Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.

Objective: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a global issue that negatively impacts the clinical outcome. Through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era, overcrowding of ED isolated territory (isolation bed) was aggravated. This study analyzed overcrowding indices of ED isolation beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. The study analyzed 34,925 patients who visited the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2021 to August 2022. Patients who were treated in isolation beds and regular beds were compared. Among the patients using isolation beds, patients who stayed longer than 720 minutes were also classified and analyzed. Results: During the analysis period, 4,479 and 34,943 patients were treated in the ED isolation bed and ED regular bed, respectively. The overcrowding indices (general ward admission rate, intensive care unit admission rate, ED-length of stay, transfer rate, mortality rate, prolonged ED stay patient ratio) of the isolation beds were significantly higher than those of the ED regular bed (P<0.05). The prolonged ED stay-patient ratio of isolation beds and regular beds was affected by the number of COVID-19 patients (regular bed, r=0.617 and P=0.01; isolation bed, r=0.525 and P=0.03). The average ED-length of stay of isolation beds was longer than that of the ED regular beds. One hundred and forty-five patients were classified as prolonged ED stay patients. Their time from the decision point to the discharge point comprised a higher rate with an average of 76.52%. Conclusion ED isolation beds are more vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks. A proper medical policy and arrangement management system that can flexibly deal with disaster emergencies are required

Objective: The impact of the government-initiated senior employment program (GSEP) on geriatric depressive symptoms is underexplored. Unearthing this connection could facilitate the planning of future senior employment programs and geriatric depression interventions. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the possible association between geriatric depressive symptoms and GSEP in older adults. Methods: This study employed data from 9,287 participants aged 65 or older, obtained from the 2020 Living Profiles of Older People Survey. We measured depressive symptoms using the Korean version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. The principal exposure of interest was employment status and GSEP involvement. Data analysis involved multiple linear regression. Results: Employment, independent of income level, showed association with decreased depressive symptoms compared to unemployment (p<0.001). After adjustments for confounding variables, participation in GSEP jobs showed more significant reduction in depressive symptoms than non-GSEP jobs (β=-0.968, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-1.197 to -0.739, p<0.001 for GSEP jobs, β=-0.541, 95% CI=-0.681 to -0.401, p<0.001 for non-GSEP jobs). Notably, the lower income tertile in GSEP jobs showed a substantial reduction in depressive symptoms compared to all income tertiles in non-GSEP jobs. Conclusion The lower-income GSEP group experienced lower depressive symptoms and life dissatisfaction compared to non-GSEP groups regardless of income. These findings may provide essential insights for the implementation of government policies and community-based interventions.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.

Purpose: Although the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients is increasing with improved detection and therapies, so is the risk of breast cancer patients developing subsequent malignancies. We investigated the OS of breast cancer survivors according to sites of second primary malignancies (SPM). The OS of the second primary hematologic malignancy (SPHM) was then compared with that of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer between 1998 and 2019. Only those with SPM were eligible for analysis. First, the OS of patients with SPM diagnosed as the first event after the diagnosis of breast cancer was analyzed. Next, the OS of patients with SPHM, with or without breast cancer relapse, was compared with that of patients with MBC, matched using the propensity score. Results: Patients diagnosed with SPM without breast cancer relapse as the first event had a significantly better OS than did patients with MBC, but the OS of those with SPHM as the first event did not differ significantly from that of patients with MBC (hazard ratio [HR], 1.558; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.856–2.839; P = 0.147). The OS of patients with SPHM with or without breast cancer relapse was worse than that of the MBC group after propensity score matching (HR, 1.954; 95% CI, 1.045–3.654; P = 0.036). Conclusion Prognosis of SPM diagnosed as the first event was statistically better than that of MBC, except in case of SPHM. Patients with SPHM, with or without MBC, showed poor OS before and after propensity score matching.

