Association of Serum Osteoprotegerin With Vascular Calcification, and Cardiovascular and Graft Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Patients: Results From the KNOW-KT.

Background: Vascular calcification and stiffness contribute to increased cardiovascular morbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease. This study investigated associations between serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels and vascular calcification or stiffness to assess cardiovascular and graft outcomes in kidney transplant patients.

Methods: The KoreaN cohort study for Outcome in patients With Kidney Transplantation was a prospective multicenter cohort study.

Inappropriate use of intravenous epinephrine leading to atrial fibrillation during prehospital anaphylaxis treatment: a case report.

In a prehospital setting, the narrow therapeutic window of epinephrine necessitates its cautious administration to avoid anaphylaxis. In this case, a 46-year-old man presented severe anaphylactic symptoms. Following the standard protocol, the emergency medical technician (EMT) administered intramuscular epinephrine; however, symptoms persisted.

Hydroxychloroquine in obstetrics: potential implications of the prophylactic use of hydroxychloroquine for placental insufficiency during pregnancy.

Proper placentation during early pregnancy is a key factor for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Placental insufficiency leads to critical complications such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and fetal demise. These complications are often associated with pathological findings of restricted remodeling and obstructive lesions of the myometrial spiral arteries, which have high recurrence rates during subsequent pregnancies.

Trends in the prescription of opioids and gabapentinoids in patients with failed back surgery syndrome in Korea: a population-based study.

Background: Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a chronic condition that is characterized by persistent back pain following one or more spinal surgeries. Pharmacological interventions, such as the use of opioids and gabapentinoids, are frequently used in the treatment of FBSS. However, prolonged and excessive use of these medications can lead to dependence and adverse effects.

The Consecutive 200 Cases of Endoscopic-Combined Intrarenal Surgery: Comparison between Standard and Miniature Surgeries.

: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is still the gold-standard treatment for large and/or complex renal stones. Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) was developed with the goal of minimizing the number of access tracts of PCNL while simultaneously improving the one-step stone-free rate (SFR). The aim of this study was to share the experience of the consecutive 200 cases of ECIRS in one institute and analyze surgical outcomes of mini-ECIRS and standard ECIRS.

Korean clinical practice guidelines for diagnostic and procedural sedation.

Safe and effective sedation depends on various factors, such as the choice of sedatives, sedation techniques used, experience of the sedation provider, degree of sedation-related education and training, equipment and healthcare worker availability, the patient's underlying diseases, and the procedure being performed. The purpose of these evidence-based multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines is to ensure the safety and efficacy of sedation, thereby contributing to patient safety and ultimately improving public health. These clinical practice guidelines comprise 15 key questions covering various topics related to the following: the sedation providers; medications and equipment available; appropriate patient selection; anesthesiologist referrals for high-risk patients; pre-sedation fasting; comparison of representative drugs used in adult and pediatric patients; respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and sedation depth monitoring during sedation; management of respiratory complications during pediatric sedation; and discharge criteria.

Comparative effectiveness of noninvasive therapeutic interventions for myofascial pain syndrome: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) has an impact on physical health and quality of life for patients, with various noninvasive methods used for relieving myofascial pain. The authors aimed to compare the effectiveness of different noninvasive therapeutic interventions for MPS.

Materials And Methods: The authors searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus to identify randomized controlled trials describing the effects of any noninvasive treatments in patients with MPS.

Case Report: Hybrid approach as a Rescue Treatment in a patient with vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS) is a rare connective tissue disorder associated with gene mutation encoding type III collagen. Given the possible fatal prognosis if not treated timely, it is important to suspect and diagnose as soon as possible. Despite advances in endovascular technique, access point complications remain a serious challenge in patients with vEDS.

Incidence of Altered Level of Consciousness in Hemorrhagic Stroke Survivors: Associated Factors From a Korean Nationwide Study.

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the incidence of altered level of consciousness after hemorrhagic stroke and identify factors associated with altered level of consciousness at 3 mos after stroke.

Design: This study used data from a prospective multicenter cohort study conducted in nine hospitals in Korea and included 1677 patients with first-ever hemorrhagic stroke. Patients were dichotomized into those with and without altered level of consciousness at 3 mos after stroke.

Relative Risks for Dementia among Individuals with Glaucoma: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Cohort Studies.

Purpose: To investigate the relative risks (RRs) for dementia among individuals with glaucoma.

Methods: We conducted a search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases for observational cohort studies examining the association between glaucoma and dementia until March 2023. Two authors independently screened all titles and abstracts according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

EULAR Sjogren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) and Other Patient-Reported Outcomes in the Assessment of Glandular Dysfunction in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

The EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI), EULAR Sjogren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI), and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as the visual analog scale (VAS) for symptoms and EULAR sicca score (ESS), are used to assess the disease activity of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Recently, Clinical ESSDAI (ClinESSDAI) and Clinical Trials ESSDAI (ClinTrialsESSDAI) were developed for objective clinical disease activity indexes. However, the relationship of ClinESSDAI and ClinTrialsESSDAI with PROs as well as that between ESSPRI and other PROs and the objective parameters of glandular function in pSS have not been established.

Ceramide synthase 4 overexpression exerts oncogenic properties in breast cancer.

Background: Ceramide, a bioactive signaling sphingolipid, has long been implicated in cancer. Members of the ceramide synthase (CerS) family determine the acyl chain lengths of ceramides, with ceramide synthase 4 (CerS4) primarily generating C18-C20-ceramide. Although CerS4 is known to be overexpressed in breast cancer, its role in breast cancer pathogenesis is not well established.

Unnecessity of routine chest tube drainage after patent ductus arteriosus ligation in preterm neonates.

Background: Conventionally, a chest tube drainage is placed following patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation to monitor possible bleeding and drain air or effusion postoperatively. However, the necessity of chest tube drainage after thoracotomy in PDA ligation is controversial. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of omitting chest tube drainage in preterm neonates who underwent PDA ligation via thoracotomy.

ApoE4-dependent lysosomal cholesterol accumulation impairs mitochondrial homeostasis and oxidative phosphorylation in human astrocytes.

Recent developments in genome sequencing have expanded the knowledge of genetic factors associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among them, genetic variant ε4 of the APOE gene (APOE4) confers the greatest disease risk. Dysregulated glucose metabolism is an early pathological feature of AD.

Lethal abdominal compartment syndrome after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a case report.

Background: Clinical attempts of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have increased in recent years; however, it also has life-threatening complications. Massive fluid and transfusion resuscitation, shock status, or low cardiac output status during ECPR may lead to ascites and interstitial edema, resulting in secondary abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).

Case Presentation: A 43-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department due to cardiac arrest.