Objectives: This study examined dental care utilization among older adults who use long-term care (LTC) insurance and identified sociodemographic and LTC-related factors associated with dental care utilization. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the 2019 data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Elderly Cohort Database. We examined the data of 50,606 beneficiaries aged ≥60 years. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was performed to identify the impact of sociodemographic and LTC-specific factors on dental service utilization. Results: The dental care utilization rate was 29.4%. Higher utilization was significantly associated with male sex, younger age, urban residence, higher income, and disability. Notably, LTC characteristics were strong predictors of dental service utilization: home-based care users were 2.26 times more likely to use dental services than facility-based users (OR=2.26, 95% CI: 2.11-2.43).Utilization significantly decreased with higher LTC severity (grade 1; OR=0.22). Dental utilization was higher when a spouse was the primary caregiver but lower when care was provided by paid caregivers. Conclusions Dental care utilization among LTC recipients is constrained by structural factors, including benefit types and caregiving environments. Policy efforts should focus on institutionalizing home-visit dental services and enhancing caregivers’ oral health competencies within the LTC system.

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Background: Primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders (pcCD30-LPDs) are a diseases with various clinical and prognostic characteristics. Objective: Increasing our knowledge of the clinical characteristics of pcCD30-LPDs and identifying potential prognostic variables in an Asian population. Methods: Clinicopathological features and survival data of pcCD30-LPD cases obtained from 22 hospitals in South Korea were examined. Results: A total of 413 cases of pcCD30-LPDs (lymphomatoid papulosis [LYP], n=237; primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma [C-ALCL], n=176) were included. Ninety percent of LYP patients and roughly 50% of C-ALCL patients presented with multiple skin lesions. Both LYP and C-ALCL affected the lower limbs most frequently. Multiplicity and advanced T stage of LYP lesions were associated with a chronic course longer than 6 months. Clinical morphology with patch lesions and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase were significantly associated with LPDs during follow-up in LYP patients. Extracutaneous involvement of C-ALCL occurred in 13.2% of patients. Lesions larger than 5 cm and increased serum lactate dehydrogenase were associated with a poor prognosis in C-ALCL. The survival of patients with C-ALCL was unaffected by the anatomical locations of skin lesions or other pathological factors. Conclusion The multiplicity or size of skin lesions was associated with a chronic course of LYP and survival among patients with C-ALCL.

Objective To explore the application effect of ultrasound-assisted localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures.Methods A total of 114 elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery with spinal anesthesia in our hospital from September 2022 to June 2024 were enrolled.The random number table method was applied to allocate participants into two groups:surface anatomical landmark localization group and ultrasound-assisted localization group,with 57 patients in each group.Both groups of patients underwent spinal anesthesia via the paramedian approach for puncture.The first-attempt puncture success rate,success rate of the initial puncture site,number of skin punctures,number of adjusted epidural needle direction,positioning time of the puncture point,puncture time(puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time),adverse events during the puncture process(nerve hypersensitivity and accidental puncture of the dura mater),spinal anesthesia related complications(back pain,headache,and nerve injury),patient satisfaction and hospital stay were observed and compared between the two groups.The quality of early postoperative recovery was evaluated by using the 15-Item Quality of Recovery(QOR-15)scale at 24 h after surgery.Results The first-attempt puncture success rate in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 71.9％(41/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[28.1％(16/57),x2=21.930,P=0.000].The success rate of the initial puncture site in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 87.7％(50/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[54.4％(31/57),x2=15.396,P=0.000].The number of skin punctures and adjusted epidural needle direction in the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1(1,1)and 0(0,1)times,while in the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 2(1,3)and 3(0,5)times,with statistically significant differences(all P=0.000).The puncture positioning time in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 2.2(1.7,3.2)min,which was significantly longer than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[0.8(0.5,1.2)min,Z=-8.418,P=0.000].The puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time of the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1.9(1.7,2.3),4.9(4.3,5.3),and 7.1(6.3,8.7)min,while of the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 5.1(2.3,8.0),7.9(5.7,11.0),and 8.6(6.6,12.0)min,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of nerve hypersensitivity during operation(3.5％vs.7.0％,x2=0.176,P=0.675),accidental puncture of the dura mater by epidural needles(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),postoperative headache(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),and back pain(1.8％vs.10.5％,x2=2.435,P=0.119)between the two groups.Both groups of patients showed no symptoms of nerve injury after surgery.There were no statistically significant differences in QOR-15 scores at 24 h postoperatively[119(115,124)points vs.116(112,121)points,Z=-1.858,P=0.063]and length of hospital stay[10.0(9.0,12.5)dvs.10.0(8.0,13.0)d,Z=-0.043,P=0.966]between the two groups.The satisfaction of patients in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group(P=0.004).Conclusion Application of ultrasound-guided localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures significantly improves the first-attempt puncture and initial puncture site success rates,reduces skin puncture attempts and adjustments of the epidural needle direction,shortens time of anesthetic procedure,and enhances patient satisfaction,making it highly recommendable for clinical use.

