This study aims to develop a standardized informed consent system for whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based newborn screening (NBS) in Korea through a policy design approach grounded in the domestic legal and policy context. We conducted an integrated literature review of international norms, domestic legal frameworks, guidelines, and major overseas WGS-based NBS programs using a common analytical framework. To develop a consent model feasible in the Korean context, we also analyzed stakeholder evidence from parent interviews and a clinician survey focused on consentrelated issues. The findings indicate that the current Korean legal and institutional framework does not adequately address long-term storage, reanalysis, recontact, and the transfer of decision-making authority as the child matures. Based on these findings, we propose a Korean informed consent model consisting of a staged consent pathway spanning antenatal, postnatal, and adulthood-related decision points; tiered consent options for the return of results; and safeguards against disadvantage or discrimination related to participation, non-participation, or withdrawal. The study further suggests that implementation will require broader legal and procedural clarification across the relevant regulatory framework, along with the continued development of education and counseling strategies.

Myopia, particularly high myopia, is a significant risk factor for several ocular pathologies including cataract, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. Excessive axial elongation associated with high myopia can induce biomechanical stretching, increasing the risk of serious complications like posterior staphyloma and myopic maculopathy. Global meta-analyses estimate that approximately 10 million people were visually impaired due to myopic maculopathy in 2015, with 3 million being blind. Recent nationwide surveys in South Korea revealed a prevalence of 65.4% for myopia and 6.9% for high myopia in children and adolescents, highlighting the urgent need for effective management. Delaying the onset and slowing the progression of myopia during childhood and adolescence is crucial for reducing the potential lifetime risk of these complications. This consensus statement, prepared by the Korean Myopia Society for the Korean Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (KAPOS), reviews the current evidence for myopia control interventions and provides management strategies applicable to the South Korean clinical setting. Key interventions covered include lifestyle modifications (outdoor time, near work adjustment), optical methods (myopia-control spectacle lenses, dual-focus soft contact lenses, orthokeratology), and pharmacologic treatment (low-concentration atropine), as well as combination therapies. The statement also addresses patient selection, treatment outcome evaluation using spherical equivalent and axial length changes, and the crucial aspects related to treatment cessation and the rebound effect.

This paper explores the implementation of SNOMED CT in the field of ophthalmology, focusing on the analysis of ophthalmology-related concepts and their clinical applications. SNOMED CT, a globally recognized standardized medical terminology system, is designed to enhance the accuracy and consistency of medical data and facilitate seamless information exchange across healthcare systems. Through detailed analysis, we identified 13,096 concepts directly related to ophthalmology, encompassing body structures, clinical findings, procedures, and examinations. Compared to other classification systems such as KCD-8, SNOMED CT is superior, especially in terms of granularity of concepts related to ophthalmic diseases and procedures. Additionally, SNOMED CT improves interoperability, reduces redundant procedures, and enhances data accuracy, ultimately contributing to patient safety and clinical decision-making. Despite its potential, the adoption of SNOMED CT in ophthalmology has been limited, particularly in South Korea. To promote the adoption of SNOMED CT in ophthalmology, there is need for expert training, support for professional groups, and active participation in international collaborations. The successful integration of SNOMED CT into ophthalmology will not only improve the precision and effectiveness of clinical documentation but also advance research capabilities and global health information exchange.

Informed consent for whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based newborn screening presents distinctive ethical and legal challenges, particularly in balancing parental consent given on behalf of the child with the progressive realization of children’s rights. This study examines the issues discussed in the literature and proposes consent frameworks that are responsive to evolving clinical and societal contexts. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, analyzing 19 empirical, normative, and legal studies. The synthesis identified persistent tensions between safeguarding parental autonomy and ensuring the child’s future selfdetermination, alongside challenges in determining the scope, timing, and format of genomic information disclosure. International models increasingly adopt dynamic consent processes, such as staged consent or re-consent upon reaching legal capacity. These approaches illustrate the feasibility of aligning clinical utility, public health objectives, and rights-based ethics within largescale genomic programs. Based on its findings, this study recommends the implementation of staged consent mechanisms, transparent disclosure protocols, and procedural safeguards tailored to domestic legal and political frameworks. Such evolving consent practices are expected to support the development of ethically robust and socially sustainable governance for WGS-based newborn screening.

Purpose: This study was performed to assess the clinical validity and accuracy of a deep learning-based automatic landmarking algorithm for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Three-dimensional (3D) CBCT head measurements obtained through manual and automatic landmarking were compared. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 CBCT scans were divided into 3 groups: non-surgical (39 cases); surgical without hardware, namely surgical plates and mini-screws (9 cases); and surgical with hardware (32 cases). Each CBCT scan was analyzed to obtain 53 measurements, comprising 27 lengths, 21 angles, and 5 ratios, which weredetermined based on 65 landmarks identified using either a manual or a 3D automatic landmark detection method. Results: In comparing measurement values derived from manual and artificial intelligence landmarking, 6 items displayed significant differences: R U6CP-L U6CP, R L3CP-L L3CP, S-N, Or_R-R U3CP, L1L to Me-GoL, and GoR-Gn/S-N (P<0.05). Of the 3 groups, the surgical scans without hardware exhibited the lowest error, reflecting the smallest difference in measurements between human- and artificial intelligence-based landmarking. The timerequired to identify 65 landmarks was approximately 40-60 minutes per CBCT volume when done manually,compared to 10.9 seconds for the artificial intelligence method (PC specifications: GeForce 2080Ti, 64GB RAM, and an Intel i7 CPU at 3.6 GHz). Conclusion Measurements obtained with a deep learning-based CBCT automatic landmarking algorithm were similar in accuracy to values derived from manually determined points. By decreasing the time required to calculatethese measurements, the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment may be improved.

This report presents the latest statistics on the stroke population in South Korea, sourced from the Clinical Research Collaborations for Stroke in Korea-National Institute for Health (CRCS-K-NIH), a comprehensive, nationwide, multicenter stroke registry. The Korean cohort, unlike western populations, shows a male-to-female ratio of 1.5, attributed to lower risk factors in Korean women. The average ages for men and women are 67 and 73 years, respectively.Hypertension is the most common risk factor (67%), consistent with global trends, but there is a higher prevalence of diabetes (35%) and smoking (21%). The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (19%) is lower than in western populations, suggesting effective prevention strategies in the general population. A high incidence of large artery atherosclerosis (38%) is observed, likely due to prevalent intracranial arterial disease in East Asians and advanced imaging techniques.There has been a decrease in intravenous thrombolysis rates, from 12% in 2017–2019 to 10% in 2021, with no improvements in door-to-needle and door-to-puncture times, worsened by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. While the use of aspirin plus clopidogrel for noncardioembolic stroke and direct oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation is well-established, the application of direct oral anticoagulants for non-atrial fibrillation cardioembolic strokes in the acute phase requires further research. The incidence of early neurological deterioration (13%) and the cumulative incidence of recurrent stroke at 3 months (3%) align with global figures. Favorable outcomes at 3 months (63%) are comparable internationally, yet the lack of improvement in dependency at 3 months highlights the need for advancements in acute stroke care.

The aim of this video is to present the procedural details of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with aortocaval (infrarenal aortic bifurcation) lymphadenectomy, partial resection of the pelvic peritoneum (peritoneal carcinomatosis index, 3), and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in a patient who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage IVc colorectal cancer. The total operation time was 290 minutes, and the patient was discharged on a postoperative day 13 without any complications. No postoperative complications occurred until postoperative day 60. The pathological stage of the tumor was determined to be T3N2bM1c. The pelvic peritoneal nodule was pathologically confirmed as a metastatic lesion. Among the 12 harvested aortocaval lymph nodes, 6 were metastatic lymph nodes. The minimally invasive approach was safe and feasible in this highly selected patient with colon cancer, aortocaval lymph nodes, and peritoneal metastases.

Purpose: This study conducted a job analysis of visiting nurses in the process of change. Methods: Participants were the visiting nurses working for the Seoul Metropolitan city. On the basis of the Public Health Intervention Wheel model, two times of the focus group interview (FGI) with seven visiting nurses and one time of the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) with 34 visiting nurses were performed. A questionnaire survey of 380 visiting nurses was conducted to examine the frequency, importance and difficulty levels of the tasks created by using the FGI and DACUM. Results: Visiting nurses’ job was derived as the theme of present versus transitional roles. The present role was categorized as ‘providing individual- and group-focused services’ and ‘conducting organization management’, while the transitional role was categorized as ‘providing district-focused services’ and ‘responding to new health issues’. The job generated 13 duties, 28 tasks, and 73task elements. The tasks showed the levels of frequency (3.65 scores), importance (4.27 scores), and difficulty (3.81 scores). All the tasks were determined as important, exceeding the average 4.00 scores. The group- and district-focused services of the tasks were recognized as more difficult but less frequent tasks. Conclusion The visiting nurses exert both present and transitional roles. The transitional roles identified in the present study should be recognized as an extended role of visiting nurses in accordance with the current changing healthcare needs in South Korea. Finally, the educational curriculum for visiting nurses that reflects the transitional roles from the present study is needed.

Purpose: Although adjuvant chemotherapy (CTx) is still recommended for high-risk patients with hormone receptorpositive and human epidermal receptor (HER)-2-negative breast cancer, recent studies found that selected patients with low disease burden may be spared from CTx and receive hormonal treatment (HT) alone. This study aims to evaluate the trends of treatment (CTx + HT vs. HT alone) in Korea and to assess the impact on overall survival (OS) according to treatment pattern. Methods: The Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry was queried (2000 to 2018) for women with pT1-2N0-1 hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative disease who underwent surgery and adjuvant systemic treatment (CTx and HT). Clinicopathologic factors, change in pattern of treatment over time, and OS for each treatment option were analyzed. Results: A total of 40,938 women were included in the study; 20,880 (51.0%) received CTx + HT, while 20,058 (49.0%) received HT only. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the use of HT alone, from 21.0% (2000) to 64.6% (2018). In Cox regression analysis, age, type of breast and axillary operations, T and N stages, body mass index, histologic grade,and presence of lymphovascular invasion were prognostic indicators for OS. There was no significant difference between CTx + HT and HT alone in terms of OS (P = 0.126). Conclusion Over the years, there has been a shift from CTx + HT to HT alone without a significant difference in OS. Therefore, HT alone could be a safe treatment option in selected patients, even those with T2N1 disease.

Background and Objectives: Globus pharyngeus is one of the most common symptoms of patients visiting otorhinolaryngology out-patient clinic, and usually long-lasting, difficult to treat, and frequently recurrent. Mucomyst®, N-acetyl cysteine is an inhalation agent mainly used for mucolysis and reducing inflammation in airway via antioxidative effect. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of inhaled Mucomyst® treatment in patients with globus pharyngeus refractory to proton pump inhibitor (PPI).Materials and Method We prospectively evaluated the efficacy of Mucomyst® in relieving symptoms of globus pharyngeus refractory to PPI in nine medical centers. Three hundred and three patients enrolled and finally 229 patients finished the inhaled Mucomyst® therapy for 8 weeks. We analyzed the change of Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for globus, and Globus Pharyngeus Symptom Scale (GPS) after use of Mucomyst® for 4 and 8 weeks. Results: The GPS, RSI, RFS, and VAS score significantly decreased serially in patients who finished 8 week-inhalation treatment. The GPS improvement gap was significantly correlated with initial GPS (p<0.001) in multiple regression analysis. Conclusion Inhaled Mucomyst® therapy was effective for the reduction of both subjective and objective findings in refractory globus patients. This study might suggest new treatment option for patients with globus. However, further thorough studies would be needed to assess the real effect of inhaled Mucomyst® treatment as a standard treatment for globus.