The extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) CTX-M-55, a CTX-M-15 variant distinguished by an amino-acid substitution (Ala77Val), has enhanced enzymatic activity due to higher structural stability. In Korea, CTX-M-55 remains insufficiently characterized, particularly in the context of urinary tract infections (UTIs). We identified CTX-M-55 among uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates and compared its microbiological characteristics with those of CTX-M-15. In total, 247 E. coli isolates were collected from patients with acute pyelonephritis at Hanyang University Seoul Hospital, an 860-bed tertiary-care hospital, between July 2019 and December 2021. ESBL production was confirmed using a double-disk synergy test, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. Resistance genes were detected using PCR, and CTX-M-15 sequences were analyzed. Among 38 isolates detected using PCR, eight were confirmed as CTX-M-55 using further sequence analysis. CTXM-55 showed (P > 0.05) a trend toward increased resistance to aztreonam, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and cefepime, while showing decreased resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanate and piperacillin/tazobactam. CTX-M-55 had higher MIC 50 values than CTX-M-15 for ceftazidime ( > 16 vs. 8 µg/mL), cefepime (32 vs. 1 µg/mL), and piperacillin/tazobactam (0.5 vs.0.25 µg/mL). Virulence factors and coexisting resistance genes did not significantly differ.Our findings suggest that, given its increased resistance to ceftazidime and cefepime, CTXM-55 should be considered when treating UTIs in Korea.

An auricular pseudocyst is an uncommon, benign cystic lesion that frequently occurs in the auricles of middle-aged male patients, characterized histologically by an intracartilaginous, non-epithelial-lined cystic space. This report presents two cases of auricular pseudocysts successfully treated using deroofing procedures, with excellent long-term outcomes observed at 6-month and 5-year follow-up, respectively. Although various treatment modalities may be employed for these lesions, surgical deroofing is considered a conventional and reliable option that provides low recurrence rates and superior aesthetic outcomes.

An auricular pseudocyst is an uncommon, benign cystic lesion that frequently occurs in the auricles of middle-aged male patients, characterized histologically by an intracartilaginous, non-epithelial-lined cystic space. This report presents two cases of auricular pseudocysts successfully treated using deroofing procedures, with excellent long-term outcomes observed at 6-month and 5-year follow-up, respectively. Although various treatment modalities may be employed for these lesions, surgical deroofing is considered a conventional and reliable option that provides low recurrence rates and superior aesthetic outcomes.

An auricular pseudocyst is an uncommon, benign cystic lesion that frequently occurs in the auricles of middle-aged male patients, characterized histologically by an intracartilaginous, non-epithelial-lined cystic space. This report presents two cases of auricular pseudocysts successfully treated using deroofing procedures, with excellent long-term outcomes observed at 6-month and 5-year follow-up, respectively. Although various treatment modalities may be employed for these lesions, surgical deroofing is considered a conventional and reliable option that provides low recurrence rates and superior aesthetic outcomes.

An auricular pseudocyst is an uncommon, benign cystic lesion that frequently occurs in the auricles of middle-aged male patients, characterized histologically by an intracartilaginous, non-epithelial-lined cystic space. This report presents two cases of auricular pseudocysts successfully treated using deroofing procedures, with excellent long-term outcomes observed at 6-month and 5-year follow-up, respectively. Although various treatment modalities may be employed for these lesions, surgical deroofing is considered a conventional and reliable option that provides low recurrence rates and superior aesthetic outcomes.

Glomus tumors (GTs) are rare benign vascular neoplasms that predominantly occur in the subungual region of the digits. However, these neoplasms have also been reported in other anatomical locations. Extradigital GTs often present in atypical locations with unconventional symptoms, posing potential diagnostic challenges for clinicians. Herein, we present a recent case of an extradigital GT found in the forearm of a 76-yearold male patient that exhibited intraoperative features similar to those of a nerve sheath tumor or intravascular tumor, further underscoring these diagnostic challenges. This report highlights the pivotal role of frozen section pathology in diagnosing and managing this atypical lesion, thereby facilitating optimal patient care.

Objective: Although maintenance treatment for mood disorders is important, the treatment discontinuation rate is reported to be high. This study aimed to investigate the dropout rates and associated factors in mood disorders. Methods: The patients in a mood disorder clinic (n = 535) were examined. Demographic and clinical factors, scores of psychometric scales, time to dropout from initial treatment in patients with bipolar disorder (BP) (n = 288) and depressive disorder (DD) (n = 143) were evaluated based on database of the mood disorder clinic. Results: Among the studied patients with BP and DD, 50% showed dropout in 4.05 and 2.17 years, respectively. The mean survival times were 8.90 years in bipolar disorder I (BP-I), 5.19 years in bipolar II disorder, 3.22 years in bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, 4.24 years in major depressive disorder, and 4.03 years in other depressive disorders.In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model in the BP group, diagnosis BP-I was found to be significantly related to the decrease in dropout rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.22, p = 0.001); however, increased past suicide attempt number was significantly related to the increase in dropout rate (HR = 1.13, p = 0.017). In the DD group, none of anxiety disorders as comorbidity, increased scores of openness, and extraversion personality were related to the increase in dropout rate. Conclusion Patients with BP, especially BP-I, showed a lower dropout rate as compared to patients with other mood disorders.

Purpose: The duties of paramedics and emergency medical technicians (P&EMTs) are continuously changing due to developments in medical systems. This study presents evaluation goals for P&EMTs by analyzing their work, especially the tasks that new P&EMTs (with less than 3 years’ experience) find difficult, to foster the training of P&EMTs who could adapt to emergency situations after graduation. Methods: A questionnaire was created based on prior job analyses of P&EMTs. The survey questions were reviewed through focus group interviews, from which 253 task elements were derived. A survey was conducted from July 10, 2023 to October 13, 2023 on the frequency, importance, and difficulty of the 6 occupations in which P&EMTs were employed. Results: The P&EMTs’ most common tasks involved obtaining patients’ medical histories and measuring vital signs, whereas the most important task was cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The task elements that the P&EMTs found most difficult were newborn delivery and infant CPR. New paramedics reported that treating patients with fractures, poisoning, and childhood fever was difficult, while new EMTs reported that they had difficulty keeping diaries, managing ambulances, and controlling infection. Conclusion Communication was the most important item for P&EMTs, whereas CPR was the most important skill. It is important for P&EMTs to have knowledge of all tasks; however, they also need to master frequently performed tasks and those that pose difficulties in the field. By deriving goals for evaluating P&EMTs, changes could be made to their education, thereby making it possible to train more capable P&EMTs.

Objectives: This study was conducted to systematically summarize trends in research concerning patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as reported in Korean medical journals. Methods: We performed a literature search of KoreaMed from January 2020 to September 2022. We included only primary studies of patients with COVID-19. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts, then performed full-text screening, both independently and in duplicate. We first identified the 5 journals with the greatest numbers of eligible publications, then extracted data pertaining to the general characteristics, study population attributes, and research features of papers published in these journals. Results: Our analysis encompassed 142 primary studies. Of these, approximately 41.0% reported a funding source, while 3.5% disclosed a conflict of interest. In 2020, 42.9% of studies included fewer than 10 participants; however, by 2022, the proportion of studies with over 200 participants had increased to 40.6%. The most common design was the cohort study (48.6%), followed by case reports/series (35.2%). Only 3 randomized controlled trials were identified. Studies most frequently focused on prognosis (58.5%), followed by therapy/intervention (20.4%). Regarding the type of intervention/exposure, therapeutic clinical interventions comprised 26.1%, while studies of morbidity accounted for 13.4%. As for the outcomes measured, 50.7% of studies assessed symptoms/clinical status/improvement, and 14.1% evaluated mortality. Conclusions Employing a systematic approach, we examined the characteristics of research involving patients with COVID-19 that was published in Korean medical journals from 2020 onward. Subsequent research should assess not only publication trends over a longer timeframe but also the quality of evidence provided.

A 71-year-old female patient developed cellulitis-like lesions at the burns from moxibustion of the right calf. The lesion was unilateral, a single confluent lesion with swelling and tenderness. Oral antibiotic treatment was performed with a poor clinical response. The patient was hospitalized and received intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics, but the lesion progressed without improvement. Considering the possibility of erythema nodosum, the prescription was changed to methylprednisolone, and the redness, warmth and swelling improved the day after. A skin biopsy revealed features suggestive of panniculitis