Two Years of Experience and Methodology of Korean COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guideline Development.

Background: In Korea, during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we responded to the uncertainty of treatments under various conditions, consistently playing catch up with the speed of evidence updates. Therefore, there was high demand for national-level evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for clinicians in a timely manner. We developed evidence-based and updated living recommendations for clinicians through a transparent development process and multidisciplinary expert collaboration.

Medicosocial Conflict and Crisis due to Illegal Physician Assistant System in Korea.

The Korean Medical Association opposes the illegal attempt to implement the physician assistant (PA) system in Korea. The exact meaning of 'PA' in Korea at present time is 'Unlicensed Assistant (UA)' since it is not legally established in our healthcare system. Thus, PA in Korea refers to unlawful, unqualified, auxiliary personnel for medical practitioners.

Risk Factors of Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients in Korea: Focus on Early Symptoms.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the globe, and it is important to determine the risk factors of death in the general population. Our study aimed to determine the risk factors of death and severe illness requiring supplemental oxygen therapy based on the demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Korea.

Methods: In this study, we used data provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and analyzed a total of 5,068 patients with COVID-19, excluding 19 pregnant women and 544 individuals with missing data.

Diagnostic procedures and clinico-radiological findings of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia: a systematic review and pooled analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinico-radiological findings of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) in the literature according to whether a surgical or non-surgical biopsy was performed, as well as to identify prognostic predictors.

Methods: We searched the Embase and OVID-MEDLINE databases to identify studies that presented CT findings of AFOP and had extractable individual patient data. We compared the clinical and CT findings of the patients depending on whether a surgical or non-surgical biopsy was performed and identified survival predictors using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Guidelines for Surgery of Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely across the world since January 2020. There are many challenges when caring for patients with COVID-19, one of which is infection prevention and control. In particular, in cases where surgery must absolutely be performed, special infection control may be required in order to perform surgery without spreading infection within the hospital.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Care in the Last Days of Life.

A clinical practice guideline for patients in the dying process in general wards and their families, developed through an evidence-based process, is presented herein. The purpose of this guideline is to enable a peaceful death based on an understanding of suitable management of patients' physical and mental symptoms, psychological support, appropriate decision-making, family care, and clearly-defined team roles. Although there are limits to the available evidence regarding medical issues in patients facing death, the final recommendations were determined from expert advice and feedback, considering values and preferences related to medical treatment, benefits and harms, and applicability in the real world.

Short-term Evaluation of a Comprehensive Education Program Including Inhaler Training and Disease Management on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Proper education regarding inhaler usage and optimal management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential for effectively treating patients with COPD. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive education program including inhaler training and COPD management.

Methods: We enlisted 127 patients with COPD on an outpatient basis at 43 private clinics in Korea.

Factors affecting satisfaction with education program for chronic airway disease in primary care settings.

Background: A well-organized education program improved the patients' knowledge about their disease, inhaler technique and quality of life in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The effectiveness of the education program can be evaluated by assessing patients' satisfaction with the education program as well. In this study, we compared the patients' satisfaction with education program between COPD and asthma patients.

The Need for a Well-Organized, Video-Assisted Asthma Education Program at Korean Primary Care Clinics.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of our new video-assisted asthma education program on patients' knowledge regarding asthma and asthma control.

Methods: Adult asthmatics who were diagnosed by primary care physicians and followed for at least 1 year were educated via smart devices and pamphlets. The education sessions were carried out three times at 2-week intervals.

Safety and Effectiveness of Indacaterol in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in South Korea.

Background: Inhaled indacaterol (Onbrez Breezhaler), a long-acting β-agonist, is approved in over 100 countries, including South Korea, as a once-daily bronchodilator for maintenance and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here, we present an interim analysis of a post-marketing surveillance study conducted to evaluate the real-world safety and effectiveness of indacaterol in the Korean population.

Methods: This was an open-label, observational, prospective study in which COPD patients, who were newly prescribed with indacaterol (150 or 300 µg), were evaluated for 12 or 24 weeks.

Effects of Educational Interventions for Chronic Airway Disease on Primary Care.

Education has been known to essential for management of chronic airway diseases. However the real benefits remain unclear. We evaluated the effectiveness of an organized educational intervention for chronic airway diseases directed at primary care physicians and patients.

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum: An Unusual Pulmonary Complication in Anorexia Nervosa.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PM) is an uncommon condition in which free air enters the mediastinum. This usually occurs either through esophageal tears after vigorous vomiting, or after alveolar rupture subsequent to a rapid increase in intra-alveolar pressure. Spontaneous PM is a rare entity in anorexia nervosa (AN) and self-induced vomiting is often the cause of PM in patients with AN.

Prevention of venous thromboembolism in medical intensive care unit: a multicenter observational study in Korea.

Patients admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU) are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE); and prophylaxis is recommended. However, the actual range and frequency of VTE prophylaxis administered to MICU patients are not well defined. Patients over 40 yr of age and expected MICU stay of more than 48 hr were eligible for this observational cohort study of 23 MICUs in Korea.

Recurrent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Chronic Lung Diseases: Relapse or Reinfection?

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is particularly associated with progressive and ultimately chronic recurrent respiratory infections in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, chronic destroyed lung disease, and cystic fibrosis. Its treatment is also very complex because of drug resistance and recurrence.

Methods: Forty eight cultures from 18 patients with recurrent P.

Effect of inhaled tiotropium on spirometric parameters in patients with tuberculous destroyed lung.

Background: In Korea, patients with destroyed lung due to tuberculosis (TB) account for a significant portion of those affected by chronic pulmonary function impairment. The objective of our research was to evaluate the efficacy of inhaled tiotropium bromide in TB destroyed lung.

Methods: We compared the effectiveness of inhaled tiotropium bromide for 2 months between pre- and post-treatment pulmonary function tests performed on 29 patients with destroyed lung due to TB.

Second to fourth digit ratio: a predictor of adult lung function.

Sex and sex hormones play a major role in lung physiology. It has been proposed that the ratio of the second to fourth digits (digit ratio) is correlated with fetal sex hormones. We therefore hypothesized that digit ratio might help predict lung function.

Inverted Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy associated with bronchoalveolar lavage.

Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), also known as transient left ventricular (LV) ballooning syndrome or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is characterised by transient LV dysfunction in the absence of significant angiographic coronary stenoses, frequently provoked by an episode of emotional or physical stress. In TTC, typically transient akinesis or dyskinesis of the LV apical segments with normal or hypercontractile basal wall motions is observed. Recently, several cases of atypical or inverted transient TTC sparing the LV apex have been reported.

A nationwide survey of lymphangioleiomyomatosis in Korea: recent increase in newly diagnosed patients.

In 2007, the Korean Interstitial Lung Disease Society had collected clinical data of patients who have diagnosed as Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) since 1990 through nationwide survey, which showed that LAM patients had increased sharply after 2004. The present study was performed to show the clinical features of Korean patients with LAM, and to establish the reason for the recent increase in the diagnosis. All 63 patients were women and the mean age at diagnosis was 36 yr.

Catamenial hemoptysis: a nationwide analysis in Korea.

Background: Hemoptysis is a potentially serious clinical problem. However, there is no consensus on the clinical characteristics, treatment and patient outcome of catamenial hemoptysis.

Objective: Clinical characteristics, treatments and outcome in patients of catamenial hemoptysis were evaluated.

Lung cancer patients who are asymptomatic at diagnosis show favorable prognosis: a korean Lung Cancer Registry Study.

Purpose And Methods: The outcomes of lung cancer patients who were asymptomatic at diagnosis have never been reported as part of a large-scale study. A national survey of lung cancer in South Korea registered a total of 8788 patients diagnosed in 2005. We report the results herein, with an emphasis on the prognosis of the asymptomatic lung cancer patients.

Loffler's syndrome associated with Clonorchis sinensis infestation.

In 1932, Loffler described a syndrome of self-limiting, transient pulmonary infiltrates associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia and mild pulmonary symptoms. A number of conditions are related to pulmonary eosinophilia or pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia. Especially, parasitic infestations are often related to pulmonary eosinophilia, but only two cases associated with Clonorchis sinensis have been anecdotally reported in English literature.

Detection of mycobacterial DNA using nested polymerase chain reaction of pleural biopsy specimens: compared to pathologic findings.

Background: Although there are many methods including AFB smear and culture, and the analysis of pleural fluid in the etiological diagnosis of pleural effusion, it is sometimes difficult to confirm a diagnosis especially in cases of incomplete pleural biopsies. Moreover, the high incidence of tuberculous pleuritis in young people caused confusion in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion in Korea. The pathognomonic finding of tuberculous pleuritis in pleural biopsy is chronic granulomatous pleuritis (CGP) with caseous necrosis.

Activation of gene expression in human neutrophils by high mobility group box 1 protein.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, a DNA binding protein that stabilizes nucleosomes and facilitates transcription, was recently identified as a late mediator of endotoxin lethality. High serum HMGB1 levels in patients with sepsis are associated with increased mortality, and administration of HMGB1 produces acute inflammation in animal models of lung injury and endotoxemia. Neutrophils occupy a critical role in mediating the development of endotoxemia-associated acute lung injury, but previously it was not known whether HMGB1 could influence neutrophil activation.