Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Purpose: Smart insoles are wearable devices that are inserted into shoes. Smart insoles with built-in pressure and acceleration sensors can measure the plantar pressure, stride length, and walking speed. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the plantar pressure measurements of smart insoles during walking on flat ground. Materials and Methods: Twenty one subjects were included in this study. After wearing smart insoles, I-SOL® (Gilon, Seongnam, Korea), the subjects walked a 10 m corridor six times at a rate of 100 steps/min, and the middle three steps, free from direction changes, were chosen for data analysis. The same protocol was repeated after wearing Pedar-X (Novel Corporation, Munich, Germany), an insoletype plantar pressure measurement equipment with proven validity. The average maximum pressure (Ppeak , kPa) and the time at which Ppeak appeared (Ptime , %stride) were calculated for each device. The validity of smart insoles was evaluated by using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of Ppeak and Ptime between the two instruments, and Cronbach’s alpha was obtained from the Ppeak values to evaluate the reliability. Results: The ICC of Ppeak was 0.651 (good) in the hallux, 0.744 (good) in the medial forefoot, 0.839 (excellent) in the lateral forefoot, and 0.854 (excellent) in the hindfoot. The ICC of Ptime showed 0.868 (excellent) in the hallux, 0.892 (excellent) in the medial forefoot, 0.721 (good) in the lateral forefoot, and 0.832 (excellent) in the hindfoot. All ICC values showed good or excellent results. The Cronbach’s alpha of Ppeak measured in the smart insoles was 0.990 in the hallux, 0.961 in the medial forefoot, 0.973 in the lateral forefoot, and 0.995 in the hindfoot; all indicated excellent reliability in all areas. Conclusion The plantar pressure measurements of smart insoles during walking on a flat ground showed validity compared to Pedar-X, and high reliability after repeated measurements.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Thrombectomy within 24 hours can improve outcomes in selected patients with a clinical-infarct mismatch. We devised an easy-to-use visual estimation tool that allows infarct volume estimation in centers with limited resources. METHODS: We identified 1,031 patients with cardioembolic or large-artery atherosclerosis infarction on diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) obtained before recanalization therapy and within 24 hours of onset, and occlusion of the internal carotid or middle cerebral artery. Acute DWIs were mapped onto a standard template and used to create visual reference maps with known lesion volumes, which were then used in a validation study (with 130 cases) against software estimates of infarct volume. RESULTS: The DWI reference map chart comprises 144 maps corresponding to 12 different infarct volumes (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 mL) in each of 12 template slices (Montreal Neurological Institute z-axis –15 to 51 mm). Infarct volume in a patient is estimated by selecting a slice with a similar infarct size at the corresponding z-axis level on the reference maps and then adding up over all slices. The method yielded good correlations to software volumetrics and was easily learned by both experienced and junior physicians, with approximately 1 to 2 minutes spent per case. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting threshold infarct volumes ( < 21, < 31, and < 51 mL) were very high (all about >90%). CONCLUSIONS: We developed easy-to-use reference maps that allow prompt and reliable visual estimation of infarct volumes for triaging patients to thrombectomy in acute stroke.
Atherosclerosis ; Cerebral Infarction ; Decision Making ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Infarction ; Medical Staff, Hospital ; Methods ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke ; Thrombectomy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the fate of abstracts presented at scientific meetings of the Korean College of Rheumatology (KCR). METHODS: This study examined the abstracts presented at annual meetings of the KCR from 2005 to 2014. Only original studies were selected, excluding case reports. A manual search was conducted using PubMed, KoreaMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase to track the published articles. The abstracts were considered to have been published if the authors, title, study design, and results were the same for a published article. In addition, they were considered published if the author and the study design matched, even if the results of the abstract and the results of the published articles were not identical. RESULTS: A total of 928 abstracts from 2005 to 2014 were analyzed. Of the 928 abstracts, 468 (50.43%) abstracts were published in a peer-reviewed journal and the mean time to publication was 19 months. Of the 468 abstracts, 414 were published in a science citation index extended (SCI[E]) journal, and 54 were published in non-SCI(E) journals. The proportion of SCI(E) articles increased annually. The average impact factor for the SCI(E) journals was 2.93. In subgroup analysis, the abstracts that were awarded the best oral or best poster presentation were more likely to be published as full-length articles with a higher impact factor than the abstracts not awarded. CONCLUSION: Half of the abstracts presented in the KCR annual meetings were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Approximately 90% of the articles were published in a SCI(E) journal.
Awards and Prizes ; Korea ; Publications ; Rheumatology*

PURPOSE: A task force appointed by the Korean Society of Acute Care Surgery reviewed previously published guidelines on antibiotic use in patients with abdominal injuries and adapted guidelines for Korea. METHODS: Four guidelines were assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument. Five topics were considered: indication for antibiotics, time until first antibiotic use, antibiotic therapy duration, appropriate antibiotics, and antibiotic use in abdominal trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock. RESULTS: Patients requiring surgery need preoperative prophylactic antibiotics. Patients who do not require surgery do not need antibiotics. Antibiotics should be administered as soon as possible after injury. In the absence of hollow viscus injury, no additional antibiotic doses are needed. If hollow viscus injury is repaired within 12 hours, antibiotics should be continued for ≤ 24 hours. If hollow viscus injury is repaired after 12 hours, antibiotics should be limited to 7 days. Antibiotics can be administered for ≥7 days if hollow viscus injury is incompletely repaired or clinical signs persist. Broad-spectrum aerobic and anaerobic coverage antibiotics are preferred as the initial antibiotics. Second-generation cephalosporins are the recommended initial antibiotics. Third-generation cephalosporins are alternative choices. For hemorrhagic shock, the antibiotic dose may be increased twofold or threefold and repeated after transfusion of every 10 units of blood until there is no further blood loss. CONCLUSION: Although this guideline was drafted through adaptation of other guidelines, it may be meaningful in that it provides a consensus on the use of antibiotics in abdominal trauma patients in Korea.
Abdominal Injuries* ; Advisory Committees ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Cephalosporins ; Consensus ; Humans ; Korea ; Shock, Hemorrhagic