Aging has become a global problem, and the interest in healthy aging is growing. Healthy aging involves a focus on the maintenance of the function and well-being of elderly adults, rather than a specific disease. Thus, the management of frailty, which is an accumulated decline in function, is important for healthy aging. The adaptation method was used to develop clinical practice guidelines on frailty management that are applicable in primary care settings. The guidelines were developed in three phases: preparation (organization of committees and establishment of the scope of development), literature screening and evaluation (selection of the clinical practice guidelines to be adapted and evaluation of the guidelines using the Korean Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool), and confirmation of recommendations (three rounds of Delphi consensus and internal and external reviews). A total of 16 recommendations (five recommendations for diagnosis and assessment, 11 recommendations for intervention of frailty) were made through the guideline development process. These clinical practice guidelines provide overall guidance on the identification, evaluation, intervention, and monitoring of frailty, making them applicable in primary care settings. As aging and “healthy aging” become more and more important, these guidelines are also expected to increase in clinical usefulness.

Background: The 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is a metabolite of tobacco-specific lung carcinogen that can be found in both smokers and non-smokers.Particularly, NNAL levels of children with a history of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) are higher than those of adults. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between SHS exposure and urine NNAL levels in Korean adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII. Overall, 648 never-smoking adolescents (425 boys and 223 girls) aged 12 to 18 were included in this study. Logistic regression analyses identified the relationship between SHS exposure and elevated urine NNAL levels. Results: The mean urine NNAL levels of the no exposure and exposure group in boys were 1.39 and 2.26 ng/mL, respectively, whereas they were 1.01 and 2.45 ng/mL in girls, respectively (P < 0.001). Among the adolescents exposed to SHS, the confounder-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for elevated urine NNAL levels according to exposure area as overall, home, and public area were 2.68 (1.58–4.53), 31.02 (9.46–101.74), and 1.89 (1.12–3.17) in boys;and 6.50 (3.22–13.11), 20.09 (7.08–57.04), and 3.94 (1.98–7.77) in girls, respectively. Conclusion SHS exposure was significantly associated with elevated urine NNAL levels in Korean adolescents, particularly in female adolescents and in those with home exposure.These findings remind us of the need to protect adolescents from SHS.

Purpose: To investigate changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and iridocorneal angle (ICA) configuration during smartphone use under room light. Methods: We included healthy adults aged 19-35 years with no ophthalmological abnormalities. All read text on a smartphone for 6 minutes under room light. IOP was measured via rebound tonometry at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 minutes. ICA images were obtained via anterior segment optical coherence tomography after each IOP measurement. After 6 minutes, participants stopped reading text and rested for 2 minutes. IOP was then measured again. Results: The IOP significantly increased at 2, 4, and 6 minutes of reading compared to baseline (p < 0.001) but recovered to baseline after 2 minutes of rest (p = 1.000). The anterior chamber depth decreased significantly, and the anterior chamber angle width increased after 6 minutes of smartphone reading (both p < 0.05). Conclusions IOP increased when reading smartphone text under room light but the ICA did not change. Prolonged smartphone reading is inappropriate for a patient at risk of glaucoma or glaucoma progression. Such patients should be cautioned.

Background: The 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is a metabolite of tobacco-specific lung carcinogen that can be found in both smokers and non-smokers.Particularly, NNAL levels of children with a history of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) are higher than those of adults. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between SHS exposure and urine NNAL levels in Korean adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII. Overall, 648 never-smoking adolescents (425 boys and 223 girls) aged 12 to 18 were included in this study. Logistic regression analyses identified the relationship between SHS exposure and elevated urine NNAL levels. Results: The mean urine NNAL levels of the no exposure and exposure group in boys were 1.39 and 2.26 ng/mL, respectively, whereas they were 1.01 and 2.45 ng/mL in girls, respectively (P < 0.001). Among the adolescents exposed to SHS, the confounder-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for elevated urine NNAL levels according to exposure area as overall, home, and public area were 2.68 (1.58–4.53), 31.02 (9.46–101.74), and 1.89 (1.12–3.17) in boys;and 6.50 (3.22–13.11), 20.09 (7.08–57.04), and 3.94 (1.98–7.77) in girls, respectively. Conclusion SHS exposure was significantly associated with elevated urine NNAL levels in Korean adolescents, particularly in female adolescents and in those with home exposure.These findings remind us of the need to protect adolescents from SHS.

Purpose: To investigate changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and iridocorneal angle (ICA) configuration during smartphone use under room light. Methods: We included healthy adults aged 19-35 years with no ophthalmological abnormalities. All read text on a smartphone for 6 minutes under room light. IOP was measured via rebound tonometry at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 minutes. ICA images were obtained via anterior segment optical coherence tomography after each IOP measurement. After 6 minutes, participants stopped reading text and rested for 2 minutes. IOP was then measured again. Results: The IOP significantly increased at 2, 4, and 6 minutes of reading compared to baseline (p < 0.001) but recovered to baseline after 2 minutes of rest (p = 1.000). The anterior chamber depth decreased significantly, and the anterior chamber angle width increased after 6 minutes of smartphone reading (both p < 0.05). Conclusions IOP increased when reading smartphone text under room light but the ICA did not change. Prolonged smartphone reading is inappropriate for a patient at risk of glaucoma or glaucoma progression. Such patients should be cautioned.

