The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging-Practical Tutorial (ASCI-PT) is an instructional initiative of the ASCI School designed to enhance educational standards. In 2021, the ASCI-PT was convened with the goal of formulating a consensus statement on the assessment of coronary stenosis and coronary plaque using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Nineteen experts from four countries conducted thorough reviews of current guidelines and deliberated on eight key issues to refine the process and improve the clarity of reporting CCTA findings. The experts engaged in both online and on-site sessions to establish a unified agreement. This document presents a summary of the ASCI-PT 2021 deliberations and offers a comprehensive consensus statement on the evaluation of coronary stenosis and coronary plaque in CCTA.

The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging-Practical Tutorial (ASCI-PT) is an instructional initiative of the ASCI School designed to enhance educational standards. In 2021, the ASCI-PT was convened with the goal of formulating a consensus statement on the assessment of coronary stenosis and coronary plaque using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Nineteen experts from four countries conducted thorough reviews of current guidelines and deliberated on eight key issues to refine the process and improve the clarity of reporting CCTA findings. The experts engaged in both online and on-site sessions to establish a unified agreement. This document presents a summary of the ASCI-PT 2021 deliberations and offers a comprehensive consensus statement on the evaluation of coronary stenosis and coronary plaque in CCTA.

Background: Antimicrobial prescriptions for serious chronic or acute illness nearing its end stages raise concerns about the potential for futile use, adverse events, increased multidrugresistant organisms, and significant patient and social cost burdens. This study investigated the nationwide situation of how antibiotics are prescribed to patients during the last 14 days of life to guide future actions. Methods: This nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at 13 hospitals in South Korea from November 1 to December 31, 2018. All decedents were included in the study. Antibiotic use during the last two weeks of their lives was investigated. Results: A total of 1,201 (88.9%) patients received a median of two antimicrobial agents during the last two weeks of their lives. Carbapenems were prescribed to approximately half of the patients (44.4%) in the highest amount (301.2 days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days).Among the patients receiving antimicrobial agents, 63.6% were inappropriate and only 327 patients (27.2%) were referred by infectious disease specialists. The use of carbapenem (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–2.03; P = 0.006), underlying cancer (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.20–2.01, P = 0.047), underlying cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.23–2.89, P = 0.004), and no microbiological testing (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.15–2.73; P = 0.010) were independent predictors for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Conclusion A considerable number of antimicrobial agents are administered to patients with chronic or acute illnesses nearing their end-of-life, a high proportion of which are prescribed inappropriately. Consultation with an infectious disease specialist, in addition to an antimicrobial stewardship program, may be necessary to induce the optimal use of antibiotics.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing the consensus statement from the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging-Practical Tutorial 2020 (ASCI-PT 2020) on the reliability of cardiac MR with late gadolinium enhancement (CMR-LGE) myocardial viability scoring between observers in the context of ischemic cardiomyopathy. Materials and Methods: A total of 17 cardiovascular imaging experts from five different countries evaluated CMR obtained in 26 patients (male:female, 23:3; median age [interquartile range], 55.5 years [50–61.8]) with ischemic cardiomyopathy. For LGE scoring, based on the 17 segments, the extent of LGE in each segment was graded using a five-point scoring system ranging from 0 to 4 before and after exposure according to the consensus statement. All scoring was performed via webbased review. Scores for slices, vascular territories, and total scores were obtained as the sum of the relevant segmental scores. Interobserver reliability for segment scores was assessed using Fleiss’ kappa, while the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for slice score, vascular territory score, and total score. Inter-observer agreement was assessed using the limits of agreement from the mean (LoA). Results: Interobserver reliability (Fleiss’ kappa) in each segment ranged 0.242–0.662 before the consensus and increased to 0.301–0.774 after the consensus. The interobserver reliability (ICC) for each slice, each vascular territory, and total score increased after the consensus (slice, 0.728–0.805 and 0.849–0.884; vascular territory, 0.756–0.902 and 0.852–0.941; total score, 0.847 and 0.913, before and after implementing the consensus statement, respectively. Interobserver agreement in scoring also improved with the implementation of the consensus for all slices, vascular territories, and total score. The LoA for the total score narrowed from ± 10.36 points to ± 7.12 points. Conclusion The interobserver reliability and agreement for CMR-LGE scoring for ischemic cardiomyopathy improved when following guidance from the ASCI-PT 2020 consensus statement.

Autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia 20 (SCAR20; OMIM #616354) is a recently described disorder that is characterized by ataxia, intellectual disability, cerebellar atrophy, macrocephaly, coarse face, and absent speech. It is caused by lossof-function mutations in SNX14. To date, all cases with homozygous pathogenic variants have been identified in consanguineous families. This report describes the first Korean cases of SCAR20 family caused by homozygous variants in SNX14. Two siblings were referred to our clinic because of severe global developmental delay. They presented similar facial features, including a high forehead, long philtrum, thick lips, telecanthus, depressed nasal bridge, and broad base of the nose. Because the older sibling was unable to walk and newly developed ataxia, repeated brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at the age of 4 years, revealing progressive cerebellar atrophy compared with MRI performed at the age of 2 years.The younger sibling’s MRI revealed a normal cerebellum at the age of 2 years. Whole-exome sequencing was performed, and homozygous variants, such as c.2746-2A>G, were identified in SNX14 from the older sibling. Sanger sequencing confirmed homozygous SNX14 variants in the two siblings as well as a heterozygous variant in both parents. This report extends our knowledge of the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of SCAR20. We also highlight the importance of deep phenotyping for the diagnosis of SCAR20 in individuals with developmental delay, ataxia, cerebellar atrophy, and distinct facial features.

In order to prevent sensitization to a new allergen and the development of asthma, practitioners may consider allergen-specific immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. Additionally, in patients with severe allergic rhinitis refractory to medication, practitioners can also consider surgical management for improving the patients' nasal symptoms. However, there are still no practical guidelines regarding the indications for immunotherapy, the appropriate selection of the allergen, and the optimal duration of therapy. Moreover, no clear indications exist for surgical treatment. Pregnant or lactating women frequently complain of symptoms of rhinitis. However, due to the fear of potential complications to their babies, they avoid medical treatment despite significant discomfort. Therefore, we present 14 answers to core questions about immunotherapy, surgical treatment, and considerations for special circumstances, such as pregnancy and lactation.
Asthma ; Female ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Lactation ; Pregnancy ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic allergic respiratory diseases worldwide. Various practical guidelines for AR have been developed and updated to improve the care of AR patients; however, up to 40% patients remain symptomatic. The unmet need for AR care is one of the greatest public health problems in the world. The gaps between guideline and real-world practice, and differences according to the region, culture, and medical environments may be the causes of unmet needs for AR care. Because there is no evidence-based AR practical guideline reflecting the Korean particularity, various needs are increasing. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether existing guidelines are sufficient for AR patient management in real practice and whether development of regional guidelines to reflect regional differences is needed in Korea. A total of 99 primary physicians comprising internists, pediatricians, and otolaryngologists (n=33 for each) were surveyed by a questionnaire relating to unmet needs for AR care between June 2 and June 16 of 2014. Among 39 question items, participants strongly agreed on 15 items that existing guidelines were highly insufficient and needed new guidelines. However, there was some disagreement according to specialties for another 24 items. In conclusion, the survey results demonstrated that many physicians did not agree with the current AR guideline, and a new guideline reflecting Korean particularity was needed.
Humans ; Korea* ; Needs Assessment ; Public Health ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

The social and economic burden of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing, with significant effects on the quality of life of patients suffering from AR. Therefore, physicians require evidence-based guidelines regarding the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and proper management management of patients with AR. The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology developed new clinical guidelines for the appropriate management of AR, especially in Korean patients. For the core questions (i.e. questions that most practitioners were curious about), several experts in the field of allergology, pediatrics, and otorhinolaryngology developed a set of practical guidelines based on a systematic review of the literature. Furthermore, we determined the level of evidence associated with the recommendations for each answer. In this article, we suggest 15 answers for core questions about the medical treatment of AR.
Allergy and Immunology ; Asthma ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Otolaryngology ; Pediatrics ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

As the prevalence and socioeconomic burden of allergic rhinitis is steadily increasing every year, it is essential that clinical practitioners diagnose and manage allergic rhinitis in an evidence-based manner. Therefore, the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology developed new clinical guidelines for Korean patients and practitioners. We first performed a questionnaire survey to address the core questions, about which clinical practitioners are the most curious. A large group of physicians (allergists), pediatricians, and otorhinolaryngologists developed answers for those questions by performing a systematic literature review and determining the appropriate levels of recommendation. In this article, we propose 11 answers for core questions regarding the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.
Allergy and Immunology ; Asthma ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

As the prevalence and socioeconomic burden of allergic rhinitis is steadily increasing every year, it is essential that clinical practitioners diagnose and manage allergic rhinitis in an evidence-based manner. Therefore, the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology developed new clinical guidelines for Korean patients and practitioners. We first performed a questionnaire survey to address the core questions, about which clinical practitioners are the most curious. A large group of physicians (allergists), pediatricians, and otorhinolaryngologists developed answers for those questions by performing a systematic literature review and determining the appropriate levels of recommendation. In this article, we propose 11 answers for core questions regarding the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.
Allergy and Immunology ; Asthma ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic*