The Korean Society of Radiology and Medical Guidelines Committee amended the existing 2016 guidelines to publish the “Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Adverse Reactions to Iodide Contrast for Injection and Gadolinium Contrast for MRI: The Revised Clinical Consensus and Recommendations (2022 Third Edition).” Expert members recommended and approved by the Korean Society of Radiology, the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and the Korean Nephrology Society participated together. According to the expert consensus or systematic literature review, the description of the autoinjector and connection line for the infection control while using contrast medium, the acute adverse reaction, and renal toxicity to iodized contrast medium were modified and added. We would like to introduce the revised contents.

Precocious puberty (PP) is defined as the early development of secondary sexual characteristics (before the ages of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys). The aim of this study is to identify characteristics of the dental maturity in girls with PP that discriminate them from normal healthy girls. This study included 99 girls aged 6 - 8 years with PP and 99 girls without past medical history of same chronological age (control group). The study was performed on 198 panoramic radiographs (99 PP girls, 99 control group girls). Demirjian method was used to evaluate the panoramic radiographs and determine dental maturity. Difference in dental maturity score and tooth formation stages between the two groups were analyzed. The PP group showed significant higher maturity score than control group. Among mandibular teeth, mandibular 2nd premolar and 2nd molar were significantly more mature in the PP group than control group. Logistic regression analysis showed that mandibular 2nd molar was only significant predictor for PP girls.

Background/Aims: Although the diarrheal disease caused by Campylobacter bacteria has been continuously increasing in Korea, there has been limited study on the clinical aspects of Campylobacter enteritis in adults in Korea. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical features and characteristics of adult patients with Campylobacter enteritis. Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with Campylobacter enterocolitis at Nowon Eulji University Hopsital between January 2016 and December 2017. Campylobacter enterocolitis was diagnosed through polymerase chain reaction of stools from patients with acute diarrhea. Results: Among 630 hospitalized patients with acute diarrhea, Campylobacter enterocolitis was diagnosed in 88 patients (14.0%). The mean age was 37.9±19.1 years. Campylobacter enterocolitis was most prevalent in the summer (52 patients, 59.1%). Patients exhibited more than 10 times of diarrhea in 36 (40.9%), high fever above 39℃ in 19 (21.59%), and abdominal pain above 5 points on the numeric rating scale in 23 (26.14%) cases. In abdominal CT scan, pancolitis was found in 58 patients (65.9%). Small intestine was involved in 37 patients (42.4%). Mean CRP was 10.14 mg/dL (range 0.72-32.27 mg/dL). The duration of diarrhea after antibiotics treatment was 2.34±1.51 days in the ciprofloxacin treatment group and 2.26±1.71 days in the 3rd cephalosporin treatment group. Conclusions Campylobacter enterocolitis was common during summer. Commonly healthy young adults were hospitalized due to severe symptoms of Campylobacter enterocolitis. Whole colon and small bowel were frequently involved. Most patients were treated with antibiotics, and the efficacy of 3rd cephalosporin treatment was not inferior to that of ciprofloxacin treatment.

Background: Although international guidelines recommend palliative care approaches for many serious illnesses, the palliative needs of patients with serious illnesses other than cancer are often unmet, mainly due to insufficient prognosis-related discussion. We investigated physicians' and the general public's respective attitudes toward prognostic disclosure for several serious illnesses. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 928 physicians, sourced from 12 hospitals and the Korean Medical Association, and 1,005 members of the general public, sourced from all 17 administrative divisions in Korea. Results: For most illnesses, most physicians (adjusted proportions – end-organ failure, 99.0%; incurable genetic or neurologic disease, 98.5%; acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS], 98.4%; stroke or Parkinson's disease, 96.0%; and dementia, 89.6%) and members of the general public (end-organ failure, 92.0%; incurable genetic or neurologic disease, 92.5%; AIDS, 91.5%; stroke or Parkinson's disease, 92.1%; and dementia, 86.9%) wanted to be informed if they had a terminal prognosis. For physicians and the general public, the primary factor to consider when disclosing terminal status was “the patient's right to know his/her condition” (31.0%). Yet, the general public was less likely to prefer prognostic disclosure than physicians. Particularly, when their family members were patients, more than 10% of the general public did not want patients to be informed of their terminal prognosis. For the general public, the main reason for not disclosing prognosis was “psychological burden such as anxiety and depression” (35.8%), while for the physicians it was “disclosure would have no beneficial effect” (42.4%). Conclusion Most Physicians and the general public agreed that disclosure of a terminal prognosis respects patient autonomy for several serious illnesses. The low response rate of physicians might limit the generalizability of the results.

Little is known about the benefits of statin use on liver cancer mortality among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) considering hypercholesterolemia and obesity. A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a Health Examination Cohort of the National Health Insurance Service of Korea. Data on CHB patients with no other concurrent liver disease were acquired, and statin use was defined as a cumulative daily dose ≥28. A 3-year landmark analysis was performed to avoid immortal time bias. Patients who started statin therapy within the landmark date were considered statin users. A Cox regression analysis was applied to assess associations between statin use and liver cancer mortality considering hypercholesterolemia and obesity. Among 13063 patients, 193 (1.5%) died of liver cancer during the mean follow-up period of 10.6 years. After adjusting for demographic and metabolic factors, statin use [hazard ratio (HR), 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.04–0.70] and hypercholesterolemia (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.24–0.88 for total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL) were associated with a decreased risk of liver cancer mortality, whereas body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² was associated with an increased risk of liver cancer mortality (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.20–5.06). This study showed that statin use was associated with decreased liver cancer mortality when adjusting for cholesterol levels and BMI. This study found that hypercholesterolemia was independently associated with decreased liver cancer mortality regardless of statin use.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Body Mass Index ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholesterol ; Cohort Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Neoplasms ; Liver ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Obesity ; Retrospective Studies

Aged ; Contrast Media ; adverse effects ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Arrest ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; therapy

OBJECTIVE: The Ubiquitous Spaced Retrieval-based Memory Advancement and Rehabilitation Training (USMART) program was developed by transforming the spaced retrieval-based memory training which consisted of 24 face-to-face sessions into a self-administered program with an iPAD app. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of USMART in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Feasibility was evaluated by checking the satisfaction of the participants with a 5-point Likert scale. The efficacy of the program on cognitive functions was evaluated by the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Neuropsychological Assessment Battery before and after USMART. RESULTS: Among the 10 participants, 7 completed both pre- and post-USMART assessments. The overall satisfaction score was 8.0+/-1.0 out of 10. The mean Word List Memory Test (WLMT) scores significantly increased after USMART training after adjusting for age, educational levels, baseline Mini-Mental Status Examination scores, and the number of training sessions (pre-USMART, 16.0+/-4.1; post-USMART, 17.9+/-4.5; p=0.014, RM-ANOVA). The magnitude of the improvements in the WLMT scores significantly correlated with the number of training sessions during 4 weeks (r=0.793; p=0.033). CONCLUSION: USMART was effective in improving memory and was well tolerated by most participants with MCI, suggesting that it may be a convenient and cost-effective alternative for the cognitive rehabilitation of elderly subjects with cognitive impairments. Further studies with large numbers of participants are necessary to examine the relationship between the number of training sessions and the improvements in memory function.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Cognitive Therapy ; Computer User Training ; Dementia ; Education* ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory* ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Rehabilitation*

No abstract available.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; *Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Contraction ; Myocarditis/drug therapy/physiopathology/*ultrasonography ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Stroke Volume ; *Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and risk factors of dry eye syndrome (DES) among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area. METHODS: A cross-sectional prevalence study was performed on 462 people over 50 years old in Dong-gu, Incheon. DES was defined as the constant or frequent presence of symptoms of both dryness and irritation. Symptoms and past medical history were assessed by a survey. Eye examination included slit lamp examination, Schirmer test, and tear break-up time (T-BUT). Age, sex, living habits, systemic and eye diseases were also analyzed to determine the risk factors of DES. RESULTS: The prevalence of DES was 26.2%. The major symptoms were as follows in descending order: dryness (77.9%), tearing (75.2%), and sandiness (72.7%). An average of 12.1 +/- 6.0 mm in the Schirmer test and 6.7 +/- 2.4 seconds in the T-BUT were significantly different in the DES group from the normal group (p < 0.001). Variables such as age, sex, living habits, and eye diseases were not related to the diagnosis of DES, whereas diabetes was the only risk factor of DES with statistical significance (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the prevalence of DES among people over 50 years old in the Incheon area was 26.2%. Schirmer test and T-BUT were considered to be helpful tools for the diagnosis of DES, and diabetes was a significant risk factor of DES.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dry Eye Syndromes ; Eye ; Eye Diseases ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Tears

PURPOSE: Peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis (PD peritonitis) is an important complication in maintaining. There have been only a few reports on the clinical outcome of initial no-growth peritonitis (INGP). METHODS: We reviewed 332 episodes of PD peritonitis between January 2002 and August 2009. INGP was defined as PD peritonitis with no growth of etiologic microorganism within 3 days of peritonitis. INGP was compared with initial positive growth peritonitis (IPGP) in view of clinical manifestations and outcomes. RESULTS: We divided PD peritonitis episodes into two groups: INGP (n=90) and IPGP (n=242). Peritonitis-related mortality was 5.6% in INGP, while 0.8% in IPGP (p=0.017). Further relapse was noted in INGP (10.0%) than in IPGP (vs. 4.1%; p=0.041). Salvage antibiotics were used more frequently in INGP (21.1%) than in IPGP (vs. 11.6%; p=0.027). Odds ratio of INGP to IPGP for peritonitis-related mortality was 7.14 (95% CI 1.36-37.51; p=0.017). Growth of mycobacteria or fungi increased the risk of peritonitis-related mortality with an odds ratio of 18.11 (95% CI 2.99-109.89; p=0.013). In multivariate analysis, growth of mycobacteria or fungi was the only independent risk factor for peritonitis-related mortality with an odds ratio of 10.63 (95% CI 1.27-88.75; p=0.029). CONCLUSION: INGP revealed poorer outcome than IPGP. Higher growth rate of mycobacteria or fungi in INGP than in IPGP accounted for the poor outcome. Thus one should make vigorous efforts to detect surreptitious organism when there is no growth by 3 days, especially for the possibility of either mycobacteria or fungi.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Fatal Outcome ; Fungi ; Isopropyl Thiogalactoside ; Multivariate Analysis ; Mycobacterium ; Odds Ratio ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritonitis ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors