Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication in orthopedic surgery and has the potential to lead to fatal complications such as pulmonary thromboembolism. However, the precise incidence and risk factors for DVT in the foot and ankle fields remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of DVT and identify its risk factors after foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Between September 2020 and July 2023, screening duplex ultrasonography was performed on 278 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery and required immobilization. The findings from screening duplex ultrasonography were assessed in conjunction with the symptoms present at the time of diagnosis. Heterogeneous demographic data that could serve as potential risk factors for DVT, including diagnosis, body mass index, and other medical histories, were examined alongside pertinent surgeryrelated data, such as tourniquet time. Results: Among the 278 individuals, DVT occurred in 41 patients (14.7%). Among these, 92.7% originated at the calf level and the majority were asymptomatic. The cases originating above the calf accounted for 3 cases, representing 7.3% of patients diagnosed with DVT (1.1% of the entire screened population). Acute trauma, history of previous DVT, and old age were identified as statistically significant risk factors for DVT occurrence, with odds ratios of 2.44 (p = 0.04), 6.40 (p = 0.02), and 1.16 (p = 0.03), respectively. Conclusions After foot and ankle surgery, DVT occurred in 14.7% of cases. Acute trauma, history of DVT, and old age were identified as risk factors for DVT. These findings highlight the necessity of careful monitoring and appropriate prophylactic interventions for high-risk patients. Further investigation is required to determine effective prophylactic strategies for this patient population.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication in orthopedic surgery and has the potential to lead to fatal complications such as pulmonary thromboembolism. However, the precise incidence and risk factors for DVT in the foot and ankle fields remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of DVT and identify its risk factors after foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Between September 2020 and July 2023, screening duplex ultrasonography was performed on 278 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery and required immobilization. The findings from screening duplex ultrasonography were assessed in conjunction with the symptoms present at the time of diagnosis. Heterogeneous demographic data that could serve as potential risk factors for DVT, including diagnosis, body mass index, and other medical histories, were examined alongside pertinent surgeryrelated data, such as tourniquet time. Results: Among the 278 individuals, DVT occurred in 41 patients (14.7%). Among these, 92.7% originated at the calf level and the majority were asymptomatic. The cases originating above the calf accounted for 3 cases, representing 7.3% of patients diagnosed with DVT (1.1% of the entire screened population). Acute trauma, history of previous DVT, and old age were identified as statistically significant risk factors for DVT occurrence, with odds ratios of 2.44 (p = 0.04), 6.40 (p = 0.02), and 1.16 (p = 0.03), respectively. Conclusions After foot and ankle surgery, DVT occurred in 14.7% of cases. Acute trauma, history of DVT, and old age were identified as risk factors for DVT. These findings highlight the necessity of careful monitoring and appropriate prophylactic interventions for high-risk patients. Further investigation is required to determine effective prophylactic strategies for this patient population.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication in orthopedic surgery and has the potential to lead to fatal complications such as pulmonary thromboembolism. However, the precise incidence and risk factors for DVT in the foot and ankle fields remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of DVT and identify its risk factors after foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Between September 2020 and July 2023, screening duplex ultrasonography was performed on 278 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery and required immobilization. The findings from screening duplex ultrasonography were assessed in conjunction with the symptoms present at the time of diagnosis. Heterogeneous demographic data that could serve as potential risk factors for DVT, including diagnosis, body mass index, and other medical histories, were examined alongside pertinent surgeryrelated data, such as tourniquet time. Results: Among the 278 individuals, DVT occurred in 41 patients (14.7%). Among these, 92.7% originated at the calf level and the majority were asymptomatic. The cases originating above the calf accounted for 3 cases, representing 7.3% of patients diagnosed with DVT (1.1% of the entire screened population). Acute trauma, history of previous DVT, and old age were identified as statistically significant risk factors for DVT occurrence, with odds ratios of 2.44 (p = 0.04), 6.40 (p = 0.02), and 1.16 (p = 0.03), respectively. Conclusions After foot and ankle surgery, DVT occurred in 14.7% of cases. Acute trauma, history of DVT, and old age were identified as risk factors for DVT. These findings highlight the necessity of careful monitoring and appropriate prophylactic interventions for high-risk patients. Further investigation is required to determine effective prophylactic strategies for this patient population.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication in orthopedic surgery and has the potential to lead to fatal complications such as pulmonary thromboembolism. However, the precise incidence and risk factors for DVT in the foot and ankle fields remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of DVT and identify its risk factors after foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Between September 2020 and July 2023, screening duplex ultrasonography was performed on 278 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery and required immobilization. The findings from screening duplex ultrasonography were assessed in conjunction with the symptoms present at the time of diagnosis. Heterogeneous demographic data that could serve as potential risk factors for DVT, including diagnosis, body mass index, and other medical histories, were examined alongside pertinent surgeryrelated data, such as tourniquet time. Results: Among the 278 individuals, DVT occurred in 41 patients (14.7%). Among these, 92.7% originated at the calf level and the majority were asymptomatic. The cases originating above the calf accounted for 3 cases, representing 7.3% of patients diagnosed with DVT (1.1% of the entire screened population). Acute trauma, history of previous DVT, and old age were identified as statistically significant risk factors for DVT occurrence, with odds ratios of 2.44 (p = 0.04), 6.40 (p = 0.02), and 1.16 (p = 0.03), respectively. Conclusions After foot and ankle surgery, DVT occurred in 14.7% of cases. Acute trauma, history of DVT, and old age were identified as risk factors for DVT. These findings highlight the necessity of careful monitoring and appropriate prophylactic interventions for high-risk patients. Further investigation is required to determine effective prophylactic strategies for this patient population.

We aimed to develop a cloud-based telemedicine platform for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at local hospitals in rural and underserved areas in Gangwon-do using artificial intelligence and non-face-to-face collaboration treatment technology. This is a prospective and multi-center development project in which neurosurgeons from four university hospitals in Gangwondo will participate. Information technology experts will verify and improve the performance of the cloud-based telemedicine collaboration platform while treating ICH patients in the actual medical field. Problems identified will be resolved, and the function, performance, security, and safety of the telemedicine platform will be checked through an accredited certification authority. The project will be carried out over 4 years and consists of two phases. The first phase will be from April 2022 to December 2023, and the second phase will be from April 2024 to December 2025. The platform will be developed by dividing the work of the neurosurgeons and information technology experts by setting the order of items through mutual feedback. This article provides information on a project to develop a cloud-based telemedicine platform for acute ICH patients in Gangwon-do.

Background: Infectious disease (ID) specialists are skilled facilitators of medical consultation who promote better outcomes in patient survival, antibiotic stewardship as well as healthcare safety in pandemic response. This study aimed to assess the working status of ID specialists and identify problems faced by ID professionals in Korea. Methods: This was a nationwide cross-sectional study in Korea. An online-based survey was conducted over 11 days (from December 17–27, 2020), targeting all active adult (n = 281) and pediatric (n = 71) ID specialists in Korea (N = 352). Questions regarding the practice areas of the specialists were divided into five categories: 1) clinical practices of outpatient care, inpatient care, and consultations; 2) infection control; 3) antibiotic stewardship; 4) research; and 5) education and training. We investigated the weekly time-use patterns for these areas of practice. Results: Of the 352 ID specialists, 195 (55.4%; 51.2% [144/281] adult and 71.8% [51/71] pediatric ID specialists) responded in the survey. Moreover, 144 (73.8%) of the total respondents were involved in all practice categories investigated. The most common practice area was outpatient service (93.8%), followed by consultation (91.3%) and inpatient service (87.7%). Specialists worked a median of 61 (interquartile range: 54–71) hours weekly: patient care, 29 (14–37) hours; research 11 (5–19) hours; infection control 4 (2–10) hours; antibiotic stewardship, 3 (1–5) hours; and education/training, 2 (2–6) hours. Conclusion ID specialists in Korea simultaneously undertake multiple tasks and work long hours, highlighting the need for training and employing more ID specialists.

PURPOSE: Transducin-like enhancer of split 1 (TLE1) is a member of the TLE family of transcriptional co-repressors that control the transcription of a wide range of genes. We investigated the prognostic significance of TLE1 protein expression in breast cancers by using immunohistochemistry and explored the relationship of TLE1 with clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed on 456 cases of breast cancer tiled on tissue microarrays. The relationship between TLE1 expression in normal breast specimens and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was also analyzed. RESULTS: TLE1 was highly expressed in 57 of 456 (12.5%) carcinoma samples. TLE1 was more frequently expressed in DCIS and invasive breast cancers than in normal breast tissue (p=0.002). High expression of TLE1 significantly correlated with negative lymph node (LN) metastasis (p=0.007), high histologic grade (p<0.001), estrogen receptor negativity (p<0.001), progesterone receptor negativity (p<0.001), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity (p<0.001), and high Ki-67 proliferation index (p<0.001). Based on intrinsic subtypes, high TLE1 expression was strongly associated with HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) (p<0.001). Survival analysis demonstrated no significant association between TLE1 expression and disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.167) or overall survival (OS) (p=0.286). In subgroup analyses, no correlation was found between TLE1 expression and DFS or OS according to LN status or intrinsic subtype. CONCLUSION: High TLE1 expression is significantly associated with the HER2+ and TNBC subtypes. This is the first study documenting immunohistochemical expression of TLE1 in invasive breast cancer and its association with clinicopathological parameters, prognosis, and intrinsic subtype.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Co-Repressor Proteins ; Disease-Free Survival ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

PURPOSE: PIK3CA is often mutated in a variety of malignancies, including colon, gastric, ovary, breast, and brain tumors. We investigated PIK3CA expression in gastric cancer and explored the relationships between the PIK3CA expression level and clinicopathological features as well as survival of the patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined PIK3CA expression in a tissue microarray of 178 gastric adenocarcinomas by immunohisto-chemistry and reviewed patients' medical records. RESULTS: In our study, 112 of the 178 gastric cancer patients displayed positive PIK3CA expression. Overexpression of PIK3CA was correlated with low grade differentiation (P=0.001), frequent lymphatic invasion (P=0.032), and high T stage (P=0.040). Patients with positive PIK3CA staining were more likely to display worse overall survival rate than those with negative PIK3CA staining, as determined by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test (P=0.047) and a univariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model (hazard ratio=1.832, P=0.051). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PIK3CA expression was significantly correlated with tumor invasiveness, tumor phenotypes, and poor patient survival.
Adenocarcinoma ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast ; Colon ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Medical Records ; Ovary ; Phenotype ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is a catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2, a highly conserved histone methyltransferase. EZH2 overexpression has been implicated in various malignancies, including breast cancer, where is associated with poor outcomes. This study aims to clarify nuclear EZH2 expression levels in breast cancers using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlate these findings with clinicopathologic variables, including prognostic significance. METHODS: IHC was performed on tissue microarrays of 432 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tumors. Associations between EZH2 expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, and molecular subtype were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between EZH2 protein expression in normal breast tissue and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was also assessed. RESULTS: High EZH2 expression was demonstrated in 215 of 432 tumors (49.8%). EZH2 was more frequently expressed in DCIS and IDC than in normal breast tissue (p=0.001). High EZH2 expression significantly correlated with high histologic grade (p<0.001), large tumor size (p=0.014), advanced pathologic stage (p=0.006), negative estrogen receptor status (p<0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status (p<0.001), high Ki-67 staining index (p<0.001), positive cytokeratin 5/6 status (p=0.003), positive epidermal growth factor receptor status (p<0.001), and positive p53 status (p<0.001). Based on molecular subtypes, high EZH2 expression was significantly associated with HER2-negative luminal B, HER2-positive luminal B, and HER2 type and triple-negative basal cancers (p<0.001). In patients with luminal A, there was a significant trend toward shorter overall survival for those with tumors having high EZH2 expression compared to those with tumors having low EZH2 expression (p=0.045). CONCLUSION: EZH2 is frequently upregulated in breast malignancies, and it may play an important role in cancer development and progression. Furthermore, EZH2 may be a prognostic marker, especially in patients with luminal A cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Catalytic Domain ; Estrogens ; Histones ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Phenobarbital* ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies