Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

Background: The World Health Organization has declared the end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. However, this did not indicate the end of COVID-19. Several months after the infection, numerous patients complain of respiratory or nonspecific symptoms; this condition is called long COVID. Even patients with mild COVID-19 can experience long COVID, thus the burden of long COVID remains considerable. Therefore, we conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the effects of long COVID using multi-faceted assessments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021 in six tertiary hospitals in Korea. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after discharge. Long COVID was defined as the persistence of three or more COVID-19-related symptoms. The primary outcome of this study was the prevalence of long COVID after the period of COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 290 patients were enrolled. Among them, 54.5 and 34.6% experienced long COVID within 6 months and after more than 18 months, respectively. Several patients showed abnormal results when tested for post-traumatic stress disorder (17.4%) and anxiety (31.9%) after 18 months. In patients who underwent follow-up chest computed tomography 18 months after COVID-19, abnormal findings remained at 51.9%. Males (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.53; P=0.004) and elderly (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09; P=0.04) showed a significant association with long COVID after 12–18 months in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Many patients still showed long COVID after 18 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. When managing these patients, the assessment of multiple aspects is necessary.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent health issue that causes the irreversible loss of functioning nephrons, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. Hypertension is the leading cause of CKD. However, the effect of long-term blood pressure (BP) changes on the development of CKD is still unknown. Therefore, the current study investigated the association between BP trajectory and the future development of CKD. METHODS: In this study, 246,874 individuals aged ≥40 years who underwent health examinations during the screening period (2002-2009) were evaluated. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectory was determined using latent-class mixture modeling. New-onset CKD was identified during the follow-up period (2010-2019). The association between SBP trajectories and new-onset CKD was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 111,900 adults (53,420 females, 51.9±6.4 years old) presented with 2 SBP trajectory classes: class 1 (n=66,935) and class 2 (n=44,965). During the follow-up period, patients with SBP trajectory class 2 had an approximately 2.1-fold increased risk of developing CKD (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99 to 2.25; p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for other significant variables, SBP trajectory class 2 was significantly associated with CKD in males (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.19; p=0.037), but not in females (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.18; p=0.321). CONCLUSIONS An elevated longitudinal BP was associated with a higher incidence of CKD in male participants aged ≥40 years. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to validate the clinical significance of an elevated SBP trajectory on CKD development.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent health issue that causes the irreversible loss of functioning nephrons, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. Hypertension is the leading cause of CKD. However, the effect of long-term blood pressure (BP) changes on the development of CKD is still unknown. Therefore, the current study investigated the association between BP trajectory and the future development of CKD. METHODS: In this study, 246,874 individuals aged ≥40 years who underwent health examinations during the screening period (2002-2009) were evaluated. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectory was determined using latent-class mixture modeling. New-onset CKD was identified during the follow-up period (2010-2019). The association between SBP trajectories and new-onset CKD was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 111,900 adults (53,420 females, 51.9±6.4 years old) presented with 2 SBP trajectory classes: class 1 (n=66,935) and class 2 (n=44,965). During the follow-up period, patients with SBP trajectory class 2 had an approximately 2.1-fold increased risk of developing CKD (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99 to 2.25; p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for other significant variables, SBP trajectory class 2 was significantly associated with CKD in males (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.19; p=0.037), but not in females (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.18; p=0.321). CONCLUSIONS An elevated longitudinal BP was associated with a higher incidence of CKD in male participants aged ≥40 years. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to validate the clinical significance of an elevated SBP trajectory on CKD development.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent health issue that causes the irreversible loss of functioning nephrons, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. Hypertension is the leading cause of CKD. However, the effect of long-term blood pressure (BP) changes on the development of CKD is still unknown. Therefore, the current study investigated the association between BP trajectory and the future development of CKD. METHODS: In this study, 246,874 individuals aged ≥40 years who underwent health examinations during the screening period (2002-2009) were evaluated. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectory was determined using latent-class mixture modeling. New-onset CKD was identified during the follow-up period (2010-2019). The association between SBP trajectories and new-onset CKD was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 111,900 adults (53,420 females, 51.9±6.4 years old) presented with 2 SBP trajectory classes: class 1 (n=66,935) and class 2 (n=44,965). During the follow-up period, patients with SBP trajectory class 2 had an approximately 2.1-fold increased risk of developing CKD (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99 to 2.25; p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for other significant variables, SBP trajectory class 2 was significantly associated with CKD in males (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.19; p=0.037), but not in females (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.18; p=0.321). CONCLUSIONS An elevated longitudinal BP was associated with a higher incidence of CKD in male participants aged ≥40 years. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to validate the clinical significance of an elevated SBP trajectory on CKD development.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent health issue that causes the irreversible loss of functioning nephrons, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. Hypertension is the leading cause of CKD. However, the effect of long-term blood pressure (BP) changes on the development of CKD is still unknown. Therefore, the current study investigated the association between BP trajectory and the future development of CKD. METHODS: In this study, 246,874 individuals aged ≥40 years who underwent health examinations during the screening period (2002-2009) were evaluated. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectory was determined using latent-class mixture modeling. New-onset CKD was identified during the follow-up period (2010-2019). The association between SBP trajectories and new-onset CKD was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 111,900 adults (53,420 females, 51.9±6.4 years old) presented with 2 SBP trajectory classes: class 1 (n=66,935) and class 2 (n=44,965). During the follow-up period, patients with SBP trajectory class 2 had an approximately 2.1-fold increased risk of developing CKD (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99 to 2.25; p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for other significant variables, SBP trajectory class 2 was significantly associated with CKD in males (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.19; p=0.037), but not in females (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.18; p=0.321). CONCLUSIONS An elevated longitudinal BP was associated with a higher incidence of CKD in male participants aged ≥40 years. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to validate the clinical significance of an elevated SBP trajectory on CKD development.

Background: Since the emergence of hypervirulent strains of Clostridioides difficile, the incidence of C. difficile infections (CDI) has increased significantly. Methods: To assess the incidence of CDI in Korea, we conducted a prospective multicentre observational study from October 2020 to October 2021. Additionally, we calculated the incidence of CDI from mass data obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from 2008 to 2020. Results: In the prospective study with active surveillance, 30,212 patients had diarrhoea and 907 patients were diagnosed with CDI over 1,288,571 patient-days and 193,264 admissions in 18 participating hospitals during 3 months of study period; the CDI per 10,000 patientdays was 7.04 and the CDI per 1,000 admission was 4.69. The incidence of CDI was higher in general hospitals than in tertiary hospitals: 6.38 per 10,000 patient-days (range: 3.25–12.05) and 4.18 per 1,000 admissions (range: 1.92–8.59) in 11 tertiary hospitals, vs. 9.45 per 10,000 patient-days (range: 5.68–13.90) and 6.73 per 1,000 admissions (range: 3.18–15.85) in seven general hospitals. With regard to HIRA data, the incidence of CDI in all hospitals has been increasing over the 13-year-period: from 0.3 to 1.8 per 10,000 patient-days, 0.3 to 1.6 per 1,000 admissions, and 6.9 to 56.9 per 100,000 population, respectively. Conclusion The incidence of CDI in Korea has been gradually increasing, and its recent value is as high as that in the United State and Europe. CDI is underestimated, particularly in general hospitals in Korea.

Purpose: Cention N (Ivoclar Vivadent) was a recently introduced alkasite-based restorative material that was expected to replace amalgam and glass ionomer cement. This material was an esthetic restoration with adequate mechanical strength and release of fluoride and calcium. The purpose of this study was to measure the water sorption and water solubility of Cention N and evaluate its long-term durability compared to other esthetic restorations (Resin-Modified Glass Ionomer cement [RMGIC], Giomer, Composite Resin). Materials and Methods: Twenty specimens each of Cention N (CN), Resin Modified-Glass Ionomer Cement (FJ), Giomer (BF), and Composite Resin (FZ) were made. After each specimen was completely dried in a desiccator for 24 hours using a vacuum pressure pump, the specimen was weighed (m1). After that, the specimen was immersed in distilled water at 37°C for 7 days, stored in a drying oven, and weighed (m2). After drying completely for 24 hours in a desiccator, the specimen was weighed (m3) to calculate the water absorption and water solubility using Formulas 1 and 2. The measured values were statistically processed and analyzed using SPSS, and the significance level was set at 0.05.Result: When measuring water sorption, FJ (122.61 μg/mm3 ) showed significantly higher water sorption than CN (35.42 μg/mm3 ) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between FZ (18.03 μg/mm3 ) and BF (14.76 μg/mm3 ) (P=0.930). When measuring water solubility, CN (6.65 μg/mm3 ) showed significantly higher water solubility than FJ (1.47 μg/mm3 ) (P<0.05). Conclusion Cention N had lower water sorption than RMGIC, but higher water solubility, indicating that it is more vulnerable to moisture and has lessened long-term durability.

A case of persistent Ralstonia mannitolilytica bacteremia in the neonatal intensive care unit prompted source investigation due to its rarity. After an extensive investigation, a contaminated ultrasonic nebulizer was identified as the source, and the infection was controlled by removing the source. This study emphasizes the importance of further investigations, even in single cases of rare pathogens.