Purpose: To evaluate the role of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in patients with node-negative breast cancer of 5cm or larger tumors undergoing mastectomy Materials and Methods: Medical records of 274 patients from 18 institutions treated with mastectomy between January 2000 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Among these, 202 patients underwent PMRT, while 72 did not. Two hundred and forty-one patients (88.0%) received systemic chemotherapy, and 172 (62.8%) received hormonal therapy. Patients receiving PMRT were younger, more likely to have progesterone receptor-positive tumors, and received adjuvant chemotherapy more frequently compared with those without PMRT (p <0.001, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively). Other characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Results: With a median follow-up of 95 months (range, 1-249), there were 9 locoregional recurrences, and 20 distant metastases. The 8-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rates were 98.0% with PMRT and 91.3% without PMRT (p=0.133), and the 8-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 91.8% with PMRT and 73.9% without PMRT (p=0.008). On multivariate analysis incorporating age, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and PMRT, the absence of lymphovascular invasion and the receipt of PMRT were associated with improved DFS (p=0.025 and 0.009, respectively). Conclusion Locoregional recurrence rate was very low in node-negative breast cancer of 5cm or larger tumors treated with mastectomy regardless of the receipt of PMRT. However, PMRT was significantly associated with improved DFS. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings.

Background/Aims: Although balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) enables endoscopic visualization of small bowel (SB) involvement in Crohn’s disease (CD), there is no data on the changes in outcomes over time. We therefore investigated the changes in BAE use on CD patients over different time periods in terms of its role and clinical outcomes. Methods: We used a multicenter enteroscopy database to identify CD patients with SB involvement who underwent BAE (131 procedures, 116 patients). We compared BAE-related factors and outcomes between the first period (70 procedures, 60 patients) and the second period (61procedures, 56 patients). The specific cutoff point for dividing the two periods was 2007, when BAE guidelines were introduced. Results: Initial diagnosis of SB involvement in CD was the most common indication for BAE during each period (50.0% vs 31.1%, p=0.034). The largest change was in the number of BAE uses for stricture evaluation and/or treatment, which increased significantly in the latter period (2.9% vs 21.3%, p=0.002). The diagnostic yield in patients with suspected CD was 90.7% in the first period and 95.0% in the second (p=0.695). More endoscopic interventions were performed in the second period than in the first (5.1% vs 17.6%, p=0.041). Enteroscopic success rates were high throughout (100% in the first period vs 80.0% in the second period, p>0.999). In the first and second periods, therapeutic plans were adjusted in 62.7% and 61.4% of patients, respectively. Conclusions The overall clinical indications, outcomes, and effectiveness of BAE were constant over time in CD patients with SB involvement, with the exception that the frequency of enteroscopic intervention increased remarkably.

Background/Aims: Although balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) enables endoscopic visualization of small bowel (SB) involvement in Crohn’s disease (CD), there is no data on the changes in outcomes over time. We therefore investigated the changes in BAE use on CD patients over different time periods in terms of its role and clinical outcomes. Methods: We used a multicenter enteroscopy database to identify CD patients with SB involvement who underwent BAE (131 procedures, 116 patients). We compared BAE-related factors and outcomes between the first period (70 procedures, 60 patients) and the second period (61procedures, 56 patients). The specific cutoff point for dividing the two periods was 2007, when BAE guidelines were introduced. Results: Initial diagnosis of SB involvement in CD was the most common indication for BAE during each period (50.0% vs 31.1%, p=0.034). The largest change was in the number of BAE uses for stricture evaluation and/or treatment, which increased significantly in the latter period (2.9% vs 21.3%, p=0.002). The diagnostic yield in patients with suspected CD was 90.7% in the first period and 95.0% in the second (p=0.695). More endoscopic interventions were performed in the second period than in the first (5.1% vs 17.6%, p=0.041). Enteroscopic success rates were high throughout (100% in the first period vs 80.0% in the second period, p>0.999). In the first and second periods, therapeutic plans were adjusted in 62.7% and 61.4% of patients, respectively. Conclusions The overall clinical indications, outcomes, and effectiveness of BAE were constant over time in CD patients with SB involvement, with the exception that the frequency of enteroscopic intervention increased remarkably.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended to improve symptoms in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD), improvement of exercise performance is controversial. This study aimed to investigate changes in exercise duration after PCI according to functional completeness of revascularization by comparing pre- and post-PCI exercise stress test (EST). METHODS: Patients with SIHD were enrolled from a prospective PCI registry, and divided into 2 groups: 1) functional complete revascularization (CR) group had a positive EST before PCI and negative EST after PCI, 2) functional incomplete revascularization (IR) group had positive EST before and after PCI. Primary outcome was change in exercise duration after PCI and secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE, a composite of any death, any myocardial infarction, and any ischemia-driven revascularization) at 3 years after PCI. RESULTS: A total of 256 patients (149 for CR group, and 107 for IR group) were eligible for analysis. Before PCI, exercise duration was not significantly different between the functional CR and IR groups (median 540 [interquartile range; IQR, 414, 602] vs. 480 [402, 589] seconds, p=0.091). After PCI, however, the CR group had a significantly higher increment of exercise duration than the IR group (median 62.0 [IQR, 12.0, 141.0] vs. 30.0 [−11.0, 103.5] seconds, p=0.011). The functional CR group also had a significantly lower risk of 3-year MACE (6.2% vs. 26.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.41; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Functional CR showed a higher increment of exercise duration than functional IR.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended to improve symptoms in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD), improvement of exercise performance is controversial. This study aimed to investigate changes in exercise duration after PCI according to functional completeness of revascularization by comparing pre- and post-PCI exercise stress test (EST).METHODS: Patients with SIHD were enrolled from a prospective PCI registry, and divided into 2 groups: 1) functional complete revascularization (CR) group had a positive EST before PCI and negative EST after PCI, 2) functional incomplete revascularization (IR) group had positive EST before and after PCI. Primary outcome was change in exercise duration after PCI and secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE, a composite of any death, any myocardial infarction, and any ischemia-driven revascularization) at 3 years after PCI.RESULTS: A total of 256 patients (149 for CR group, and 107 for IR group) were eligible for analysis. Before PCI, exercise duration was not significantly different between the functional CR and IR groups (median 540 [interquartile range; IQR, 414, 602] vs. 480 [402, 589] seconds, p=0.091). After PCI, however, the CR group had a significantly higher increment of exercise duration than the IR group (median 62.0 [IQR, 12.0, 141.0] vs. 30.0 [−11.0, 103.5] seconds, p=0.011). The functional CR group also had a significantly lower risk of 3-year MACE (6.2% vs. 26.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.41; p<0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Functional CR showed a higher increment of exercise duration than functional IR.
Angina, Stable ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies

Methods: A nationwide database (2012–2016) acquired from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service was analyzed. International disease categories in the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes, medical procedure codes, and examination codes were used to identify and sort OVCF patients aged >50 years. Results: There were 644,500 OVCF cases from 2012 to 2016. OVCF was most common in patients in their seventies (45%) and the number of patients increased from 117,361 in 2012 to 139,889 in 2016 (p <0.001). During 2012–2016, 8.9% of patients visited the emergency department; of those, 54.3% were hospitalized and 35% underwent magnetic resonance imaging. In OVCF treatment, bone cement augmentation rates increased from 23.4% in 2012 to 25.2% in 2016 (p <0.001), while conservative treatment rates slightly decreased from 76.5% in 2012 to 74.7% in 2016 (p <0.001). The total health insurance cost was $193,210,353.55 in 2012 and $281,968,877.65 in 2016. Conclusions The 5-year incidence of OVCF per 100,000 persons was 852.24 cases, and 45% of OVCF in South Korea occurred in patients in their seventies. The bone cement augmentation rate and total cost of OVCF are continuously increasing.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Maintaining the patency of vascular access (VA) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is important and can be life-saving. We investigated the effects of aspirin resistance and mean platelet volume (MPV) on VA failure in HD patients. METHODS: We enrolled 163 patients on maintenance HD. VA failure was defined as thrombosis or a decrease of > 50% of the normal vessel diameter, as revealed by angiography. RESULTS: Aspirin resistance was observed in 17 of 109 patients in whom this parameter was measured, and was not significantly associated with VA failure (p = 0.051). The mean MPV was 9.15 ± 0.05 fL. The 163 patients were grouped by the median MPV value (9.08 fL) at baseline; patients with higher MPVs (n = 82) had lower platelet counts (p = 0.002) and albumin levels (p = 0.009). During 34 months of follow-up, 65 VA failures (39.9%) occurred. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of cumulative VA failure (54.1% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.018). On multivariate analysis, the MPV (hazard ratio [HR], 1.794; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.066 to 3.020; p = 0.028), platelet count (HR, 1.003; 95% CI, 1.001 to 1.006; p = 0.01), and smoking status (HR, 1.894; 95% CI, 1.019 to 3.519; p = 0.043) independently predicted VA failure. CONCLUSIONS A high MPV was associated with an increased risk of VA failure, whereas aspirin resistance showed only a weak association. The MPV may predict VA survival in HD patients.

Chronic cough is common in the community and causes significant morbidity. Several factors may underlie this problem, but comorbid conditions located at sensory nerve endings that regulate the cough reflex, including rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, are considered important. However, chronic cough is frequently non-specific and accompanied by not easily identifiable causes during the initial evaluation. Therefore, there are unmet needs for developing empirical treatment and practical diagnostic approaches that can be applied in primary clinics. Meanwhile, in referral clinics, a considerable proportion of adult patients with chronic cough are unexplained or refractory to conventional treatment. The present clinical practice guidelines aim to address major clinical questions regarding empirical treatment, practical diagnostic tools for non-specific chronic cough, and available therapeutic options for chronic wet cough in children and unexplained chronic cough in adults in Korea.
Adult* ; Asthma ; Bronchitis ; Child* ; Cough* ; Eosinophils ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Korea* ; Referral and Consultation ; Reflex ; Rhinitis ; Sensory Receptor Cells

The objective of this study was to investigate national surgical trends for distal radius fractures (DRFs) in Korea and analyze healthcare institution type-specific surgical trends. We analyzed a nationwide database acquired from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from 2011 to 2015. International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes and procedure codes were used to identify patients aged ≥ 20 years with newly diagnosed DRFs. A total of 459,388 DRFs occurred from 2011 to 2015. The proportion of DRF cases treated by surgery tended to increase over time, from 32.6% in 2011 to 38.3% in 2015 (P < 0.001). Open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF) using a plate steadily gained in popularity each year, increasing from 39.2% of overall surgeries in 2011 to 60.9% in 2015. The type of surgery for DRFs differed depending on the type of healthcare institution. ORIF (91%) was the most popular procedure in tertiary hospitals, whereas percutaneous pinning (58%) was most popular in clinics. In addition, general hospitals and hospitals with 30–100 beds used external fixation more frequently than tertiary hospitals and clinics did. Overall, our findings indicate that surgical treatment of DRF, particularly ORIF, continues to increase, and that the component ratio of operation codes differed according to the healthcare institution type.
Delivery of Health Care ; Epidemiology ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; International Classification of Diseases ; Korea* ; Radius Fractures* ; Radius* ; Tertiary Care Centers