PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the influence of severity of drinking problem, circadian rhythm and sleep quality in patients with alcohol use. METHODS: A descriptive study design was utilized. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 139 patients with alcohol use disorder who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital in D city, Korea. The questionnaires included Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Composite Scale of Morningness (CMS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Korea sleep scale A. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions using the SPSS 20.0 program. RESULTS: There was significant correlations among severity of problem drinking, circadian rhythm, sleep quality and sleep disorder. The significant factors influencing sleep disorder were severity of problem drinking(β=.12, p=.042), circadian rhythm(β=−.14, p=.039) and sleep quality(β=.63, p=<.001). This model explained 56% of variance in sleep disorder(F=57.34, p=<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the development of sleep intervention programs for alcohol use disorder patients needs to consider severity of alcohol use, circadian rhythm and sleep quality, and sleep assessment and intervention are needed the early stage of the treatment and recovery process.

Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16), which primarily causes hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), is associated with complications, such as encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and shock. However, no case of pancreatitis associated with CA16 has been reported in children. We report a case of CA16-associated acute pancreatitis in a 3-year-old girl with HFMD. She was admitted because of poor oral intake and high fever for 1 day. Maculopapular rashes on both hands and feet and multiple vesicles on the soft palate were observed on physical examination. She was treated conservatively with intravenous fluids. On the fourth hospital day, she had severe abdominal pain and vomiting. The serum levels of amylase and lipase were remarkably elevated (amylase, 1,902 IU/L; reference range, 28–100 IU/L; lipase, >1,500 IU/L; reference range, 13–60 IU/L), and ultrasonography showed diffuse swelling of the pancreas with a small amount of ascites. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction result from a stool sample was positive for CA16. CA16 can cause acute pancreatitis, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in children with HFMD.
Abdominal Pain ; Amylases ; Animals ; Ascites ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Encephalitis ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Foot ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease ; Hand* ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease* ; Humans ; Lipase ; Mouth Diseases ; Myocarditis ; Palate, Soft ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis* ; Paralysis ; Pericarditis ; Physical Examination ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reference Values ; Reverse Transcription ; Shock ; Ultrasonography ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Diabetes education, also known as diabetes self-management training or diabetes selfmanagement education, is effective in helping patients with diabetes control their illness and maximize their health. However, there is no established institutional strategy in South Korea because economic evaluations of the benefits and costs of diabetes education have been limited. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) describe economic evaluation methodologies, one of the tools available to help choose wisely from a range of alternatives and implement effective resources; and (2) suggest applications of economic evaluation in terms of diabetes education. METHODS: There are three types of commonly used economic evaluations in diabetes education: cost benefit analysis, cost effective analysis, and cost utility analysis. RESULTS: The understanding of the economic value of diabetes education for people with diabetes has a number of uses: to provide empirical evidence to influence policy-making in diabetes education, to offer proof of the benefits of diabetes self-management, to improve awareness of the importance and necessity of diabetes education, to reduce costs of diabetes management, and to enhance healthcare quality. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to evaluate the economic benefits and costs associated with diabetes education.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Education* ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality of Health Care ; Self Care

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is known to have a high rate of progression to Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection and intervention of MCI are of great interest in psychiatric and socioeconomic aspects. There are various screening tools for MCI, but their sensitivity and specificity vary greatly. This study assessed the usefulness of virtual reality (VR) neurocognitive tests as an assessment tool for neurocognitive function deficit in MCI. Methods: Both VR neurocognitive tests and conventional neurocognitive tests, including MiniMental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB), were conducted, and 21 participants completed the tests. The test results of the MCI and normal groups were compared, and correlation coefficients between the VR neurocognitive tests and SNSB were examined. Results: The mean VR neurocognitive test total score of the MCI participants was significantly lower than that of normal participants (30.0±1.0 vs. 36.9±6.4; p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the SNSB, MMSE, and MoCA scores between the two groups. The VR neurocognitive total score correlated significantly with the MMSE, MoCA, and SNSB total scores (r=0.61, r=0.54, r=0.50, respectively; p<0.05). The scores of the subdomains of VR neurocognitive tests showed significant correlations with those of MMSE, MoCA, and subdomains of SNSB, with VR executive function and visuospatial function scores showing significant correlations with the SNSB executive function (r=0.46; p<0.05) and visuospatial function (r=0.60; p<0.01) scores, respectively. Conclusion This preliminary study suggests that the VR neurocognitive test can be a feasible and realistic tool for assessing the subtle but complex cognitive deficits in MCI, emphasizing spatial reasoning and executive functions.

Objectives: Suicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents in South Korea, and depression and personality profiles have been identified as significant risk factors for self-injurious behavior. This study examined the influence of depressive mood and temperament/ character on self-injury in adolescents. Methods: A total of 116 adolescents (aged 12–18 years) with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and their parents were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided into three groups based on adolescent’s self-injury frequency, and their Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Youth Self-Report (YSR), and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) scores were compared. Finally, mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between suicidal ideation and self-injury. Results: Of study participants, 75.9% answered that they had suicidal ideation, and 55.2% answered that they had engaged in self-injurious behavior in the last six months. There were significant differences in CDI and suicidal ideation among the groups. After adjusting for age and sex, mediation analysis indicated that depressive mood mediated the relationship between suicidal ideation and self-injury. Conclusion This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating and managing depressive mood severity in adolescents with MDD as these factors partially mediate the transition from suicidal ideation to self-injury.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common monogenic disorder. Due to the marked elevation of cardiovascular risk, the early detection, diagnosis, and proper management of this disorder are critical. Herein, the 2022 Korean guidance on this disease is presented. Clinical features include severely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, tendon xanthomas, and premature coronary artery disease. Clinical diagnostic criteria include clinical findings, family history, or pathogenic mutations in the LDLR, APOB, or PCSK9. Proper suspicion of individuals with typical characteristics is essential for screening. Cascade screening is known to be the most efficient diagnostic approach. Early initiation of lipid-lowering therapy and the control of other risk factors are important. The first-line pharmacological treatment is statins, followed by ezetimibe, and PCSK9 inhibitors as required. The ideal treatment targets are 50% reduction and < 70 or < 55 mg/dL (in the presence of vascular disease) of LDL-C, although less strict targets are frequently used. Homozygous FH is characterized by untreated LDL-C > 500 mg/dL, xanthoma since childhood, and family history. In children, the diagnosis is made with criteria, including items largely similar to those of adults. In women, lipid-lowering agents need to be discontinued before conception.

Background and Objectives: The number of people with heart failure (HF) is increasing worldwide, and the social burden is increasing as HF has high mortality and morbidity. We aimed to provide updated trends on the epidemiology of HF in Korea to shape future social measures against HF. Methods: We used the National Health Information Database of the National Health Insurance Service to determine the prevalence, incidence, hospitalization rate, mortality rate, comorbidities, in-hospital mortality, and healthcare cost of patients with HF from 2002 to 2020 in Korea. Results: The prevalence of HF in the total Korean population rose from 0.77% in 2002 to 2.58% (1,326,886 people) in 2020. Although the age-standardized incidence of HF decreased over the past 18 years, the age-standardized prevalence increased. In 2020, the hospitalization rate for any cause in patients with HF was 1,166 per 100,000 persons, with a steady increase from 2002. In 2002, the HF mortality was 3.0 per 100,000 persons, which rose to 15.6 per 100,000 persons in 2020. While hospitalization rates and in-hospital mortality for patients with HF increased, the mortality rate for patients with HF did not (5.8% in 2020), and the one-year survival rate from the first diagnosis of HF improved. The total healthcare costs for patients with HF were approximately $2.4 billion in 2020, a 16-fold increase over the $0.15 billion in 2002. Conclusions The study’s results underscore the growing socioeconomic burden of HF in Korea, driven by an aging population and increasing HF prevalence.

Purpose: When splitting a liver for adult and pediatric graft recipients, the retained left medial section (S4) will undergo ischemic necrosis and the right trisection graft becomes an extended right liver (ERL) graft. We investigated the fates of the retained S4 and its prognostic impact in adult split liver transplantation (SLT) using an ERL graft. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 25 adult SLT recipients who received split ERL grafts. Results: The mean model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was 27.3 ± 10.9 and graft-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) was 1.98 ± 0.44. The mean donor age was 26.5 ± 7.7 years. The split ERL graft weight was 1,181.5 ± 252.8 g, which resulted in a mean GRWR of 1.98 ± 0.44. Computed tomography of the retained S4 parenchyma revealed small ischemic necrosis in 16 patients (64.0%) and large ischemic necrosis in the remaining 9 patients (36.0%). No S4-associated biliary complications were developed. The mean GRWR was 1.87 ± 0.43 in the 9 patients with large ischemic necrosis and 2.10 ± 0.44 in the 15 cases with small ischemic necrosis (P = 0.283). The retained S4 parenchyma showed gradual atrophy on follow-up imaging studies. The amount of S4 ischemic necrosis was not associated with graft (P = 0.592) or patient (P = 0.243) survival. A MELD score of >30 and pretransplant ventilator support were associated with inferior outcomes. Conclusion The amount of S4 ischemic necrosis is not a prognostic factor in adult SLT recipients, probably due to a sufficiently large GRWR.

Purpose: When splitting a liver for adult and pediatric graft recipients, the retained left medial section (S4) will undergo ischemic necrosis and the right trisection graft becomes an extended right liver (ERL) graft. We investigated the fates of the retained S4 and its prognostic impact in adult split liver transplantation (SLT) using an ERL graft. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 25 adult SLT recipients who received split ERL grafts. Results: The mean model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was 27.3 ± 10.9 and graft-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) was 1.98 ± 0.44. The mean donor age was 26.5 ± 7.7 years. The split ERL graft weight was 1,181.5 ± 252.8 g, which resulted in a mean GRWR of 1.98 ± 0.44. Computed tomography of the retained S4 parenchyma revealed small ischemic necrosis in 16 patients (64.0%) and large ischemic necrosis in the remaining 9 patients (36.0%). No S4-associated biliary complications were developed. The mean GRWR was 1.87 ± 0.43 in the 9 patients with large ischemic necrosis and 2.10 ± 0.44 in the 15 cases with small ischemic necrosis (P = 0.283). The retained S4 parenchyma showed gradual atrophy on follow-up imaging studies. The amount of S4 ischemic necrosis was not associated with graft (P = 0.592) or patient (P = 0.243) survival. A MELD score of >30 and pretransplant ventilator support were associated with inferior outcomes. Conclusion The amount of S4 ischemic necrosis is not a prognostic factor in adult SLT recipients, probably due to a sufficiently large GRWR.

Objective: Suicide is a huge nationwide problem that incurs a lot of socio-economic costs. Suicide also inflicts severe distress on the people left behind. The government of the Republic of Korea has been making many policy efforts to reduce suicide rate. The gatekeeper program, ‘Suicide CARE’, is one of the meaningful modalities for preventing suicide. Methods: Multidisciplinary research team collaborated to update the ‘Suicide CARE’ to version 2.0. Results: In the ‘Introductory part’, the authors have the time to think about the necessity and significance of the program before conducting full-scale gatekeeper training. In the ‘Careful observation’ part, trainees learn how to understand and recognize the various linguistic, behavioral, and situational signals that a person shows before committing suicide. In the ‘Active listening’ part, trainees learn how to ask suicide with a value-neutral attitude as well listening empathetically. In the ‘Risk evaluation and Expert referral’ part, trainees learn intervening strategies to identify a person’s suicidal intention, plan, and past suicide attempts, and connect the person to appropriate institutes or services. Conclusion Subsequent studies should be conducted to verify the efficacy of the gatekeeper program.