Background and Objectives: Inconsistencies in nasal nitric oxide (nNO) values, due to anatomical variations and comorbidities, challenge the accurate assessment of upper airway inflammation severity. We hypothesized that changes in nNO levels following treatment for chronic rhinitis would be consistent and provide relative value. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between changes in nNO levels and symptomatic improvements following treatment for chronic rhinitis. Methods: This prospective observational study included 46 participants diagnosed with chronic rhinitis between December 2021 and November 2023. nNO measurements, evaluations of four nasal and two ocular symptoms, and quality of life questionnaires were conducted at baseline and after one month of treatment. Baseline laboratory tests included serum total immunoglobulin E levels, blood eosinophil percentages, and skin prick tests. Results: The Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), TNSS with ocular symptoms (TNSS eye), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores significantly decreased following treatment (all p<0.001). nNO levels also decreased significantly after treatment (p=0.036). Moreover, changes in nNO were significantly correlated with changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores (p=0.047, r=0.294; p=0.021, r=0.340; and p=0.004, r=0.419, respectively). Conclusion In patients with chronic rhinitis, changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores were correlated with changes in nNO levels after treatment. nNO may serve as a potential objective evaluation tool for chronic rhinitis, particularly in patients who have difficulty reporting symptoms.

Background and Objectives: Inconsistencies in nasal nitric oxide (nNO) values, due to anatomical variations and comorbidities, challenge the accurate assessment of upper airway inflammation severity. We hypothesized that changes in nNO levels following treatment for chronic rhinitis would be consistent and provide relative value. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between changes in nNO levels and symptomatic improvements following treatment for chronic rhinitis. Methods: This prospective observational study included 46 participants diagnosed with chronic rhinitis between December 2021 and November 2023. nNO measurements, evaluations of four nasal and two ocular symptoms, and quality of life questionnaires were conducted at baseline and after one month of treatment. Baseline laboratory tests included serum total immunoglobulin E levels, blood eosinophil percentages, and skin prick tests. Results: The Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), TNSS with ocular symptoms (TNSS eye), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores significantly decreased following treatment (all p<0.001). nNO levels also decreased significantly after treatment (p=0.036). Moreover, changes in nNO were significantly correlated with changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores (p=0.047, r=0.294; p=0.021, r=0.340; and p=0.004, r=0.419, respectively). Conclusion In patients with chronic rhinitis, changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores were correlated with changes in nNO levels after treatment. nNO may serve as a potential objective evaluation tool for chronic rhinitis, particularly in patients who have difficulty reporting symptoms.

Background and Objectives: Inconsistencies in nasal nitric oxide (nNO) values, due to anatomical variations and comorbidities, challenge the accurate assessment of upper airway inflammation severity. We hypothesized that changes in nNO levels following treatment for chronic rhinitis would be consistent and provide relative value. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between changes in nNO levels and symptomatic improvements following treatment for chronic rhinitis. Methods: This prospective observational study included 46 participants diagnosed with chronic rhinitis between December 2021 and November 2023. nNO measurements, evaluations of four nasal and two ocular symptoms, and quality of life questionnaires were conducted at baseline and after one month of treatment. Baseline laboratory tests included serum total immunoglobulin E levels, blood eosinophil percentages, and skin prick tests. Results: The Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), TNSS with ocular symptoms (TNSS eye), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores significantly decreased following treatment (all p<0.001). nNO levels also decreased significantly after treatment (p=0.036). Moreover, changes in nNO were significantly correlated with changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores (p=0.047, r=0.294; p=0.021, r=0.340; and p=0.004, r=0.419, respectively). Conclusion In patients with chronic rhinitis, changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores were correlated with changes in nNO levels after treatment. nNO may serve as a potential objective evaluation tool for chronic rhinitis, particularly in patients who have difficulty reporting symptoms.

