Background: This study was conducted to compare the job stress, resilience, and burnout levels of small and medium-sized hospital nurses working at National safety hospitals and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) dedicated hospitals, and to identify influencing factors on burnout. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study and research participants were nurses at small and medium-sized hospitals working at National safety hospitals and COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. Data from 292 nurses collected using a structured questionnaires from April 1 to 30, 2020 were used. Data was analyzed using multiple regression analyses. Results: As a result of this study, there was a significant difference in stress on job demand and job resources of nurses working at National safety hospital type B and COVID-19 dedicated Hospital. There was no difference in job stress and resilience of nurses among types of hospitals. As a result of multiple regression, stress to job demands and resilience were factors influencing the level of exhaustion of nurses. Stress to job demands and job resources and resilience were factors influencing the level of disengagement of nurses. Conclusions Considering the results of this study, it is suggested to introduce strategies to reduce nurses’ job stress and burnout caused by COVID-19.

Post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is treated through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion, typically through ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) or other bypass techniques. As these shunts are associated with significant complications and high revision rates in certain populations, it is important to tailor a patient’s shunt procedure according to their medical history and complications. Herein, we report the case of a 30-year-old man with PTH following a traffic accident on a motorcycle. VPS was chosen as the method of treatment but required multiple revisions and replacements due to persistent complications such as postoperative infection, shunt obstruction and abdominal problem. As the patient’s heart failure and pleural effusion rendered both ventriculopleural and ventriculoatrial shunt not feasible, it was decided to move the shunt to the bladder (ventriculo-vesicle shunt [VVS]) in cooperation with a urologist. Follow-up examinations after about 3 months showed a decrease in ventricle size, improved hydrocephalus, and no complications such as urinary infection or bladder stone formation. In cases where the patient’s underlying conditions, such as heart failure and pleural effusion, make it unsuitable to choose the pleural cavity or atrium as non-peritoneal spaces, VVS can be a suitable option for continuous CSF drainage when complications have occurred with the previous VPS.

Objective: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a commonly encountered neurosurgical pathology that frequently requires surgical intervention. With an increasingly aging demographic, more older people and patients with comorbidities will present with symptomatic CSDH. This study evaluated clinical and laboratory factors affecting the shortterm outcomes of CSDH after surgical intervention. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 170 patients who underwent burr-hole trephination for CSDH in a single institution from January 2019 to December 2021. All patients were examined for risk factors and evaluated for hematoma thickness change and midline shifting on brain computed tomography (CT) scans at 3 days after burr-hole trephination. Results: This consecutive series of patients included 114 males (67.1%) and 56 females (32.9%);mean age 72.4±12.5 years. Renal disease (p=0.044) and prior intracranial hemorrhage (p=0.004) were clinical factors associated with poorer prognosis. A statistically significant association was found between initial laboratory findings, including high creatine kinase (p=0.025) and low platelet (p=0.036) levels, and CT findings 3 days postoperatively. The 3-day mean arterial pressure and postoperative ambulation were not significantly associated with outcomes. Conclusion Burr-hole craniostomy is an effective surgical procedure for initial CSDH.However, patients with a history intracranial hemorrhage and abnormal laboratory findings, such as low platelet levels, who underwent burr-hole trephination had poor short-term outcomes. Therefore, these patients should be carefully monitored.

Background: Numerous patients around the globe are dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While age is a known risk factor, risk analysis in the young generation is lacking. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and mortality risk factors in younger patients (≤ 50 years) with a critical case of COVID-19 in comparison with those among older patients (> 50 years) in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the data of adult patients only in critical condition (requiring high flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy or higher respiratory support) hospitalized with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 at 11 hospitals in Korea from July 1, 2021 to November 30, 2021 when the delta variant was a dominant strain. Patients’ electronic medical records were reviewed to identify clinical characteristics. Results: During the study period, 448 patients were enrolled. One hundred and forty-two were aged 50 years or younger (the younger group), while 306 were above 50 years of age (the older group). The most common pre-existing conditions in the younger group were diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and 69.7% of the patients had a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m 2 .Of 142 younger patients, 31 of 142 patients (21.8%, 19 women) did not have these pre-existing conditions. The overall case fatality rate among severity cases was 21.0%, and it differed according to age: 5.6% (n = 8/142) in the younger group, 28.1% in the older group, and 38% in the ≥ 65 years group. Age (odds ratio [OR], 7.902; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.754–18.181), mechanical ventilation therapy (OR, 17.233; 95% CI, 8.439–35.192), highest creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL (OR, 17.631; 95% CI, 8.321–37.357), and combined blood stream infection (OR, 7.092;95% CI, 1.061–18.181) were identified as independent predictors of mortality in total patients.Similar patterns were observed in age-specific analyses, but most results were statistically insignificant in multivariate analysis due to the low number of deaths in the younger group.The full vaccination rate was very low among study population (13.6%), and only three patients were fully vaccinated, with none of the patients who died having been fully vaccinated in the younger group. Seven of eight patients who died had a pre-existing condition or were obese (BMI > 25 kg/m 2 ), and the one remaining patient died from a secondary infection. Conclusion About 22% of the patients in the young critical group did not have an underlying disease or obesity, but the rate of obesity (BMI > 25 kg/m2 ) was high, with a fatality rate of 5.6%. The full vaccination rate was extremely low compared to the general population of the same age group, showing that non-vaccination has a grave impact on the progression of COVID-19 to a critical condition. The findings of this study highlight the need for measures to prevent critical progression of COVID-19, such as vaccinations and targeting young adults especially having risk factors.

Objective: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has a high mortality rate, and hemorrhage amounts and perioperative rebleeding importantly determines prognosis. However, despite adequate treatment, prognosis is poor in many ruptured aneurysm cases. In this study, we identified and evaluated factors related to perioperative rebleeding in patients with aSAH. Methods: The medical and surgical records of 166 patients that underwent endovascular embolization for a ruptured cerebral aneurysm at a single institution from 2014 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed to identify risk factors of rebleeding. All patients were examined for risk factors and evaluated for increased hemorrhage by brain computed tomography at 3 days after surgery. Results: This series included 54 men (32.5%) and 112 women (67.5%) of mean age 58.3±14.3 years. After procedures, 26 patients (15.7%) experienced rebleeding, and 1 of these (0.6%) experienced an intraoperative aneurysmal rupture. External ventricular drainage (EVD) (odds ratio [OR] 5.389, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.171- 24.801]) and modified Fisher grade (OR 2.037, [95% CI 1.077-3.853]) were found to be independent risk factors of rebleeding, and perioperative rebleeding was strongly associated with patient outcomes (p＜0.001). Conclusions We concluded the rebleeding risk after aSAH is greater in patients with large hemorrhage amounts and a high pre-operative modified Fisher grade, and thus, we caution neurosurgeons should take care in such cases.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a fatal manifestation of ischemic heart disease and remains a major public health concern worldwide despite advances in its diagnosis and management. The characteristics of patients with AMI, as well as its disease patterns,have gradually changed over time in Korea, and the outcomes of revascularization have improved dramatically. Several characteristics associated with the revascularization of Korean patients differ from those of patients in other countries. The sophisticated state of AMI revascularization in Korea has led to the need for a Korean expert consensus. The Task Force on Expert Consensus Document of the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction has comprehensively reviewed the outcomes of large clinical trials and current practical guidelines, as well as studies on Korean patients with AMI. Based on these comprehensive reviews, the members of the task force summarize the major guidelines and recent publications, and propose an expert consensus for revascularization in patients with AMI.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a fatal manifestation of ischemic heart disease and remains a major public health concern worldwide despite advances in its diagnosis and management. The characteristics of patients with AMI, as well as its disease patterns,have gradually changed over time in Korea, and the outcomes of revascularization have improved dramatically. Several characteristics associated with the revascularization of Korean patients differ from those of patients in other countries. The sophisticated state of AMI revascularization in Korea has led to the need for a Korean expert consensus. The Task Force on Expert Consensus Document of the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction has comprehensively reviewed the outcomes of large clinical trials and current practical guidelines, as well as studies on Korean patients with AMI. Based on these comprehensive reviews, the members of the task force summarize the major guidelines and recent publications, and propose an expert consensus for revascularization in patients with AMI.

The subaxial screw fixation technique is commonly used for fixation in a wide range of cervical diseases, including traumatic, degenerative, and neoplastic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and spondyloarthropathy. Although it is regarded as a relatively safe procedure, several complications may be encountered during surgery, such as vertebral artery (VA) and nerve root injuries, facet violation, and mass fracture. We report a case of endovascular embolization after VA injury during a high cervical spinal surgery. A 48-year-old woman was scheduled for C-1-2-3 posterior fixation. Plain radiography of the cervical spine revealed a severely unstable state. During dissection around the C1 lateral mass on the right side, sudden brisk arterial bleeding was observed. On vertebral angiography, flow voiding was noted above the right V3 portion. After checking patent collateral flow from the contralateral VA, routine coil embolization was performed to pack the V3 segment. Iatrogenic vascular injuries due to spinal surgery are rare but serious complications. For patients with RA, we recommend careful preoperative evaluation before a high cervical surgical procedure to avoid iatrogenic VA injury and endovascular interventions that are safe and effective in the diagnosis and treatment of such vascular injuries.

Purpose: To compare the vessel density (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area using four different optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images. Methods: This prospective study analyzed the OCTA images of consecutive healthy subjects using Plex-Elite (Carl Zeiss), DRI OCT-1 Atlantis (Topcon), AngioPlex (Carl Zeiss), and Spectralis OCTA (Heidelberg Engineering). The VD and FAZ areas were calculated using the OCTA images with a 3 x 3 mm2 volume scan pattern centered on the fovea. Results: The VD (%) of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were different using the four devices: Plex-Elite (42.17 ± 2.79, 43.71 ± 2.36), DRI OCT-1 Atlantis (28.70 ± 2.87, 30.27 ± 3.02), AngioPlex (28.32 ± 6.68, 33.33 ± 5.44), and Spectralis OCTA (27.86 ± 4.13, 28.54 ± 3.14), respectively; p < 0.001). The FAZ area (mm2) of the SCP and DCP were different using the four devices: Plex-Elite (0.276 ± 0.097, 0.340 ± 0.100), DRI OCT-1 Atlantis (0.281 ± 0.102, 0.354 ± 0.119), AngioPlex (0.269 ± 0.099, 0.422 ± 0.120), and Spectralis OCTA (0.272 ± 0.079, 0.298 ± 0.106), respectively; p < 0.001). The VD of the SCP and DCP had no significant correlation using the four devices (all, p > 0.05), but the FAZ area had positive correlations using the four devices (all, p < 0.001). Conclusions The four OCTA devices provided different VD and FAZ areas, so these differences should be considered in analyzing OCTA images.

Emphysematous osteomyelitis, characterized by intraosseous gas, is a rare but potentially fatal condition that requires prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapy. Causative organisms are members of the bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae or anaerobes in most cases and significant comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and malignancy, may predispose an individual to the development of emphysematous osteomyelitis. We report a case of extensive emphysematous osteomyelitis via hematogenous spread from Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess, complicated by gas-containing abscesses in adjacent soft tissues and epidural space, and multiple systemic septic emboli in a diabetic patient.
Abscess ; Comorbidity ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Liver Abscess* ; Liver* ; Osteomyelitis*