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.

The aim of this study was to assess the current status of pediatric dental consultations at Seoul Asan Medical Center and to explore ways to improve pediatric oral health and dental care. From 2021 to 2023, 4947 patients visited this department, among whom 873 (18%, 492 males and 381 females) referred from other departments. At the time of referrals, 44% of the patients were aged 0 ‒ 4 years, with a mean age of 6.2. Out of 1,145 consultations, 716 (63%) occurred during hospitalization and 429 (37%) in outpatient settings. Inpatients received treatment within an average of 3.7 days, whereas outpatients waited an average of 54.6 days. To date, 272 (31%) patients are still attending the pediatric dentistry, and 46 (5%) have died. Approximately 30% of referrals came from the Pediatric Hematology Oncology, 12% from the Neonatology, and 10% from the Medical Genetics Center. The most common reasons for referrals were oral examinations (37%). Dental caries were found in 272 patients (31%), of whom 43% received caries treatments. Out of all treatments, 751 (66%) cases were oral examinations, 128 (11%) were caries treatments, and 35 patients received treatments under general anesthesia. Pediatric dentists must be equipped with the appropriate skills to promote oral health, which is closely linked to the overall health of pediatric patients. Additionally, it is hoped that active collaboration between pediatric dentistry and pediatrics will enhance dental care and treatment for these patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the current status of pediatric dental consultations at Seoul Asan Medical Center and to explore ways to improve pediatric oral health and dental care. From 2021 to 2023, 4947 patients visited this department, among whom 873 (18%, 492 males and 381 females) referred from other departments. At the time of referrals, 44% of the patients were aged 0 ‒ 4 years, with a mean age of 6.2. Out of 1,145 consultations, 716 (63%) occurred during hospitalization and 429 (37%) in outpatient settings. Inpatients received treatment within an average of 3.7 days, whereas outpatients waited an average of 54.6 days. To date, 272 (31%) patients are still attending the pediatric dentistry, and 46 (5%) have died. Approximately 30% of referrals came from the Pediatric Hematology Oncology, 12% from the Neonatology, and 10% from the Medical Genetics Center. The most common reasons for referrals were oral examinations (37%). Dental caries were found in 272 patients (31%), of whom 43% received caries treatments. Out of all treatments, 751 (66%) cases were oral examinations, 128 (11%) were caries treatments, and 35 patients received treatments under general anesthesia. Pediatric dentists must be equipped with the appropriate skills to promote oral health, which is closely linked to the overall health of pediatric patients. Additionally, it is hoped that active collaboration between pediatric dentistry and pediatrics will enhance dental care and treatment for these patients.

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.

The aim of this study was to assess the current status of pediatric dental consultations at Seoul Asan Medical Center and to explore ways to improve pediatric oral health and dental care. From 2021 to 2023, 4947 patients visited this department, among whom 873 (18%, 492 males and 381 females) referred from other departments. At the time of referrals, 44% of the patients were aged 0 ‒ 4 years, with a mean age of 6.2. Out of 1,145 consultations, 716 (63%) occurred during hospitalization and 429 (37%) in outpatient settings. Inpatients received treatment within an average of 3.7 days, whereas outpatients waited an average of 54.6 days. To date, 272 (31%) patients are still attending the pediatric dentistry, and 46 (5%) have died. Approximately 30% of referrals came from the Pediatric Hematology Oncology, 12% from the Neonatology, and 10% from the Medical Genetics Center. The most common reasons for referrals were oral examinations (37%). Dental caries were found in 272 patients (31%), of whom 43% received caries treatments. Out of all treatments, 751 (66%) cases were oral examinations, 128 (11%) were caries treatments, and 35 patients received treatments under general anesthesia. Pediatric dentists must be equipped with the appropriate skills to promote oral health, which is closely linked to the overall health of pediatric patients. Additionally, it is hoped that active collaboration between pediatric dentistry and pediatrics will enhance dental care and treatment for these patients.

Background: Liver disease causes over two million deaths annually worldwide, comprising approximately 4% of all global fatalities. We aimed to analyze liver disease-related mortality trends from 1990 to 2021 using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mortality Database and forecast global liver disease-related mortality rates up to 2050. Methods: This study examined age-standardized liver disease-related death rates from 1990 to 2021, employing data from the WHO Mortality Database across 112 countries across five continents. The rates over time were calculated using a locally weighted scatter plot smoother curve, with weights assigned based on the population of each country. Furthermore, this study projected liver disease-related mortality rates up to 2050 using a Bayesian age-periodcohort (BAPC) model. Additionally, a decomposition analysis was conducted to discern influencing factors such as population growth, aging, and epidemiological changes. Results: The estimated global age-standardized liver disease-related mortality rates surged significantly from 1990 to 2021 across 112 countries, rising from 103.4 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.16, 118.74) in 1990 to 173.0 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 155.15, 190.95) in 2021. This upward trend was particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, in Africa, and in populations aged 65 years and older.Moreover, age-standardized liver disease-related mortality rates were correlated with a lower Human Development Index (P < 0.001) and sociodemographic index (P = 0.001). According to the BAPC model, the projected trend indicated a sustained and substantial decline in liver disease-related mortality rates, with an estimated decrease from 185.08 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 179.79, 190.63) in 2021 to 156.29 (112.32, 214.77) in 2050. From 1990 to 2021, age-standardized liver disease-related deaths surged primarily due to epidemiological changes, whereas from 1990 to 2050, the impact of population aging and growth became the primary contributing factors to the overall increase. Conclusion Global age-standardized liver disease-related mortality has increased significantly and continues to emerge as a crucial global public health issue. Further investigation into liver disease-related mortality rates in Africa is needed, and updating policies is necessary to effectively manage the global burden of liver disease.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses significant health risks to both mothers and newborns, requiring rigorous self-management and frequent medical consultations. Advances in information and communications technology (ICT) have shown promising results in reducing the number of in-person visits for GDM management. ICT enhances patient self-care engagement, with some studies reporting reductions in average blood glucose and HbA1c levels. ICT for GDM management has demonstrated benefits such as fewer in-person visits, improved adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose, increased global user satisfaction, and maintenance of blood glucose control and perinatal outcomes. Common barriers to ICT for GDM include technological literacy, inadequate education, limited technical support, the additional burden of non-customized applications, and restricted interoperability. Further research is needed on the impact of technology on GDM management to optimize digital health solutions.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most important opportunistic viral pathogen in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients.The Korean guideline for the prevention of CMV infection in SOT recipients was developed jointly by the Korean Society for Infectious Diseases and the Korean Society of Transplantation. CMV serostatus of both donors and recipients should be screened before transplantation to best assess the risk of CMV infection after SOT. Seronegative recipients receiving organs from seropositive donors face the highest risk, followed by seropositive recipients. Either antiviral prophylaxis or preemptive therapy can be used to prevent CMV infection. While both strategies have been demonstrated to prevent CMV infection post-transplant, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. CMV serostatus, transplant organ, other risk factors, and practical issues should be considered for the selection of preventive measures. There is no universal viral load threshold to guide treatment in preemptive therapy. Each institution should define and validate its own threshold.Valganciclovir is the favored agent for both prophylaxis and preemptive therapy. The evaluation of CMV-specific cellmediated immunity and the monitoring of viral load kinetics are gaining interest, but there was insufficient evidence to issue recommendations. Specific considerations on pediatric transplant recipients are included.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses significant health risks to both mothers and newborns, requiring rigorous self-management and frequent medical consultations. Advances in information and communications technology (ICT) have shown promising results in reducing the number of in-person visits for GDM management. ICT enhances patient self-care engagement, with some studies reporting reductions in average blood glucose and HbA1c levels. ICT for GDM management has demonstrated benefits such as fewer in-person visits, improved adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose, increased global user satisfaction, and maintenance of blood glucose control and perinatal outcomes. Common barriers to ICT for GDM include technological literacy, inadequate education, limited technical support, the additional burden of non-customized applications, and restricted interoperability. Further research is needed on the impact of technology on GDM management to optimize digital health solutions.