Background: There is a growing demand for extending dosing intervals of dupilumab injections in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) due to treatment burden and side effects. However, studies on successful dose reduction in real-world settings are lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of a patient-centered dupilumab tapering regimen and to propose guidelines for target patients, appropriate intervals, and timing for tapering. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included moderate to severe adult AD patients who underwent at least 16 weeks of dupilumab treatment. Interval prolongation was considered in controlled patients assessed by Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score and serum inflammatory markers after at least 40 weeks of treatment with a standard regimen. Logistic regression model with generalized estimating equations was used to compare repetitive measurements over time between the two groups. Results: A total of 52 patients were included with 11 patients extending intervals to 3–4 weeks without flare-ups. The mean duration of dupilumab treatment before tapering was 53.27 weeks. The tapering group exhibited significantly lower body mass index. All patients of the tapering group showed EASI scores under 4 and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels under 1,000 IU/mL at week 40. EASI scores and IgE levels remained consistently low after dose reduction, with a mean follow-up time of 14.36 months. Conclusion Patients with extended dosing intervals demonstrated sustained effectiveness. Dose tapering might be a valuable option for non-obese patients with positive clinical response characterized by an EASI score under 4 and IgE levels under 1,000 at week 40.

Purpose: To explore mental health interventions using online technologies for school teachers and identify characteristics and effects on teachers’ mental health improvement. Methods: The method of Arksey and O’Malley was referenced. Two researchers independently searched seven electronic databases. Eleven experimental studies of online mental health interventions for K-12 teachers were analyzed for publication information, intervention characteristics, and summaries of outcome evaluations. Results: Publication years ranged from 2014 to 2023. Most studies were conducted in Europe. Teleconferencing was the most frequently used. Virtual reality has seen recent development. Cognitive factors were frequently evaluated to ensure the program’s effectiveness, including mental health awareness and coping skills. Thus, cognitive behavior therapy was the most significant component of interventions to improve teachers’ health. Conclusion Our scoping review illustrates recent trends of online interventions to improve teachers’ mental health. Due to very limited information on Korean teachers, it is necessary to adopt available online interventions considering educational systems and teachers’ characteristics. Highly accessible modality, person-centered contents of mental health concern, and careful protection of teachers’ privacy are recommended for promoting mental health of teachers.

The treatment of pathological scars, such as keloids and hypertrophic scars, can be challenging for dermatologists. The first-line treatment is intralesional corticosteroid injection, especially when patients complain of pain or discomfort. Laser treatment can also be used in patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars. However, even after multiple sessions of intralesional corticosteroid injections and laser treatment, desirable outcomes may not be achieved, and recurrence is common. Recent studies on the efficacy of intralesional bleomycin injection (BLMILI) in treating keloids and hypertrophic scars have suggested that a significant improvement is observed after BLMILI. However, there is limited research on the effectiveness of BLMILI for patients who do not respond to other treatments, such as intralesional corticosteroid injection or laser treatment. Here, we report four cases of BLMILI in keloids and hypertrophic scars that were unresponsive to previous intralesional corticosteroid injection and/or laser treatment.

Background: Pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive gram-negative bacilli (GNB) has limited options for oral antibiotic treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of ESBLpositive Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from pediatric urine samples to two oral antibiotics (fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin). Methods: From November 2020 to April 2022, ESBL-positive E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates from urine samples were collected at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Patients over 18 years of age or with malignancy were excluded. For repeated isolates from the same patient, only the first isolate was tested. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were measured using agar (fosfomycin) or broth (nitrofurantoin) dilution methods. MIC 50 and MIC 90 were measured for fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin in both E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Results: There were 117 isolates from 117 patients, with a median age of 7 months (range, 0.0–18.5 years). Among 117 isolates, 92.3% (108/117) were E. coli and 7.7% (9/117) were K. pneumoniae. Isolates from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and general ward (GW) was 11.1% (13/117) and 88.9% (104/117), respectively. Among 108 E. coli isolates, MIC 50 and MIC 90 for fosfomycin were 0.5 μg/mL and 2 μg/mL, respectively. Fosfomycin susceptibility rate was 97.2% (105/108) with a breakpoint of 128 μg/mL. Fosfomycin susceptibility rate was significantly lower in PICU isolates than in GW isolates (81.8% vs. 99.0%, P = 0.027).For nitrofurantoin, both the MIC 50 and MIC 90 were 16 μg/mL. Nitrofurantoin susceptibility rate was 96.3% (104/108) with a breakpoint of 64 μg/mL based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Among the nine K. pneumoniae isolates, the MIC 50 and MIC 90 for fosfomycin was 2 μg/mL and 32 μg/mL, respectively. MIC 50 and MIC 90 for nitrofurantoin were 64 μg/mL and 128 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion For uncomplicated UTI caused by ESBL-positive GNB in Korean children, treatment with fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin for E. coli infections can be considered as an effective oral therapy option.

Background: We compared preoperative residual gastric volume (GV) between the first and second stages of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in older adults after drinking carbohydrate-containing fluid 2 h prior to surgery. Methods: In this study, 36 patients, aged > 65 years, scheduled for staged bilateral TKA with one-week interval, were enrolled. The patients consumed 400 ml of carbohydrate-containing fluid 2 h prior to surgery. Before the induction of spinal anesthesia, the gastric antral cross-sectional area was measured at the first and second TKA using ultrasound, and the residual GV was calculated. The primary outcome was the residual GV. Qualitative GV (grades 0, 1, and 2) and analgesic consumption after the first TKA were assessed as secondary outcomes. Results: The GV (median [Q1, Q3]) was greater in the second-stage TKA (41.1 [22.5, 62.8] ml) than in the first-stage TKA (10.3 [0.0, 27.1] ml) (P < 0.001). In the qualitative assessment, the distribution was not different between the two stages of TKA (P = 0.219) and only one patient showed grade 2 gastric content in the second TKA. When opioid consumption was converted to an equivalent dose of morphine, an average of 53.9 mg of morphine was required after the first TKA. Conclusions Residual GV after drinking carbohydrate-containing fluid differed according to the stage of TKA, showing a larger residual GV in the second TKA than in the first one. In older adults scheduled to undergo bilateral staged TKA, caution is required in preoperative fasting practice, especially in second-stage surgery.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a chronic and recurrent bullous disorder that may be associated with the administration of certain drugs. Recently, bullous cutaneous adverse events after immunotherapy (IT) or targeted therapy have been increasingly reported. Here, we report a case of BP in a patient diagnosed with metastatic melanoma after treatment with pembrolizumab, dabrafenib, and trametinib. Histopathological examination showed a subepidermal blister with perivascular lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltration; the accompanying findings of linear immunoglobulin G and C3 deposition by immunofluorescence microscopy were consistent with BP. Since IT agents may initiate immune dysregulation and pathologic autoantibody production, which are required for the pathogenesis of BP, the lesions were thought to be cutaneous adverse events caused by IT.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of renal involvements in pediatric Alagille syndrome (ALGS). Methods: A total of 21 patients diagnosed with ALGS at age under 18 years who visited Samsung Medical Center from March 1999 to March 2022 were enrolled. ALGS was diagnosed either by clinical manifestations, targeted JAG1 sequencing, and/or liver biopsy. Medical records including sex, age, renal manifestations, urinalysis, serum creatinine, JAG1 sequencing, and ultrasonography were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The male to female ratio was 9:12. The mean age of patients at confirmative diagnosis of ALGS was 18.4 months. Sanger sequencing was performed for 17 patients. Sixteen of 21 patients (76.1%) showed JAG1 mutations. Renal involvement was found in 10 patients (47.6%). The most common type of anomaly was renal dysplasia (40%). One patient having renal dysplasia was pathologically confirmed with glomerular lipid deposition. Two patients (20%) manifested nephrocalcinosisephrolithiasis. Among eight renal-involved patients who survived, four (50%) progressed to chronic kidney disease stage 3. Two of these chronic kidney disease patients were diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome. The other four patients had renal functions preserved, including two without any interventions and two who underwent urological interventions. Conclusions The current study revealed a high prevalence of renal involvement in Korean pediatric ALGS with diverse phenotypes.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a negative impact on growth and development in children and is a risk factor for neurocognitive impairment; however, there is limited research on the cognitive function of children and adolescents with CKD. This study therefore aimed to investigate the mean intelligence and risk factors for low intelligence in children and adolescents with CKD. Methods: Eighty-one patients with CKD under 18 years old were included in the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-Ped CKD). Participants completed either the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (6–16 years), or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (> 16 years). Results: The mean full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) was 91 ± 19; 24.7% of participants scored a full-scale IQ below 80. Participants with a short stature (height Z scores < −1.88), failure to thrive (weight Z scores < −1.65), more severe CKD stage (≥ IIIb), longer duration of CKD (≥ 5 years), and those who were Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, had significantly lower mean full-scale IQs. Conclusion On linear regression analysis, the association between the full-scale IQ, and longer duration of CKD and growth failure, remained significant after controlling for demographic and clinical variables. It is therefore necessary to investigate cognitive impairment in pediatric patients with CKD who exhibit growth failure or for a longer postmorbid period. It is believed that early interventions, such as kidney transplantation, will have a positive effect on IQ in children with CKD, as the disease negatively affects IQ due to poor glomerular filtration rate over time.