Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Colonization on Clinical Characteristics, Antibiotic Treatment, and Clinical Outcomes of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: To determine effects of colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in general wards on characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with HAP admitted to 16 tertiary or university hospitals in Korea from July 2019 to December 2019. From the entire cohort, patients who developed pneumonia in general wards with known colonization status before the onset of pneumonia were included in this study.

Correlation between CT-based phenotypes and serum biomarker in interstitial lung diseases.

Background: The quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) serum level has gained importance in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prognostication of interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, the associations between quantitative analysis of CT and serum KL-6 level remain poorly understood.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study conducted at tertiary hospital between June 2020 and March 2022, quantitative analysis of CT was performed using the deep learning-based method including reticulation, ground glass opacity (GGO), honeycombing, and consolidation.

Impact of Respiratory Bacterial Findings on Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

Background: Distinct bacterial strains may affect the prognosis of patients with chronic respiratory diseases. However, little is known about the clinical significance of respiratory bacteria in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), a progressive and debilitating disease caused by spp.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze data obtained from CPA patients and their sputum or bronchial washing samples and investigate the prevalence and composition of respiratory bacteria and clinical implications.

Comparison of the end-of-life decisions of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia after the enforcement of the life-sustaining treatment decision act in Korea.

Background: Although the Life-Sustaining Treatment (LST) Decision Act was enforced in 2018 in Korea, data on whether it is well established in actual clinical settings are limited. Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is a common nosocomial infection with high mortality. However, there are limited data on the end-of-life (EOL) decision of patients with HAP.

Clinical characteristics and drug resistance profile of patients with endobronchial tuberculosis in South Korea: single-center experience.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infectious disease worldwide; there has been a significant increase in the number of elderly patients with TB, largely contributing to TB-related mortality. Although endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB) is a unique form of pulmonary TB, available data on the clinical characteristics and drug susceptibility (DST) patterns of patients with EBTB are scarce.

Methods: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with EBTB in South Korea and the culture-based DST patterns of EBTB.

New prognostic scoring system for mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by modifying the gender, age, and physiology model with desaturation during the six-minute walk test.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) with variable and heterogeneous clinical course. The GAP (gender, age, and physiology) model had been used to predict mortality in patients with IPF, but does not contain exercise capacity. Therefore, our aim in this study was to develop new prognostic scoring system in the Korea IPF Cohort (KICO) registry.

The impact of driving pressure on postoperative pulmonary complication in patients with different respiratory spirometry.

Risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complication (PPC) have not been determined according to preoperative respiratory spirometry. Thus, we aimed to find contributors for PPC in patients with restrictive or normal spirometric pattern. We analyzed 654 patients (379 with normal and 275 with restrictive spirometric pattern).

Chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis: Serial clinical and CT findings correlated with antifungal treatment and patient response.

Background: Chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) is the most common form of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

Objective: We hypothesise that by observing serial clinical and CT findings of CCPA patients with antifungal therapy, factors helping predict responses to antifungal therapy could be withdrawn.

Methods: A total of 31 patients with CCPA who received antifungal therapy for greater than six months and who had serial CT studies were included.

Impact of nutrition and physical activity on outcomes of hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Frailty is an important risk factor for adverse health-related outcomes. It is classified into several phenotypes according to nutritional state and physical activity. In this context, we investigated whether frailty phenotypes were related to clinical outcome of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Differences in the clinical characteristics of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis according to spirometric impairment.

The clinical features by declining lung function remain uncharacterized in chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) patients. We investigated the clinical characteristics of CPA patients based on spirometric impairments (restrictive spirometric pattern [RSP] and obstructive spirometric pattern [OSP]) and their severity. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of CPA patients who underwent pulmonary function tests from March 2017 to February 2020.

Association between airflow limitation and prognosis in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

Background: Previous studies have shown that reduced levels of lung function, characterized by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV), are associated with higher respiratory events and mortality in general population and some chronic lung diseases. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a destructive, fatal lung disease caused by infection in non-immunocompromised patients with suboptimal pulmonary function. However, there is limited information on the status and features of CPA according to FEV.

A variety of bacterial aetiologies in the lower respiratory tract at patients with endobronchial tuberculosis.

Recently, our understanding of the elusive bacterial communities in the lower respiratory tract and their role in chronic lung disease has increased significantly. However, little is known about the respiratory microorganisms in patients with endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB), which is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by destruction of the tracheobronchial tree due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. We retrospectively reviewed data for histopathologically and microbiologically confirmed EBTB patients diagnosed at a tertiary referral hospital in South Korea between January 2013 and January 2019.

Polysomnographic phenotype as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases caused by hypoxemia during sleeping. We classified OSAS phenotypes based on polysomnographic findings and aimed to evaluate that the unique phenotypes would be differentially associated with risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This retrospective and observational study assessed adult patients who underwent polysomnography at the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital from November 2008 to February 2018.

Impact of Bronchiectasis on Postoperative Pulmonary Complications after Extra-Pulmonary Surgery in Patients with Airflow Limitation.

The impact of bronchiectasis on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) after extra-pulmonary surgery in patients with airflow limitation is not well elucidated. A retrospective analysis of 437 patients with airflow limitations, including 62 patients with bronchiectasis, was conducted. The analysis revealed that bronchiectasis was associated with increased PPC (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.

Prognostic factors for survival after bronchoscopic intervention in patients with airway obstruction due to primary pulmonary malignancy.

Background: Malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO) occurs in 20-30% of patients with primary pulmonary malignancy. Although bronchoscopic intervention is widely performed to treat MCAO, little data exist on the prognosis of interventional bronchoscopy. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of bronchoscopic interventions in patients with MCAO due to primary pulmonary malignancy.

The association of delta neutrophil index with the prognosis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is associated with infective triggers including bacterial or viral in many cases, and pneumonia is a major contributor to hospitalization for AECOPD and has a close relationship with poor outcomes. Increased delta neutrophil index (DNI) can be useful in the detection of COPD patients with pneumonia.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to investigate the mortality rate of the patients who were re-admitted within 6 months after discharge from the hospital due to AECOPD with or without CAP.

Pleural fluid ADA activity in tuberculous pleurisy can be low in elderly, critically ill patients with multi-organ failure.

Background: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is typically elevated in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE), but low ADA has occasionally been reported in patients with TPE. The characteristics of these patients are not well-known, and erroneous exclusion of the possibility of TPE can result in a delayed diagnosis. This study investigated the characteristics of patients with TPE who had low ADA activity.

Intraoperative Anesthetic Management of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to Decrease the Risk of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications after Abdominal Surgery.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit airflow limitation and suboptimal lung function, and they are at high risk of developing postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). We aimed to determine the factors that would decrease PPC risk in patients with COPD. We retrospectively analyzed 419 patients with COPD who were registered in our institutional PPC database and had undergone an abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Restrictive Spirometric Pattern and Postoperative Pulmonary Complications Following Non-cardiothoracic Surgery.

Despite a substantial population of patients with a restrictive spirometric pattern, few studies have evaluated postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after non-cardiothoracic surgery in these patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 681 adults with a normal or restrictive spirometric pattern who were referred for preoperative evaluation of PPC risk before non-cardiothoracic surgery between March 2014 and January 2015. Overall, 8.

Early corticosteroid treatment for postoperative acute lung injury after lung cancer surgery.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is the most serious pulmonary complication after lung resection. Although the beneficial effects of low-dose corticosteroids have been demonstrated in patients with postoperative ALI, there are limited data on optimal corticosteroid treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 58 patients who were diagnosed with ALI among 7593 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery between January 2009 and December 2016.