In June 2022, the first monkeypox case was reported as imported into Korea. The general public asked whether they should get vaccinated against monkeypox because of the recent COVID-19 vaccination experience. As of the current monkeypox outbreak situation, a ring vaccination strategy for the high-risk group is more appropriate than the mass population vaccination with smallpox vaccines. Therefore, identifying the proper target group by available vaccines based on the risk and benefit analysis is a key issue of the vaccination program. In addition, the target group should be reviewed by the epidemiological situation of the jurisdiction along with the updated evidence of the monkeypox virus on transmission dynamics, severity, and fatality.

BACKGROUND: Restless-legs syndrome (RLS) is known to be caused by dopaminergic hypofunction in the brain. We investigated whether antipsychotics that act as antidopaminergics increase the risk of RLS. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 72 schizophrenic patients who had been medicated with antipsychotic drugs in a psychiatry clinic. We evaluated RLS diagnostic criteria and basic sleep habits using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. We also applied the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale to evaluate extrapyramidal symptoms. RESULTS: Three of the 72 patients (4.2%) met RLS criteria, which is similar to the previously reported RLS incidence among the general population in Korea. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that antipsychotics increase the risk of RLS. We believe that the mild antidopaminergic effect of antipsychotics does not overwhelm their prominent antipsychotic effect.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Brain ; Humans ; Incidence ; Parkinson Disease ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The correlations between plaque characteristics and plaque rupture location according to segmental lesion analysis have not been well defined. The aim of this study was to assess those characteristics of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) culprit lesions according to segmental lesion geometry using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS). METHODS: Sixty single discrete lesions found in the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries of 60 patients with STEMI were included. Each lesion was divided into 3 segments based on lumen area (LA) index, calculated by dividing the lesion LA by the reference LA. RESULTS: Among the 3 segments, the mid-segment showed the highest proportion of necrotic core (NC; proximal, mid-, and distal segments: 20.9±11.8%, 22.7±11.3%, and 17.5±11.2%, respectively, p=0.044). VH-IVUS-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (VH-TCFA) was also more frequently found in the mid-segment than in proximal and distal segments (36.7%, 58.3%, and 16.7%, p < 0.001). The mid-segment also showed the highest prevalence of plaque rupture (45.0%, 78.3% and 11.7%, p < 0.001) and thrombus (61.7%, 95.0%, and 41.7%, p < 0.001) compared to proximal or distal segments. When the lesions were divided into 2 groups according to the median value (4.0 mm2) of minimum lumen area (MLA), plaque rupture at the distal segment was observed only in high MLA lesions (23.3% vs. 0.0%, p=0.011). CONCLUSION: Analysis of longitudinal lesion geometry using the LA index can be useful in evaluating plaque vulnerability and the incidence of plaque rupture and thrombus in STEMI patients.
Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Prevalence ; Rupture ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: The suicide rate in South Korea was the second highest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries in 2017. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of people who died by suicide in Korea from 2013–2017 and to better prevent suicide. METHODS: This study was performed by the Korea Psychological Autopsy Center (KPAC), an affiliate of the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare. According to the Korea National Statistical Office, the number of suicide victims nationwide was estimated to reach about 70,000 from 2013 to 2017. Comprehensive suicide records from all 254 police stations in South Korea were evaluated by 32 investigators who completed a 14-day didactic training program. Then, we evaluated the characteristics of suicide victims in association with disease data from the National Health Insurance Database (NHID), which is anonymously linked to personal information of suicide victims. RESULTS: Thirty-one of 254 police stations in the Seoul metropolitan area were analyzed by August 10, 2018. Findings showed that the characteristics of suicide victims differed according to the nature of the region. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that different strategies and methods are needed to prevent suicide by regional groups.
Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Autopsy ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Methods ; National Health Programs ; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ; Police ; Research Personnel ; Seoul ; Suicide