Colonoscopy, a widely used procedure for diagnosing and treating colonic diseases, induces transient gastrointestinal symptoms and alterations in the gut microbiota. This review comprehensively examines the evidence on alterations in the gut microbiota following colonoscopy and their possible mechanisms. Factors such as rapid colonic evacuation, increased osmolality, and mucus thinning caused by bowel preparation and exposure to oxygen during the procedure contribute to these alterations. Typically, the alterations revert to the baseline within a short time. However, their long-term implications remain unclear, necessitating further investigation. Split-dose bowel preparation and CO2 insufflation during the procedure result in fewer alterations in the gut microbiota. Probiotic administration immediately after colonoscopy shows promise in reducing alterations and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the widespread use of probiotics remains controversial due to the transient nature of both the symptoms and gut microbial alterations following a colonoscopy. Probiotics may offer greater benefits to individuals with preexisting gastrointestinal symptoms. Thus, probiotic administration may be a viable option for selected patients.

Colonoscopy, a widely used procedure for diagnosing and treating colonic diseases, induces transient gastrointestinal symptoms and alterations in the gut microbiota. This review comprehensively examines the evidence on alterations in the gut microbiota following colonoscopy and their possible mechanisms. Factors such as rapid colonic evacuation, increased osmolality, and mucus thinning caused by bowel preparation and exposure to oxygen during the procedure contribute to these alterations. Typically, the alterations revert to the baseline within a short time. However, their long-term implications remain unclear, necessitating further investigation. Split-dose bowel preparation and CO2 insufflation during the procedure result in fewer alterations in the gut microbiota. Probiotic administration immediately after colonoscopy shows promise in reducing alterations and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the widespread use of probiotics remains controversial due to the transient nature of both the symptoms and gut microbial alterations following a colonoscopy. Probiotics may offer greater benefits to individuals with preexisting gastrointestinal symptoms. Thus, probiotic administration may be a viable option for selected patients.

Colonoscopy, a widely used procedure for diagnosing and treating colonic diseases, induces transient gastrointestinal symptoms and alterations in the gut microbiota. This review comprehensively examines the evidence on alterations in the gut microbiota following colonoscopy and their possible mechanisms. Factors such as rapid colonic evacuation, increased osmolality, and mucus thinning caused by bowel preparation and exposure to oxygen during the procedure contribute to these alterations. Typically, the alterations revert to the baseline within a short time. However, their long-term implications remain unclear, necessitating further investigation. Split-dose bowel preparation and CO2 insufflation during the procedure result in fewer alterations in the gut microbiota. Probiotic administration immediately after colonoscopy shows promise in reducing alterations and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the widespread use of probiotics remains controversial due to the transient nature of both the symptoms and gut microbial alterations following a colonoscopy. Probiotics may offer greater benefits to individuals with preexisting gastrointestinal symptoms. Thus, probiotic administration may be a viable option for selected patients.

Background: and Purpose: In this study we aimed to find the association between neuropsychological performance and body mass index (BMI) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, we investigated the effects of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype in the relationship between the BMI and cognition in MCI. Methods: We enrolled a cohort of 3,038 subjects with MCI aged 65–90 from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea and a dementia cohort of the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. MCI patients were classified into three subgroups according to the Asian standard of BMI. We compared cognitive performances between groups by one-way analysis of variance. To investigate the effects of the APOE genotype, we used multivariate linear regression models after adjusting for possible confounders. Results: Even though normal BMI groups were younger, had more females, and had less comorbidities, the higher BMI groups had better cognitive functions. Among subjects with APOE ε4 carriers, there was a positive relationship between the BMI and the memory task alone. Conclusions Our findings suggested that higher BMI in patients with MCI were associated with better cognitive performance. The effects of the APOE ε4 genotype in the associations between BMI and cognition were distinguishing. Therefore, according to physical status, APOE ε4 genotype-specific strategies in the assessments and treatments may be necessary in elderly patients with MCI.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is a positive-sense singlestranded RNA (+ssRNA) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The viral genome encodes twelve genes for viral replication and infection. The third open reading frame is the spike (S) gene that encodes for the spike glycoprotein interacting with specific cell surface receptor – angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) – on the host cell membrane. Most recent studies identified a single point mutation in S gene. A single point mutation in S gene leading to an amino acid substitution at codon 614 from an aspartic acid 614 into glycine (D614G) resulted in greater infectivity compared to the wild type SARS-CoV2. We were interested in investigating the mutation region of S gene of SARS-CoV2 from Korean COVID-19 patients. New mutation sites were found in the critical receptor binding domain (RBD) of S gene, which is adjacent to the aforementioned D614G mutation residue. This specific sequence data demonstrated the active progression of SARS-CoV2 by mutations in the RBD of S gene.The sequence information of new mutations is critical to the development of recombinant SARS-CoV2 spike antigens, which may be required to improve and advance the strategy against a wide range of possible SARS-CoV2 mutations.

BACKGROUND: The fracture risk induced by anti-estrogen therapy in patients with breast cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the risk of osteoporotic fracture in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic search was performed to identify studies that included any osteoporotic fracture (hip fracture and vertebral fracture) in patients breast cancer. Main outcome measures were occurrence and risk of osteoporotic fractures including hip and vertebral fractures in patients and controls. RESULTS: A systematic search yielded a total of 4 studies that included osteoporotic fracture outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Meta-analysis showed a higher risk of osteoporotic fracture in patients with breast cancer. Analysis of these 4 studies involving a total of 127,722 (23,821 cases and 103,901 controls) patients showed that the incidence of osteoporotic fractures was higher in the breast cancer group than in the control group. The pooled estimate of crude relative risk for osteoporotic fracture was 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.29–1.42; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Although studies were limited by a small number, results suggested a possible association between anti-estrogen therapy and increased risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the prognostic factors affecting admission in acute alcohol-intoxicated traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients visiting the emergency room. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective observational study was conducted on 821 acute alcohol-intoxicated adult trauma patients, who visited 10 university hospital emergency centers from April to November 2016. The primary outcome was hospital admission. The secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight patients diagnosed with acute alcohol-intoxicated TBI were analyzed. The increase in blood alcohol concentration was associated significantly with a mild decrease in admission (adjusted odds ratio, 0.993; 95% confidence interval, 0.989 to 0.998; p=0.01). Moderate to severe TBI patients showed a significant increase in admission compared to mild TBI patients (adjusted odds ratio, 12.449; 95% confidence interval, 3.316 to 46.743; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the admission was inversely correlated with the blood alcohol concentration and is correlated directly with the increase in the severity in TBI. Therefore, emergency physicians may be required to identify the severity of TBI rapidly and accurately in acute alcohol-intoxicated trauma patients visiting the emergency room.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Alcohol Content ; Brain Injuries* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Observational Study ; Odds Ratio ; Patient Admission ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Recent changes in healthcare systems have changed the epidemiologic paradigms in many infectious fields including bloodstream infection (BSI). We compared clinical characteristics of community-acquired (CA), hospital-acquired (HA), and healthcare-associated (HCA) BSI. We performed a prospective nationwide multicenter surveillance study from 9 university hospitals in Korea. Total 1,605 blood isolates were collected from 2006 to 2007, and 1,144 isolates were considered true pathogens. HA-BSI accounted for 48.8%, CA-BSI for 33.2%, and HCA-BSI for 18.0%. HA-BSI and HCA-BSI were more likely to have severe comorbidities. Escherichia coli was the most common isolate in CA-BSI (47.1%) and HCA-BSI (27.2%). In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus (15.2%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (15.1%) were the common isolates in HA-BSI. The rate of appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy was the highest in CA-BSI (89.0%) followed by HCA-BSI (76.4%), and HA-BSI (75.0%). The 30-day mortality rate was the highest in HA-BSI (23.0%) followed by HCA-BSI (18.4%), and CA-BSI (10.2%). High Pitt score and inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy were the independent risk factors for mortality by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, the present data suggest that clinical features, outcome, and microbiologic features of causative pathogens vary by origin of BSI. Especially, HCA-BSI shows unique clinical characteristics, which should be considered a distinct category for more appropriate antibiotic treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Bacteremia/drug therapy/*epidemiology/microbiology/mortality ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy/*epidemiology/microbiology/mortality ; Cross Infection/drug therapy/*epidemiology/microbiology/mortality ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis is required before high-risk procedures in patient with high-risk heart diseases. Although guidelines for the prevention of infective endocarditis were proposed by the American Heart Association in 1997, compliance to these recommendations has not been evaluated in Korea. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicentered study in 8 Korean university hospitals. Patients with high-risk heart diseases, having undergone invasive dental procedures between Jan. 1, 2000 and Dec. 31, 2003, were enrolled. The medical and dental records of the patients were reviewed to evaluate whether the prophylaxis had been appropriate. RESULTS: Of the initial 4,912 patients, 184 that had been treated with invasive dental procedures (255 total episodes, mean 1.4/patient) were evaluated. The most common high-risk heart disease was a prosthetic heart valve (233 procedures), followed by a previous history of infective endocarditis (22 procedures), cyanotic heart diseases (5 procedures) and systemic pulmonic venous shunts (2 procedures). Antibiotic prophylaxis was performed in 231 procedures (90.8%). Amoxicillin was the most common antibiotic used for prophylaxis (88.6%); however, the adequate dosage (2 gm) was administered in only 56% of these cases. Therefore, the appropriate prophylaxis, according to the AHA recommendations, was performed in only 14.1% (36 procedures). The mean duration of prophylaxis and number of antibiotic doses were 2.40 days (2.40+/-2.44) and 7.97 doses (7.97+/-7.18), respectively. A previous history of infective endocarditis (p=0.03) and dental extraction (p<0.01) resulted in a longer duration of prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Only 14.1% of the high risk group procedures were given appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis according to the AHA recommendations. These data suggest that protocol-based education of both doctors and patients is required for appropriate antimicrobial therapy during high-risk procedures for the prevention of infective endocarditis in patients with high-risk heart disease.
American Heart Association ; Amoxicillin ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Compliance ; Dental Records ; Education ; Endocarditis* ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valves ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop an intraoperative navigation system as the first step toward image-guided surgery and robotic surgery, and to evaluate its accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The navigation system was composed of an optical tracking system (Polaris, Northern Digital) and a personal computer. The registration error and target localization error of fiducial registration and surface registration were measured using a phantom. Each of the errors was measured 30 times, and the average values and the standard deviations were calculated. RESULTS: The registration error was 0.84 +/- 0.28 mm at fiducial registration and 0.81 +/- 0.21 mm at surface registration. The target localization error was 1.54 +/- 0.34 mm at fiducial registration and 1.46 +/- 0.32 mm at surface registration. CONCLUSION: We have developed an intraoperative navigation system using an optical tracker, and could assure ourselves that its accuracy is adequate for many orthopaedic surgeries. However, it still requires improvement in the accuracy and development of specific software and instruments for various operations.
Microcomputers ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted