Purpose: Stem cell transplantation (SCT) has historically played a major role in the long-term remission of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an incurable hematological malignancy. Using data from the Korean Society of Bone and Marrow Transplantation registry, we retrospectively analyzed the role of autologous (auto) and allogeneic (allo) SCT in longterm MCL survival. Methods: This study analyzed data from 188 patients (age ≥ 19 years at the time of transplantation) who underwent a transplant for MCL from 2011 to 2020. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from transplantation to disease progression, relapse, or death from any cause. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from transplan‑ tation to death from any cause or the last follow-up. Results: In total, 109 patients underwent consolidative SCT after first-line chemotherapy. The 3-year PFS and OS rates were 65.4% and 78.5%, respectively, in the auto-SCT group, and 66.7% and 71.4%, respectively, in the allo-SCT group. The PFS and OS did not differ significantly between the auto- and allo-SCT groups. As part of salvage treatment, 52 patients with relapsed or refractory disease underwent auto- or allo-SCT. Patients who underwent auto-SCT with complete remis‑ sion/partial remission status reported better outcomes. In patients with refractory status, allogeneic transplantation using human leukocyte antigen (HLA) fully matched donors was a significantly favorable factor for PFS and OS. Conclusion The long-term survival of patients who underwent consolidative transplantation was similar to that reported in previous studies. Auto-SCT may be beneficial in patients who respond to salvage therapy, whereas allo-SCT with HLA-matched donors may be an alternative for patients with refractory disease. 

Multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological malignancy, is characterized by malignant plasma cell proliferation in the bone marrow. Recent treatment advances have significantly improved patient outcomes associated with MM.In this study, we aimed to develop comprehensive, evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treat‑ ment of MM. We identified 12 key clinical questions essential for MM management, guiding the extensive literature review and meta-analysis of the study. Our guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations by integrating patient preferences with survey data. These recommendations include current and emerging diagnostic tools, thera‑ peutic agents, and treatment strategies. By prioritizing a patient-centered approach and rigorous data analysis, these guidelines were developed to enhance MM management, both in Korea and globally.

Purpose: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the gold standard for hemodialysis access, with outcomes largely dependent on the surgeon’s experience. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the learning curve of junior vascular surgeons in AVF creation. This study aims to address this by examining the development of surgical skills among junior vascular surgeons. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients who underwent autologous AVF procedures performed by five junior surgeons between January 2018 and December 2023. To establish the cutoff number of cases for the learning curve, we examined the cubic spline curve using the hazard ratio for primary failure. Results: The cutoff number for operation cases was 15.33, and we divided the analysis into a pre-learning curve period (≤15 cases of AVF) and a post-learning curve period (>15 cases of AVF). The 1-year primary patency rate for AVF during the post-learning curve period was 84.0%, which was higher than the 65.5% rate observed during the pre-learning curve period. In a subgroup analysis based on AVF type, the radiocephalic fistula patient group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year primary patency in the post-learning curve period compared to that in the pre-learning curve period (80.0% vs. 43.0%, log-rank P=0.033). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the primary patency rates between the post- and pre-learning curve periods in the brachiocephalic fistula patient group (90.0% vs. 89.2%, log-rank P=0.930). Conclusion Junior vascular surgeons demonstrated improved primary AVF patency beyond the learning curve benchmark in 15 patients, with particularly notable enhancements in radiocephalic fistulas.

Purpose: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the gold standard for hemodialysis access, with outcomes largely dependent on the surgeon’s experience. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the learning curve of junior vascular surgeons in AVF creation. This study aims to address this by examining the development of surgical skills among junior vascular surgeons. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients who underwent autologous AVF procedures performed by five junior surgeons between January 2018 and December 2023. To establish the cutoff number of cases for the learning curve, we examined the cubic spline curve using the hazard ratio for primary failure. Results: The cutoff number for operation cases was 15.33, and we divided the analysis into a pre-learning curve period (≤15 cases of AVF) and a post-learning curve period (>15 cases of AVF). The 1-year primary patency rate for AVF during the post-learning curve period was 84.0%, which was higher than the 65.5% rate observed during the pre-learning curve period. In a subgroup analysis based on AVF type, the radiocephalic fistula patient group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year primary patency in the post-learning curve period compared to that in the pre-learning curve period (80.0% vs. 43.0%, log-rank P=0.033). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the primary patency rates between the post- and pre-learning curve periods in the brachiocephalic fistula patient group (90.0% vs. 89.2%, log-rank P=0.930). Conclusion Junior vascular surgeons demonstrated improved primary AVF patency beyond the learning curve benchmark in 15 patients, with particularly notable enhancements in radiocephalic fistulas.

Purpose: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the gold standard for hemodialysis access, with outcomes largely dependent on the surgeon’s experience. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the learning curve of junior vascular surgeons in AVF creation. This study aims to address this by examining the development of surgical skills among junior vascular surgeons. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients who underwent autologous AVF procedures performed by five junior surgeons between January 2018 and December 2023. To establish the cutoff number of cases for the learning curve, we examined the cubic spline curve using the hazard ratio for primary failure. Results: The cutoff number for operation cases was 15.33, and we divided the analysis into a pre-learning curve period (≤15 cases of AVF) and a post-learning curve period (>15 cases of AVF). The 1-year primary patency rate for AVF during the post-learning curve period was 84.0%, which was higher than the 65.5% rate observed during the pre-learning curve period. In a subgroup analysis based on AVF type, the radiocephalic fistula patient group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year primary patency in the post-learning curve period compared to that in the pre-learning curve period (80.0% vs. 43.0%, log-rank P=0.033). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the primary patency rates between the post- and pre-learning curve periods in the brachiocephalic fistula patient group (90.0% vs. 89.2%, log-rank P=0.930). Conclusion Junior vascular surgeons demonstrated improved primary AVF patency beyond the learning curve benchmark in 15 patients, with particularly notable enhancements in radiocephalic fistulas.

Purpose: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the gold standard for hemodialysis access, with outcomes largely dependent on the surgeon’s experience. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the learning curve of junior vascular surgeons in AVF creation. This study aims to address this by examining the development of surgical skills among junior vascular surgeons. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients who underwent autologous AVF procedures performed by five junior surgeons between January 2018 and December 2023. To establish the cutoff number of cases for the learning curve, we examined the cubic spline curve using the hazard ratio for primary failure. Results: The cutoff number for operation cases was 15.33, and we divided the analysis into a pre-learning curve period (≤15 cases of AVF) and a post-learning curve period (>15 cases of AVF). The 1-year primary patency rate for AVF during the post-learning curve period was 84.0%, which was higher than the 65.5% rate observed during the pre-learning curve period. In a subgroup analysis based on AVF type, the radiocephalic fistula patient group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year primary patency in the post-learning curve period compared to that in the pre-learning curve period (80.0% vs. 43.0%, log-rank P=0.033). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the primary patency rates between the post- and pre-learning curve periods in the brachiocephalic fistula patient group (90.0% vs. 89.2%, log-rank P=0.930). Conclusion Junior vascular surgeons demonstrated improved primary AVF patency beyond the learning curve benchmark in 15 patients, with particularly notable enhancements in radiocephalic fistulas.

Purpose: Autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the gold standard for hemodialysis access, with outcomes largely dependent on the surgeon’s experience. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on the learning curve of junior vascular surgeons in AVF creation. This study aims to address this by examining the development of surgical skills among junior vascular surgeons. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients who underwent autologous AVF procedures performed by five junior surgeons between January 2018 and December 2023. To establish the cutoff number of cases for the learning curve, we examined the cubic spline curve using the hazard ratio for primary failure. Results: The cutoff number for operation cases was 15.33, and we divided the analysis into a pre-learning curve period (≤15 cases of AVF) and a post-learning curve period (>15 cases of AVF). The 1-year primary patency rate for AVF during the post-learning curve period was 84.0%, which was higher than the 65.5% rate observed during the pre-learning curve period. In a subgroup analysis based on AVF type, the radiocephalic fistula patient group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year primary patency in the post-learning curve period compared to that in the pre-learning curve period (80.0% vs. 43.0%, log-rank P=0.033). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the primary patency rates between the post- and pre-learning curve periods in the brachiocephalic fistula patient group (90.0% vs. 89.2%, log-rank P=0.930). Conclusion Junior vascular surgeons demonstrated improved primary AVF patency beyond the learning curve benchmark in 15 patients, with particularly notable enhancements in radiocephalic fistulas.

Background: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience both motor and non-motor symptoms, including dysphagia. Although PD is closely associated with dysphagia, the prevalence or risk of dysphagia in PD is unclear, especially in Asian countries. Methods: The prevalence of PD and dysphagia with PD in the general population was analyzed using the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. The prevalence per 100,000 persons of PD and dysphagia with PD from 2006 to 2015 was analyzed in the general population aged ≥ 40 years. Patients newly diagnosed with PD between 2010 and 2015 were compared with those without PD. Results: The prevalence of PD and dysphagia in patients with PD increased continuously during the study period and was highest in the ninth decade of life. The percentage of patients with dysphagia in patients with PD increased with age. Patients with PD showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.132 (2.955–3.320) for dysphagia compared to those without PD. Conclusion This nationwide study showed increasing trends in the prevalence of PD and dysphagia among patients with PD in Korea between 2006 and 2015. The risk of dysphagia was three times higher in patients with PD than that in those without PD, highlighting the importance of providing particular attention.

Introduction: During the early phase of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there were various uncertainties, which had a detrimental impact on the prevalence of burnout among critical care personnel worldwide. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its associated factors in critical care personnel involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a single-center, cross-sectional study with 81 critical care personnel for a survey using Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with personal burnout. Results: More than half of the respondents were female (60.5%) over the age of 30 (61.7%), and 54.3% were medical doctors. A large number (72.8%) of the respondents experienced personal burnout, with twothirds of them experiencing work-related (65.4%) and client-related burnout (59.3%). Personal burnout was found to be associated with those who had children [OR: 11.31 (1.90, 67.37), p = 0.008], stayed with family, relatives, or friends [OR: 9.40 (1.27, 69.46), p = 0.028], were medical doctors [OR: 26.52 (2.79, 252.22), p = 0.004], worked more than 45 hours per week [OR: 8.68 (1.45, 58.09), p = 0.018], and previously never had COVID-19 viral test [OR: 6.93 (1.17, 40.89), p = 0.033]. Conclusion: Overall, more than half of the critical care personnel experienced burnout. There were possible associations between personal burnout with social characteristics such as having children and living with family, relatives, or friends, and occupational characteristics such as being a medical doctor, long working hours, and previously never had COVID-19 viral test.

Objective: Alcohol consumption is a frequent risk factor for trauma. The shock index is widely used to predict the prognosis of trauma, and alcohol can influence the shock index in several ways. This study investigated the usefulness of the shock index in trauma patients who had ingested alcohol. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, single-center study. We performed a logistic regression analysis to assess the association between alcohol consumption and massive transfusions. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to determine the predictive value of the shock index for patients who had ingested alcohol. Results: A total of 5,128 patients were included in the study. The alcohol-positive group had lower systolic blood pressure and higher heart rate; consequently, the shock index in this group was higher. There was no significant difference between the proportion of the alcohol-positive and alcohol-negative groups who underwent massive transfusions and suffered hospital mortality compared to the overall proportion of patients who underwent massive transfusion based on the shock index. In the logistic regression analysis, the alcohol-negative group showed higher odds ratios for massive transfusions compared to the alcohol-positive group. The area under the ROC curve for predicting massive transfusion was 0.831 for the alcohol-positive group and 0.825 for the alcohol-negative group. However, when a cutoff value of 1 was used, the false positive rate was significantly higher in the alcohol-positive group. Conclusion The shock index is a useful tool for predicting outcomes in patients with trauma. However, in patients who have ingested alcohol, the shock index should be interpreted with caution.