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), specifically phthalates, bisphenol A, bisphenol F, and bisphenol S, and the severity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms using neuropsychological tests in children diagnosed with ADHD. Methods: This study included 67 medication-naïve children with ADHD aged 6–16 years. The urinary concentrations of EDCs were measured, and ADHD symptom severity was evaluated using neuropsychological tests and clinical symptom scale measurements. The Jonckheere–Terpstra test, Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses, linear regression models, and multiple regression models were used to examine the relationship between EDC exposure and ADHD symptoms. Results: A significant correlation was observed between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and commission error T-scores in the visual Advanced Test of Attention test. No significant associations were found with other neuropsychological indicators or bisphenol levels. Conclusion Phthalate exposure affects impulsivity in children with ADHD, which is consistent with the results of previous studies that used parental surveys. However, bisphenols are not clearly associated with ADHD symptoms, which is consistent with the results of previous studies.

Background: and Purpose Treatments for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) such as eculizumab, ravulizumab, satralizumab, and inebilizumab have significantly advanced relapse prevention, but they remain expensive. Rituximab is an off-label yet popular alternative that offers a cost-effective solution, but its real-world efficacy needs better quantification for guiding the application of newer approved NMOSD treatments (ANTs). This study aimed to determine real-world rituximab failure rates to anticipate the demand for ANTs and aid in resource allocation. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective study involving 605 aquaporin-4-antibody-positive NMOSD patients from 22 centers in South Korea that assessed the efficacy and safety of rituximab over a median follow-up of 47 months. Results: The 605 patients treated with rituximab included 525 (87%) who received continuous therapy throughout the follow-up period (median=47 months, interquartile range=15–87 months). During this period, 117 patients (19%) experienced at least 1 relapse. Notably, 68 of these patients (11% of the total cohort) experienced multiple relapses or at least 1 severe relapse.Additionally, 2% of the patients discontinued rituximab due to adverse events, which included severe infusion reactions, neutropenia, and infections. Conclusions This study has confirmed the efficacy of rituximab in treating NMOSD, as evidenced by an 87% continuation rate among patients over a 4-year follow-up period. Nevertheless, the occurrence of at least one relapse in 19% of the cohort, including 11% who experienced multiple or severe relapses, and a 2% discontinuation rate due to adverse events highlight the urgent need for alternative therapeutic options.

Background: Given the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic risks, a new term, metabolic dysfunction- associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been proposed. We aimed to explore the association between MASLD and all-cause, cause-specific mortalities. Methods: We included individuals with steatotic liver disease (SLD) from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Moreover, SLD was defined as a fatty liver index ≥30. Furthermore, MASLD, metabolic alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD), and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) with metabolic dysfunction (MD) were categorized based on alcohol consumption and MD. We also analyzed all-cause, liver-, cancer-, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)- and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortalities. Results: This retrospective nationwide cohort study included 1,298,993 individuals aged 40 to 79 years for a mean follow-up duration of 9.04 years. The prevalence of MASLD, MetALD, and ALD with MD was 33.11%, 3.93%, and 1.00%, respectively. Relative to the “no SLD” group, multivariable analysis identified that MASLD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26 to 1.31), MetALD (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.44), and ALD with MD group (aHR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.68 to 1.93) have a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, MASLD, MetALD, ALD with MD groups showed higher liver-, cancer- and HCC-related mortality than “no SLD” group. While all-cause specific mortalities increase from MASLD to MetALD to ALD with MD, the MetALD group shows a lower risk of CV-related mortality compared to MASLD. However, ALD with MD group still have a higher risk of CV-related mortality compared to MASLD. Conclusion SLD is associated with an increased risk of all-cause, liver-, cancer-, HCC-, and CV-related mortalities.

