Purpose: Pattern electroretinogram (PERG) is used to evaluate the function of retinal ganglion cells. However, the amplitude of PERG is quite small, making the examination challenging to perform. Waveform noise may be minimized by applying various filters. We aimed to investigate the effect of 50-Hz filters on PERG test results. Methods: This is the retrospective observational study. PERG tests were performed using the RETI-scan system according to the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision guidelines. Three types of 50-Hz filters (soft, middle, and hard) were applied. The differences in parameters (N35 peak time, P50 peak time, N95 peak time, P50 amplitude, N95 amplitude, and N95 to P50 ratio) were analyzed. Based on the provided normal range, the changes from normal to abnormal range or vice versa were investigated. Results: A total of 24 waveforms were analyzed. After filtering, the P50 and N95 amplitudes showed a significant reduction of 8% to 15% (P50 amplitude: 5.1 ± 2.7 μV without filter, 4.6 ± 2.3 μV with 50-Hz soft filter, 4.3 ± 2.1 μV with 50-Hz middle filter, 4.3 ± 2.1 μV with 50-Hz hard filter; N95 amplitude: 7.2 ± 4.2 μV without filter, 6.6 ± 3.8 μV with 50-Hz soft filter, 6.3 ± 3.6 μV with 50-Hz middle filter, 6.1 ± 3.6 μV with 50-Hz hard filter). This pattern was more prominent in normal subjects. All latencies except the N35 peak time exhibited no differences between the tests. The N95 to P50 ratio decreased after 50-Hz middle and hard filtering. Considering the normative data, switching between normal and abnormal results was rare. Conclusions Although peak time was not significantly affected, amplitude was significantly reduced after using 50-Hz filters. Thus, 50-Hz filters can smoothen the waveform. Nevertheless, caution must be exercised while taking readings.

This report presents radiologic changes after clinical improvement in a patient with acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). A 45-year-old female patient was referred for decreased renal function. Eight months prior, she had undergone hysterectomy and received chemotherapy. At the start of chemotherapy, her baseline creatinine level was 0.55 mg/dL, which rose to 1.46 mg/dL. Multiple imaging modalities performed when decreased renal function was observed revealed bilateral renal enlargement with increased cortical attenuation on computed tomography (CT), cortical hyperechogenicity on ultrasonography, and diffusion restriction in the renal cortices on magnetic resonance imaging. A renal biopsy was performed, and AIN was diagnosed. Follow-up laboratory tests showed that kidney function had improved to normal levels, and CT at that time showed a reduction in the size of both kidneys. Radiologic changes can serve as clues for the diagnosis of AIN. This is the first report to confirm radiological changes after the clinical improvement of AIN, thereby providing novel information about the course of AIN.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for peripheral intravenous catheter-related phlebitis in hospitalized neurosurgery patients. Methods: This study involved 443 neurosurgery patients who were admitted to a general hospital in Seoul. The analysis included 982 intravenous lines. Data were retrospectively extracted from electronic medical records for the period between November 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, x 2 test, and logistic regression. Results: The incidence rate of phlebitis was 13.6%, with the majority of cases classified as grade 2. Gender, present diseases, length of hospital stay, needle gauge size, and cardiovascular drugs were identified as risk factors for phlebitis in neurosurgery patients. Conclusion This study is significant as it provides basic data for the prevention and management of peripheral phlebitis in hospitalized neurosurgery patients. The risk factors identified in this study should be incorporated into nursing education to implement a systematic peripheral intravenous management program, and appropriate peripheral intravenous catheter-related nursing interventions are necessary based on the characteristics of each patient.

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the leading causes of neonatal earlyonset sepsis, resulting in high mortality and significant comorbidity. Intrapartum penicillin prophylaxis is recommended for pregnant women with GBS colonization to prevent vertical transmission. For pregnant women at high risk of anaphylaxis to penicillin, clindamycin is recommended only if the susceptibility of GBS isolates has been identified. We retrospectively examined the GBS detection rate and clindamycin resistance among Korean women of reproductive age over the last 20 years. Methods: Microbiologic studies using vaginal, vaginal–rectal or vaginal–perianal swabs from female patients 15–49 years of age during 2003–2022 were reviewed. Annual GBS detection rates and clindamycin resistance rates were calculated. The study period was divided into two periods (period 1, 2003–2015; period 2, 2016–2022) based on the introduction of universal culture-based GBS screening in our center in 2016. GBS detection rates and clindamycin resistance rates were compared between the periods using χ2 tests. Results: A total of 14,571 women were tested 16,879 times and GBS was isolated in 1,054 tests (6.2%), with 423 clindamycin-resistant isolates (40.1%). The GBS detection rate increased from 3.4% (301/8,869) in period 1 to 9.4% (2,753/8,010) in period 2 (P < 0.001). Even during period 1, the GBS detection rate was higher in 2009–2015 compared to 2003–2008 (P < 0.001). Clindamycin resistance rates have remained at similar levels since 2009, which were 39.5% (199/301) in period 1 and 40.2% (303/753) in period 2 (P = 0.833). Conclusion This study demonstrated that GBS detection rates in Korean women of reproductive age significantly increased almost three times during the twenty years of the study period, with a persistently high clindamycin resistance rate of up to 40%.

