Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) expressing eosinophilia experience slightly fewer episodes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), than those without eosinophilia. However, the severity and burden of hospitalized pneumonia patients with COPD involving eosinophilia have not been assessed. Methods: We evaluated the differences in clinical characteristics between patients with CAP and COPD with or without eosinophilia by a post hoc analysis of a prospective, multi-center, cohort study data. Results: Of 349 CAP patients with COPD, 45 (12.9%) had eosinophilia (blood eosinophil ≥300 cells/μL). Patients with eosinophilia had a lower sputum culture percentile (8.1% vs. 23.4%, p<0.05), a lower percentile of neutrophils (70.3% vs. 80.2%, p<0.05), reduced C-reactive protein levels (30.6 mg/L vs. 86.6 mg/L, p<0.05), and a lower pneumonia severity index score (82.5 vs. 90.0, p<0.05), than those without eosinophilia. The duration of antibiotic treatment (8.0 days vs. 10.0 days, p<0.05) and hospitalization (7.0 days vs. 9.0 days, p<0.05) were shorter in eosinophilic patients. The cost of medical care per day (256.4 US$ vs. 291.0 US$, p<0.05), cost for the medication (276.4 US$ vs. 349.9 US$, p<0.05), and cost for examination (685.5 US$ vs. 958.1 US$, p<0.05) were lower in patients with eosinophilia than those without eosinophilia. Conclusion Eosinophilia serves as a favorable marker for the severity of pneumonia, health-care consumption, and cost of medical care in patients with CAP and COPD.

Del-Nido cardioplegia (DNc) is a single-dose cardioplegia that is widely used in human medicine because of its long duration. In this report, we describe two cases of open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using DNc. One dog was diagnosed with partial atrioventricular septal defect, and the other dog was diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve disease stage D. Both dogs were treated with open-heart surgery with DNc to induce temporary cardiac arrest. No complications from DNc were observed, and the patients were discharged. Veterinary heart surgeons should consider DNc as an option for temporary cardiac arrest during open-heart surgery with CPB.

Methods: We reviewed consecutive patients with Lenke 1 AIS who underwent STF from 2000 to 2017. The patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical strategy used: low-density (LD) construct without DVR of the LIV (LD group) versus HD construct with DVR of the LIV (HD group). We collected data on the patient’s demographic characteristics, skeletal maturity, operative data, and measured radiological parameters in the preoperative and final follow-up radiographs. The occurrence of adding-on (AO) and coronal decompensation was also determined. Results: In this study, 72 patients (five males and 67 females) with a mean age of 14.1±2.3 years were included. No significant differences in the demographics, skeletal maturity, and Lenke type distribution were observed between the two groups; however, the follow-up duration was significantly longer in the LD group (64.3±25.7 months vs. 40.7±22.2 months, p <0.001). The HD group had significantly shorter fusion segments (7.1±1.3 vs. 8.5±1.2, p <0.001) and a more proximal LIV level (12.1±0.9 vs. 12.7±1.0, p =0.009). In the radiological measurements, the improvement of LIV+1 rotation (Nash–Moe scale) was significantly larger in the HD group (0.53±0.51 vs. 0.21±0.41, p =0.008). AO and decompensation occurred in 7 (9.7%) and 4 (5.6%) patients in the HD and LD groups, respectively, without any significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions In this study, the HD group had a significantly shorter fusion level and a more proximal LIV than the LD group; however, the two groups had similar curve correction and adverse radiological outcome rates.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of a new refractive corneal lenticule extraction method (SmartSight) using a Schwind ATOS femtosecond laser (Schwind Eye-Tech-Solutions, Kleinostheim, Germany). Methods: The medical records of 338 eyes of 170 patients who underwent SmartSight treatment from April to September 2022 and were followed-up for at least 3 months were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were followed-up at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months after operation. Refraction, visual acuity, and intraocular pressure were measured at each visit. Results: Preoperatively, the uncorrected distant visual acuity was 1.26 ± 0.33 logarithm of minimum angle or resolution (logMAR) and the spherical equivalent was -4.52 ± 1.77 diopters. The 3-month, postoperative, uncorrected distant visual acuity was 0.01 ± 0.03 logMAR and the spherical equivalent was -0.12 ± 0.22 diopters. The 3-month data were as follows: efficacy of refractive surgery, 0.99 ± 0.11; safety, 1.00 ± 0.05; predictabilities at ±0.5 and ± 1.0 diopters, 97% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions Myopic astigmatism correction using the SmartSight method was effective, safe, and predictable in terms of visual outcomes.