Background: We aimed to investigate the predictive values of plasma C-peptide levels and the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-defined coefficient of variation (CV) in risk prediction for hypoglycemia in Korean people with diabetes with normal and impaired kidney function. Methods: We analyzed data from 1,185 participants diagnosed with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who underwent blinded professional CGM between January 2009 and May 2021 at outpatient clinics. We explored correlations among CGM-defined CV, plasma C-peptide levels, and time below range at <70 and 54 mg/dL across different kidney function categories. Results: In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 1–2 (n=934), 89.3% who had a random plasma C-peptide level higher than 600 pmol/L exhibited a CV of ≤36%. Among those in CKD stage 3 (n=161) with a random plasma C-peptide level exceeding 600 pmol/L, 66.7% showed a CV of ≤36%. In stages 4–5 of CKD (n=90), the correlation between random C-peptide levels and CV was not significant (r=–0.05, P=0.640), including cases with a CV greater than 36% despite very high random plasma C-peptide levels. Random plasma C-peptide levels and CGM-assessed CV significantly predicted hypoglycemia in CKD stages 1–2 and 1–5, respectively. Conclusion The established C-peptide criteria in Western populations are applicable to Korean people with diabetes for hypoglycemic risk prediction, unless kidney function is impaired equivalent to CKD stage 3–5. The CGM-defined CV is informative for hypoglycemic risk prediction regardless of kidney function.

Background: Given the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic risks, a new term, metabolic dysfunction- associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been proposed. We aimed to explore the association between MASLD and all-cause, cause-specific mortalities. Methods: We included individuals with steatotic liver disease (SLD) from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Moreover, SLD was defined as a fatty liver index ≥30. Furthermore, MASLD, metabolic alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD), and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) with metabolic dysfunction (MD) were categorized based on alcohol consumption and MD. We also analyzed all-cause, liver-, cancer-, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)- and cardiovascular (CV)-related mortalities. Results: This retrospective nationwide cohort study included 1,298,993 individuals aged 40 to 79 years for a mean follow-up duration of 9.04 years. The prevalence of MASLD, MetALD, and ALD with MD was 33.11%, 3.93%, and 1.00%, respectively. Relative to the “no SLD” group, multivariable analysis identified that MASLD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26 to 1.31), MetALD (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.44), and ALD with MD group (aHR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.68 to 1.93) have a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, MASLD, MetALD, ALD with MD groups showed higher liver-, cancer- and HCC-related mortality than “no SLD” group. While all-cause specific mortalities increase from MASLD to MetALD to ALD with MD, the MetALD group shows a lower risk of CV-related mortality compared to MASLD. However, ALD with MD group still have a higher risk of CV-related mortality compared to MASLD. Conclusion SLD is associated with an increased risk of all-cause, liver-, cancer-, HCC-, and CV-related mortalities.

Background: We aimed to investigate the predictive values of plasma C-peptide levels and the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-defined coefficient of variation (CV) in risk prediction for hypoglycemia in Korean people with diabetes with normal and impaired kidney function. Methods: We analyzed data from 1,185 participants diagnosed with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who underwent blinded professional CGM between January 2009 and May 2021 at outpatient clinics. We explored correlations among CGM-defined CV, plasma C-peptide levels, and time below range at <70 and 54 mg/dL across different kidney function categories. Results: In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 1–2 (n=934), 89.3% who had a random plasma C-peptide level higher than 600 pmol/L exhibited a CV of ≤36%. Among those in CKD stage 3 (n=161) with a random plasma C-peptide level exceeding 600 pmol/L, 66.7% showed a CV of ≤36%. In stages 4–5 of CKD (n=90), the correlation between random C-peptide levels and CV was not significant (r=–0.05, P=0.640), including cases with a CV greater than 36% despite very high random plasma C-peptide levels. Random plasma C-peptide levels and CGM-assessed CV significantly predicted hypoglycemia in CKD stages 1–2 and 1–5, respectively. Conclusion The established C-peptide criteria in Western populations are applicable to Korean people with diabetes for hypoglycemic risk prediction, unless kidney function is impaired equivalent to CKD stage 3–5. The CGM-defined CV is informative for hypoglycemic risk prediction regardless of kidney function.