Objective: : Palliative care is a specialized approach designed to enhance the quality of life for both patients and their families, offering patient-centered care through comprehensive assessment and care planning. However, the integration of palliative care within neurocritical care settings has been relatively understudied. This descriptive study aims to identify the characteristics, palliative care needs, and outcomes of patients referred to palliative care services during admission to the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NS-ICU). Methods: : A retrospective analysis of adults admitted to the NS-ICU at a referral hospital between December 2019 and December 2021 was conducted. The study focused on those referred to the inpatient palliative care team with diagnoses of non-traumatic brain hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, or brain neoplasm. Excluded were patients who died before palliative care consultation or lacked sufficient information. The investigation assessed demographic and clinical characteristics at consultation, along with post-consultation hospital outcomes derived from medical records and interview notes. Results: : In this study involving 38 enrolled patients, the median age was 65, with 42.1% females. The most prevalent diagnosis was nontraumatic brain hemorrhage (47.4%). Reasons for palliative care consultation included psychosocial support (95%), goal-of-care discussions (68%), decision-making support (50%), and communication facilitation (39%). The median time from NS-ICU admission to consultation was 3.5 days (interquartile range, 1–8 days), and all interviews involved family members. Key decision topics encompassed mechanical ventilation (23.7%) and tracheostomy (21.1%). Patient preferences for life-sustaining treatment could be estimated in only 47.4% of cases, often resulting in treatment disagreement. Among the 38 patients, 26 (68.4%) died during admission. Before the consultation, full code status, partial code status, and comfort care alone were reported as 32%, 66%, and 2%, respectively; post-consultation, these figures shifted to 11%, 42%, and 47%, respectively. Conclusion : Palliative care was predominantly sought for psychosocial support and discussions concerning goals of care. Despite challenges in ascertaining patient treatment preferences, palliative care consultations proved invaluable in aiding family members and facilitating treatment decision-making. Our study suggests the potential integration of palliative care within neuro-critical care, contributing to a heightened utilization of comfort care at the end-of-life.

Background/Aims: We aim to compare the remission of erosive esophagitis (EE) among individuals with different phenotypes based on their metabolic health and obesity status and investigate the impact of changes in metabolic health on the EE remission. Methods: Asymptomatic adults (n = 16 845) with EE at baseline, who underwent follow-up esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were categorized into 4 groups as follows: metabolically healthy (MH) nonobese, metabolically unhealthy (MU) nonobese, MH obese, and MU obese. EE was defined as grade A or higher mucosal breaks observed using esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Results: During a median follow-up of 2.2 years, the remission rates of EE were 286.4/10 3 , 260.1/10 3 , 201.5/10 3 , and 219.9/10 3 person-years in MH nonobese, MU nonobese, MH obese, and MU obese groups, respectively. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for EE remission among the MH nonobese, MU nonobese, and MH obese groups versus that of the MU obese group were 1.30 (1.23-1.37), 1.17 (1.12-1.23), and 0.98 (0.90-1.06), respectively, whereas those of the persistent MH, progression of MH to MU, and remission of MU to MH compared with the persistent MU group were 1.37 (1.23-1.52), 1.15 (1.01-1.30), and 1.28 (1.12-1.46), respectively.Increased EE remission in the persistent MH group was consistently observed in individuals with and without obesity (or abdominal obesity). Conclusions Metabolic health and nonobesity independently and favorably impact EE remission. Maintaining normal weight and healthy metabolic status may contribute to EE remission.

This study explored the evolving trends in pediatric dentistry research, focusing on the changes in research trends in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (JKAPD) and comparing them with those in other international journals and previous studies. We selected the JKAPD (Korea), Pediatric Dentistry (PD, USA), European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD, Europe), and The Japanese Journal of Pediatric Dentistry (JJPD, Japan) as subjects for this study, as each one is considered the core academic journals of the corresponding region. Data from the four journals were collected by reviewing articles published over 20 years from 2004 to 2023. Sixteen classification criteria were established, and 4,231 papers were assigned a classification number. This study included 1,205 studies from the JKAPD, 1,320 from the PD, 1,070 from the EAPD, and 636 from the JJPD. Publication trends were similar across the pediatric dental journals; however, the JJPD showed no correlation with other journals. Dental caries and prevention of dental caries were the most published topics in all journals (15.4%), followed by systemic diseases or patients with special health care needs (9.9%), conservative treatment and restorative materials (9.2%), and dental growth and developmental disturbances (8.8%). The thematic distribution of articles in the JKAPD observed in this study is consistent with that of previous studies. Although there were regional variations, the distribution of publication trends did not significantly change before or after the 21st century. This study offers valuable insights for comparing and analyzing trends in domestic and international research and providing an opportunity to examine which social and environmental changes have influenced these trends.

This study investigated the plaque removal efficacy of a suction-type sonic toothbrush compared to a conventional manual toothbrush in preschool children aged 30 to 59 months. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design with a 2-week washout period, 20 pediatric participants were allocated to two study phases, each using either the suction-type sonic toothbrush or the manual toothbrush with caregiver assistance. The plaque removal effectiveness was assessed through the Silness and Löe plaque index and quantitative light-induced fluorescence values, including ΔR30 and ΔR120 indicators of plaque index. The result showed no statistically significant differences in plaque removal efficacy between the two toothbrushes, although both showed similar improvements. Caregiver feedback revealed high acceptability of the suction-type sonic toothbrush due to its convenience and engaging features, such as a light and suction function, which enhanced the tooth brushing experience. Although limited by the short follow-up period and small sample size, the findings suggest that suction-type sonic toothbrushes may offer practical benefits for young children requiring caregiver assistance.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, driven by immune-mediated myelin damage. Unlike neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease, which are diagnosed via serological testing, MS lacks biomarkers, relying on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based spatial and temporal lesion dissemination per the 2017/2024 McDonald criteria. Perivenular lesions, a hallmark of MS, first described by James W. Dawson in 1916, are now visualized noninvasively using advanced MRI. Emerging biomarkers -central vein sign and paramagnetic rim lesions- demonstrate high specificity, improving diagnostic accuracy. Artificial intelligence innovations enhance biomarker detection and monitoring, enabling personalized therapies. This review highlights key MRI biomarkers, clinical interpretation, and recent advancements in MS diagnostics.