Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli is among the most important multidrug-resistant pathogens causing bloodstream infections (BSIs).Cefotaximase (CTX-M) enzymes are the most common and highly diverse ESBL family in E.coli. CTX-M-15 in group CTX-M-1 and CTX-M-14 in group CTX-M-9 are the most extensively disseminated enzymes. Multidrug-resistant E. coli strains complicate empirical therapy and increase healthcare burden globally and in Korea. We investigated the molecular epidemiology, sequence types (STs), and ESBL genotypes of E. coli bloodstream isolates in Korea and identified clinical risk factors for cefotaxime resistance. Methods: We collected all non-duplicated isolates of E. coli and related clinical information from patients with BSIs at eight sentinel hospitals in the Korean Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (Kor-GLASS) collection network during 2017–2021. Duplicate isolates were removed to ensure representativeness of the data. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using disk diffusion tests, and multilocus sequence typing and betalactamase genotyping were performed. Results: Among 9,232 E. coli blood isolates, resistance rates to cefotaxime and ceftazidime were 36.4% and 11.4%, respectively. Among the clinical factors, age > 65 yrs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.36), hospital-origin infection (aOR, 2.55), and admission type (intensive care unit [ICU] vs. general ward; aOR, 1.34) were significant cefotaxime resistance risk factors. ST131 was the most prevalent among cefotaxime-resistant E. coli (64.8%, 2,180/3,363), followed by ST1193 (5.3%, N = 177), and ST69 (5.1%, N = 170).ST131, ST648, ST405, and ST410 cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates frequently harbored blaCTX-M-15, whereas ST1193 and ST68 showed a high proportion of blaCTX-M-27 carriers, and most ST457 and ST5150 isolates carried blaCTX-M-55. Conclusions Continuous monitoring of ESBL-producing E. coli is required to prevent further dissemination, guide empirical therapy, inform infection control policies, and ensure early detection of multidrug-resistant clones with the potential for widespread transmission.

This study aimed to describe the technical feasibility and clinical outcome of unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE)-assisted posterior C1–2 fusion for irreducible traumatic atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation (AARD) with facet fracture and locking. A 67-year-old man presented with severe neck pain following a motor vehicle accident. Computed tomography revealed C1–2 rotatory dislocation with a right C2 facet fracture and locking, while magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated left vertebral artery hypoplasia without cord compression. Traction for 3 days failed to achieve reduction. Surgery was subsequently performed using UBE under continuous saline irrigation. Following muscle-splitting exposure, facet release and reduction were achieved with a curette. Because the bulky right C2 nerve root obstructed access, it was transected proximal to the dorsal root ganglion. Facet distraction was then performed, the articular cartilage removed, and the subchondral bone prepared. Bilateral screws were inserted, and a polyether ether ketone cage filled with demineralized bone matrix was placed for fusion. The procedure was completed successfully without complications. Blood loss was minimal. The patient’s visual analogue scale score improved from 8 preoperatively to 2 on postoperative day 1. He was discharged uneventfully on postoperative day 7. At the 3-month follow-up, he remained pain-free with stable fixation and no loss of reduction on imaging. UBE-assisted posterior C1–2 fusion enables precise facet release, safe instrumentation, and minimal tissue trauma in irreducible AARD with facet fracture and locking. This minimally invasive approach may yield favorable short-term outcomes and represents a viable alternative to conventional open posterior fusion techniques.

This study aimed to describe the technical feasibility and clinical outcome of endoscope-assisted anterior odontoid lag screw fixation in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis, in whom the conventional open anterior approach was limited due to cervical rigidity. A 56-year-old man with longstanding ankylosing spondylitis presented with severe neck pain and right-sided tingling sensations following trauma. Imaging revealed a type III odontoid fracture. Because of rigid cervical alignment, adequate neck extension required for the conventional open anterior approach was not achievable. Endoscope-assisted anterior odontoid screw fixation was performed using a biplane C-arm. The procedure involved endoscopic dissection of the prevertebral corridor and insertion of the cannulated lag screw under fluoroscopic guidance. The screw was successfully placed across the fracture site without intraoperative complications. Postoperative imaging confirmed appropriate screw trajectory and fracture reduction. The patient’s pain improved immediately, allowing early ambulation. He was discharged uneventfully, and follow-up examinations demonstrated stable fixation. Endoscope-assisted anterior odontoid lag screw fixation appears to be a safe and effective alternative for treating odontoid fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. This technique minimizes soft-tissue injury and facilitates optimal screw trajectory in cases where rigid cervical alignment precludes the conventional open approach.

Objectives: Assessing healthcare quality at the national level is essential for evaluating health system performance and identifying areas requiring improvement. This study examined long-term trends in healthcare quality in Korea from 2008 to 2023 using internationally comparable indicators. Methods: We conducted a trend analysis of healthcare quality in Korea using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Health Care Quality and Outcomes framework and quality indicators. Indicators across multiple domains, including acute care, primary care, prescribing in primary care, mental healthcare, and patient experiences, were analyzed and compared with OECD averages. Results: Healthcare quality in Korea improved across several domains. Thirty-day mortality for acute myocardial infarction decreased from 14.2% in 2008 to 10.2% in 2023, while mortality for ischemic stroke declined from 8.7% to 5.5%. Avoidable hospitalizations decreased substantially, with hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease declining by 59.7%. The proportion of patients with diabetes receiving cholesterol-lowering treatment increased from 44.1% to 82.5%. However, the proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions remained substantially higher than the OECD average (40.3 vs. 15.5%). In mental healthcare, excess mortality ratios increased from 4.3 in 2010 to 4.9 in 2023 for schizophrenia and from 3.5 to 4.3 for bipolar disorder, while post-discharge suicide rates showed little improvement. Patient experience indicators related to patient-physician communication improved and approached OECD averages. Conclusions Healthcare quality in Korea improved substantially between 2008 and 2023, particularly in acute care outcomes and chronic disease management. However, persistent challenges remain in areas such as antibiotic use, polypharmacy, and mental healthcare. These findings provide internationally comparable evidence to inform future health policy and healthcare quality improvement efforts.

In forensic medicine, age estimation commonly involves assessing age-related changes in teeth and skeletal structures. Vertebral morphological alterations, such as osteophyte formation, serve as age indicators. Recent studies using deep-learning techniques, such as neural networks, for age estimation from radiographic images have been conducted, reporting significantly higher accuracy than previous studies. This study aimed to estimate age using neural network-based deep-learning techniques applied to computed tomography (CT) cross-sectional images of the spine and evaluate its feasibility. Postmortem CT scans of 214 cadavers with varying decomposition levels were used. Coronal and sagittal cross-sectional images penetrating the center of each vertebral body were extracted for the 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae and the first to fifth lumbar vertebrae. Using these images, along with the chronological ages of deceased individuals, an age estimation model was developed through regression analysis in PyTorch, employing a convolutional neural networks architecture with five-fold cross-validation. The model achieved a mean absolute error of 5.385 years, root mean squared error of 7.029 years, and coefficient of determination of 0.793. Although the sample size was relatively small, the results suggested the potential applicability of vertebral imagingbased age estimation in the Korean population. Further research using a larger dataset may improve the accuracy and reliability of the model.

Purpose: This study aimed to differentiate well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) from lipoma using the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and improve the preoperative diagnostic accuracy between the two tumors. Although lipoma is a benign tumor that does not necessarily require surgical intervention, WDLPS exhibits local aggressiveness and typically necessitates surgical excision, making its differentiation clinically significant. Materials and Methods: Among 363 patients diagnosed with lipoma or WDLPS at the authors’ institution between January 2013 and April 2022, 45 patients with lipoma and 15 with WDLPS were selected using propensity score matching based on age and sex. The following six MRI features were analyzed: tumor size, shape, septal thickness, tumor depth, fat content ratio, and the presence of nodular non-fatty tissue components. The sensitivity and specificity of each feature were evaluated. Results: Among the MRI features, the fat content ratio (specificity 95%) and the presence of nodular non-fatty tissue components (specificity 98%) were useful for excluding WDLPS, but their sensitivities were relatively low (46% and 27%). The sensitivities of other features, such as tumor size, shape, septal thickness, and depth, ranged from 47% to 67%, suggesting that MRI alone has limitations in reliably distinguishing the two tumors. In addition, fat content ratios below 75% and the presence of nodular non-fatty tissue components were significantly more common in WDLPS than in lipoma. Conclusion The MRI findings can serve as a useful tool for excluding WDLPS when differentiating it from lipoma. Nevertheless, MRI alone has limitations in achieving a definitive diagnosis because of the low sensitivity of individual features. Therefore, additional approaches such as radiomics analysis, artificial intelligence algorithms, and multicenter studies, are needed to improve the diagnostic accuracy and establish personalized treatment strategies.

Dementia is a neuropsychiatric disorder that primarily affects the elderly, leading to a widespread decline in cognitive function and significant impairment of occupational, social, and personal functioning. In addition to cognitive deficits, dementia is frequently comorbid with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), such as agitation.When present, these secondary symptoms can exacerbate the clinical course of the disease, reduced treatment responsiveness, increased rates of admission to long-term care facilities, extended hospitalization, higher risk of personal injury and a substantial socioeconomic burden. Given these consequences, early management of BPSD—particularly agitation—is critical to mitigating these risks. Although antipsychotics are commonly prescribed to manage agitation, risperidone remains the only agent approved by regulatory authorities for this indication. Recently, however, brexpiprazole, a medication with a pharmacological profile distinct from that of risperidone, received U.S. FDA approval (on May 11, 2023) for the treatment of agitation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Agitation is among the most prevalent BPSD manifestations, with symptoms ranging from verbal to physical aggression. Given its recent approval and unique pharmacodynamic properties, brexpiprazole may have strong potential as a therapeutic option for this population. This paper aims to review the pharmacological mechanisms, clinical evidence, and future perspectives of brexpiprazole as a novel therapeutic option for managing agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Background and Objectives: We evaluated 20-year trends in heart failure (HF) epidemiology in Korea to quantify changes in its burden from 2002 to 2023. Methods: A nationwide analysis was conducted using a random 50% sample from the Korean National Health Information Database linked to mortality records (2002–2023). HF was defined using diagnostic codes recorded as a primary or secondary condition. We calculated crude and age-standardized rates of prevalence, incidence, hospitalization, and mortality. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method, stratified by inpatient versus outpatient diagnosis.Trends in heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device implantations were also examined. Results: By 2023, approximately 1,750,228 individuals had HF (3.41% prevalence). The age-standardized prevalence has more than doubled from 2002 to 2023. The crude incidence increased over time; the age-standardized incidence remained stable in men and declined in women.Hospitalization rates for any cause or secondary HF diagnoses have increased substantially, whereas primary HF hospitalization rates have remained relatively stable. The annual mortality rate in patients with HF was approximately 6.0% in 2023, being markedly higher in older adults.Although short-term survival has improved, particularly in hospitalized patients, long-term survival remains limited. Use of advanced therapies significantly increased. Conclusions The burden of HF in Korea has increased substantially over the past two decades, driven primarily by population aging and improved survival rather than increasing age-adjusted incidence. Despite therapeutic advances, hospitalization and long-term mortality rates remain high, highlighting the need for comprehensive HF strategies in aging societies.