• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.413-429
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• 2024

Biomarkers are playing an increasingly important role in antimicrobial stewardship. Their applications have included use in algorithms that evaluate suspected bacterial infections or provide guidance on when to start or stop antibiotic therapy, or when therapy should be repeated over a short period (6-12 h). Diseases in which biomarkers are used as complementary tools to determine the initiation of antibiotics include sepsis, lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), COVID-19, acute heart failure, infectious endocarditis, acute coronary syndrome, and acute pancreatitis. In addition, cut-off values of biomarkers have been used to inform the decision to discontinue antibiotics for diseases such as sepsis, LRTI, and febrile neutropenia. The biomarkers used in antimicrobial stewardship include procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), presepsin, and interleukin (IL)-1β/IL-8. The cut-off values vary depending on the disease and study, with a range of 0.25-1.0 ng/mL for PCT and 8-50 mg/L for CRP. Biomarkers can complement clinical diagnosis, but further studies of microbiological biomarkers are needed to ensure appropriate antibiotic selection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.68-75
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• 2021

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been spreading worldwide since December 2019. Hundreds of cases of children and adolescents with Kawasaki disease (KD)-like hyperinflammatory illness have been reported in Europe and the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with or without shock and cardiac dysfunction. These patients tested positive for the polymerase chain reaction or antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 or had a history of recent exposure to COVID-19. Clinicians managing such patients coined new terms for this new illness, such as COVID-19-associated hyperinflammatory response syndrome, pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19, or COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The pathogenesis of MIS-C is unclear; however, it appears similar to that of cytokine storm syndrome. MIS-C shows clinical features similar to KD, but differences between them exist with respect to age, sex, and racial distributions and proportions of patients with shock or cardiac dysfunction. Recommended treatments for MIS-C include intravenous immunoglobulin, corticosteroids, and inotropic or vasopressor support. For refractory patients, monoclonal antibody to interleukin-6 receptor (tocilizumab), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra), or monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor (infliximab) may be recommended. Patients with coronary aneurysms require aspirin or anticoagulant therapy. The prognosis of MIS-C seemed favorable without sequelae in most patients despite a reported mortality rate of approximately 1.5%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.210-215
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• 2008

Background: Drug-eluting stents are contributing to the exponential growth of percutaneous coronary intervention, and even in the patients with left main coronary artery disease, owing to the decreased restenosis rate. Our study aimed at comparing the one-year results after coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents in patients with left main coronary artery disease. Material and Method: Those patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery or stenting at our hospital under the diagnosis of left main coronary artery disease were divided in two groups. The variables for comparison were the preoperative disease severity, the length of the hospital stay, the early mortality and the cumulative incidence of mortality, myocardial infarction and repeated revascularization. Result: There were 101 cases in the surgery group and 78 cases in the stent group. Age, gender, the risk factors, the left ventricular ejection fraction and the proportion of acute coronary syndrome showed no significant differences between the two groups. The surgery group showed a more severe condition according to the Euroscore, a greater incidence of urgency, a longer hospital stay and a greater incidence of multi-vessel disease. The early mortality and one-year cumulative mortality were not different between the groups. The Euroscore-matched comparison for the surgery group (41 patients) and the stent group (78 patients) showed no significant differences in the Euroscore, age, gender, risk factors and the proportion of acute coronary syndrome. The surgery group in the Euroscore-matched comparison showed more multi-vessel disease and a longer hospital stay. The surgery group showed lower early mortality and lower one-year cumulative mortality, but this was statistically insignificant (0% vs 2.6%, respectively, p=0.55; 0% vs 6.6%, respectively, p=0.30). The rates of repeated revascularization and major adverse events (death or myocardial infarct) were lower in the CABG group, but this was not statistically significant (13.3% vs 6.3%, respectively, p=0.48; 10.0% vs 0%, respectively, p=0.09). Conclusion: Percutaneous coronary intervention using drug-eluting stents in low-risk patients with left main coronary artery disease resulted in a shortened length of the hospital stay, as compared with that of the CABG group of patients. However, the patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using drug-eluting stents showed a tendency for an increased rate of repeated revascularization and higher one-year cumulative mortality. Further studies with large populations and longer follow-up will be necessary to reaffirm our findings.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2017

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that occurs predominantly in infants and young children. The etiology of KD is unknown and coronary heart disease is a major complication of KD. Acute scrotum is a rare complication of acute KD, and not as well recognized as other manifestations of the disease. We report a 2-month-old boy with acute scrotum in the acute phase of KD. He was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (total 2 g/kg) and aspirin (50 mg/kg/day). The treatment was effective in resolving his fever and other clinical symptoms, but 2 days after starting treatment he experienced scrotal swelling. Scrotal ultrasound and transillumination were used in the diagnosis of acute scrotum. After 2 months, a follow-up testicular ultrasound revealed a remission of the acute scrotum. Subsequently, he has been followed up for KD.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2021

After initial reports of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in April 2020 in Europe, this disease has been known to occur in children with recent history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and most cases have been reported in Europe and the Unites States of America. We report a case of a 14-year-old girl who was diagnosed with MIS-C with acute myocarditis and successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), methylprednisolone, and anakinra. At initial presentation, she had persistent high fever, generalized rash, generalized swelling, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. She showed a remarkably elevated level of inflammation and cardiac enzyme markers and had a previous history of COVID-19 5 weeks before the initial presentation. After extensive work up, other infectious and non-infectious causes were excluded. She was diagnosed with MIS-C and initially treated with IVIG and high-dose methylprednisolone; however, despite treatment, her heart function deteriorated and coronary artery dilatation progressed. Therefore, anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, was administered on hospital day 6, after which her cardiac function exhibited improvement. She was discharged on hospital day 19 without any symptoms, and follow-up echocardiography after 1 month revealed fully recovered heart function with normal coronary arteries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.567-574
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• 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are known to share many risk factors. In particular, in the case of acute coronary syndrome, it may be difficult to clearly determine the diameter of the vessel due to complete occlusion of the vessel and thrombus. Thus, the relationship between the diameter of the coronary arteries was evaluated to be used as a reference data before the treatment of coronary arteries and drug selection in patients with AF. From January 2020 to August 2022, images of coronary angiography (CAG) with AF and normal sinus rhythm (NSR) on electrocardiography were target. In both subjects, images of normal coronary artery without lesions as a result of CAG were used. For all vessels, the diameters of the vessels were measured by dividing them into proximal, middle, and distal parts, and the measured diameters were divided by the average for evaluation. As a result of analyzing the left anterior descending artery diameter, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.24±0.26 mm, which was smaller than that of the NSR patient, 2.86±0.38 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) As a result of analyzing the left circumflex artery diameter, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.34±0.28 mm, which was smaller than the vessel diameter of the NSR patient, 2.87±0.29 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) As a result of analyzing the diameter of the right coronary artery, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.68±0.5 mm, which was smaller than the vessel diameter of the NSR patient, 3.35±0.4 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) Considering that the coronary artery size of AF patients is significantly smaller than the coronary vessel size of NSR patients, it is considered as a useful study to be used as a reference for evaluating coronary artery diameter when the arrhythmia is AF. In particular, it is considered to be a study that can be helpful in diagnosing lesions, using drugs before and after surgery, and choosing to use auxiliary devices such as intravascular ultrasound.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.248-252
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• 2010

Anomalous origins of coronary arteries are a rare type of disease among children. These anomalies can be categorized into 3 types according to the anatomical relationship of the aorta and pulmonary trunks. Among these types, the interarterial type, as observed in our case, needs early diagnosis and treatment, because it can increase the risk for the patient, causing sudden cardiac death in young individuals. Although there are controversies concerning the management of anomalous origins of the left coronary artery (LCA) in children, the result can be very beneficial, if treated accurately. Three well-known methods for correction of anomalous origins of LCA are re-implantation, coronary arterial bypass grafting (CABG), and unroofing. We report on the case of a 12-year-old girl who had chest discomfort and syncope with physical exercise and was later diagnosed with an anomalous origin of LCA by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and heart computed tomography (CT). She underwent a corrective operation by re-implantation, CABG, and unroofing.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.707-712
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• 2013

In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the delay from symptom onset to hospital arrival has a critical effect on morbidity and mortality. This study examined to find out the determinants of the prehospital delay in patients with AMI. The study sample consisted of 597 patients hospitalized with AMI between Jan and Dec 2009. Demographic, medical history, and clinical data were abstracted from the hospital medical records of patients with confirmed AMI, the prehospital delay was categorized as less than or greater than 6 hours. Older age, low socioeconomic status(medical aid), and low use of Emergency medical system were associated with delays in seeking emergency care for Acute myocardial infarction. Education programs to improve patient knowledge of acute coronary syndrome symptoms and promote patient responsiveness with regard to seeking medical care should be used to reduce the prehospital delay time, especially in the low socioeconomic group.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.254-260
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to survey the effects of Karvonen exercise prescription in coronary artery disease patients reaching age-predicted maximal heart rates with the exercise stress test on hemodynamic responses and cardiorespiratory fitness. The subject group was comprised of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, who were divided into the maximal heart rate (MHR) group that included those who completed the test with their heart rates reaching the number of 220-age and the maximal dyspnea (MD) group that included those who could not continue the test due to respiratory difficulty and were asked to stop the test. Both groups had the exercise stress test before and after the experiment. In the exercise stress test before the experiment, the exercise prescription intensity of Karvonen was set at the target heart rates of 50~85% with a six-week exercise monitoring arrangement. As a result, there were no interactive effects in rest heart rate (RHR) according to time and group, but interactive effects were observed in maximal heart rate (MHR) (P=0.000). Both rest systolic blood pressure (RSBP) and rest diastolic blood pressure (RDBP) had no interactive effects according to time and group. Maximal systolic blood pressure (MSBP) showed significant interactive effects according to time and group (P=0.017). Maximal diastolic blood pressure (MDBP) showed no interactive effects according to time and group, while maximal rate pressure product (MRPP) showed significant interactive effects according to time and group (P=0.003). Maximal time (MT) had no interactive effects according to time and group. $VO_{2max}$ and maximal metabolic equivalent (MMET) showed significant interactive effects according to time and group (P=0.000, P=0.002, respectively), whereas maximal respiratory exchange ratio (MRER) and maximal rating of perceived exertion (MRPE) showed no interactive effects according to time and group. The exercise test that was discontinued as the subjects reached the predicted maximal heart rates considering age did not reach the maximal exercise intensity and accordingly showed low exercise effects when applied to Karvonen exercise prescription intensity. That is, the test should keep going by monitoring cardiac events, MRER and MRPE until the heart rates exceed the predicted MHR by up to 10~12 even after the subject reaches the predicted MHR considering age in the exercise stress test.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 1979

This 3-year-old girl was observed frequent exertional dyspnea and cyanosis at crying since birth. She was not premature baby and delivered at full term normally. On physical examination, she was underdeveloped-body weight 13.5 kg, height 99 cm.- and cyanotic. There was severe clubbing on fingers. There was grade II/VI ejection systolic murmur on left lateral border of the sternum. The preoperative examinations [EKG, echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization and biventriculogram] showed that complicated T.G.A. combined vena cava[S.D.D.]. Preoperatively, we decided the corrective surgery of Rastelli operation using a. pulmonary valved conduit. The operation was performed under total circulatory arrest using deep profound hypothermia combining with extracorporeal circulation. On operation, the anatomy of the heart showed that, 1. The subaortic conus was seen and subaortic muscles were hypertrophied. 2. The VSD[type II], behind the subaortic conus-about 1 cm. in diameter, was visible only through LV cavity and, 3. The pulmonary valve ring was hypoplastic and pulmonary valvular stenosis was seen also. The subpulmonic area [LV outflow tract] was obstructed with hypertrophied muscle and mitral valve. 4. Left superior vena cava was drained to RA via coronary sinus. 5. LAD coronary artery was originated from right coronary artery and ran anterior to the pulmonary artery. According to above anatomy, we performed the VSD closure with Teflon patch, and Mustard operation combined with LV-to-pulmonary artery bypass graft using the valve contained [Hancock 16 mm] conduit. Postoperatively, adequate blood pressure could be maintained under the state of using inotropic agent [epinephrine]. On the second postoperative day, the patient died of cardiac arrest due to low cardiac output syndrome, acute renal failure and pulmonary edema.