Objective: This is the first prospective cohort study of Huntington’s disease (HD) in Korea. This study aimed to investigate the caregiver burden in relation to the characteristics of patients and caregivers. Methods: From August 2020 to February 2022, we enrolled patients with HD from 13 university hospitals in Korea. We used the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12) to evaluate the caregiver burden. We evaluated the clinical associations of the ZBI-12 scores by linear regression analysis and investigated the differences between the low- and high-burden groups. Results: Sixty-five patients with HD and 45 caregivers were enrolled in this cohort study. The average age at onset of motor symptoms was 49.3 ± 12.3 years, with an average cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG)n of 42.9 ± 4.0 (38–65). The median ZBI-12 score among our caregivers was 17.6 ± 14.2. A higher caregiver burden was associated with a more severe Shoulson–Fahn stage (p = 0.038) of the patients. A higher ZBI-12 score was also associated with lower independence scale (B = -0.154, p = 0.006) and functional capacity (B = -1.082, p = 0.002) scores of patients. The caregiving duration was longer in the high- than in the low-burden group. Caregivers’ demographics, blood relation, and marital and social status did not affect the burden significantly. Conclusion HD patients’ neurological status exerts an enormous impact on the caregiver burden regardless of the demographic or social status of the caregiver. This study emphasizes the need to establish an optimal support system for families dealing with HD in Korea. A future longitudinal analysis could help us understand how disease progression aggravates the caregiver burden throughout the entire disease course.

Purpose: Cystoscopy is a diagnostic test performed frequently in urology outpatient clinics. Despite the large number of inspections, the associated pain, discomfort, or anxiety can markedly affect patient compliance and adherence to subsequent surveillance protocols. This study conducted a prospective, randomized study to investigate the potential efficacy of music and pyuria on pain or anxiety during outpatient cystoscopy. Materials and Methods: In this single-institution, randomized study, the participants were assigned to a music-intervention or non-music control group. The music-intervention group underwent an identical procedure with the addition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. Urinalysis was performed to determine if pyuria affects pain during the procedure. Results: The patient-reported outcomes, encompassing the changes in the STAI-X-1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X-1) scores, subjective levels of discomfort, embarrassment, satisfaction, and pain, were similar in the two groups. In contrast, the surgeons reported statistically significant differences in their evaluations of the same items as patient-reported outcomes of the two groups. The patient-reported pain showed no significant differences between the pyuria-negative group (0-2 and 3-5 WBC/HPF) and pyuria-positive group (>5 WBC/HPF). Conclusions The data from this study do not support the hypothesis that musical intervention during cystoscopy alleviates pain or anxiety to any significant extent.In addition, pyuria did not affect the patient’s reported pain. Nevertheless, a notable impact was observed in the surgeons’ assessments, suggesting that the musical accompaniment may alter the surgeons’ perception of patient pain and anxiety levels throughout the procedure.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of time to percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) insertion on obstructive ureteral stones with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Data were collected on patients who presented at our Emergency Department between 2017 and 2021 with obstructive uropathy due to urinary stones and underwent PCN insertion. Patients were stratified into 4 groups in accordance with the quick sepsis-related organ failure (qSOFA) score at presentation (<2 or ≥2) and time to PCN insertion (<4 hours or ≥4 hours) as follows: group 1, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 2, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours; group 3, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 4, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours. The prognostic impacts of the time to PCN insertion were compared between these groups Results: The total cohort consisted of 96 patients, of whom 70 were classified as either group 1 or 2 (qSOFA < 2). Overall, 37 patients had a positive urine culture. The median time to PCN insertion was 218 minutes, and the median length of stay was 14 days. The hospitalization period was significantly shorter in group 3 than in group 4 (p=0.041). Conclusions A shorter length of stay was associated with more rapid PCN insertion in patients with obstructive uropathy and a high risk of sepsis.

Purpose: Cystoscopy is a diagnostic test performed frequently in urology outpatient clinics. Despite the large number of inspections, the associated pain, discomfort, or anxiety can markedly affect patient compliance and adherence to subsequent surveillance protocols. This study conducted a prospective, randomized study to investigate the potential efficacy of music and pyuria on pain or anxiety during outpatient cystoscopy. Materials and Methods: In this single-institution, randomized study, the participants were assigned to a music-intervention or non-music control group. The music-intervention group underwent an identical procedure with the addition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. Urinalysis was performed to determine if pyuria affects pain during the procedure. Results: The patient-reported outcomes, encompassing the changes in the STAI-X-1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X-1) scores, subjective levels of discomfort, embarrassment, satisfaction, and pain, were similar in the two groups. In contrast, the surgeons reported statistically significant differences in their evaluations of the same items as patient-reported outcomes of the two groups. The patient-reported pain showed no significant differences between the pyuria-negative group (0-2 and 3-5 WBC/HPF) and pyuria-positive group (>5 WBC/HPF). Conclusions The data from this study do not support the hypothesis that musical intervention during cystoscopy alleviates pain or anxiety to any significant extent.In addition, pyuria did not affect the patient’s reported pain. Nevertheless, a notable impact was observed in the surgeons’ assessments, suggesting that the musical accompaniment may alter the surgeons’ perception of patient pain and anxiety levels throughout the procedure.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of time to percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) insertion on obstructive ureteral stones with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Data were collected on patients who presented at our Emergency Department between 2017 and 2021 with obstructive uropathy due to urinary stones and underwent PCN insertion. Patients were stratified into 4 groups in accordance with the quick sepsis-related organ failure (qSOFA) score at presentation (<2 or ≥2) and time to PCN insertion (<4 hours or ≥4 hours) as follows: group 1, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 2, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours; group 3, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 4, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours. The prognostic impacts of the time to PCN insertion were compared between these groups Results: The total cohort consisted of 96 patients, of whom 70 were classified as either group 1 or 2 (qSOFA < 2). Overall, 37 patients had a positive urine culture. The median time to PCN insertion was 218 minutes, and the median length of stay was 14 days. The hospitalization period was significantly shorter in group 3 than in group 4 (p=0.041). Conclusions A shorter length of stay was associated with more rapid PCN insertion in patients with obstructive uropathy and a high risk of sepsis.

Purpose: The role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment remains controversial. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, nationwide study in Korea to evaluate the outcomes of alloSCT in Asian patients with MM. Materials and Methods: Overall, 109 patients with MM who underwent alloSCT between 2003 and 2020 were included in this study. Data were collected from the Korean Multiple Myeloma Working Party Registry. Results: The overall response rate and stringent complete response plus complete response (CR) rates were 67.0 and 46.8%, respectively, after alloSCT. At a median follow-up of 32.5 months, the 3-year probability of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 69.3% and 71.8%, respectively. The 3-year probabilities of OS rates in the upfront alloSCT, tandem auto-alloSCT, and later alloSCT groups were 75.0%, 88.9%, and 61.1%, respectively. Patients who achieved CR before or after alloSCT had significantly longer OS (89.8 vs. 18 months and 89.8 vs. 15.2 months, respectively). Even though patients who did not achieve CR prior to alloSCT, those who achieve CR after alloSCT had improved PFS and OS compared to those who had no achievement of CR both prior and after alloSCT. Patients who underwent alloSCT with 1-2 prior treatment lines had improved PFS (22.4 vs. 4.5 months) and OS (45.6 vs. 15.3 months) compared to those with three or more prior treatment lines. Conclusion AlloSCT may be a promising therapeutic option especially for younger, chemosensitive patients with earlier implementation from relapse.

Purpose: Cystoscopy is a diagnostic test performed frequently in urology outpatient clinics. Despite the large number of inspections, the associated pain, discomfort, or anxiety can markedly affect patient compliance and adherence to subsequent surveillance protocols. This study conducted a prospective, randomized study to investigate the potential efficacy of music and pyuria on pain or anxiety during outpatient cystoscopy. Materials and Methods: In this single-institution, randomized study, the participants were assigned to a music-intervention or non-music control group. The music-intervention group underwent an identical procedure with the addition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. Urinalysis was performed to determine if pyuria affects pain during the procedure. Results: The patient-reported outcomes, encompassing the changes in the STAI-X-1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X-1) scores, subjective levels of discomfort, embarrassment, satisfaction, and pain, were similar in the two groups. In contrast, the surgeons reported statistically significant differences in their evaluations of the same items as patient-reported outcomes of the two groups. The patient-reported pain showed no significant differences between the pyuria-negative group (0-2 and 3-5 WBC/HPF) and pyuria-positive group (>5 WBC/HPF). Conclusions The data from this study do not support the hypothesis that musical intervention during cystoscopy alleviates pain or anxiety to any significant extent.In addition, pyuria did not affect the patient’s reported pain. Nevertheless, a notable impact was observed in the surgeons’ assessments, suggesting that the musical accompaniment may alter the surgeons’ perception of patient pain and anxiety levels throughout the procedure.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of time to percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) insertion on obstructive ureteral stones with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Data were collected on patients who presented at our Emergency Department between 2017 and 2021 with obstructive uropathy due to urinary stones and underwent PCN insertion. Patients were stratified into 4 groups in accordance with the quick sepsis-related organ failure (qSOFA) score at presentation (<2 or ≥2) and time to PCN insertion (<4 hours or ≥4 hours) as follows: group 1, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 2, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours; group 3, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 4, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours. The prognostic impacts of the time to PCN insertion were compared between these groups Results: The total cohort consisted of 96 patients, of whom 70 were classified as either group 1 or 2 (qSOFA < 2). Overall, 37 patients had a positive urine culture. The median time to PCN insertion was 218 minutes, and the median length of stay was 14 days. The hospitalization period was significantly shorter in group 3 than in group 4 (p=0.041). Conclusions A shorter length of stay was associated with more rapid PCN insertion in patients with obstructive uropathy and a high risk of sepsis.

Purpose: Cystoscopy is a diagnostic test performed frequently in urology outpatient clinics. Despite the large number of inspections, the associated pain, discomfort, or anxiety can markedly affect patient compliance and adherence to subsequent surveillance protocols. This study conducted a prospective, randomized study to investigate the potential efficacy of music and pyuria on pain or anxiety during outpatient cystoscopy. Materials and Methods: In this single-institution, randomized study, the participants were assigned to a music-intervention or non-music control group. The music-intervention group underwent an identical procedure with the addition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on the G String” from Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068. Urinalysis was performed to determine if pyuria affects pain during the procedure. Results: The patient-reported outcomes, encompassing the changes in the STAI-X-1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X-1) scores, subjective levels of discomfort, embarrassment, satisfaction, and pain, were similar in the two groups. In contrast, the surgeons reported statistically significant differences in their evaluations of the same items as patient-reported outcomes of the two groups. The patient-reported pain showed no significant differences between the pyuria-negative group (0-2 and 3-5 WBC/HPF) and pyuria-positive group (>5 WBC/HPF). Conclusions The data from this study do not support the hypothesis that musical intervention during cystoscopy alleviates pain or anxiety to any significant extent.In addition, pyuria did not affect the patient’s reported pain. Nevertheless, a notable impact was observed in the surgeons’ assessments, suggesting that the musical accompaniment may alter the surgeons’ perception of patient pain and anxiety levels throughout the procedure.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of time to percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) insertion on obstructive ureteral stones with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Data were collected on patients who presented at our Emergency Department between 2017 and 2021 with obstructive uropathy due to urinary stones and underwent PCN insertion. Patients were stratified into 4 groups in accordance with the quick sepsis-related organ failure (qSOFA) score at presentation (<2 or ≥2) and time to PCN insertion (<4 hours or ≥4 hours) as follows: group 1, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 2, qSOFA < 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours; group 3, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion < 4 hours; group 4, qSOFA ≥ 2 and time to PCN insertion ≥ 4 hours. The prognostic impacts of the time to PCN insertion were compared between these groups Results: The total cohort consisted of 96 patients, of whom 70 were classified as either group 1 or 2 (qSOFA < 2). Overall, 37 patients had a positive urine culture. The median time to PCN insertion was 218 minutes, and the median length of stay was 14 days. The hospitalization period was significantly shorter in group 3 than in group 4 (p=0.041). Conclusions A shorter length of stay was associated with more rapid PCN insertion in patients with obstructive uropathy and a high risk of sepsis.