Background: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common benign vascular tumor that occurs during infancy. Oral propranolol is used as a first-line treatment. However, standardized guidelines for evaluating treatment efficacy, particularly the appropriate timing and parameters for Doppler ultrasound (US), have not been established. This study reports on the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of oral propranolol solution in IH patients using Doppler US, and aims to propose the appropriate timing and parameters for using Doppler US based on this experience. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients with IH who were treated with oral propranolol solution and maintained for over 6 months from May 2017 to April 2023. Doppler US evaluation of IH was performed at diagnosis, 1-2 and 6-12 months after treatment initiation, and 6 months post-therapy cessation. A complete response (CR) was identified as a reduction in vascularity along with a decrease in longest diameter (LD) or thickness of 50% or more. Recurrence was evaluated based on increased vascularity or size 6 months after treatment discontinuation. Results: Of 120 patients with IH, 82 females and 38 males were analyzed. IH was first detected at a median age of 12 days (range, 1-240 days), and treatment began at 76 days (range, 27-570 days), continuing for an average of 10.4 months (range, 5-24 months). Initial Doppler US measurements showed an LD of 2.65±1.52 cm and a thickness of 0.79±0.55 cm, with prominent vascularity. After 1-2 months of treatment, LD and thickness decreased by 12.9% and 25.9%, respectively. By 6-12 months, reductions reached 37.2% and 53.6%. CR occurred in 77 patients (64.2%) after 6-12 months of treatment. Eleven patients (9.2%) experienced a recurrence. Conclusion Doppler US is a valuable modality for evaluating the characteristics, treatment response, and recurrence of IH treated with oral propranolol.

Background: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common benign vascular tumor that occurs during infancy. Oral propranolol is used as a first-line treatment. However, standardized guidelines for evaluating treatment efficacy, particularly the appropriate timing and parameters for Doppler ultrasound (US), have not been established. This study reports on the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of oral propranolol solution in IH patients using Doppler US, and aims to propose the appropriate timing and parameters for using Doppler US based on this experience. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients with IH who were treated with oral propranolol solution and maintained for over 6 months from May 2017 to April 2023. Doppler US evaluation of IH was performed at diagnosis, 1-2 and 6-12 months after treatment initiation, and 6 months post-therapy cessation. A complete response (CR) was identified as a reduction in vascularity along with a decrease in longest diameter (LD) or thickness of 50% or more. Recurrence was evaluated based on increased vascularity or size 6 months after treatment discontinuation. Results: Of 120 patients with IH, 82 females and 38 males were analyzed. IH was first detected at a median age of 12 days (range, 1-240 days), and treatment began at 76 days (range, 27-570 days), continuing for an average of 10.4 months (range, 5-24 months). Initial Doppler US measurements showed an LD of 2.65±1.52 cm and a thickness of 0.79±0.55 cm, with prominent vascularity. After 1-2 months of treatment, LD and thickness decreased by 12.9% and 25.9%, respectively. By 6-12 months, reductions reached 37.2% and 53.6%. CR occurred in 77 patients (64.2%) after 6-12 months of treatment. Eleven patients (9.2%) experienced a recurrence. Conclusion Doppler US is a valuable modality for evaluating the characteristics, treatment response, and recurrence of IH treated with oral propranolol.

Background: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common benign vascular tumor that occurs during infancy. Oral propranolol is used as a first-line treatment. However, standardized guidelines for evaluating treatment efficacy, particularly the appropriate timing and parameters for Doppler ultrasound (US), have not been established. This study reports on the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of oral propranolol solution in IH patients using Doppler US, and aims to propose the appropriate timing and parameters for using Doppler US based on this experience. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients with IH who were treated with oral propranolol solution and maintained for over 6 months from May 2017 to April 2023. Doppler US evaluation of IH was performed at diagnosis, 1-2 and 6-12 months after treatment initiation, and 6 months post-therapy cessation. A complete response (CR) was identified as a reduction in vascularity along with a decrease in longest diameter (LD) or thickness of 50% or more. Recurrence was evaluated based on increased vascularity or size 6 months after treatment discontinuation. Results: Of 120 patients with IH, 82 females and 38 males were analyzed. IH was first detected at a median age of 12 days (range, 1-240 days), and treatment began at 76 days (range, 27-570 days), continuing for an average of 10.4 months (range, 5-24 months). Initial Doppler US measurements showed an LD of 2.65±1.52 cm and a thickness of 0.79±0.55 cm, with prominent vascularity. After 1-2 months of treatment, LD and thickness decreased by 12.9% and 25.9%, respectively. By 6-12 months, reductions reached 37.2% and 53.6%. CR occurred in 77 patients (64.2%) after 6-12 months of treatment. Eleven patients (9.2%) experienced a recurrence. Conclusion Doppler US is a valuable modality for evaluating the characteristics, treatment response, and recurrence of IH treated with oral propranolol.

Background: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common benign vascular tumor that occurs during infancy. Oral propranolol is used as a first-line treatment. However, standardized guidelines for evaluating treatment efficacy, particularly the appropriate timing and parameters for Doppler ultrasound (US), have not been established. This study reports on the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of oral propranolol solution in IH patients using Doppler US, and aims to propose the appropriate timing and parameters for using Doppler US based on this experience. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients with IH who were treated with oral propranolol solution and maintained for over 6 months from May 2017 to April 2023. Doppler US evaluation of IH was performed at diagnosis, 1-2 and 6-12 months after treatment initiation, and 6 months post-therapy cessation. A complete response (CR) was identified as a reduction in vascularity along with a decrease in longest diameter (LD) or thickness of 50% or more. Recurrence was evaluated based on increased vascularity or size 6 months after treatment discontinuation. Results: Of 120 patients with IH, 82 females and 38 males were analyzed. IH was first detected at a median age of 12 days (range, 1-240 days), and treatment began at 76 days (range, 27-570 days), continuing for an average of 10.4 months (range, 5-24 months). Initial Doppler US measurements showed an LD of 2.65±1.52 cm and a thickness of 0.79±0.55 cm, with prominent vascularity. After 1-2 months of treatment, LD and thickness decreased by 12.9% and 25.9%, respectively. By 6-12 months, reductions reached 37.2% and 53.6%. CR occurred in 77 patients (64.2%) after 6-12 months of treatment. Eleven patients (9.2%) experienced a recurrence. Conclusion Doppler US is a valuable modality for evaluating the characteristics, treatment response, and recurrence of IH treated with oral propranolol.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have a higher mortality rate compared to the general population. However, no study has investigated life expectancy in Korean HD patients so far. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate the remaining life expectancy among Korean maintenance HD patients and compare it to those of the general population as well as HD patients from other countries. Methods: Baseline data were retrieved from HD quality assessment data from 2015. Among the patients over 30 years old who were alive at the beginning of 2016 (20,304 males and 14,264 females), a total of 22,078 (12,621 males and 9,457 females) were still alive at the end of 2021 while 12,490 (7,683 males and 4,807 females) were deceased during 6 years of follow-up. We used the life table method to calculate the expected remaining years of life in 2-year increments. Results: The remaining life expectancies for 60-year-old patients were 11.64 years for males and 14.64 years for females. The average remaining life expectancies of the HD population were only about half of the general population. Diabetic patients demonstrated shorter life expectancy compared to patients with hypertension or glomerulonephritis. The remaining life expectancy of Korean HD patients was similar to that of Japanese and was almost double that of HD patients in Western countries such as Europe and the United States. Conclusion: The HD population shows a shorter life expectancy compared to the general population. Longitudinal analysis should be warranted to analyze the effect of advanced dialysis technology on improved survival rates among the HD population.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have a higher mortality rate compared to the general population. However, no study has investigated life expectancy in Korean HD patients so far. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate the remaining life expectancy among Korean maintenance HD patients and compare it to those of the general population as well as HD patients from other countries. Methods: Baseline data were retrieved from HD quality assessment data from 2015. Among the patients over 30 years old who were alive at the beginning of 2016 (20,304 males and 14,264 females), a total of 22,078 (12,621 males and 9,457 females) were still alive at the end of 2021 while 12,490 (7,683 males and 4,807 females) were deceased during 6 years of follow-up. We used the life table method to calculate the expected remaining years of life in 2-year increments. Results: The remaining life expectancies for 60-year-old patients were 11.64 years for males and 14.64 years for females. The average remaining life expectancies of the HD population were only about half of the general population. Diabetic patients demonstrated shorter life expectancy compared to patients with hypertension or glomerulonephritis. The remaining life expectancy of Korean HD patients was similar to that of Japanese and was almost double that of HD patients in Western countries such as Europe and the United States. Conclusion: The HD population shows a shorter life expectancy compared to the general population. Longitudinal analysis should be warranted to analyze the effect of advanced dialysis technology on improved survival rates among the HD population.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have a higher mortality rate compared to the general population. However, no study has investigated life expectancy in Korean HD patients so far. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate the remaining life expectancy among Korean maintenance HD patients and compare it to those of the general population as well as HD patients from other countries. Methods: Baseline data were retrieved from HD quality assessment data from 2015. Among the patients over 30 years old who were alive at the beginning of 2016 (20,304 males and 14,264 females), a total of 22,078 (12,621 males and 9,457 females) were still alive at the end of 2021 while 12,490 (7,683 males and 4,807 females) were deceased during 6 years of follow-up. We used the life table method to calculate the expected remaining years of life in 2-year increments. Results: The remaining life expectancies for 60-year-old patients were 11.64 years for males and 14.64 years for females. The average remaining life expectancies of the HD population were only about half of the general population. Diabetic patients demonstrated shorter life expectancy compared to patients with hypertension or glomerulonephritis. The remaining life expectancy of Korean HD patients was similar to that of Japanese and was almost double that of HD patients in Western countries such as Europe and the United States. Conclusion: The HD population shows a shorter life expectancy compared to the general population. Longitudinal analysis should be warranted to analyze the effect of advanced dialysis technology on improved survival rates among the HD population.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have a higher mortality rate compared to the general population. However, no study has investigated life expectancy in Korean HD patients so far. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate the remaining life expectancy among Korean maintenance HD patients and compare it to those of the general population as well as HD patients from other countries. Methods: Baseline data were retrieved from HD quality assessment data from 2015. Among the patients over 30 years old who were alive at the beginning of 2016 (20,304 males and 14,264 females), a total of 22,078 (12,621 males and 9,457 females) were still alive at the end of 2021 while 12,490 (7,683 males and 4,807 females) were deceased during 6 years of follow-up. We used the life table method to calculate the expected remaining years of life in 2-year increments. Results: The remaining life expectancies for 60-year-old patients were 11.64 years for males and 14.64 years for females. The average remaining life expectancies of the HD population were only about half of the general population. Diabetic patients demonstrated shorter life expectancy compared to patients with hypertension or glomerulonephritis. The remaining life expectancy of Korean HD patients was similar to that of Japanese and was almost double that of HD patients in Western countries such as Europe and the United States. Conclusion: The HD population shows a shorter life expectancy compared to the general population. Longitudinal analysis should be warranted to analyze the effect of advanced dialysis technology on improved survival rates among the HD population.

