Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and operative-related factors in children who underwent fundoplication, analyze surgical outcomes categorized by disease entity and surgical indication, and identify prognostic factors for reoperation risk. Methods: A total of 109 pediatric patients who underwent fundoplication between 2008 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by disease entity and surgical indication. Underlying diseases, comorbidities, sex, gestational age, birth weight, preoperative symptoms, and operation-related factors were examined. Outcomes were classified as short-term and long-term adverse events. We investigated differences in clinical outcomes according to disease entity and surgical indication. Then we statistically identified preoperative predictors for the risk of reoperation. Results: The most common disease entity was neurological impairment (n = 92). Pulmonary comorbidity (42.2%) and aspiration/regurgitation (87.2%) were the most common. Most surgeries were performed laparoscopically (86.2%). There were 12 short-term and 25 long-term adverse events, with long-term events occurred more frequently in the neurological impairment (NIP) group compared to the non-NIP group (P = 0.04). None of the factors showed a significant relationship with the risk of reoperation. Conclusion Neurologically impaired children were more likely to experience long-term adverse events postfundoplication. However, no significant predictors for reoperation risk were identified.

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and operative-related factors in children who underwent fundoplication, analyze surgical outcomes categorized by disease entity and surgical indication, and identify prognostic factors for reoperation risk. Methods: A total of 109 pediatric patients who underwent fundoplication between 2008 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by disease entity and surgical indication. Underlying diseases, comorbidities, sex, gestational age, birth weight, preoperative symptoms, and operation-related factors were examined. Outcomes were classified as short-term and long-term adverse events. We investigated differences in clinical outcomes according to disease entity and surgical indication. Then we statistically identified preoperative predictors for the risk of reoperation. Results: The most common disease entity was neurological impairment (n = 92). Pulmonary comorbidity (42.2%) and aspiration/regurgitation (87.2%) were the most common. Most surgeries were performed laparoscopically (86.2%). There were 12 short-term and 25 long-term adverse events, with long-term events occurred more frequently in the neurological impairment (NIP) group compared to the non-NIP group (P = 0.04). None of the factors showed a significant relationship with the risk of reoperation. Conclusion Neurologically impaired children were more likely to experience long-term adverse events postfundoplication. However, no significant predictors for reoperation risk were identified.

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and operative-related factors in children who underwent fundoplication, analyze surgical outcomes categorized by disease entity and surgical indication, and identify prognostic factors for reoperation risk. Methods: A total of 109 pediatric patients who underwent fundoplication between 2008 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by disease entity and surgical indication. Underlying diseases, comorbidities, sex, gestational age, birth weight, preoperative symptoms, and operation-related factors were examined. Outcomes were classified as short-term and long-term adverse events. We investigated differences in clinical outcomes according to disease entity and surgical indication. Then we statistically identified preoperative predictors for the risk of reoperation. Results: The most common disease entity was neurological impairment (n = 92). Pulmonary comorbidity (42.2%) and aspiration/regurgitation (87.2%) were the most common. Most surgeries were performed laparoscopically (86.2%). There were 12 short-term and 25 long-term adverse events, with long-term events occurred more frequently in the neurological impairment (NIP) group compared to the non-NIP group (P = 0.04). None of the factors showed a significant relationship with the risk of reoperation. Conclusion Neurologically impaired children were more likely to experience long-term adverse events postfundoplication. However, no significant predictors for reoperation risk were identified.

Purpose: Dietary habits are strongly related to the symptoms of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Therefore, personalized nutrition management can help reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of people with IBS. This study assessed the effectiveness of a personalized web-based nutrition management based on the types of food that trigger IBS symptoms. Methods: Sixty Korean adults with IBS according to Rome IV criteria in their 20s and 30s were enrolled in this study. The data from the final 49 patients who completed a three-month personalized nutrition intervention were analyzed. The general information, anthropometry, dietary intake survey, and gut microbiota were examined pre and post-intervention. The gut microbiota analysis included the relative abundance and the Shannon index. The food intake was recorded for two days for personalized nutrition education, followed by three months of personalized nutrition intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test in SPSS 26.0, with the significance set to p < 0.05. Results: The relative abundance of the gut microbiota changed after personalized nutrition management, with a significant decrease in the presence of Veillonella (p = 0.048). Furthermore, when the gut microbiota was analyzed according to the type of food that triggers symptoms, the diversity was increased significantly in the high fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) type (p = 0.031) and FODMAPs-containing gluten-type personalized nutrition intervention types (p < 0.001). Conclusions Gut microbial diversity and gut microbiota distribution changed after using web-based personalized nutrition management. Hence, personalized nutrition management that considers trigger foods may improve IBS symptoms.

Rare diseases are predominantly genetic or inherited, and patients with these conditions frequently exhibit neurological symptoms. Diagnosing and treating many rare diseases is a complex challenge, and their low prevalence complicates the performance of research, which in turn hinders the advancement of therapeutic options. One strategy to address this issue is the creation of national or international registries for rare diseases, which can help researchers monitor and investigate their natural progression. In the Republic of Korea, we established a registry across 5 centers that focuses on 3 rare diseases, all of which are characterized by gait disturbances resulting from motor system dysfunction. The registry will collect clinical information and human bioresources from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinocerebellar ataxia, and hereditary spastic paraplegia. These resources will be stored at ICreaT and the National Biobank of Korea. Once the registry is complete, the data will be made publicly available for further research. Through this registry, our research team is dedicated to identifying genetic variants that are specific to Korean patients, uncovering biomarkers that show a strong correlation with clinical symptoms, and leveraging this information for early diagnosis and the development of treatments.

Background: and Purpose We performed a population-based study to determine the prevalence and incidence of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in South Korea using data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database. Methods: Data recorded in the HIRA database between January 2016 and December 2020 were analyzed. The inclusion criteria in this study for patients with CIDP were a diagnostic code of G61.8 in the seventh and eighth revision of the Korean Standard Classification of Disease and a >3-month history of oral immunosuppressant use. The age-adjusted incidence rate and prevalence of CIDP in South Korea were also analyzed. Results: CIDP was newly diagnosed in 953 patients during the study period. The mean age at diagnosis was 58.36 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.74. The age-adjusted incidence rates were 0.22, 0.21, 0.23, 0.30, and 0.25 per 100,000 person-years in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. The age-adjusted prevalence was estimated at 1.16 per 100,000 persons in 2020. Age and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index were associated with the in-hospital mortality of patients with CIDP. Infection and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were also significantly associated with the in-hospital mortality of those patients. Acute-onset CIDP was initially diagnosed in an estimated 101 out of 953 patients with CIDP. Conclusions The prevalence and incidence rates of CIDP in South Korea were comparable between this nationwide cohort study and previous studies. Common comorbidities such as CVD and diabetes should be appropriately monitored in patients with CIDP to prevent a poor prognosis and socioeconomic burden.

This study aimed to determine foodservice and hygiene management statuses at welfare facilities catering to disabled persons by facility type to provide basic data for foodservice management guidelines. An online survey was distributed to workers at 1,984 welfare facilities for disabled persons in Korea, and 531 facilities responded, which represented a response rate of 26.8%. The survey requested general information about the facilities, facility users, meals, hygiene, and management. Statistical analyses were performed, and frequency analysis and the chi-square test were used to investigate responses by facility type. The survey results revealed that daycare centers were most common and accounted for 27.4% of responses. Residential facilities for the severely disabled and sheltered workshops accounted for 16.9% and 16.4%, respectively, and residential facilities by disability type accounted for 13.0%. The presence of dietitians at welfare facilities varied by facility type. Welfare centers for the disabled (94.7%) had the highest percentage of dietitians, followed by residential facilities for the severely disabled (87.8%). On the other hand, sheltered workshops and daycare centers for disabled persons had the lowest percentages of dietitians (10.3% and 4.1%, respectively). This study highlights the variations that exist in foodservice management across different welfare facilities for disabled persons and emphasizes the challenges faced by those responsible for managing foodservices and maintaining hygiene, particularly in large facilities with no dietitians. Therefore, we recommend tailored meal management guidelines be developed for each type of welfare facility for disabled persons.

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare acquired disease of unknown etiology that is classically characterized by progressive atrophy of the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and underlying bone structures. Eyelid myokymia is a disorder of involuntary, fine, continuous, undulating muscle fiber contractions, which is seen as a rippling of the overlying periorbital area. We report a patient with Parry-Romberg syndrome presenting eyelid myokymia.

Objectives: This study aimed to propose an efficient mental health service plan to be implemented during epidemics by identifying the mental health characteristics of people who have returned from countries with large-scale coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks. Methods: We analyzed the mental health evaluation scale data submitted by 504 quarantined people who had returned from countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic from January to April 2020 through a government support project. Results: The average age of the study group was 35.6±8.72 years, and males accounted for 67.1% and females 32.9% of the total subjects. The screening score for post-traumatic stress disorder was met by 12.1% of the subjects. Moderate to high level of depression and anxiety symptoms were seen in 10.7% and 7.0%, respectively. Also, 2.2% of the group complained of clinical level somatization symptoms, and 1.4% were evaluated as being at a high risk of suicide. The average scores and the proportion of subjects at high risk on all scales were significantly higher in female than in male. In a comparison by age, the average score of post-traumatic stress symptoms was significantly higher in subjects in their 20s than those in their 50s, and the proportion of the subjects at high risk for post-traumatic stress symptoms also showed a significant variation between age groups. However, there were no significant differences by age with respect to depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and suicidal tendencies. Conclusion During an epidemic, the mental health problems of people may increase, and the risk appears to be higher in female and young adults. Therefore, in addition to strong protection policies, a customized support system for each target group is required.

Objectives: Sarcopenia is one of the most representative factors of senescence, and nutritional status is known to affect sarcopenia. This study was performed to analyze the relationships between energy and protein intake and sarcopenia. Methods: The study subjects were 3,236 individuals aged ≥ 65 that participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008 ~ 2011. General characteristics and anthropometric and 24-hour dietary recall data were analyzed. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using a formula based on appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and body weight. Logistic regression was performed to determine relationships between sarcopenia risk and energy and protein intakes. Results: For energy intake, the odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenia in women was significantly higher those with the lowest intake [OR = 1.680, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.213-2.326] than those with the highest intake (P for trend = 0.001). Regarding protein intake per kg of body weight, the odds ratio of sarcopenia was significantly higher for those that consumed < 0.8 g/kg of protein daily than those that consumed > 1.2g/kg for men (OR = 2.459, 95% CI = 1.481-4.085) and women (OR = 2.178, 95% CI = 1.423-3.334). Conclusions This study shows a link between sarcopenia and energy and protein intake levels and suggests that energy and protein consumption be promoted among older adults to prevent sarcopenia.