A death certificate (DC) can be considered a legal document and in terms of societal use, it is a public document. A DC includes facts such as the time and place of death, as well as judgments as to the cause and manner of death. Whether it pertains to facts or judgments, recording false information results in a false DC. According to the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) in the United States, it is acknowledged that there are varying opinions and approaches when it comes to classifying the manner of death. Therefore, it may require a final judgment, including input from the legal system. Generally, deaths resulting from complications that occur during drug administration or medical procedures are classified as natural deaths, while deaths due to unforeseen complications that occur suddenly, are categorized as accidental deaths. Applying this classification by NAME to the principles and legal precedents related to the duty of explanation and medical lowas of the Korean Medical Association, it is reasonable to classify deaths resulting from complication, during medical care, as natural death. However, if the death occurs due to injury or poisoning during medical care, it falls under external causes, according to the principle of following the primary cause. In conclusion, it is considered reasonable to classify complications that occur during medical treatment as natural deaths when they are foreseeable and within the accepted range of complications determined by medical standards at that the time.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify differences in the positions of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) landmarks according to different midsagittal planes (MSPs) in patients with skeletal Class III facial asymmetry. Methods: Pre-treatment CBCT data from 60 patients with skeletal Class III were used.The patients were classified into symmetric (menton deviations of < 2 mm) or asymmetric (menton deviations of > 4 mm) groups. Six MSPs were established based on previous studies, and three-dimensional analyses were performed for the planes in both the groups. The measurement outcomes were compared statistically. Results: A statistically significant interaction (p < 0.01) was observed between MSPs and facial asymmetry. No significant differences were observed among MSPs in the symmetric group. However, significant differences in linear measurements were identified among MSPs in the asymmetric group. Specifically, the upper facial MSP revealed both maxillary and mandibular transverse asymmetries. On the other hand, anterior nasal spine (ANS)-associated MSP could not identify maxillary asymmetry. Furthermore, the menton deviation was approximately 3 mm lower when estimated using the ANS-associated MSP than that using upper facial MSP. Conclusions The choice of MSP can significantly affect treatment outcomes while diagnosing patients with asymmetry. Therefore, care should be taken when selecting MSP in clinical practice.

Objective: This study assessed the differences in soft tissue deviations of the nose, lips, and chin between different mandibular asymmetry types in Class III patients. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomography data from 90 Class III patients with moderate-to-severe facial asymmetry were investigated. The sample was divided into three groups based on the extent of mandibular rolling, yawing, and translation. Soft tissue landmarks on the nose, lips, and chin were investigated vertically, transversely, and anteroposteriorly. A paired t test was performed to compare variables between the deviated (Dv) and nondeviated (NDv) sides, and one-way analysis of variance with Tukey’s post-hoc test was performed for intergroup comparisons. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationship between the soft and hard tissue deviations. Results: The roll-dominant group showed significantly greater differences in the vertical positions of the soft tissue landmarks between the Dv and NDv than other groups (P < 0.05), whereas the yaw-dominant group exhibited larger differences in the transverse and anteroposterior directions (P < 0.05). Moreover, transverse lip cant was correlated with the menton (Me) deviation and mandibular rolling in the roll-dominant group (P < 0.001); the angulation of the nasal bridge or philtrum was correlated with the Me deviation and mandibular yawing in the yaw-dominant group (P < 0.01). Conclusions The threedimensional deviations of facial soft tissue differed based on the mandibular asymmetry types in Class III patients with similar amounts of Me deviation. A precise understanding of soft tissue deviation in each asymmetry type would help achieve satisfactory facial esthetics.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been associated with the overproduction of serum amyloid A protein, resulting in systemic AA amyloidosis. In this report, we describe a case of gastrointestinal (GI) AA amyloidosis following SARS-CoV-2 infection. A 75-year-old male presented to the emergency department with upper abdominal pain 6 weeks post kidney transplantation. He had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection 4 weeks prior. On day 7 of hospitalization, while receiving conservative management, the patient developed symptoms of cough and fever, leading to a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. The patient’s abdominal pain persisted, and hematochezia developed on day 30 of hospitalization. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy revealed multiple ulcers in the stomach and colon, with histologic findings revealing the presence of amyloid A. The patient was managed conservatively and was also given remdesivir for the SARS-CoV-2 infection. His clinical symptoms subsequently improved, and endoscopic findings demonstrated improvement in multiple gastric ulcers. GI amyloidosis may be a subacute complication following SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients.