Background: Limited data are available on the mortality rates of patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 and clinical outcomes for patients receiving ECMO. Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring ECMO in 19 hospitals across Korea from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. The primary outcome was the 90-day mortality after ECMO initiation. We performed multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of 90-day mortality. Survival differences were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier (KM) method. Results: Of 127 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who received ECMO, 70 patients (55.1%) died within 90 days of ECMO initiation. The median age was 64 years, and 63% of patients were male. The incidence of ECMO was increased with age but was decreased after 70 years of age. However, the survival rate was decreased linearly with age. In multivariate analysis, age (OR, 1.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.010–1.089; P = 0.014) and receipt of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (OR, 3.069; 95% CI, 1.312–7.180; P = 0.010) were significantly associated with an increased risk of 90-day mortality. KM curves showed significant differences in survival between groups according to age (65 years) (log-rank P = 0.021) and receipt of CRRT (log-rank P = 0.004). Conclusion Older age and receipt of CRRT were associated with higher mortality rates among patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO.

Purpose: Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death after surgery. Several conventional scoring systems have been developed to predict the outcome of sepsis; however, their predictive power is insufficient. The present study applies explainable machine-learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of predicting postoperative mortality in patients with sepsis caused by peritonitis. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from demographic, clinical, and laboratory analyses, including the delta neutrophil index (DNI), WBC and neutrophil counts, and CRP level. Laboratory data were measured before surgery, 12–36 hours after surgery, and 60–84 hours after surgery. The primary study output was the probability of mortality.The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of several machine-learning algorithms using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) 3 models were compared.‘SHapley Additive exPlanations’ values were used to indicate the direction of the relationship between a variable and mortality. Results: The CatBoost model yielded the highest AUC (0.933) for mortality compared to SAPS3 and SOFA (0.860 and 0.867, respectively). Increased DNI on day 3, septic shock, use of norepinephrine therapy, and increased international normalized ratio on day 3 had the greatest impact on the model’s prediction of mortality. Conclusion Machine-learning algorithms increase the accuracy of predicting postoperative mortality in patients with sepsis caused by peritonitis.

Background: Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have been associated with various safety concerns including weight gain, bladder cancer, and congestive heart failure (CHF). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of lobeglitazone, a novel TZD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in real practice. Methods: In this non-interventional, multi-center, retrospective, and observational study conducted at 15 tertiary or secondary referral hospitals in Korea, a total of 2,228 patients with T2DM who received lobeglitazone 0.5 mg for more than 1 year were enrolled. Results: Overall adverse events (AEs) occurred in 381 patients (17.10%) including edema in 1.97% (n=44). Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases were identified in 0.81% (n=18) and 0.81% (n=18), respectively. One case of CHF was reported as an AE. Edema occurred in 1.97% (n=44) of patients. Hypoglycemia occurred in 2.47% (n=55) of patients. Fracture occurred in 1.17% (n=26) of all patients. Lobeglitazone significantly decreased HbA1c level, resulting in a mean treatment difference of -1.05%± 1.35% (P<0.001), and decreased total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, it increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, regardless of statin administration. The patients who received lobeglitazone 0.5 mg showed an apparent reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline during the first 6 months of treatment. The HbA1c levels remained stable between months 6 and 42. Conclusion Lobeglitazone has long-term safety profile, good glycemic-lowering effect and long-term durability of glycemic control in real-world clinical settings.

Purpose: In this trial, we investigated the efficacy and safety of adjuvant letrozole for hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Here, we report the clinical outcome in postmenopausal women with HR-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant letrozole according to estrogen receptor (ER) expression levels. Methods: In this multi-institutional, open-label, observational study, postmenopausal patients with HR-positive breast cancer received adjuvant letrozole (2.5 mg/daily) for 5 years unless they experienced disease progression or unacceptable toxicity or withdrew their consent. The patients were stratified into the following 3 groups according to ER expression levels using a modified Allred score (AS): low, intermediate, and high (AS 3–4, 5–6, and 7–8, respectively). ER expression was centrally reviewed. The primary objective was the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. Results: Between April 25, 2010, and February 5, 2014, 440 patients were enrolled. With a median follow-up of 62.0 months, the 5-year DFS rate in all patients was 94.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.8–96.6). The 5-year DFS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates did not differ according to ER expression; the 5-year DFS rates were 94.3% and 94.1%in the low-to-intermediate and high expression groups, respectively (p = 0.6), and the corresponding 5-year RFS rates were 95.7% and 95.4%, respectively (p = 0.7). Furthermore, 25 patients discontinued letrozole because of drug toxicity. Conclusion Treatment with adjuvant letrozole showed very favorable treatment outcomes and good tolerability among Korean postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer, independent of ER expression.

Postoperative pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG) is rare, and its diagnosis is often delayed because of its wound infection-mimicking course. A 53-year-old breast cancer patient who underwent breast-conserving surgery of the right breast presented with fever, leukocytosis, C-reactive protein elevation, and redness of the right breast on postoperative day (POD) 3. The breast wound showed desquamation with painful ulcerative changes from POD 6, and fever was sustained under antibiotic administration. Wound irrigation was attempted; however, inflammatory skin damage progressed to involvement of the entire skin overlying the breast. With clinical suspicion of PPG, skin biopsy and systemic corticosteroid initiation were performed on POD 12. Wound damage progression ceased, and the systemic inflammation subsided. The patient underwent split-thickness skin grafting under intravenous corticosteroid administration, and the wound healed after 30 days. PPG is a rare clinical scenario. Early diagnosis is critical to avoid unnecessary treatment and aggravation of the surgical wound.

Purpose: In this trial, we investigated the efficacy and safety of adjuvant letrozole for hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Here, we report the clinical outcome in postmenopausal women with HR-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant letrozole according to estrogen receptor (ER) expression levels. Methods: In this multi-institutional, open-label, observational study, postmenopausal patients with HR-positive breast cancer received adjuvant letrozole (2.5 mg/daily) for 5 years unless they experienced disease progression or unacceptable toxicity or withdrew their consent. The patients were stratified into the following 3 groups according to ER expression levels using a modified Allred score (AS): low, intermediate, and high (AS 3–4, 5–6, and 7–8, respectively). ER expression was centrally reviewed. The primary objective was the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. Results: Between April 25, 2010, and February 5, 2014, 440 patients were enrolled. With a median follow-up of 62.0 months, the 5-year DFS rate in all patients was 94.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.8–96.6). The 5-year DFS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates did not differ according to ER expression; the 5-year DFS rates were 94.3% and 94.1%in the low-to-intermediate and high expression groups, respectively (p = 0.6), and the corresponding 5-year RFS rates were 95.7% and 95.4%, respectively (p = 0.7). Furthermore, 25 patients discontinued letrozole because of drug toxicity. Conclusion Treatment with adjuvant letrozole showed very favorable treatment outcomes and good tolerability among Korean postmenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer, independent of ER expression.

Postoperative pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG) is rare, and its diagnosis is often delayed because of its wound infection-mimicking course. A 53-year-old breast cancer patient who underwent breast-conserving surgery of the right breast presented with fever, leukocytosis, C-reactive protein elevation, and redness of the right breast on postoperative day (POD) 3. The breast wound showed desquamation with painful ulcerative changes from POD 6, and fever was sustained under antibiotic administration. Wound irrigation was attempted; however, inflammatory skin damage progressed to involvement of the entire skin overlying the breast. With clinical suspicion of PPG, skin biopsy and systemic corticosteroid initiation were performed on POD 12. Wound damage progression ceased, and the systemic inflammation subsided. The patient underwent split-thickness skin grafting under intravenous corticosteroid administration, and the wound healed after 30 days. PPG is a rare clinical scenario. Early diagnosis is critical to avoid unnecessary treatment and aggravation of the surgical wound.

This study evaluated the incidence, the survival outcomes and its prognostic factors for male breast cancer (MBC) in Korea. Using the National Health Insurance Service database of Korea, we identified MBC patients who had the new claim code of C50. Medical records including type of surgeries and radiotherapy within one year of the first claim and death records were reviewed. Between 2005 and 2016, 838 newly diagnosed MBC patients were included (median follow-up, 1,769 days). The 70–74-year age group had the highest incidence of MBC. The 5-year survival rate was 73.7%. Age > 65 years, low income, no surgical intervention, no tamoxifen use, and > 2 comorbidities correlated with a worse outcome. MBC incidence has increased over time, and its peak is noted at age > 70 years. Age > 65 years, > 2 comorbidities, no surgical intervention, and no tamoxifen use correlate to poor prognosis.

Background: A laparoscopic approach is widely used in abdominal surgery. Although several studies have compared surgical and oncological outcomes between laparoscopic surgery (LS) and open surgery (OS) in rectal cancer patients, there have been few studies on postoperative renal outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 1,633 patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery between 2003 and 2017. Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) was diagnosed according to the serum creatinine criteria of the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes classification. Results: Among the 1,633 patients, 1,072 (65.6%) underwent LS. After matching propensity scores, 395 patients were included in each group. The incidence of postoperative AKI in the LS group was significantly lower than in the OS group (9.9% vs. 15.9%; p = 0.01). Operation time, estimated blood loss, and incidence of transfusion in the LS group were significantly lower than those in the OS group. Cox proportional hazard models revealed that LS was associated with decreased risk of postoperative AKI (hazard ratio [HR], 0.599; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.402–0.893; p = 0.01) and postoperative transfusion was associated with increased risk of AKI (HR, 2.495; 95% CI, 1.529–4.072; p < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, the incidence of postoperative AKI in patients with middle or high rectal cancer who underwent LS was much lower than in those who underwent OS (HR, 0.373; 95% CI, 0.197–0.705; p = 0.002). Conclusion This study showed that LS may have a favorable effect on the development of postoperative AKI in patients with rectal cancer.

Purpose: Totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAPs) can be used long-term for safe administration of intravenous drugs. TIVAP complications include catheter-related infections, venous thrombosis, extravasation, TIVAP migration, and pain. The relationship between the timing of the first chemotherapy administration after port implantation and complications is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the safety of immediate use of TIVAPs and the associated risk factors for complications. Methods: Between January 2016 and December 2018, 305 patients (median age, 53 years; 256 women) who underwent TIVAP placement at our institution were included. Chemotherapy was administered within 2 days of implantation. A retrospective analysis of patients’ clinical data was performed to investigate catheter days and complications of TIVAPs. Results: Overall, 305 patients were evaluated over 57,324 catheter days (median, 168 catheter days; interquartile range, 105). The median interval between placement and first use of TIVAPs was 0.98 days. The overall morbidity rate was 2.95%. Nine complications occurred in nine patients, including TIVAP-related infection (4), pain (2), port occlusion (1), thrombosis (1), and scar disunion (1), of which five required port removal (1.64%). The median number of catheter days before complications occurred was 61 (range, 10–457 days; interquartile range, 51). No complications occurred within 7 days of implantation. Body mass index was an independent risk factor for TIVAP-related complications in the Cox proportional hazards model (multivariable analysis: hazard ratio, 1.221; 95% confidence interval, 1.054–1.414; P = 0.008). Conclusion This study suggests the safe long-term use of TIVAPs following their immediate chemotherapy administration within 2 days of implantation.