Although several therapeutic agents have been evaluated for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there are lack of effective and proven treatments for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of regdanvimab on mortality in COVID-19–infected patients on hemodialysis (HD). Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective study in 230 COVID-19–infected patients on HD, of whom 77 (33.5%) were administered regdanvimab alone or in combination with dexamethasone or remdesivir during hospitalization (regdanvimab group) and 153 patients (66.5%) were not (no regdanvimab group). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We compared mortality rates according to the use of regdanvimab and investigated the factors associated with mortality. Results: Fifty-nine deaths occurred during hospitalization, 49 in the no regdanvimab group (32.0%) and 10 in the regdanvimab group (13.0%), and the mortality rate was significantly higher in the no regdanvimab group than that in the regdanvimab group (p = 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that malignancy (p = 0.001), SPO2 of <95% at admission (p = 0.003), and administration of antibiotics and regdanvimab (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002, respectively) were significantly associated factors with mortality. Conclusion: Regdanvimab administration is beneficial in improving prognosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients on HD. Considering the vulnerability to infection and high mortality of ESRD patients, regdanvimab may be considered as a therapeutic option in COVID-19 patients on HD.

It is important for the dialysis specialist to provide essential and safe care to hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, little is known about the actual effect of dialysis specialist care on the survival of HD patients. We therefore investigated the influence of dialysis specialist care on patient mortality in a nationwide Korean dialysis cohort. Methods: We used an HD quality assessment and National Health Insurance Service claims data from October to December 2015. A total of 34,408 patients were divided into two groups according to the proportion of dialysis specialists in their HD unit, as follows: 0%, no dialysis specialist care group, and ≥50%, dialysis specialist care group. We analyzed the mortality risk of these groups using the Cox proportional hazards model after matching propensity scores. Results: After propensity score matching, 18,344 patients were enrolled. The ratio of patients from the groups with and without dialysis specialist care was 86.7% to 13.3%. The dialysis specialist care group showed a shorter dialysis vintage, higher levels of hemoglobin, higher single-pool Kt/V values, lower levels of phosphorus, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the no dialysis specialist care group. After adjusting demographic and clinical parameters, the absence of dialysis specialist care was a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.18; p = 0.004). Conclusion: Dialysis specialist care is an important determinant of overall patient survival among HD patients. Appropriate care given by dialysis specialists may improve clinical outcomes of patients undergoing HD.