No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Prognosis*

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory system caused by the new betacoronavirus (MERS coronavirus, MERS-CoV), which shows high mortality rates. The typical symptoms of MERS are fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and it is often accompanied by pneumonia. The MERS-CoV was introduced to Republic of Korea in May 2015 by a patient returning from Saudi Arabia. The disease spread mostly through hospital infections, and by the time the epidemic ended in August, the total number of confirmed diagnoses was 186, among which 36 patients died. Reflecting the latest evidence for antiviral drugs in the treatment of MERS-CoV infection and the experiences of treating MERS patients in Republic of Korea, these guidelines focus on antiviral drugs to achieve effective treatment of MERS-CoV infections.
Antiviral Agents ; Communicable Diseases ; Coronavirus ; Cough ; Cross Infection ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Humans ; Middle East* ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Republic of Korea ; Respiratory System ; Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is one of the most important tissue-invasive CMV diseases in immunocompromised patients. Since 1980, non-invasive diagnostic methods, notably the CMV antigenemia assay, have been widely used as adjunct tests to diagnose tissue-invasive CMV diseases. However, there are limited data on the diagnostic value of the CMV antigenemia assay for diagnosing CMV retinitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all cases of CMV retinitis at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea over a 9-year period. The diagnosis of CMV retinitis was made by experienced ophthalmologists according to medical history and an ophthalmoscopic appearance of typical retinopathy, together with absence of an alternative diagnosis. RESULTS: We analyzed 44 patients with CMV retinitis (affecting 57 eyes) for whom the CMV antigenemia assay was performed. Of the 44 patients, 31 (70%) were HIV-uninfected and 13 (30%) were HIV-infected. The overall sensitivity of the CMV antigenemia assay was 66% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50–80%). The test’s sensitivity showed a non-significant trend towards being higher in HIV-infected patients than in HIV-uninfected patients (sensitivity 85% vs 58%, respectively, P = 0.16). In a subgroup analysis of the 35 patients without other concurrent tissue-invasive CMV disease, the sensitivity of the CMV antigenemia assay was 57% (95% CI 40–74%). CONCLUSIONS: The CMV antigenemia assay has limited value as a non-invasive diagnostic adjunct test for CMV retinitis. Therefore, the results of the assay need to be interpreted in the context of underlying disease, clinical presentation, and ophthalmoscopic findings.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Cytomegalovirus Retinitis* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Korea ; Retinitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have multisystem origins with heterogeneous manifestations that develop throughout the course of PD. NMS are increasingly recognized as having a significant impact on the health-related quality of life (HrQoL). We aimed to determine the NMS presentation according to PD status, and the associations of NMS with other clinical variables and the HrQoL of Korean PD patients. METHODS: We surveyed patients in 37 movement-disorders clinics throughout Korea. In total, 323 PD patients were recruited for assessment of disease severity and duration, NMS, HrQoL, and other clinical variables including demographics, cognition, sleep scale, fatigability, and symptoms. RESULTS: In total, 98.1% of enrolled PD subjects suffered from various kinds of NMS. The prevalence of NMS and scores in each NMS domain were significantly higher in the PD group, and the NMS worsened as the disease progressed. Among clinical variables, disease duration and depressive mood showed significant correlations with all NMS domains (p<0.001). NMS status impacted HrQoL in PD (rS=0.329, p<0.01), and the association patterns differed with the disease stage. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our survey suggest that NMS in PD are not simply isolated symptoms of degenerative disease, but rather exert significant influences throughout the disease course. A novel clinical approach focused on NMS to develop tailored management strategies is warranted to improve the HrQoL in PD patients.
Cognition ; Demography ; Humans ; Korea ; Movement Disorders* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life*

The original version of this article contained wrong informations of some authors which should be changed.