A clinical practice guideline for patients in the dying process in general wards and their families, developed through an evidence-based process, is presented herein. The purpose of this guideline is to enable a peaceful death based on an understanding of suitable management of patients’ physical and mental symptoms, psychological support, appropriate deci-sion-making, family care, and clearly-defined team roles. Although there are limits to the available evidence regarding medical issues in patients facing death, the final recommendations were determined from expert advice and feedback, considering values and preferences related to medical treatment, benefits and harms, and applicability in the real world. This guideline should be applied in a way that takes into account specific health care environments, including the resources of medical staff and differences in the available resources of each institution. This guideline can be used by all medical institutions in South Korea.

Background: Although rarely used at present in South Korea, saline implants accounted for most of the implants used from 1992 to 2007. However, few studies have reported on the long-term outcomes of saline implants, especially in breast reconstruction. We analyzed the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent direct-to-saline implant reconstruction. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent saline implant-based immediate breast reconstruction between 2003 and 2007. The patients’ demographic information, medical history, operative/implant details, and oncologic data were collected. Early and late complications, reoperations, and final outcomes of the implant (maintenance, explantation, exchange, and autologous conversion) were analyzed to determine the long-term results and to identify factors affecting the outcomes. Results: Early complications (within 90 days) were noted in 19.5% of patients and late complications (after 90 days) occurred in 29.3% of patients. The most common early complications were skin necrosis and delayed healing, whereas the most common late complications were rippling or visibility and capsular contracture. Of the implants, 22% were replaced (12%) or converted to autologous tissue (10%). The factors that influenced the final outcomes were patient age, nipple-areola-sparing procedure, breast size, implant fill volume, and implant manufacturer. Conclusions Patients who previously received saline implants still visit the clinic for consultations. This long-term follow-up study with few dropouts reflects the real needs of reconstruction patients. Our results provide useful information for consulting with patients who already have saline implants or those who request for as much information about available implant options as possible.

BACKGROUND: Serial volumetric changes of reconstructed breasts have not been studied in detail. In this study, we analyzed serial volumetric changes of reconstructed and contralateral normal breasts during long-term follow-up, with a focus on the effect of various adjuvant therapies. METHODS: Among all patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with a unilateral pedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (p-TRAM) flap, 42 patients with valid data from ≥3 postoperative positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans were included. The volumes of the reconstructed and normal breasts were measured, and the ratio of flap volume to that of the contralateral breast was calculated. Serial changes in volume and the volume ratio were described, and the effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy on volumetric changes were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean interval between the initial reconstruction and each PET-CT scan was 16.5, 30, and 51 months respectively. Thirty-five, 36, and 10 patients received chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation therapy, respectively. The flap volume at each measurement was 531.0, 539.6, and 538.0 cm3, and the contralateral breast volume was 472.8, 486.4, and 500.8 cm3, respectively. The volume ratio decreased from 115.1% to 113.4%, and finally to 109.6% (P=0.02). Adjuvant therapies showed no significant effects. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the p-TRAM flap maintained its volume over a long-term follow up, while the volume of the contralateral native breast slowly increased. Moreover, adjuvant breast cancer therapies had no statistically significant effects on the volume of the reconstructed p-TRAM flaps or the contralateral native breasts.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Drug Therapy ; Electrons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Radiotherapy ; Rectus Abdominis ; Surgery, Plastic

BACKGROUND: Neurosensory changes are frequently observed in the patients with mid-face fractures, and these symptoms are often caused by infraorbital nerve (ION) damage. Although ION damage is a relatively common phenomenon, there are no established and objective methods to evaluate it. The aim of this study was to test whether trigeminal somatosensory evoked potential (TSEP) could be used as a prognostic predictor of ION damage and TSEP testing was an objective method to evaluate ION injury. METHODS: In this prospective TSEP study, 48 patients with unilateral mid-face fracture (only unilateral blow out fracture and unilateral zygomaticomaxillary fracture were included) and potential ION damages were enrolled. Both sides of the face were examined with TSEP and the non-traumatized side of the face was used as control. We calculated the latency difference between the affected and the unaffected sides. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients recovered within 3 months, and 21 patients took more than 3 months to recover. The average latency difference between the affected side and unaffected side was 1.4 and 4.1 ms for the group that recovered within 3 months and the group that recovered after 3 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients who suffered ION damage showed prolonged latency when examined using the TSEP test. TSEP is an effective tool for evaluation of nerve injury and predicting the recovery of patients with ION damage.
Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Humans ; Methods ; Orbital Fractures ; Prospective Studies ; Trigeminal Nerve Injuries

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the formation of hair follicle tumors, kidney tumors, and pulmonary cysts with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. A 44-year-old woman visited Wonkwang University Hospital with mild dyspnea. A chest X-ray on admission revealed pneumothorax in both lung fields. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed both pneumothorax and multiple, irregularly shaped, variable-sized cysts in both lung fields. Upon physical examination, white dome-shaped papules were observed on the face. Histological examination of the skin lesion confirmed fibrofolliculoma, and genetic studies revealed a folliculin gene mutation. Abdominal CT revealed a 1-cm small solid renal mass at the lower pole of the right kidney. We surgically removed the renal tumor, and a histological diagnosis of oncocytoma was made. Here, we report a case of BHD that demonstrated all three clinical manifestations; this is the first case report of its kind in Korea.
Adenoma, Oxyphilic ; Adult ; Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Estrone ; Female ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Korea ; Lung ; Physical Examination ; Pneumothorax ; Skin ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed