvement in PRTEE, and 37.3% showed significant clinical improvement based on SES. Four patients reported a complication and the injection disposable failed three times. Conclusions: Ultrasound-standardized autologous blood injection using the ITEC device is not an effective tool in reducing symptoms related to LE. This study showed that only half of all patients experienced a positive effect. In this heterogeneous cohort of patients, we showed no added value of ultrasound standardization.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2023

Background: Sleep quality, quantity, and efficiency have all been demonstrated to be adversely affected by rotator cuff pathology. Previous measures of assessing the impact of rotator cuff pathology on sleep have been largely subjective in nature. This study was undertaken to objectively analyze this relationship through the use of activity monitors. Methods: Patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears at a single institution were prospectively enrolled between 2018 and 2020. Waist-worn accelerometers were provided for the patients to use each night for 14 days. Sleep efficiency was calculated using the ratio of the time spent sleeping to the total amount of time that was spent in bed. Retraction of the rotator cuff tear was classified using the Patte staging system. Results: This study included 36 patients: 18 with Patte stage 1 disease, 14 with Patte stage 2 disease, and 4 patients with Patte stage 3 disease. During the study, 25 participants wore the monitor on multiple nights, and ultimately their data was used for the analysis. No difference in the median sleep efficiency was appreciated amongst these groups (P>0.1), with each cohort of patients demonstrating a generally high sleep efficiency. Conclusions: The severity of retraction of the rotator cuff tear did not appear to correlate with changes in sleep efficiency for patients (P>0.1). These findings can better inform providers on how to counsel their patients who present with complaints of poor sleep in the setting of full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.206-215
• /
• 2022

For a long time, traditional culture has been regarded as one of the sources of the inspiration, method and language of Chinese writing. In this article, we studied the medium- and long-term impact of a traditional Chinese culture seminar attended by college students on the output of creative writing. The seminar included traditional Chinese philosophy, history, literature, art, etc. It spanned three years (22 months) and held lectures lasting for approximately two hours once a week. The subjects of the prospective cohort study included 130 first-year college students who participated in the seminar and 130 controls. From September 2016 to June 2018, 72 lectures were held. We measured the creative writing output from the first lecture (September 2016) to December 2021 (64 months in total), including novels, essays, poems, and plays. Two indicators, the total number of words (TNW) and the quality of yield (QY), were evaluated by a 15-member panel. Although the TNW and QY of the participants and their controls were similar before the seminar, we found that the participants have higher TNW and QY than the controls after participating in the seminar. The difference in TNW became significant after month 51 (p<0.05), and the difference in QY became significant after month 46 (p<0.05). After these dates, the differences stabilized. In addition, text analysis indicates that by month 64, traditional cultural elements in the works of the participating group had a higher frequency (p<0.001). The research shows that the traditional culture seminar not only enhanced the yield of college students' creative writing but also improved the quality of their work. The traditional cultural elements enriched the works of the seminar participants.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.542-551
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Prospective studies on vaccination status and mortality related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in low-resource settings are still limited. We assessed the association between vaccination status (full, partial, or none) and in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients at most hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia during the Delta predomination wave. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among hospitalized COVID-19 patients who met the study criteria (>18 years old and admitted for inpatient treatment because of laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection). We linked individual-level data in the hospital admission database with vaccination records. Several socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were also analyzed. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore the association between vaccination status and in-hospital mortality in this patient group. Results: In total, 40 827 patients were included in this study. Of these, 70% were unvaccinated (n=28 543) and 19.3% (n=7882) died during hospitalization. The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 35-59), 53.2% were female, 22.0% had hypertension, and 14.2% were treated in the intensive care unit, and the median hospital length of stay across the group was 9 days. Our study showed that the risk of in-hospital mortality among fully and partially vaccinated patients was lower than among unvaccinated adults (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 0.47 and aHR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.77, respectively). Conclusions: Vaccinated patients had fewer severe outcomes among hospitalized adults during the Delta wave in Jakarta. These features should be carefully considered by healthcare professionals in treating adults within this patient group.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.106-116
• /
• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of obesity on the incidence of diabetes mellitus in adults with pre-diabetes. Methods: This study employed a longitudinal study design and utilized secondary data drawn from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. This study used data from a sample of 3,693 adults with prediabetes who were followed every two years from 2001 to 2018. Statistical data analysis for frequency, number of cases per 1,000 person-years, log-rank test, Kaplan-Meier curve, and Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics version 26. Results: During the observation period, there were 1,309 (35.4%) patients with diabetes, and the total number of person-years was 35,342. The incidence of diabetes was higher in the obese group compared to the normal weight group (body mass index [BMI]: hazard ratio=1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.40~1.77, waist: hazard ratio=1.55, 95% CI=1.38~1.76, waist to hip ratio [WHR]: hazard ratio=1.53, 95% CI=1.24~1.89, body fat [BF] (%): hazard ratio=1.42, 95% CI=1.27~1.61). Conclusion: An increase in BMI, waist circumference, and WHR, which are indicators of obesity, can exacerbate the risk factors for diabetes. Thus, a decrease in BMI, waist circumference, and WHR is necessary to prevent pre-diabetes. In particular, health care professionals should provide individualized weight management program interventions, including adult obesity programs and obesity counseling in partnership with local health departments, to reduce BMI and waist circumference in people at high risk for diabetes.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.30-43
• /
• 2024

Purpose : Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is characterized by a constellation of mental health, physical, and cognitive impairments, and is recognized as a long-term sequela among survivors of intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study was to explore the impact of intensive care experience (ICE) on the development of PICS in individuals surviving critical care. Methods : This secondary analysis utilized data derived from a prospective, multicenter cohort study of ICU survivors. The cohort comprised 143 survivors who were enrolled between July and August 2019. The original study's participants completed the Korean version of the ICE questionnaire (K-ICEQ) within one week following discharge from the ICU. Of these, 82 individuals completed the PICS questionnaire (PICSQ) three months subsequent to discharge from hospital. The influence of ICE on the manifestation of PICS was examined through Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Result : The R² values of the final model ranged from 0.35 to 0.51, while the Q² values were all greater than 0, indicating adequacy for prediction of PICS. Notable pathways in the relationship between the four ICE dimensions and the three PICS domains included significant associations from 'ICE-awareness of surroundings' to 'PICS-cognitive', from 'ICE-recall of experience' to 'PICS-cognitive', and from 'ICE-frightening experiences' to 'PICS-mental health'. Analysis found no significant moderating effects of age or disease severity on these relationships. Additionally, gender differences were identified in the significant pathways within the model. Conclusion : Adverse ICU experiences may detrimentally impact the cognitive and mental health domains of PICS following discharge. In order to improve long-term outcomes of individuals who survive critical care, it is imperative to develop nursing interventions aimed at enhancing the ICU experience for patients.