Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can have accompanying comorbidities including arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Patients with psoriasis tend to frequently visit medical institutions, and their economic burden for medical services is high. Objective: To investigate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea. Methods: The Korean Society for Psoriasis conducted a multi-center field survey of the patients and analyzed the national insurance claim data. Also, we discussed the medical environment of psoriasis in Korea based on the results. Results: The economic burden of psoriasis patients is substantial and varied by the type of medical institute. Patients also paid the indirect and intangible medical costs. Biological agents, which is used in patients with severe psoriasis, led to an increase in the cost. Conclusion This is the first study to estimate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea comprehensively. To improve the medical environment of psoriasis and alleviate the burden of patients, discussion on the more efficient health policy and medical insurance criteria for psoriasis would be needed.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can have accompanying comorbidities including arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Patients with psoriasis tend to frequently visit medical institutions, and their economic burden for medical services is high. Objective: To investigate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea. Methods: The Korean Society for Psoriasis conducted a multi-center field survey of the patients and analyzed the national insurance claim data. Also, we discussed the medical environment of psoriasis in Korea based on the results. Results: The economic burden of psoriasis patients is substantial and varied by the type of medical institute. Patients also paid the indirect and intangible medical costs. Biological agents, which is used in patients with severe psoriasis, led to an increase in the cost. Conclusion This is the first study to estimate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea comprehensively. To improve the medical environment of psoriasis and alleviate the burden of patients, discussion on the more efficient health policy and medical insurance criteria for psoriasis would be needed.

Morning glory syndrome (MGS) is a rare congenital optic disc anomaly with a characteristic fundal finding with severe visual impairment. It may occur in association with various systemic manifestations, even though most of the reported cases were isolated. A 6-year-old male visited the nephrology clinic with a history of microscopic hematuria and at the age of 12 years, he was diagnosed thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy by kidney biopsy. After the following years, the patient had progressive deterioration of visual acuity, and diagnosed as MGS. Whole Exome Sequencing of this patient and his mother revealed heterozygous COL4A4 mutations [c.81_86del (p.Ile29_Leu30del)]. It is more reasonable to consider MGS seen in this patient as a coincidental finding of autosomal dominant Alport syndrome. To our knowledge, this case represents the first case report of autosomal dominant Alport syndrome associated with MGS.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develop a new instrument for measuring self-management with a hierarchical structure [the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (DSMS)] in patients with type 2 diabetes, and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The DSMS instrument was developed in three phases: (1) conceptualization and item generation; (2) content validity and pilot testing; and (3) field testing of its psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 473 participants was recruited in three university hospitals and one regional health center, South Korea. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded two second-order component models explaining the common variance among six first-order factors. Principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation accounted for 60.88% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the hierarchical structure revealed the following fit indices: χ2/df = 1.373, standardized root-mean-square residual = .050, goodness-of-fit index = .935, incremental fit index = .975, comparative fit index = .974, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .039. All Cronbach' α values for internal consistency exceeded the criterion of .70. All of the intraclass correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability exceeded .70 except that for the taking-medication subscale. The components of the DSMS were moderately correlated with the comparator measures of self-efficacy and health literacy administered for convergent validity. Conclusion The DSMS is a new instrument for measuring the complex nature of self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes, comprising 17 items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The DSMS exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties for five reliability and validity metrics, and so is a suitable instrument to apply in both research and clinical practices.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develop a new instrument for measuring self-management with a hierarchical structure [the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (DSMS)] in patients with type 2 diabetes, and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The DSMS instrument was developed in three phases: (1) conceptualization and item generation; (2) content validity and pilot testing; and (3) field testing of its psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 473 participants was recruited in three university hospitals and one regional health center, South Korea. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded two second-order component models explaining the common variance among six first-order factors. Principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation accounted for 60.88% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the hierarchical structure revealed the following fit indices: χ2/df = 1.373, standardized root-mean-square residual = .050, goodness-of-fit index = .935, incremental fit index = .975, comparative fit index = .974, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .039. All Cronbach' α values for internal consistency exceeded the criterion of .70. All of the intraclass correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability exceeded .70 except that for the taking-medication subscale. The components of the DSMS were moderately correlated with the comparator measures of self-efficacy and health literacy administered for convergent validity. Conclusion The DSMS is a new instrument for measuring the complex nature of self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes, comprising 17 items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The DSMS exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties for five reliability and validity metrics, and so is a suitable instrument to apply in both research and clinical practices.

PURPOSE: To evaluate superiority of a night float (NF) system in comparison to a traditional night on-call (NO) system for surgical residents at a single institution in terms of efficacy, safety, and satisfaction. METHODS: A NF system was implemented from March to September 2017 and big data analysis from electronic medical records was performed for all patients admitted for surgery or contacted from the emergency room (ER). Parameters including vital signs, mortality, and morbidity rates, as well as promptness of response to ER calls, were compared against a comparable period (March to September 2016) during which a NO system was in effect. A survey was also performed for physicians and nurses who had experienced both systems. RESULTS: A total of 150,000 clinical data were analyzed. Under the NO and NF systems, a total of 3,900 and 3,726 patients were admitted for surgery. Mortality rates were similar but postoperative bleeding was significantly higher in the NO system (0.5% vs. 0.2%, P = 0.031). From the 1,462 and 1,354 patients under the NO and NF systems respectively, that required surgical consultation from the ER, the time to response was significantly shorter in the NF system (54.5 ± 70.7 minutes vs. 66.8 ± 83.8 minutes, P < 0.001). Both physicians (90.4%) and nurses (91.4%) agreed that the NF system was more beneficial. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a NF system using big data analysis in Korea, and potential benefits of this new system were observed in both ward and ER patient management.
Electronic Health Records ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Medical Staff ; Mortality ; Statistics as Topic ; Vital Signs

In multiple myeloma (MM), the impaired function of several types of immune cells favors the tumor’s escape from immune surveillance and, therefore, its growth and survival. Tremendous improvements have been made in the treatment of MM over the past decade but cellular immunotherapy using dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and genetically engineered T-cells represent a new therapeutic era. The application of these treatments is growing rapidly, based on their capacity to eradicate MM. In this review, we summarize recent progress in cellular immunotherapy for MM and its future prospects.

A primary benign schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare. Only 30 cases have been reported in the medical literature worldwide, and only one case has been reported in Korea previously. A 56-year-old man was admitted to Gil Medical Center with incidental findings of a hepatic mass by abdominal computed tomography. The computed tomography and magnetic resonance image revealed a 3×2 cm-sized solid mass in the left lobe of the liver. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a benign schwannoma, proven by positive immunoreaction with the neurogenic marker S-100 protein and a negative response to CD34, CD117, and smooth muscle actin. We report a primary benign schwannoma of the liver and review the literature.
Actins ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidental Findings ; Korea ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurilemmoma* ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms ; S100 Proteins

A 47-year-old man developed chronic alcoholic liver cirrhosis and end-stage renal disease. He underwent blood-type-compatible liver transplantation with a graft from his daughter. After 8 months, sequential ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplantation was performed, with his brother as the donor (A to O). The patient had anti-A antibody titers (1:256). We performed pretransplant desensitization, including administration of rituximab, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, and prednisolone 2 weeks before the scheduled transplantation, and plasmaphresis (PP) and administered an intravenous immunoglobulin injection. The patient underwent PP before kidney transplantation until the anti-A antibody titer was <1:8. The patient achieved normal renal function within 4 posttransplantation days. Postoperative bleeding (diffuse hemorrhage) requiring additional blood transfusions and radiological intervention (drainage procedure) occurred 9 days after transplantation. The patient was discharged on day 20 of hospitalization. Nine months after the kidney transplantation, the recipient's and donor's liver and kidney functions were normal. ABOi renal transplantation after liver transplantation can be successfully performed in patients with high baseline anti-ABO antibody titers after preconditioning with rituximab and PP, and quadruple immunosuppressive therapy. However, caution is required regarding an increased risk of bleeding complications.
Blood Transfusion ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic* ; Liver Transplantation* ; Middle Aged ; Nuclear Family ; Prednisolone ; Rituximab ; Siblings ; Tacrolimus ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association between urinary cadmium (U-cd) concentration and diabetes in middle-aged Korean residents of abandoned mines using the first Health Effect Surveillance for Residents in Abandoned Metal mines (HESRAM). METHODS: This study was cross-sectional study conducted on 719 residents between 40-70 years in 38 abandoned metal mines in Korea. Data was collected by HESRAM from 2008 to 2011. The correlation coefficient of U-cd and fasting blood glucose, odds ratio in urinary cadmium tertiles and diabetes prevalence was analyzed according to the sex category. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient U-cd concentration and fasting blood glucose was 0.182 in male. Logistic regression analysis in male revealed a third tertile odds ratio of U-cd (2 mug/g creatinine < U-cd) while diabetes prevalence was 1.81 (95 % CI 1.05-3.12) with adjusted age, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption, region, family income. On the other hand, the odds ratio for third tertile of U-cd (3 mug/g creatinine < U-cd) between diabetes prevalence in female was 1.39 (95 % CI 0.52-3.72) in addition to adjusted menopausal status. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental exposure to cadmium in abandoned mine residents was associated with diabetes in male. Closed monitoring and periodic evaluation of the health effects of chronic environmental exposure on abandoned mines residents will be needed.
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Cadmium* ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking