Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase

Objectives: Public healthcare data have become crucial to the advancement of medicine, and recent changes in legal structure on privacy protection have expanded access to these data with pseudonymization. Recent debates on public healthcare data use by private insurance companies have shown large discrepancies in perceptions among the general public, healthcare professionals, private companies, and lawmakers. This study examined public attitudes toward the secondary use of public data, focusing on differences between public and private entities. Methods: An online survey was conducted from January 11 to 24, 2022, involving a random sample of adults between 19 and 65 of age in 17 provinces, guided by the August 2021 census. Results: The final survey analysis included 1,370 participants. Most participants were aware of health data collection (72.5%) and recent changes in legal structures (61.4%) but were reluctant to share their pseudonymized raw data (51.8%). Overall, they were favorable toward data use by public agencies but disfavored use by private entities, notably marketing and private insurance companies. Concerns were frequently noted regarding commercial use of data and data breaches. Among the respondents, 50.9% were negative about the use of public healthcare data by private insurance companies, 22.9% favored this use, and 1.9% were “very positive.” Conclusions This survey revealed a low understanding among key stakeholders regarding digital health data use, which is hindering the realization of the full potential of public healthcare data. This survey provides a basis for future policy developments and advocacy for the secondary use of health data.

A 76-year-old woman with hypertension was admitted to the hospital with complaints of chest pain and dyspnea. An echocardiogram and pulmonary computed tomography angiography showed right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary thromboembolism. An operation to resect the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism was recommended; however, the patient refused and was discharged with anticoagulation therapy. Two years later, she developed dyspnea. Radiological studies and echocardiography showed similar results with the previous findings. The patient underwent mediastinotomy with resection of the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolectomy. As there are few reports on right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism, we report a successful case of surgical removal of right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism.
Angiography ; Chest Pain ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Embolectomy ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myxoma ; Pulmonary Embolism

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the optimal vitamin D level is achieved after taking recommended dose in vitamin D deficient patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Women (n=52) first diagnosed with osteoporosis were recruited in outpatient clinic. They were recommended to be exposed to sun light for more than 30 min a day. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25-[OH]D3) status: deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL), insufficiency (20-30 ng/mL) and sufficiency (30 ng/mL or more). Insufficient and sufficient patients received the recommended dose (1,000 IU/day) but deficient patients received recommended or double dose (1,800-2,000 IU/day). We compared 25-(OH)D levels at baseline and after vitamin D supplementation for 3 months. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) serum 25-(OH)D concentration at baseline was 15.10 (13.30-16.97) ng/mL and the proportion of deficient, insufficient and sufficient groups were 69.2%, 23.1%, and 7.7% respectively. The optimal 25-(OH)D level (30 ng/mL or more) was achieved in 83.3% of insufficient patients with the recommended dose and was did in 55.6% of deficient patients with recommended dose (P=0.117). However, 88.9% of the deficient patient with double dose achieved optimal level (P=0.030). CONCLUSIONS: About 44% of vitamin D deficient patients did not attain the optimal level of serum 25-(OH)D despite recommended daily intake of vitamin D to 1,000 IU in patients with osteoporosis. Follow-up of serum 25-(OH)D levels may be required for vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D deficient patients with osteoporosis.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Calcifediol ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Osteoporosis* ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Retrospective Studies ; Solar System ; Vitamin D*

BACKGROUND: Surgery has been the classical treatment of pectus carinatum (PC), though compressive orthotic braces have shown successful results in recent years. We propose a non-operative approach using a lightweight, patient-controlled dynamic chest-bracing device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with PC were treated between July 2008 and June 2009. The treatment involved fitting of the brace, which was worn for at least 20 hours per day for 6 months. Their degree of satisfaction (1, no correction; 4, remarkable correction) was measured at 12 months after the initiation of the treatment. RESULTS: Thirteen (72.2%) patients completed the treatment (mean time, 4.9+/-1.4 months). In patients who completed the treatment, the mean overall satisfaction score was 3.73+/-0.39. The mean satisfaction score was 4, and there was no recurrence of pectus carinatum in patients who underwent the treatment for at least 6 months. Minimal recurrence of pectus carinatum after removal of the compressive brace occurred in 5 (38.5%) patients who stopped wearing the compressive brace at 4 months. CONCLUSION: Compressive bracing results in a significant improvement in PC appearance in patients with an immature skeleton. However, patient compliance and diligent follow-up appear to be paramount for the success of this method of treatment. We currently offer this approach as a first-line treatment for PC.
Braces ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Patient Compliance ; Recurrence ; Skeleton ; Thoracic Wall

No abstract available.
Korea ; Thoracic Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), the correlation among each measurement, and to identify the predictors for HRQOL in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: The HRQOL and clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed by Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36), EuroQol5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), time trade off (TTO), standard gamble (SG), Centers for Epidemiologic StudiesDepression (CES-D), social support, self-efficacy scale, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Schober test, occiput to wall test, ESR, and CRP from 90 patients with AS. RESULTS: 78 patients (86.7%) were men with a mean (+/-SD) age of 28.4 (+/-7.9) years. The mean years of disease onset was 10.44 (+/-6.95). The mean scores of SF-36 global, mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) were 53.4 (+/-21.2), 61.8 (+/-26.3), and 51.7 (+/-24.4), respectively. The mean EQ-5D utility and visual analog scale (VAS) score were 0.63 (+/-0.2) and 57.1 (+/-18.6). The mean scores of the TTO and SG were 0.46 (+/-0.6) and 0.46 (+/-0.6). The scores of the SF-36 and EQ-5D in AS patients were lower than those in healthy control. The mean scores of CES-D, self-efficacy scale, social support and social network were 10.5 (+/-6.8), 65.3 (+/-14.6), 2.46 (+/-0.22), and 2.33 (+/-0.47), respectively. The mean score of BASFI was 2.48 (+/-2.13). The BASFI total score was negatively correlated with the scores of SF-36, MCS, PCS, EQ-5D utility and VAS score, social network, and self-efficacy scale, and positively correlated with CES-D. In multivariate models, the predicting variables of SF-36 global and PCS were BASFI and self-efficacy scale and the predicting variables of SF-36 MCS were BASFI, social support, and self-efficacy scale. CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed that HRQOL in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis is decreased compare to healthy control. And the efforts to improve HRQOL should be designed to improve the self-efficacy and social support in addition to active treatment to prevent functional disability.
Baths ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life* ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing* ; Visual Analog Scale

OBJECTIVE: New nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition afford protection against gastropathy, but their acute and long-term effects on the central nervous system are unclear. Our aim was to investigate the influence of COX-2 specific inhibitor (celecoxib) on cognitive function. METHODS: Within the context of a randomized controlled parallel trial of NSAIDs for osteoarthitis (OA), we performed a battery of neuropsychological tests in consecutive 10 osteoarthritis patients with celecoxib (200 mg/day) and 13 osteoarthritis patients with diclofenac (100 mg/day) before and after 4 weeks by clinical psychologists who were not involoved in the study and unaware of study protocols and treatment allocation. The tests were performed randomly in sequence in order to minimize learning effect. The examed cognitive domains included memory, reasoning/problem solving, simple and complex attention, visual-spatial processing, and psychomotor speed. RESULTS: Demographic characteristcs (age, sex, disease duration, functional status measured by patient's and physician's global assessment and KWOMAC, CES depression score, education level) were not significantly different between both treatment groups. In all cognitive domains, we did not find out significant cognitive decline before and after treatments either with celecoxib or diclofenac. There was no difference in the change of cognitive function between both treatment groups. CONCLUSION: The short-term use of COX-2 specific inhibitor as well as conventional NSAID may not impair cognitive function. The long-term follow up study using large number of patients is in progress.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Central Nervous System ; Cognition ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Depression ; Diclofenac ; Education ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Osteoarthritis ; Pilot Projects* ; Psychology ; Celecoxib

Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (USpA) includes the forms that do not meet criteria for the established categories of spondyloarthropathy. The clinical spectrum of USpA is therefore wide and few studies have been published on USpA, especially peripheral arthritis. A total of 107 patients fulfilling the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria for SpA were studied retrospectively by a chart review and interview by a rheumatologist. Peripheral arthritis, excluding hip and shoulder involvement, occurred in 97 of the 107 patients (91%). Joint involvement tended to be monoarticular or pauciarticular, and most frequently developed in peripheral joints including the knee and ankle. Among the 97 patients with peripheral arthritis, only 37 (35%) had a persistent arthritis. HLA-B27 was detected in 80 patients (78%). Peripheral arthritis was found in the lower extremities regardless of symmetry or asymmetry and tended to run a benign course with only a few patients having persistent arthritis
Adult ; Arthritis/diagnosis/metabolism/*physiopathology ; Cartilage, Articular/physiopathology ; Female ; HLA-B27 Antigen/metabolism ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors