Background: The increasing rate of cesarean delivery (CD) is a significant concern in many societies worldwide. Vaginal delivery (VD) is preferred over CD for subsequent pregnancies after successful VD, for women with no specific obstetrical indications, primarily because of concerns about potential complications arising from the surgical procedure. However, the factors that influence the decision of requesting a CD have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to examine the underlying reasons that lead mothers to choose CDs in subsequent pregnancies following a VD. Methods: This retrospective study included women who underwent VD in their first pregnancy between 2011 and 2020 and had a second pregnancy and childbirth within the study period. The analysis focused on women eligible for a trial of labor (TOL) in their second pregnancy, excluding those with conditions necessitating a CD. The study defined two groups: the TOL in second pregnancy (TOLS) group, consisting of women with one previous VD who attempted a VD in their subsequent pregnancy; and the CD on maternal request in second pregnancy (CDRS) group, comprising women with one past VD who opted for a CD in their second pregnancy without medical indication. The TOLS and CDRS groups were compared regarding obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results: During the study period, 372,749 women met the inclusion criteria: 368,311 women in TOLS group and 4,438 women in CDRS group. In the regression analysis for the CDRS, several factors were identified as increasing the risk of choosing CD, including age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.07), interval between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI 1.29–1.35), a history of pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.17–2.65), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05–1.36), hypertensive disease during pregnancy (HDP) (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.06–1.67), preterm labor during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.57;95% CI, 1.32–1.86), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21–1.47), traumatic event during delivery (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12–1.28), surgical VD (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.40), and pregnancies with abortive outcomes between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08–1.29). Additionally, women with pre-existing diabetes (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.24–1.89), pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.26–2.26), GDM (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11–1.37), or HDP (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.24–2.94) during the second pregnancy continued to exhibit an increased risk of opting for CD even after adjustment. Conclusion CD after VD was more prevalent among women with certain demographic characteristics and obstetric histories. Investigating the factors influencing women to request CD can be helpful in making informed decisions about safe delivery methods and may also affect the CD rate.

Background: The increasing rate of cesarean delivery (CD) is a significant concern in many societies worldwide. Vaginal delivery (VD) is preferred over CD for subsequent pregnancies after successful VD, for women with no specific obstetrical indications, primarily because of concerns about potential complications arising from the surgical procedure. However, the factors that influence the decision of requesting a CD have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to examine the underlying reasons that lead mothers to choose CDs in subsequent pregnancies following a VD. Methods: This retrospective study included women who underwent VD in their first pregnancy between 2011 and 2020 and had a second pregnancy and childbirth within the study period. The analysis focused on women eligible for a trial of labor (TOL) in their second pregnancy, excluding those with conditions necessitating a CD. The study defined two groups: the TOL in second pregnancy (TOLS) group, consisting of women with one previous VD who attempted a VD in their subsequent pregnancy; and the CD on maternal request in second pregnancy (CDRS) group, comprising women with one past VD who opted for a CD in their second pregnancy without medical indication. The TOLS and CDRS groups were compared regarding obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results: During the study period, 372,749 women met the inclusion criteria: 368,311 women in TOLS group and 4,438 women in CDRS group. In the regression analysis for the CDRS, several factors were identified as increasing the risk of choosing CD, including age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.07), interval between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI 1.29–1.35), a history of pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.17–2.65), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05–1.36), hypertensive disease during pregnancy (HDP) (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.06–1.67), preterm labor during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.57;95% CI, 1.32–1.86), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21–1.47), traumatic event during delivery (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12–1.28), surgical VD (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.40), and pregnancies with abortive outcomes between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08–1.29). Additionally, women with pre-existing diabetes (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.24–1.89), pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.26–2.26), GDM (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11–1.37), or HDP (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.24–2.94) during the second pregnancy continued to exhibit an increased risk of opting for CD even after adjustment. Conclusion CD after VD was more prevalent among women with certain demographic characteristics and obstetric histories. Investigating the factors influencing women to request CD can be helpful in making informed decisions about safe delivery methods and may also affect the CD rate.

With advancements in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments, significant changes have occurred in heart failure (HF) management. The previous Korean HF registries, namely the Korea Heart Failure Registry (KorHF-registry) and Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry (KorAHF-registry), no longer accurately reflect contemporary acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Our objective is to assess contemporary AHF patients through a nationwide registry encompassing various aspects, such as clinical characteristics, management approaches, hospital course, and long-term outcomes of individuals hospitalized for AHF in Korea. This prospective observational multicenter cohort study (KorHF III) is organized by the Korean Society of Heart Failure. We aim to prospectively enroll 7,000 or more patients hospitalized for AHF at 47 tertiary hospitals in Korea starting from March 2018. Eligible patients exhibit signs and symptoms of HF and demonstrate either lung congestion or objective evidence of structural or functional cardiac abnormalities in echocardiography, or isolated right-sided HF. Patients will be followed up for up to 5 years after enrollment in the registry to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes. KorHF III represents the nationwide AHF registry that will elucidate the clinical characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of contemporary AHF patients in Korea.

Background: The increasing rate of cesarean delivery (CD) is a significant concern in many societies worldwide. Vaginal delivery (VD) is preferred over CD for subsequent pregnancies after successful VD, for women with no specific obstetrical indications, primarily because of concerns about potential complications arising from the surgical procedure. However, the factors that influence the decision of requesting a CD have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to examine the underlying reasons that lead mothers to choose CDs in subsequent pregnancies following a VD. Methods: This retrospective study included women who underwent VD in their first pregnancy between 2011 and 2020 and had a second pregnancy and childbirth within the study period. The analysis focused on women eligible for a trial of labor (TOL) in their second pregnancy, excluding those with conditions necessitating a CD. The study defined two groups: the TOL in second pregnancy (TOLS) group, consisting of women with one previous VD who attempted a VD in their subsequent pregnancy; and the CD on maternal request in second pregnancy (CDRS) group, comprising women with one past VD who opted for a CD in their second pregnancy without medical indication. The TOLS and CDRS groups were compared regarding obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results: During the study period, 372,749 women met the inclusion criteria: 368,311 women in TOLS group and 4,438 women in CDRS group. In the regression analysis for the CDRS, several factors were identified as increasing the risk of choosing CD, including age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.07), interval between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI 1.29–1.35), a history of pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.17–2.65), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05–1.36), hypertensive disease during pregnancy (HDP) (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.06–1.67), preterm labor during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.57;95% CI, 1.32–1.86), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21–1.47), traumatic event during delivery (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12–1.28), surgical VD (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.40), and pregnancies with abortive outcomes between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08–1.29). Additionally, women with pre-existing diabetes (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.24–1.89), pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.26–2.26), GDM (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11–1.37), or HDP (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.24–2.94) during the second pregnancy continued to exhibit an increased risk of opting for CD even after adjustment. Conclusion CD after VD was more prevalent among women with certain demographic characteristics and obstetric histories. Investigating the factors influencing women to request CD can be helpful in making informed decisions about safe delivery methods and may also affect the CD rate.

Background: The increasing rate of cesarean delivery (CD) is a significant concern in many societies worldwide. Vaginal delivery (VD) is preferred over CD for subsequent pregnancies after successful VD, for women with no specific obstetrical indications, primarily because of concerns about potential complications arising from the surgical procedure. However, the factors that influence the decision of requesting a CD have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to examine the underlying reasons that lead mothers to choose CDs in subsequent pregnancies following a VD. Methods: This retrospective study included women who underwent VD in their first pregnancy between 2011 and 2020 and had a second pregnancy and childbirth within the study period. The analysis focused on women eligible for a trial of labor (TOL) in their second pregnancy, excluding those with conditions necessitating a CD. The study defined two groups: the TOL in second pregnancy (TOLS) group, consisting of women with one previous VD who attempted a VD in their subsequent pregnancy; and the CD on maternal request in second pregnancy (CDRS) group, comprising women with one past VD who opted for a CD in their second pregnancy without medical indication. The TOLS and CDRS groups were compared regarding obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results: During the study period, 372,749 women met the inclusion criteria: 368,311 women in TOLS group and 4,438 women in CDRS group. In the regression analysis for the CDRS, several factors were identified as increasing the risk of choosing CD, including age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.07), interval between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI 1.29–1.35), a history of pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.17–2.65), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05–1.36), hypertensive disease during pregnancy (HDP) (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.06–1.67), preterm labor during the first pregnancy (aOR, 1.57;95% CI, 1.32–1.86), postpartum hemorrhage (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21–1.47), traumatic event during delivery (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12–1.28), surgical VD (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.40), and pregnancies with abortive outcomes between the first and second pregnancies (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08–1.29). Additionally, women with pre-existing diabetes (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.24–1.89), pre-existing hypertension (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.26–2.26), GDM (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11–1.37), or HDP (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.24–2.94) during the second pregnancy continued to exhibit an increased risk of opting for CD even after adjustment. Conclusion CD after VD was more prevalent among women with certain demographic characteristics and obstetric histories. Investigating the factors influencing women to request CD can be helpful in making informed decisions about safe delivery methods and may also affect the CD rate.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most important opportunistic viral pathogen in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients.The Korean guideline for the prevention of CMV infection in SOT recipients was developed jointly by the Korean Society for Infectious Diseases and the Korean Society of Transplantation. CMV serostatus of both donors and recipients should be screened before transplantation to best assess the risk of CMV infection after SOT. Seronegative recipients receiving organs from seropositive donors face the highest risk, followed by seropositive recipients. Either antiviral prophylaxis or preemptive therapy can be used to prevent CMV infection. While both strategies have been demonstrated to prevent CMV infection post-transplant, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. CMV serostatus, transplant organ, other risk factors, and practical issues should be considered for the selection of preventive measures. There is no universal viral load threshold to guide treatment in preemptive therapy. Each institution should define and validate its own threshold.Valganciclovir is the favored agent for both prophylaxis and preemptive therapy. The evaluation of CMV-specific cellmediated immunity and the monitoring of viral load kinetics are gaining interest, but there was insufficient evidence to issue recommendations. Specific considerations on pediatric transplant recipients are included.

Background: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved empagliflozin for reducing cardiovascular mortality and heart failure (HF) hospitalization in patients with both HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, limited data are available on the generalizability of empagliflozin to clinical practice. Therefore, we evaluated real-world eligibility and potential cost-effectiveness based on a nationwide prospective HF registry. Methods: A total of 3,108 HFrEF and 2,070 HFpEF patients from the Korean Acute Heart Failure (KorAHF) registry were analyzed. Eligibility was estimated by inclusion and exclusion criteria of EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic heaRt Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Reduced) and EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic heaRt Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Preserved) trials and by FDA & EMA label criteria. The cost-utility analysis was done using a Markov model to project the lifetime medical cost and quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Results: Among the KorAHF patients, 91.4% met FDA & EMA label criteria, while 44.7% met the clinical trial criteria. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of empagliflozin was calculated at US$6,764 per QALY in the overall population, which is far below a threshold of US$18,182 per QALY. The cost-effectiveness benefit was more evident in patients with HFrEF (US$5,012 per QALY) than HFpEF (US$8,971 per QALY). Conclusion There is a large discrepancy in real-world eligibility for empagliflozin between FDA & EMA labels and clinical trial criteria. Empagliflozin is cost-effective in HF patients regardless of ejection fraction in South Korea health care setting. The efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in real-world HF patients should be further investigated for a broader range of clinical applications.

Background: Prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) is associated with an increased risk of hospital-acquired conditions and worse outcomes. We conducted a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study to determine whether prolonged hospitalization before developing sepsis has a negative impact on its prognosis. Methods: We analyzed data from 19 tertiary referral or university-affiliated hospitals between September 2019 and December 2020. Adult patients with confirmed sepsis during hospitalization were included. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. The patients were divided into two groups according to their LOS before the diagnosis of sepsis: early- (< 5 days) and late-onset groups (≥ 5 days). Conditional multivariable logistic regression for propensity score matched-pair analysis was employed to assess the association between lateonset sepsis and the primary outcome. Results: A total of 1,395 patients were included (median age, 68.0 years; women, 36.3%).The early- and late-onset sepsis groups comprised 668 (47.9%) and 727 (52.1%) patients.Propensity score-matched analysis showed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in the late-onset group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–5.34).The same trend was observed in the entire study population (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.37–2.50).When patients were divided into LOS quartile groups, an increasing trend of mortality risk was observed in the higher quartiles (Pfor trend < 0.001). Conclusion Extended LOS before developing sepsis is associated with higher in-hospital mortality. More careful management is required when sepsis occurs in patients hospitalized for ≥ 5 days.

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for a large proportion of healthcare-associated infections and have a significant impact on morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Adherence to the recommended infection prevention practices can effectively reduce the incidence of CAUTIs. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of CAUTIs and the efficacy of prevention programs across hospitals of various sizes. Methods: Intervention programs, including training, surveillance, and monitoring, were implemented. Data on the microorganisms responsible for CAUTIs, urinary catheter utilization ratio, rate of CAUTIs per 1,000 device days, and factors associated with the use of indwelling catheters were collected from 2017 to 2019. The incidence of CAUTIs and associated data were compared between university hospitals and small- and medium-sized hospitals. Results: Thirty-two hospitals participated in the study, including 21 university hospitals and 11 small- and medium-sized hospitals. The microorganisms responsible for CAUTIs and their resistance rates did not differ between the two groups. In the first quarter of 2018, the incidence rate was 2.05 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 1.44 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. After implementing interventions, the rate gradually decreased in the first quarter of 2019, with 1.18 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 0.79 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. However, by the end of the study, the infection rate increased to 1.74 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 1.80 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Conclusion We implemented interventions to prevent CAUTIs and evaluated their outcomes. The incidence of these infections decreased in the initial phases of the intervention when adequate support and personnel were present. The rate of these infections may be reduced by implementing active interventions such as consistent monitoring and adherence to guidelines for preventing infections.

Objective: The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease–Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) was developed to assess cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SCOPACog (K-SCOPA-Cog). Methods: We enrolled 129 PD patients with movement disorders from 31 clinics in South Korea. The original version of the SCOPA-Cog was translated into Korean using the translation-retranslation method. The test–retest method with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to assess reliability. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K) and the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess concurrent validity. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.797, and the ICC was 0.887. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation with the K-MMSE and MOCA-K scores (r = 0.546 and r = 0.683, respectively). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the K-SCOPA-Cog has good reliability and validity.