Purpose: The Korean Oral Biobank Network (KOBN) collects, stores, and provides oral samples for research. Quality control (QC) of biospecimens is necessary to ensure that they meet the basic prerequisites before being sent to researchers. This study presents the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the QC of biospecimens. Methods: QC methods using molecular genetic techniques according to sample types, including teeth, blood, oral soft tissue, oral tissue-derived cells, saliva, mouth rinse solution, dental plaque, and gingival crevicular fluid, are described in detail. Results: The KOBN established SOP for oral biospecimen QC and assessment methods. Conclusions To ensure a stable supply of high-quality biospecimens for researchers, regular QC checks should be carried out according to the SOP following the specifications of the Korea Biobank Network under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems.To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program. Methods: K-QIPS was successfully launched in 87 general hospitals. This nationwide surgical quality improvement program covers 5 major surgical fields: gastric surgery, colorectal surgery, hepatectomy and liver transplantation, pancreatectomy, and kidney transplantation. Results: Common and surgery-specific complication platforms will be developed, and the program will work toward the implementation of an artificial intelligence-based complication prediction system and the provision of evidence-based feedback to participating institutions. K-QIPS represents a significant step toward improving surgical quality and patient safety in Korea. Conclusion This program aims to reduce postoperative complications, mortality, and medical costs by providing a standardized platform for complication management and prediction. The successful implementation of this nationwide project may provide a good model for other countries that are required to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems.To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program. Methods: K-QIPS was successfully launched in 87 general hospitals. This nationwide surgical quality improvement program covers 5 major surgical fields: gastric surgery, colorectal surgery, hepatectomy and liver transplantation, pancreatectomy, and kidney transplantation. Results: Common and surgery-specific complication platforms will be developed, and the program will work toward the implementation of an artificial intelligence-based complication prediction system and the provision of evidence-based feedback to participating institutions. K-QIPS represents a significant step toward improving surgical quality and patient safety in Korea. Conclusion This program aims to reduce postoperative complications, mortality, and medical costs by providing a standardized platform for complication management and prediction. The successful implementation of this nationwide project may provide a good model for other countries that are required to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems.To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program. Methods: K-QIPS was successfully launched in 87 general hospitals. This nationwide surgical quality improvement program covers 5 major surgical fields: gastric surgery, colorectal surgery, hepatectomy and liver transplantation, pancreatectomy, and kidney transplantation. Results: Common and surgery-specific complication platforms will be developed, and the program will work toward the implementation of an artificial intelligence-based complication prediction system and the provision of evidence-based feedback to participating institutions. K-QIPS represents a significant step toward improving surgical quality and patient safety in Korea. Conclusion This program aims to reduce postoperative complications, mortality, and medical costs by providing a standardized platform for complication management and prediction. The successful implementation of this nationwide project may provide a good model for other countries that are required to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prophylactic abdominal drainage (AD) in laparoscopic hemicolectomy, focusing on assessing postoperative pain outcomes. Methods: Patients were categorized into two groups: those with and without AD (AD group vs.no-AD group). A numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to assess postoperative pain on each postoperative day (POD). Further, the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to reduce intergroup bias. Results: In total, 204 patients who underwent laparoscopic hemicolectomies by a single surgeon between June 2013 and September 2022 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. After adjusting for IPTW, NRS scores on POD 2 were significantly lower in the no-AD group (3.2 ± 0.8 vs. 3.4 ± 0.8, p = 0.043). Further examination of postoperative outcomes showed no statistically significant differences in complications between the AD (17.3%) and no-AD (12.4%) groups (p = 0.170). The postoperative length of hospital stay was 7.3 ± 2.8 days in the AD group and 6.9 ± 3.0 days in the no-AD group, with no significant difference (p = 0.298). Time to first flatus was 3.0 ± 0.9 days in the AD group and 2.7 ± 0.9 days in the no-AD group, with no significant difference (p = 0.078). Regarding readmission within 1 month, there were four cases each in the AD (2.3%) and no-AD (1.7%) groups, with no significant difference (p = 0.733). Conclusion Laparoscopic hemicolectomy without AD resulted in no significant differences in postoperative clinical outcomes, except for postoperative pain. This finding suggests that prophylactic AD may exacerbate postoperative pain.

During routine antenatal ultrasound examinations, an ovarian mass can be found incidentally. In clinical practice, the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant ovarian masses is essential for planning further management. Ultrasound imaging has become the most popular diagnostic tool during pregnancy, with the recent development of ultrasonography. In non-pregnant women, several methods have been used to predict malignant ovarian masses before surgery. The International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group reported several scoring systems, such as the IOTA simple rules, IOTA logistic regression models, and IOTA assessment of different NEoplasias in the adneXa. Other researchers have also evaluated the malignancy of ovarian masses before surgery using scoring systems such as the Sassone score, pelvic mass score, DePriest score, Lerner score, and Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System. These researchers suggested specific features of ovarian masses that can be used for differential diagnosis, including size, proportion of solid tissue, papillary projections, inner wall structure, locules, wall thickness, septa, echogenicity, acoustic shadows, and presence of ascites. Although these factors can also be measured in pregnant women using ultrasound, only a few studies have applied ovarian scoring systems in pregnant women. In this article, we reviewed various scoring systems for predicting malignant tumors of the ovary and determined whether they can be applied to pregnant women.

Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. Methods: Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. Results: Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). Conclusion Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.

Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. Methods: Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. Results: Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). Conclusion Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.