Adopting Advance Directives Reinforces Patient Participation in End-of-Life Care Discussion.

Purpose: In Korea, most terminal cancer patients have still not been included in end-of-life (EOL) discussions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the proportion of patients participating in EOL discussions after adopting advance directives.

Materials And Methods: Medical records of 106 hospice patients between July 2012 and February 2013 were reviewed retrospectively.

Polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase are not a risk factor for Kawasaki disease in the Korean population.

Purpose: Hyperhomocysteinemia is known as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Preclinical arteriosclerosis is noted and premature atherosclerosis is known to be accelerated in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. Genetic polymorphisms in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene result in elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations and are known to be associated with the development of coronary artery disease.