Background: Healthcare-associated infections impose a significant burden on antibiotic usage, healthcare expenditures, and morbidity. Therefore, it is crucial to revise policies to minimize such losses. This nationwide survey aimed to evaluate infection prevention and control (IPC) components in healthcare facilities and encourage improvements in acute care hospitals with inadequate infection prevention settings. This study aims to enhance the infection control capabilities of healthcare facilities. Methods: From December 27, 2021, to May 13, 2022, we conducted a survey of 1,767 acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. A survey was conducted to evaluate the infection control components in 1,767 acute care hospitals. Infection control officers provided direct responses to a systematically developed questionnaire. Subsequently, 10% of the respondents were randomly selected for the site investigation. Results: Overall, 1,197 (67.7%) hospitals responded to the online survey. On-site investigations were conducted at 125 hospitals. Hospitals with ≥ 150 beds are advised to have an IPC team under Article 3 of the Medical Service Act; however, only 87.0% (598/687) of hospitals with ≥ 100 beds had one. Conversely, 22.7% (116/510) of hospitals with < 100 beds had an IPC team. Regulations for hand hygiene, waste management, healthcare worker protection and safety, environmental cleaning, standard precautions, and prevention of the transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens were present in 84.2%, 80.1%, 77.4%, 76.2%, 75.8%, and 63.5% of the hospitals, respectively. Hospitals with < 100 beds had low availability of all categories of standard operating procedures. Conclusion This study is the first national survey of acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The data presented in the current study will improve the understanding of IPC status and will help establish a survey system. Our survey provides a basis for improving policies related to IPC in healthcare facilities.

Replacement of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) after concurrent resection of IVC and tumor-bearing liver is regarded as a feasible living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) technique to cope with tumors around the IVC. This method can make the resection extent of LDLT comparable to that of deceased-donor liver transplantation. We present one pediatric LDLT case with IVC replacement using an enlarged iliac vein conduit to treat advanced hepatoblastoma. The patient was a 33-monthold and 12 kg-weighing girl suffering from large multiple hepatoblastomas invading the retrohepatic IVC. At 2-month waiting after deciding LDLT, we obtained a coldstored iliac vein graft and LDLT was performed with the father’s left lateral section graft. A 1.3 cm-wide and 10 cm-long iliac vein was transformed to be a 2 cm-wide and 5 cm-long vein graft through a double-barrel unification venoplasty. The left lateral section graft was implanted along the standard procedure of LDLT. The patient recovered uneventfully and is undergoing scheduled adjuvant chemotherapy. IVC replacement with vein homograft is a feasible option for LDLT in pediatric patients with advanced liver malignancy.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections impose a significant burden on antibiotic usage, healthcare expenditures, and morbidity. Therefore, it is crucial to revise policies to minimize such losses. This nationwide survey aimed to evaluate infection prevention and control (IPC) components in healthcare facilities and encourage improvements in acute care hospitals with inadequate infection prevention settings. This study aims to enhance the infection control capabilities of healthcare facilities. Methods: From December 27, 2021, to May 13, 2022, we conducted a survey of 1,767 acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. A survey was conducted to evaluate the infection control components in 1,767 acute care hospitals. Infection control officers provided direct responses to a systematically developed questionnaire. Subsequently, 10% of the respondents were randomly selected for the site investigation. Results: Overall, 1,197 (67.7%) hospitals responded to the online survey. On-site investigations were conducted at 125 hospitals. Hospitals with ≥ 150 beds are advised to have an IPC team under Article 3 of the Medical Service Act; however, only 87.0% (598/687) of hospitals with ≥ 100 beds had one. Conversely, 22.7% (116/510) of hospitals with < 100 beds had an IPC team. Regulations for hand hygiene, waste management, healthcare worker protection and safety, environmental cleaning, standard precautions, and prevention of the transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens were present in 84.2%, 80.1%, 77.4%, 76.2%, 75.8%, and 63.5% of the hospitals, respectively. Hospitals with < 100 beds had low availability of all categories of standard operating procedures. Conclusion This study is the first national survey of acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The data presented in the current study will improve the understanding of IPC status and will help establish a survey system. Our survey provides a basis for improving policies related to IPC in healthcare facilities.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections impose a significant burden on antibiotic usage, healthcare expenditures, and morbidity. Therefore, it is crucial to revise policies to minimize such losses. This nationwide survey aimed to evaluate infection prevention and control (IPC) components in healthcare facilities and encourage improvements in acute care hospitals with inadequate infection prevention settings. This study aims to enhance the infection control capabilities of healthcare facilities. Methods: From December 27, 2021, to May 13, 2022, we conducted a survey of 1,767 acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. A survey was conducted to evaluate the infection control components in 1,767 acute care hospitals. Infection control officers provided direct responses to a systematically developed questionnaire. Subsequently, 10% of the respondents were randomly selected for the site investigation. Results: Overall, 1,197 (67.7%) hospitals responded to the online survey. On-site investigations were conducted at 125 hospitals. Hospitals with ≥ 150 beds are advised to have an IPC team under Article 3 of the Medical Service Act; however, only 87.0% (598/687) of hospitals with ≥ 100 beds had one. Conversely, 22.7% (116/510) of hospitals with < 100 beds had an IPC team. Regulations for hand hygiene, waste management, healthcare worker protection and safety, environmental cleaning, standard precautions, and prevention of the transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens were present in 84.2%, 80.1%, 77.4%, 76.2%, 75.8%, and 63.5% of the hospitals, respectively. Hospitals with < 100 beds had low availability of all categories of standard operating procedures. Conclusion This study is the first national survey of acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The data presented in the current study will improve the understanding of IPC status and will help establish a survey system. Our survey provides a basis for improving policies related to IPC in healthcare facilities.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections impose a significant burden on antibiotic usage, healthcare expenditures, and morbidity. Therefore, it is crucial to revise policies to minimize such losses. This nationwide survey aimed to evaluate infection prevention and control (IPC) components in healthcare facilities and encourage improvements in acute care hospitals with inadequate infection prevention settings. This study aims to enhance the infection control capabilities of healthcare facilities. Methods: From December 27, 2021, to May 13, 2022, we conducted a survey of 1,767 acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. A survey was conducted to evaluate the infection control components in 1,767 acute care hospitals. Infection control officers provided direct responses to a systematically developed questionnaire. Subsequently, 10% of the respondents were randomly selected for the site investigation. Results: Overall, 1,197 (67.7%) hospitals responded to the online survey. On-site investigations were conducted at 125 hospitals. Hospitals with ≥ 150 beds are advised to have an IPC team under Article 3 of the Medical Service Act; however, only 87.0% (598/687) of hospitals with ≥ 100 beds had one. Conversely, 22.7% (116/510) of hospitals with < 100 beds had an IPC team. Regulations for hand hygiene, waste management, healthcare worker protection and safety, environmental cleaning, standard precautions, and prevention of the transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens were present in 84.2%, 80.1%, 77.4%, 76.2%, 75.8%, and 63.5% of the hospitals, respectively. Hospitals with < 100 beds had low availability of all categories of standard operating procedures. Conclusion This study is the first national survey of acute care hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The data presented in the current study will improve the understanding of IPC status and will help establish a survey system. Our survey provides a basis for improving policies related to IPC in healthcare facilities.

Purpose: We present a case of goniosynechiolysis in the treatment of chronic angle-closure glaucoma with persistent peripheral anterior synechia (PAS) after extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) for phacomorphic glaucoma that remained uncontrolled using topical glaucoma medications.Case summary: A 59-year-old woman presented with right eye pain and visual loss that started 3 days ago. Examination revealed an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 46 mmHg, a narrow central anterior chamber, and peripheral iridocorneal touch, indicative of phacomorphic glaucoma. Although ECCE was performed, PAS was not adequately resolved. Initially, visual acuity, IOP, and visual field were controlled with a single topical glaucoma medication. However, progressive retinal nerve fiber layer thinning and uncontrolled IOP, despite maximal medical therapy. Therefore, goniosynechiolysis was performed at 24 months after ECCE. The procedure reduced IOP from 25 mmHg to 13 mmHg without complications, such as hyphema, cyclodialysis, and fibrin formation. Conclusions Goniosynechiolysis can be a safe and effective intervention for chronic angle-closure glaucoma with persistent PAS and elevated IOP.

The hygiene hypothesis, first proposed in 1989, suggested that reduced exposure to infections in early life leads to allergic diseases by the defects in the establishment of immune tolerance. Although many studies provided evidence that some exposure conditions, including family size, antibiotics, probiotics, and viral or bacterial infections, are strongly related to the prevalence of allergic diseases, thereby supporting the hygiene hypothesis, some evidence does not provide acceptable results for the hygiene hypothesis. Further, most studies have focused on patients with asthma or atopic dermatitis, not allergic rhinitis. In this review, we summarize the recent studies for and against the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ and identify causal association with the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.

The aim of this study was to identify the anatomical feature of retaining ligament and fat compartment on the lower eyelid and infraorbital region using a histological method, and to investigate clear definitions for them which could be used generally in the clinical area. Eighteen specimens from eight fresh Korean cadavers were stained with Masson trichrome or hematoxylin and eosin. The ligamentous and fascial fibrous tissue were clearly identified. The ligamentous fibrous tissue which traversed in the superficial and deep fat layer was skin ligament and orbicularis retaining ligament (ORL). The fascial fibrous tissue enclosed the orbicularis oculi muscle (OOc) and circumferencial adipose tissue. Based on the ligamentous and fascial structure, three fat compartments, septal, suborbicularis oculi and infraorbital fat compartment, could be identified.The OOc attached to orbital rim and dermis by ORL and skin ligament, and the muscle fascicle and fat fascicle provided the connection point to the ORL and skin ligament as enclosing all muscle and fat tissue. The combination of the force made by the skin ligament in the lower eyelid and ORL may decide the level and form of the infraorbital grooves.

Purpose: This subgroup analysis of the Korean subset of patients in the phase 3 LASER301 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of lazertinib versus gefitinib as first-line therapy for epidermal growth factor receptor mutated (EGFRm) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to lazertinib (240 mg/day) or gefitinib (250 mg/day). The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Results: In total, 172 Korean patients were enrolled (lazertinib, n=87; gefitinib, n=85). Baseline characteristics were balanced between the treatment groups. One-third of patients had brain metastases (BM) at baseline. Median PFS was 20.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.7 to 26.1) for lazertinib and 9.6 months (95% CI, 8.2 to 12.3) for gefitinib (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.60). This was supported by PFS analysis based on blinded independent central review. Significant PFS benefit with lazertinib was consistently observed across predefined subgroups, including patients with BM (HR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.53) and those with L858R mutations (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.63). Lazertinib safety data were consistent with its previously reported safety profile. Common adverse events (AEs) in both groups included rash, pruritus, and diarrhoea. Numerically fewer severe AEs and severe treatment–related AEs occurred with lazertinib than gefitinib. Conclusion Consistent with results for the overall LASER301 population, this analysis showed significant PFS benefit with lazertinib versus gefitinib with comparable safety in Korean patients with untreated EGFRm NSCLC, supporting lazertinib as a new potential treatment option for this patient population.

Objectives: . FDXR encodes mitochondrial ferredoxin reductase, which is associated with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) and optic atrophy. To date, only two studies have described FDXR-related hearing loss. The auditory rehabilitation outcomes of this disease entity have not been investigated, and the pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here we report a hearing-impaired individual with co-segregation of the FDXR variant and post-synaptic type ANSD, who underwent cochlear implantation (CI) with favorable outcomes. We suggest a possible pathophysiological mechanism of adult-onset ANSD involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Methods: . A 35-year-old woman was ascertained to have ANSD. Exome sequencing identified the genetic cause of hearing loss, and a functional study measuring mitochondrial activity was performed to provide molecular evidence of pathophysiology. Expression of FDXR in the mouse cochlea was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Intraoperatively, electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) responses were measured, and the mapping parameters were adjusted accordingly. Audiological outcomes were monitored for over 1 year. Results: . In lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) carrying a novel FDXR variant, decreased ATP levels, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased reactive oxygen species levels were observed compared to control LCLs. These dysfunctions were restored by administering mitochondria isolated from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, confirming the pathogenic potential of this variant via mitochondrial dysfunction. Partial ECAP responses during CI and FDXR expression in the mouse cochlea indicate that FDXR-related ANSD is post-synaptic. As a result of increasing the pulse width during mapping, the patient’s CI outcomes showed significant improvement over 1-year post-CI. Conclusion . A novel FDXR variant associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and post-synaptic ANSD was first identified in a Korean individual. Additionally, 1-year post-CI outcomes were reported for the first time in the literature. Excellent audiologic results were obtained, and our results reiterate the correlation between genotype and CI outcomes in ANSD.