Pre-Hospital Delay in Patients With Acute Stroke During the Initial Phase of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak.

Background: When a sudden outbreak of an infectious disease occurs, emergency medical services (EMS) response could be negatively affected. The poor prognosis of acute stroke may be largely attributed to delays in treatment. This study aimed to identify the impact of the sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on EMS response for patients with acute stroke.

Factors Associated with Delay of Emergency Medical Services Activation in Patients with Acute Stroke.

Background: The poor prognosis of acute stroke may be largely attributed to delays in treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) usage is associated with a significant reduction in the delay in stroke treatment. The aims of this study were to identify factors associated with the delay in EMS activation for patients with acute stroke.

Changes in medical research trends of North Korea after economic sanctions: A PRISMA-compliant systematic literature review of North Korean medical journals.

Background: In the 1980s, North Korea established a socialist health care system. However, following the food crisis and the economic sanctions, it is estimated that North Korea's health care system has experienced continuous deterioration. Thus, in the present study, we estimated the current medical research trends of North Korea through an analysis of the medical journal Korean Medicine, published in North Korea.

Serum and urine concentrations of morphine and morphine metabolites in patients with advanced cancer receiving continuous intravenous morphine: an observational study.

Background: The feasibility and clinical implication of drug monitoring of morphine, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) and morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) need further investigation. This study aimed to determine what predicts serum concentrations of morphine in cancer patients receiving continuously intravenous morphine, the relationships between serum concentration of morphine/its metabolites and urinary concentrations, and the relation between morphine concentrations and with clinical outcomes.

Methods: We collected serum and urine samples from 24 patients with advanced cancer undergoing continuously intravenous morphine therapy.

EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL quality of life score as a prognostic indicator of survival in patients with far advanced cancer.

Purpose: Quality of life (QoL) and performance status predict survival in advanced cancer patients; these relationships have not been explored in the hospice palliative care setting. The aim of this study was to examine the survival predictability of patient-reported QoL using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaire in far advanced cancer inpatients at the very end of life.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Interleukin-6 but not tumour necrosis factor-alpha predicts survival in patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the survival of patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study between three hospice and palliative care centres in South Korea, we followed 98 advanced cancer patients until death or the end of the study. Approximately 60 % of the patients had poor functional status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥3).

Less healthy dietary pattern is associated with smoking in Korean men according to nationally representative data.

The relationship between smoking and nutrient intake has been widely investigated in several countries. However, Korea presents a population with a smoking rate of approximately 50% and dietary consumption of unique foods. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary patterns with smoking in Korean men using a nationally representative sample.

Caffeine as an adjuvant therapy to opioids in cancer pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Context: Opioid therapy often shows insufficient efficacy and substantial adverse events in patients with advanced cancer.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of caffeine infusion as an adjuvant analgesic to opioid therapy in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in the palliative care wards of two teaching hospitals in South Korea.

Association between Metabolic Components and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Korean Adults.

Background: Many studies have attempted to develop relatively simple and easy noninvasive measurements of atherosclerosis (NIMA), and each NIMA assesses different atherosclerotic properties. We, therefore, investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and different NIMAs.

Methods: This study included 1,132 Korean subjects over 20 years of age who had visited a Health Promotion Center in Korea.