Objectives: . No study has yet evaluated the degree of contamination after the total disassembly of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. We investigated the extent of contamination of CPAP devices used daily by patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by disassembling the systems and identifying the factors that influenced the degree of CPAP contamination. Methods: . We conducted a chart review of the medical records of patients with OSA for whom the CPAP devices were disassembled and cleaned. Two skilled technicians photographed the levels of contamination of each component and scored them using a visual analog scale. Patients’ clinical characteristics and records of CPAP device usage were statistically analyzed to identify characteristics that were significantly associated with the degree of CPAP device contamination. Results: . Among the 55 participants, both the external components, including the mask and tube, and the internal components, such as the humidifier and the interior of the main body, showed a substantial degree of contamination. The total and average daily duration of usage of the CPAP device did not show significant associations with the degree of contamination. Age was most consistently associated with the degree of contamination, such as in masks, humidifiers, and interior and exterior main parts. The degree of contamination of the internal components of the device was significantly correlated with the degree of contamination of the external components. Conclusion . Age-specific guidelines for managing the hygiene of external and internal CPAP components should be prepared.

Background and Objectives: This study compared nasal provocation test (NPT) results between groups with and without chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to investigate whether CRSwNP affects the response to the intranasal allergen challenge. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients who had undergone the NPT, multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST), and paranasal sinus computed tomography. Patients were diagnosed with CRSwNP based on findings from nasal endoscopy and paranasal sinus computed tomography. The NPT for house dust mites was conducted, and a positive MAST diagnosis was determined when the levels of immunoglobulin E specific to Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were equal to or greater than 2 positives or at least 0.70 IU/mL. We statistically analyzed the NPT results and their correlation with MAST outcomes, comparing the CRSwNP group to the non-CRSwNP group. Results: Out of 99 participants, 30 had CRSwNP and 69 did not. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding MAST positivity, eosinophil count, eosinophil cationic protein levels, or responses to intranasal house dust mite challenges. The presence of CRSwNP did not significantly influence the correlation between NPT outcomes and MAST results. Conclusion The presence of CRSwNP did not influence the outcomes of the NPT or its correlation with the results of the MAST. Additional large-scale, longitudinal studies are warranted to validate these findings.

Background and Objectives: Nonpharmacologic interventions (NPIs), such as social distancing and preventive measures, were administered during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which may influence the incidence of upper respiratory diseases (URDs). The present study compared the incidence of URDs during the COVID-19 pandemic and during the years prior to COVID-19, and investigated the effect of NPIs on URD in the nationwide general population.Subjects and Method This is an epidemiologic study based on the Korean National Health Insurance Database from March 2016 to February 2021. We compared the monthly incidence of URDs from March 2020 to February 2021 (12 months) with that of the past four years. A negative binomial regression model was used to evaluate the annual difference in the incidence of each URD and adjusting temperature, humidity, and the level of particulate matter 10 (PM10). Results: The monthly incidence of ‘the five common URDs’ in 2020 was significantly lower than that in the past four years. The incidence of other chronic diseases, however, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, was comparable or higher in the past four years. Among the five common URDs, influenza virus infections decreased most dramatically, nearing 99%, from 296.4-377.1 per 100000 people during the period of 2016 to 2019 to 3.7 per 100000 people in 2020. Conclusion The present study shows that the incidence of ‘five common URDs’ significantly decreased during the era of COVID-19 in Korea. We believe that nationwide NPI might prevent the transmission of COVID-19 as well as other infectious sources associated with URDs.

Background: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction are frequently reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the reported prevalence of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction varies widely, and the reason for the inter-study differences is unclear.Hence, in this meta-analysis, we performed subgroup analyses to investigate the factors that contribute to the inter-study variability in the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Methods: Out of 943 citations, we included 55 eligible studies with 13,527 patients with COVID-19 for a meta-analysis. Calculating the data extracted from each study, the weighted summary prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was estimated using a FreemanTukey transformation with models based on random-effects assumptions. A meta-analysis of variance compared the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction according to regional, chronological, demographic, and methodologic factors, respectively. Results: The overall pooled prevalence rates of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were 51.4% and 47.5%, respectively, in the random-effect model. In subgroup analyses, the prevalence rates of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were significantly different among four geographical regions (both P < 0.001, respectively). Although the prevalence rates of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction did not significantly differ according to the time of enrollment, the subgroup analyses including only studies from the same geographical region (Europe) revealed a significant difference in olfactory dysfunction according to the time of enrollment. Conclusion The regional and chronological differences in the prevalence rates of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions partly explain the wide inter-study variability.

Adult echinostomes having 37 collar spines collected from the intestine of Pitalah ducks in Aceh Province, Indonesia in 2018 were morphologically and molecularly determined to be Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae). Among 20 ducks examined, 7 (35.0%) were found to be infected with this echinostome, and the number of flukes collected was 48 in total with average 6.9 (1-17) worms per duck. The adult flukes were 7.2 (6.1-8.5) mm in length and 1.2 (1.0-1.4) mm in width (pre-ovarian or testicular level) and characterized by having a head collar armed with 37 collar spines (dorsal spines arranged in 2 alternating rows), including 5 end group spines, and variable morphology of the testes, irregularly or deeply lobed (3-5 lobes) at times with horizontal extension. The eggs within the worm uterus were 93 (79-105) µm long and 62 (56-70) µm wide. These morphological features were consistent with both E. miyagawai and Echinostoma robustum, for which synonymy to each other has been raised. Sequencing of 2 mitochondrial genes, cox1 and nad1, revealed high homology with E. miyagawai (98.6-100% for cox1 and 99.0-99.8% for nad1) and also with E. robustum (99.3-99.8% for nad1) deposited in GenBank. We accepted the synonymy between the 2 species and diagnosed our flukes as E. miyagawai (syn. E. robustum) with redescription of its morphology. Further studies are required to determine the biological characteristics of E. miyagawai in Aceh Province, Indonesia, including the intermediate host and larval stage information.

In preparation for the surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is crucial to allocate medical resources efficiently for distinguishing people who remain asymptomatic until the end of the disease. Between January 27, 2020, and April 21, 2020, 517 COVID-19 cases from 13 healthcare facilities in Gyeonggi province, Korea, were identified out of which the epidemiologic and clinical information of 66 asymptomatic patients at the time of diagnosis were analyzed retrospectively. An exposure-diagnosis interval within 7 days and abnormal aspartate aminotransferase levels were identified as characteristic symptom development in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. If asymptomatic patients without these characteristics at the time of diagnosis could be differentiated early, more medical resources could be secured for mild or moderate cases in this COVID-19 surge.

Background: Although ticagrelor is known to increase the bleeding risk compared to clopidogrel in East Asian patients, its clinical benefits in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without high bleeding risk (HBR) remains unknown. Methods: A total of 7,348 patients who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institute of Health (KAMIR-NIH), between November 2011 and December 2015, were divided into two groups according to the Academic Research Consortium for HBR criteria (KAMIR-HBR, 2,469 patients; KAMIR-non HBR, 4,879 patients). We compared in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs, defined as a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or stroke), and the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) major bleeding between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in the KAMIR-HBR and the KAMIR-non HBR groups, respectively. Results: After propensity score matching, ticagrelor had a higher incidence of in-hospital TIMI major bleeding than clopidogrel in all patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.683; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.010–2.805; P = 0.046) and the KAMIR-HBR group (OR, 3.460; 95% CI, 1.374–8.714; P = 0.008). However, there was no significant difference in in-hospital TIMI major bleeding between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in the KAMIR-non HBR group (OR, 1.436; 95% CI, 0.722–2.855; P = 0.303). No differences were observed in the cumulative incidences of in-hospital and 6-month MACEs between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in both groups. Conclusions The bleeding risk of ticagrelor was attenuated in Korean patients with AMI without HBR. Appropriate patient selection could reduce in-hospital bleeding complications associated with ticagrelor in Korean patients with AMI who underwent successful PCI.