PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of distress and quality of life (QoL) in esophageal cancer patients, and to identify the factors influencing QoL METHODS: A sample of 103 patients who have esophageal cancer were included in a descriptive study. The instruments used were the Distress Thermometer and Problem List, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) version 4. RESULTS: The mean distress score of the subjects was 4.06±2.04 out of 10. The total mean score of quality of life was 66.39±12.86 out of 108, the highest category was physical well-being with a mean item score of 21.78±5.51, the lowest was emotional well-being with a mean item score of 14.69±3.68. The levels of distress and QoL were negatively correlated (r=−.61, p<.001). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the QoL of the patients was explained by type of treatment and distress. These variables explained 35% of the variance in QoL. CONCLUSION: The QoL of patients with esophageal cancer was relatively low, and the type of treatment and distress was the most important factor affecting quality of life. Thus, to improve the QoL of patients with esophageal cancer, it is important to assess their distress and to provide appropriate interventions.
Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Thermometers

The word "Delayed" in the legend of Figure 2 should have been written as "Controls."

PURPOSE: This correlation study was performed to examine Korean adults' perceptions and attitudes towards death with dignity and the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and to identify factors that predict their attitude towards death with dignity. METHODS: The study was conducted using convenience sampling of 291 adults from three towns of a metropolitan city in Korea. Data were collected using structured questionnaires which surveyed people's perception about and attitudes towards withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and scaled their attitude towards death with dignity. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression. RESULTS: The attitude towards the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and death with dignity showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.49, P<0.001). For attitudes towards death with dignity, significant predictors were attitudes towards the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, age, religion, a proper withdrawal process and advanced medical directives, which explained 49.3% of total variance. CONCLUSION: The results of this study may contribute to development of a new medical decision-making system including nurses' appropriate roles in the process of withdrawing life sustaining treatment and advanced medical directives.
Adult ; Humanism ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Support Care ; Right to Die ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify the effects of daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in a medical intensive care unit (MICU). METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled group posttest only design, involving 91 patients in MICU at a tertiary hospital (47 patients in the experimental group and 44 patients in the control group). The 2% CHG bathing was performed daily according to bathing protocol to the patients in the experimental group, and traditional bath was performed every three days to those in the control group. Fisher's exact test and χ² test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: MDRO were found in 6 patients of the experimental group and in 15 patients of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p=.016). HAI occurred in 2 patients of the experimental group and in 7 patients of the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p=.084). CONCLUSION: The results confirmed that daily bathing with CHG was effective in reducing the incidence of MDRO acquisition. Therefore, it is expected that daily bathing with CHG will be used as an effective nursing intervention to reduce the incidence of MDRO acquisition.
Baths ; Chlorhexidine ; Critical Care ; Cross Infection ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Nursing ; Tertiary Care Centers

Background: and Purpose Migraine is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide. Although diverse treatment regimens have been recommended, there is insufficient evidence for which treatment patterns to apply in routine clinical settings. Methods: We used nationwide claims data from South Korea for 2015–2021 to identify incident migraine patients with at least one prescription for migraine. Patients were categorized according to their initial treatment classes and followed up from the date of treatment initiation. Treatment regimens included prophylactic treatments (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system [RAAS] inhibitors) and acute treatments (acetaminophen, antiemetics, aspirin, ergotamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], opioids, and triptans). The treatment patterns of migraine were evaluated until the end of the study period, including the secular trends, prevalence, persistence, and changes in migraine treatment. Results: Among the 761,350 included patients who received migraine treatment, the most frequently prescribed acute treatment was an NSAID (69.9%), followed by acetaminophen (50.0%).The most-prescribed prophylactic treatment was flunarizine (36.9%), followed by propranolol (24.4%). Among the patients, 54.8% received acute treatment, 13.5% received prophylactic treatment, and 31.6% received both treatment types. However, 65.7% of the patients discontinued their treatment within 3 months. The 3-month persistence rate was highest for triptans (25.2%) among the acute treatments and for RAAS inhibitors (62.0%) among the prophylactic treatments. Conclusions While the prevalence rates of medication use were found to align with current migraine guidelines, frequent switching and rapid discontinuation of drugs were observed in routine clinical settings.

Background: and Purpose Migraine is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide. Although diverse treatment regimens have been recommended, there is insufficient evidence for which treatment patterns to apply in routine clinical settings. Methods: We used nationwide claims data from South Korea for 2015–2021 to identify incident migraine patients with at least one prescription for migraine. Patients were categorized according to their initial treatment classes and followed up from the date of treatment initiation. Treatment regimens included prophylactic treatments (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system [RAAS] inhibitors) and acute treatments (acetaminophen, antiemetics, aspirin, ergotamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], opioids, and triptans). The treatment patterns of migraine were evaluated until the end of the study period, including the secular trends, prevalence, persistence, and changes in migraine treatment. Results: Among the 761,350 included patients who received migraine treatment, the most frequently prescribed acute treatment was an NSAID (69.9%), followed by acetaminophen (50.0%).The most-prescribed prophylactic treatment was flunarizine (36.9%), followed by propranolol (24.4%). Among the patients, 54.8% received acute treatment, 13.5% received prophylactic treatment, and 31.6% received both treatment types. However, 65.7% of the patients discontinued their treatment within 3 months. The 3-month persistence rate was highest for triptans (25.2%) among the acute treatments and for RAAS inhibitors (62.0%) among the prophylactic treatments. Conclusions While the prevalence rates of medication use were found to align with current migraine guidelines, frequent switching and rapid discontinuation of drugs were observed in routine clinical settings.

Background: and Purpose Migraine is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide. Although diverse treatment regimens have been recommended, there is insufficient evidence for which treatment patterns to apply in routine clinical settings. Methods: We used nationwide claims data from South Korea for 2015–2021 to identify incident migraine patients with at least one prescription for migraine. Patients were categorized according to their initial treatment classes and followed up from the date of treatment initiation. Treatment regimens included prophylactic treatments (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system [RAAS] inhibitors) and acute treatments (acetaminophen, antiemetics, aspirin, ergotamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], opioids, and triptans). The treatment patterns of migraine were evaluated until the end of the study period, including the secular trends, prevalence, persistence, and changes in migraine treatment. Results: Among the 761,350 included patients who received migraine treatment, the most frequently prescribed acute treatment was an NSAID (69.9%), followed by acetaminophen (50.0%).The most-prescribed prophylactic treatment was flunarizine (36.9%), followed by propranolol (24.4%). Among the patients, 54.8% received acute treatment, 13.5% received prophylactic treatment, and 31.6% received both treatment types. However, 65.7% of the patients discontinued their treatment within 3 months. The 3-month persistence rate was highest for triptans (25.2%) among the acute treatments and for RAAS inhibitors (62.0%) among the prophylactic treatments. Conclusions While the prevalence rates of medication use were found to align with current migraine guidelines, frequent switching and rapid discontinuation of drugs were observed in routine clinical settings.

Background: and Purpose Migraine is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases worldwide. Although diverse treatment regimens have been recommended, there is insufficient evidence for which treatment patterns to apply in routine clinical settings. Methods: We used nationwide claims data from South Korea for 2015–2021 to identify incident migraine patients with at least one prescription for migraine. Patients were categorized according to their initial treatment classes and followed up from the date of treatment initiation. Treatment regimens included prophylactic treatments (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system [RAAS] inhibitors) and acute treatments (acetaminophen, antiemetics, aspirin, ergotamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], opioids, and triptans). The treatment patterns of migraine were evaluated until the end of the study period, including the secular trends, prevalence, persistence, and changes in migraine treatment. Results: Among the 761,350 included patients who received migraine treatment, the most frequently prescribed acute treatment was an NSAID (69.9%), followed by acetaminophen (50.0%).The most-prescribed prophylactic treatment was flunarizine (36.9%), followed by propranolol (24.4%). Among the patients, 54.8% received acute treatment, 13.5% received prophylactic treatment, and 31.6% received both treatment types. However, 65.7% of the patients discontinued their treatment within 3 months. The 3-month persistence rate was highest for triptans (25.2%) among the acute treatments and for RAAS inhibitors (62.0%) among the prophylactic treatments. Conclusions While the prevalence rates of medication use were found to align with current migraine guidelines, frequent switching and rapid discontinuation of drugs were observed in routine clinical settings.

Hypomelanosis of Ito is a congenital neurocutaneous syndrome with a particular pattern of streaks, patches and swirling hypopigmentation over variable portions of the body surface. Multiple extracutaneous abnormalities involving the central nervous system, musculoskeletal structures and the eyes occur in over two-thirds of the cases. This report describes a patient with typical unilateral cutaneous lesions associated with extracutaneous features, including hypertrophy of the cerebral hemisphere contralateral to the cutaneous hypopigmentation. Chromosomal analysis of fibroblasts of depigmented skin obtained from the patients showed mosaicism.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebrum ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypopigmentation* ; Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Mosaicism ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Skin

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the reporting rates of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) to the spontaneous reporting system (SRS) and its predictors among individuals with AEFIs after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted from December 2, 2021 to December 20, 2021, recruiting participants >14 days after completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Reporting rates were calculated by dividing the number of participants who reported AEFIs to the SRS by the total number of participants who experienced AEFIs. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) using multivariate logistic regression to determine factors associated with spontaneous AEFIs reporting. RESULTS: Among 2,993 participants, 90.9% and 88.7% experienced AEFIs after the first and second vaccine doses, respectively (reporting rates, 11.6 and 12.7%). Furthermore, 3.3% and 4.2% suffered moderate to severe AEFIs, respectively (reporting rates, 50.5 and 50.0%). Spontaneous reporting was more prevalent in female (aOR, 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31 to 1.81); those with moderate to severe AEFIs (aOR, 5.47; 95% CI, 4.45 to 6.73), comorbidities (aOR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.57), a history of severe allergic reactions (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.77); and those who had received mRNA-1273 (aOR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.49) or ChAdOx1 (aOR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.30) vaccines versus BNT162b2. Reporting was less likely in older individuals (aOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.98 to 0.99 per 1-year age increment). CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous reporting of AEFIs after COVID-19 vaccination was associated with younger age, female sex, moderate to severe AEFIs, comorbidities, history of allergic reactions, and vaccine type. AEFIs under-reporting should be considered when delivering information to the community and in public health decision-making.