Objective: This study evaluates the association between the initial fibrinogen levels and adverse outcomes in emergency department (ED) patients with primary postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Methods: This retrospective observational study was performed between January 2004 and December 2021 in the ED of a university-affiliated tertiary referral center. Primary PPH patients with fibrinogen level assessments in the ED were included. Patients were classified into two groups: the adverse outcome group-defined as patients receiving massive transfusion (transfusion of ≥10 units of packed red blood cells within the initial 24 hours), uterine artery embolization or emergency hysterectomy, intensive care unit admission, and in-hospital mortality-and the non-adverse outcome group. Results: Of the 481 patients included in the study, 276 (57.4%) had adverse outcomes. The median fibrinogen level in patients with adverse outcomes was lower than in patients without adverse outcomes-149.5 mg/dL (range, 66.8-228.8) vs. 288.0 mg/dL (range, 215.0-349.0), respectively; P<0.001. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the initial fibrinogen level for adverse outcomes was 0.811 (95% confidence interval, 0.773-0.849; P<0.001). The occurrence of adverse outcomes increased with decreasing fibrinogen levels (P<0.001). When the cutoff value of the initial fibrinogen level was 400 mg/dL, the sensitivity and negative predictive values for predicting adverse outcomes were 98.6% and 84.6%, respectively. When the cutoff value of the initial fibrinogen level was 100 mg/dL, the specificity and positive predictive values were 96.6% and 92.8%, respectively. Conclusion The initial fibrinogen levels on ED admission are associated with adverse outcomes.

Background/Aims: The overall incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia is declining. However, the change in the pathogenic distribution of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and the serotype specificity of Streptococcus pneumoniae have not been evaluated in the post-era of pneumococcal vaccination in Korea. Methods: We conducted a prospective, multi-center, cohort study from seven University-affiliated hospitals. The primary objective was the identification of serotype-specific prevalence of pneumococcal pneumonia in COPD patients hospitalized for CAP. For the purpose, we conducted serotype-specific urine antigen detection (SS-UAD) assays for S. pneumoniae. The secondary objectives were other clinical characteristics of pneumonia including vaccination status. Results: The total number of participants was 349. Most of them were male (95.1%) with old ages (75.55 ± 8.59 y). The positive rate for S. pneumoniae was 9.2% with SS-UAD assay and the common serotypes were 22F, 6A, and 6B. In the sputum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.0%) and Haemophilus influenzae (4.0%) were common pathogens. The vaccination rate was 78.8%, 53.0%, and 25.8% for influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23 (PPV 23), and pneumococcal protein- conjugated vaccine 13 (PCV 13), respectively. Thirteen patients died during hospitalization (mortality rate; 3.7%). There was no difference in the respective rate of influenza vaccination (79.2% vs. 69.2%, p = 0.288) and PCV 13 vaccination (25.6% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.443) between survivors and the deceased. Conclusions Serotypes 22F, 6A, and 6B, which are covered either by PPV 23 or by PCV 13, are still common pneumococcal serotypes in COPD pneumonia in the post-vaccination era in Korea.

