Lower respiratory tract microbiome is associated with checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis in lung cancer patients.

Background: The gut microbiome is associated with the occurrence and severity of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. However, the relationship between the lower respiratory tract (LRT) microbiome and checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) in lung cancer patients who underwent immunotherapy is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between the LRT microbiome and CIP in lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.

Development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program: a nationwide project to improve surgical quality and patient safety.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems. To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program.

Impact of the ASTRO 2024 Guideline on Partial Breast Irradiation Eligibility in Breast Cancer Patients (KROG 24-01).

Purpose: The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has recently published new guidelines for the eligibility for partial breast irradiation (PBI). This study aims to evaluate the eligibility rates of PBI according to the ASTRO 2017 and 2024 guidelines.

Methods And Materials: Patients diagnosed with pTis-T2N0 breast cancer in 2019 from 3 tertiary medical centers were accrued.

Predictive Value of Serum Hepcidin Levels for the Risk of Incident End-Stage Kidney Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: The KNOW-CKD.

Introduction: Despite the pivotal role of hepcidin in the development of anemia among the patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the association between serum hepcidin levels and CKD progression has been never investigated. We here hypothesized that elevation in serum hepcidin levels might be associated with the risk of incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) among the patients with pre-dialysis CKD.

Methods: A total of 2,109 patients with pre-dialysis CKD at stages 1 to pre-dialysis 5 were categorized into the quartiles by serum hepcidin levels.

Lateral epiglottic collapse in obstructive sleep apnea is associated with laterally directed pharyngeal collapse.

Study Objectives: Epiglottic collapse can obstruct the airway in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in an anteroposterior (E-ap) or lateral direction (E-lat). The present study investigates the concept that lateral or concentric pharyngeal collapse patterns may remodel the epiglottis and predispose it to lateral collapse. To do so, we hypothesized that the presence of-any form of laterally directed pharyngeal collapse, e.

[The Effects of a Self-Efficacy Theory-Based Exercise Program for Patients Undergoing with Total Knee Arthroplasty].

Purpose: This study was performed to develop a self-efficacy theory-based exercise program for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and to test the program's efficacy in ameliorating knee pain and restoring function as measured by lower extremity muscle strength, 3 meter walking time, Korean Western Ontario McMaster Index (WOMAC), exercise self-efficacy, and length of hospital stay for TKA patients.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study incorporating a non-equivalent control group and pretest-posttest non-synchronized design non-synchronous design was applied to assess self-efficacy reinforcement strategies based on self-efficacy theory. The exercise program consisted of the following steps: TKA, education to prevent postoperative complications, and muscle strength exercises.

Novel Risk Scoring Model to Predict the Implementation of Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients With Acute Myocarditis.

Background: This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with the implementation of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in patients with acute myocarditis and to develop a predictive model.

Methods And Results: This retrospective study included 841 patients from 7 hospitals in Korea with biopsy-proven or clinically suspected acute myocarditis. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the clinical characteristics of patients who required VA-ECMO and to construct a scoring system to predict the implementation of VA-ECMO.

Screening for Lung Cancer, Overdiagnosis, and Healthcare Utilization: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Introduction: Guideline-discordant low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening may cause lung cancer (LC) overdiagnosis, but its extent and consequences are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-initiated, non-reimbursed LDCT screening in a predominantly non-smoking population and its impact on LC epidemiology and healthcare utilization.

Methods: This nationwide cohort study analyzed data from Korea's National Health Information Database and 11 academic hospital screening centers (1999-2022).

Successful diagnosis and treatment of canine polymyositis: utilizing MRI and immunohistochemistry for accurate detection.

Background: Inflammatory myopathy is generally categorized into generalized inflammatory myopathies (gIM), which affect muscles throughout the body, and focal inflammatory myopathies (fIM), which are localized to specific muscles or muscle groups. This report details a case of immune-mediated polymyositis in a dog, successfully diagnosed using MRI and IHC and managed with immunosuppressive therapy.

Case Presentation: A 5-year-old castrated male Poodle was admitted to our hospital presenting with lethargy and exercise intolerance.

Multi-horizon event detection for in-hospital clinical deterioration using dual-channel graph attention network.

Objective: In hospitals globally, the occurrence of clinical deterioration within the hospital setting poses a significant healthcare burden. Rapid clinical intervention becomes a crucial task in such cases. In this research, we propose an end-to-end deep learning architecture that interpolates high-dimensional sequential data for the early detection of clinical deterioration events.

Discontinuation of β-blocker therapy in stabilised patients after acute myocardial infarction (SMART-DECISION): rationale and design of the randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: There is a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of prolonged β-blocker therapy after stabilisation of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without heart failure (HF) or left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Methods And Analysis: The SMart Angioplasty Research Team: DEcision on Medical Therapy in Patients with Coronary Artery DIsease or Structural Heart Disease Undergoing InterventiON (SMART-DECISION) trial is a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial designed to determine whether discontinuing β-blocker therapy after ≥1 year of maintenance in stabilised patients after AMI is non-inferior to continuing it. Patients eligible for participation are those without HF or left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction >40%) who have been continuing β-blocker therapy for ≥1 year after AMI.

Prognostic impact of intravascular imaging in percutaneous coronary intervention according to atherothrombotic risk: a post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Introduction And Objectives: Recent randomized controlled trials support the use of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to improve patient prognosis. However, the subsequent risk of clinical events in patients with coronary artery disease is not determined solely by lesion characteristics or how these lesions are treated. The current study investigated whether the effects of intravascular imaging in complex PCI vary according to atherothrombotic risks.

Coexisting Tubulointerstitial Inflammation and Damage Is a Risk Factor for Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Lupus Nephritis.

Objective: This study aims to determine whether the concurrent presence of tubulointerstitial inflammation (TII) and tubulointerstitial damage (TID) predicts the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: Data from 175 LN patients, collected at the time of renal biopsy, were analyzed. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the presence or absence of coexisting TII/TID.

Beta-blockers after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction and non-reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background: Data on the clinical impact of beta-blockers (BBs) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) who had non-reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after percutaneous coronary intervention are limited.

Methods: From 2016 to 2020, we evaluated a cohort of 12,101 myocardial infarction patients with a non-reduced LVEF (≥40%) from the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry V. Patients were divided into two groups based on their BB (carvedilol, bisoprolol, or nebivolol) treatment at discharge: with beta-blocker treatment (BB,  = 9,468) and without beta-blocker treatment (non-BB,  = 2,633).

Candida tropicalis Liver Abscess in an Immunocompromised Patient With Pancreatic Head Cancer on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT.

Candida infections have become a growing concern to the immunocompromised patients with cancer. We report a case of liver abscess causing Candida tropicalis candidemia in an immunocompromised patient with pancreatic head cancer on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT. A 77-year-old man had a history of 10-year duration of uncontrolled diabetes, the presence of neutropenia, immunocompromised condition, and the progression of pancreatic cancer despite the 14 cycles of chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy.

Early management of adult sepsis and septic shock: Korean clinical practice guidelines.

Background: Despite recent advances and global improvements in sepsis recognition and supportive care, mortality rates remain high, and adherence to sepsis bundle components in Korea is low. To address this, the Korean Sepsis Alliance, affiliated with the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, developed the first sepsis treatment guidelines for Korea based on a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A de novo method was used to develop the guidelines.

Status of infection prevention and control in Cameroon healthcare facilities: lessons learned from the WHO COVID-19 scorecard tool under the hierarchy of control model.

Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) helps prevent disease transmission in healthcare facilities. There is a dearth of information on the implementation of IPC during the COVID-19 outbreak in Cameroon using the recommended WHO COVID-19 IPC scorecard tool. The present study assessed healthcare facilities' compliance to IPC by continuous assessments, with an evaluation of the tool using the hierarchy of control theory.

Computed Tomography Versus Simple Radiography for Detecting and Classifying Heterotopic Ossification after Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Backgroud: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is difficult to characterize and classify on simple radiographs. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate intraobserver and interobserver reliability of simple radiography and computed tomography (CT) for detecting and classifying HO after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). It was hypothesized that CT would provide more reliable results than simple radiography.

Automated Non-Supervised Eye Disorder Screening System Using Virtual Reality.

Background: Neglecting eye disorders can lead to visual impairment or even vision loss, making early diagnosis and medical treatment crucial. This paper presents the development of an automated non-supervised eye disorder screening system that utilises Virtual Reality (VR) to provide a preliminary screening for common eye disorders.

Methods: The system integrates advanced pupil-tracking techniques, image-processing methods, and eye disorder screening algorithms into one package for comprehensive eye disorder monitoring, including a strabismus test, a pupil test, and a contrast sensitivity test.