Background: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of empagliflozin in routine clinical settings, we collected and assessed the clinical profiles of Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This was a post-marketing surveillance study of empagliflozin 10 and 25 mg. Information on adverse events and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was collected as safety data sets. Available effectiveness outcomes, including glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, fasting plasma glucose, body weight, and blood pressure, were assessed. Results: The incidence rate of ADRs was 5.14% in the safety dataset (n=3,231). Pollakiuria, pruritis genital, and weight loss were the most common ADRs. ADRs of special interest accounted for only 1.18%, and there were no serious events that led to mortality or hospitalization. In the effectiveness data set (n=2,567), empagliflozin significantly reduced the mean HbA1c level and body weight during the study period by –0.68%±1.39% and –1.91±3.37 kg (both P<0.0001), respectively. In addition, shorter disease duration, absence of dyslipidemia, and higher baseline HbA1c levels were identified as the clinical features characteristic of a “responder” to empagliflozin therapy. Conclusion Empagliflozin is a safe and potent glucose-lowering drug in routine use among Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is expected to have better glycemic efficacy in Korean patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Antimicrobial prescriptions for serious chronic or acute illness nearing its end stages raise concerns about the potential for futile use, adverse events, increased multidrugresistant organisms, and significant patient and social cost burdens. This study investigated the nationwide situation of how antibiotics are prescribed to patients during the last 14 days of life to guide future actions. Methods: This nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at 13 hospitals in South Korea from November 1 to December 31, 2018. All decedents were included in the study. Antibiotic use during the last two weeks of their lives was investigated. Results: A total of 1,201 (88.9%) patients received a median of two antimicrobial agents during the last two weeks of their lives. Carbapenems were prescribed to approximately half of the patients (44.4%) in the highest amount (301.2 days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days).Among the patients receiving antimicrobial agents, 63.6% were inappropriate and only 327 patients (27.2%) were referred by infectious disease specialists. The use of carbapenem (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–2.03; P = 0.006), underlying cancer (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.20–2.01, P = 0.047), underlying cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.23–2.89, P = 0.004), and no microbiological testing (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.15–2.73; P = 0.010) were independent predictors for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Conclusion A considerable number of antimicrobial agents are administered to patients with chronic or acute illnesses nearing their end-of-life, a high proportion of which are prescribed inappropriately. Consultation with an infectious disease specialist, in addition to an antimicrobial stewardship program, may be necessary to induce the optimal use of antibiotics.

Background: There is a need to update the cardiovascular (CV) Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score to reflect the current practice in sepsis. We previously proposed the modified CV SOFA score from data on blood pressure, norepinephrine equivalent dose, and lactate as gathered from emergency departments. In this study, we externally validated the modified CV SOFA score in multicenter intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted on ICU patients at six hospitals in Korea. We included adult patients with sepsis who were admitted to ICUs. We compared the prognostic performance of the modified CV/total SOFA score and the original CV/total SOFA score in predicting 28-day mortality. Discrimination and calibration were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the calibration curve, respectively. Results: We analyzed 1,015 ICU patients with sepsis. In overall patients, the 28-day mortality rate was 31.2%. The predictive validity of the modified CV SOFA (AUROC, 0.712; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.677–0.746; P < 0.001) was significantly higher than that of the original CV SOFA (AUROC, 0.644; 95% CI, 0.611–0.677). The predictive validity of modified total SOFA score for 28-day mortality was significantly higher than that of the original total SOFA (AUROC, 0.747 vs. 0.730; 95% CI, 0.715–0.779; P = 0.002). The calibration curve of the original CV SOFA for 28-day mortality showed poor calibration. In contrast, the calibration curve of the modified CV SOFA for 28-day mortality showed good calibration. Conclusion In patients with sepsis in the ICU, the modified SOFA score performed better than the original SOFA score in predicting 28-day mortality.

Background: Self-harm is an important public health problem with increasing incidences among adolescents for over a decade. This study aimed to identify factors associated with self-harm in adolescent psychiatric inpatients in Korea. We also investigated clinical characteristics associated with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder (NSSI-D) and suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 criteria. Methods: This retrospective study included 215 adolescents aged between 12 to 18 years, who were admitted to the psychiatric ward of Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from January 2014 to February 2021. Participants were divided into three groups according to NSSI-D and SBD diagnostic criteria. Collected data were analyzed using chi-square test and analysis of variance test. Results: Overall, 57.7% of the participants (n=124) reported self-harm at least once in their lives. Patients with self-harm were more likely to have experienced parental conflict, parent-child relational problems, and verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Among the three groups divided according to NSSI-D and SBD diagnostic criteria, patients with both NSSI-D and SBD were more likely to have experienced parent-child relational problems than those with either NSSI-D only or SBD only. Conclusion This study shows that parent-child relational problem is associated with high incidences of selfharm. Especially, the parent-child relational problem seemed to be a risk factor for SBD among patients with NSSI-D. These are important findings that provide an understanding of the self-harm characteristics and therefore improve prevention and treatment strategies in psychiatric adolescent patients.