Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Outbreak at Fitness Centers in Cheonan, Korea

Background@#In February 2020, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was reported in fitness centers in Cheonan, Korea. @*Methods@#From February 24 to March 13, an epidemiological investigation was conducted on the fitness center outbreak. All those who were screened were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Contacts were traced and self-isolated for 14 days. We determined the epidemiological characteristics of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and estimated the time-dependent reproduction number to assess the transmission dynamics of the infection. @*Results@#A total of 116 cases were confirmed, and 1,687 contacts were traced. The source cases were 8 Zumba instructors who led aerobics classes in 10 fitness centers, and had the largest average number of contacts. A total of 57 Zumba class participants, 37 of their family members, and 14 other contacts were confirmed as cases. The attack rate was 7.3%. The contacts at Zumba classes and homes had a higher attack rate than other contacts. The mean serial interval (± standard deviation) were estimated to be 5.2 (± 3.8) days. The time-dependent reproduction number was estimated to be 6.1 at the beginning of the outbreak, but it dropped to less than 1, 2 days after the epidemiological investigation was launched. @*Conclusion@#The results suggest that the COVID-19 outbreak was effectively contained with rigorous contact tracing, isolating, and testing in combination with social distancing without a lock-down.

Safety and efficacy of fimasartan with essential hypertension patients in real world clinical practice: data from a post marketing surveillance in Korea

The safety and efficacy of fimasartan have been evaluated through post-marketing surveillance in real world clinical practice. The multi-center, prospective, open-label and non-interventional study. A total of 3,945 patients (3,729 patients for safety assessment and 3,473 patients for efficacy assessment) were screened in patients with essential hypertension in 89 study centers from 9 September 2010 through 8 September 2016. Among the total patients, 2,893 patients (77.6%) were administered fimasartan for 24 weeks or longer and were classified as ‘patients with long-term follow-up’, and the additional safety and efficacy analysis were performed. The improvement was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) controlled to ≤ 140 mmHg or decreased SBP differences ≥ 20 mmHg after treatment or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) controlled to ≤ 90 mmHg or decreased DBP differences ≥ 10 mmHg after treatment. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported in 3.8% patients; dizziness, and hypotension were the most frequently reported ADRs in total patients. The results of patients with long-term follow-up were comparable with total patients. The overall improvement rate in all efficacy assessment at the last visit was 87.1% (3,025/3,473 patients). The overall improvement rate of the patients with long-term follow-up was 88.9%. Fimasartan was well tolerated, with no new safety concerns identified and an effective treatment in the real world clinical practice for Korean patients with hypertension.

The Insulin Resistance but Not the Insulin Secretion Parameters Have Changed in the Korean Population during the Last Decade

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the patterns of insulin secretion and resistance between Korean subjects in the 1990s and 2000s. METHODS: Insulin secretion and resistance indices were calculated from subjects who underwent 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests in the year 1997 to 1999 and 2007 to 2011 at the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Korea. RESULTS: A total of 578 subjects from the 1990s (mean age, 48.5 years) and 504 subjects from the 2000s (mean age, 50.2 years) were enrolled. Compared with the subjects from the 1990s, those from the 2000s exhibited increased insulin resistance (increased homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance), and reduced insulin sensitivity (reduced Matsuda index and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index), regardless of their glucose tolerance status. However, insulinogenic index did not reveal significant differences between the 2 decades in subjects with or without diabetes. A distinct relationship was confirmed between Matsuda index and total area under the curve (insulin/glucose) in each glucose tolerance group. The mean product of the Matsuda index and the total area under the curve (insulin/glucose) as well as the oral disposition index, was lower in subjects with normal glucose tolerance from the 2000s than in those from the 1990s. CONCLUSION: After rapid economic growth and changes in lifestyle patterns, insulin resistance has worsened across the glucose tolerance status; however, the insulin secretory function remained unchanged, which resulted in an increase in the susceptibility to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus among Korean subjects without diabetes. We could not rule out the potential selection bias and therefore, further studies in general Korean population are needed.

Serum ferritin level is higher in male adolescents with obesity: results from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010

PURPOSE: Previous reports show an association between high serum ferritin levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) in adults. In adolescents, little information is available with obesity and serum ferritin levels. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (K-NHANES) conducted during 2010 by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. A total of 849 subjects aged 10-18 years participated in the 2010 survey. A body mass index (BMI) > or =95th percentile for age and sex or a BMI > or =25 was used to diagnose as obesity. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of obesity was 13.4% (62/462) in male and 8.5% (33/387) in female. We observed significantly higher serum ferritin in male than in female (mean+/-standard error [SE], 50.5+/-2.3 microU/L vs. 30.6+/-1.3 microU/L; P<0.0001). In male, serum ferritin is positively correlated with age (P<0.0001). White blood cell (WBC) count, serum fasting blood sugar, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and ferritin levels were higher and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were lower in the obesity than in the normal group. In female adolescents, WBC count, TG, insulin, and HOMA-IR were higher and HDL were lower in the obesity than in the normal group. In male, serum ferritin levels showed positive association with obesity (beta=21.196, P=0.016). CONCLUSION: Serum ferritin levels appear to be associated with obesity in Korean male adolescents.

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Insomnia in Depressive Disorders: The CRESCEND Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and clinical correlates of insomnia in a large cohort of Korean patients with depressive disorders. METHODS: We recruited 944 patients with depressive disorders from the Clinical Research Center for Depression of South Korea (CRESCEND) study. Psychometric scales were used to assess depression (HAMD), anxiety (HAMA), psychotic symptoms (BPRS), global severity (CGI-S), and functioning (SOFAS). Insomnia levels were determined by adding the scores for all items on the HAMD insomnia subscale. The clinical characteristics of the patients with 'low insomnia' (summed score or =4) were compared using statistical analyses. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with 'high insomnia' status. RESULTS: Symptoms of insomnia were present in 93% of patients, while simultaneous early, middle, and late insomnia affected 64.1%. The high insomnia patients were characterized by significantly greater age, higher symptom levels (including core, gastrointestinal somatic and anxiety symptoms, and suicidal ideation), higher global severity and incidence of physical disorders, and greater insight. Explanatory factors of 'high insomnia' status were older age, higher gastrointestinal somatic and anxiety symptom levels, higher global severity, and greater insight. CONCLUSION: In clinical psychiatry, insomnia has been significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated. It affects most patients with depressive disorders, and is indicative of the global severity of depression. Active efforts to diagnose and treat insomnia in patients with depressive disorders should be strongly encouraged. Further research is needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia in depressive patients.

The Symptom Frequency Characteristics of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Possible Symptom Clusters of Depressive Disorders in Korea: The CRESCEND Study

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the symptom frequencies of 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) to understand the characteristics of each item and to propose the possible symptoms clusters. METHODS: From psychiatric clinics of 18 Hospitals in Korea, 1,183 patients, diagnosed with major depressive disorder (psychotic or non-psychotic), dysthymia or depressive disorder not otherwise specified. according to DSM-IV criteria, participated in this study from January 2006 to August 2008. The frequencies of each item of HDRS-17 were analyzed according to sex and severity. In addition, we compared this study with a previous study performed in England by Hamilton and with two studies performed in Korea by Kim et al. RESULTS: The frequencies of HDRS-17 items varied widely in this study, ranging from 95.8% in work and activities to 37.4% in loss of weight. But, depressed mood, psychic anxiety and work and activities items exhibited constant and higher frequency or rank regardless of study, the severity of depression or sex. Insomnia early, somatic gastrointestinal, genital symptoms and insight showed relatively constant but lower frequency or rank in disregard of studies or the clinical variables. Other symptoms had variable frequencies or ranks according to the variable clinical situations (culture, time, sex, severity of depression). CONCLUSION: We propose three clusters of symptoms in depressive disorders: core symptoms cluster, an associated symptoms, and a situation-specific symptoms. We can use these possible symptom clusters of depression in simplifying diagnosis of depression, increasing diagnostic specificity in special situation and indexing disease severity.

The Clinical Research Center for Depression Study: Baseline Characteristics of a Korean Long-Term Hospital-Based Observational Collaborative Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: The Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study is a 9-year observational collaborative prospective cohort study for the clinical outcomes in participants with depressive disorders in Korea. In this study, we examined the baseline characteristics of the depressive participants as the hospital-based cohort. METHODS: Participants were assessed using various instruments including the Clinical Global Impression scale, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, Scale for Suicide Ideation, and World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instruments-abbreviated version. Also, personal histories of medical and psychiatric illnesses and the range of socio-epidemiologic and clinical data were collected from each participant. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred eighty three participants were recruited from 18 hospitals. The mean age of the participants was 47.9+/-15.9 year-old, 74.4% were female, 82.9% had been diagnosed of major depressive disorder, 40.9% were experiencing their first depressive episode, and 21.4% had a past history of suicide attempts. The majority (85.3%) of the participants were moderately to severely ill. The average HDRS-17 was 19.8+/-6.1. Significant gender differences at baseline were shown in age, education, marriage, employment, religion, and first depressive episode. CONCLUSION: The baseline findings in the CRESCEND study showed some different characteristics of depression in Korea, suggesting a possibility of ethnic and cultural factors in depression.

Observer Variability and the Performance between Faculties and Residents: US Criteria for Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interobserver variability and performance in the interpretation of ultrasonographic (US) findings of thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 72 malignant nodules and 61 benign nodules were enrolled as part of this study. Five faculty radiologists and four residents independently performed a retrospective analysis of the US images. The observers received one training session after the first interpretation and then performed a secondary interpretation. Agreement was analyzed by Cohen's kappa statistic. Degree of performance was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Agreement between the faculties was fair-to-good for all criteria; however, between residents, agreement was poor-to-fair. The area under the ROC curves was 0.72, 0.62, and 0.60 for the faculties, senior residents, and junior residents, respectively. There was a significant difference in performance between the faculties and the residents (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the agreement for some criteria in the faculties and the senior residents after the training session, but no significant increase in the junior residents. CONCLUSION: Independent reporting of thyroid US performed by residents is undesirable. A continuous and specialized resident training is essential to enhance the degree of agreement and performance.

MRI Findings of Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Comparison with Non-Triple Negative Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinicopathological features of triple negative breast cancer, and compare them with those of non-triple negative breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 231 pathologically confirmed breast cancers from January 2007 to May 2008. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI findings according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon: mass or non-mass type, mass shape, mass margin, non-mass distribution, and enhancement pattern. Histologic type, histologic grade, and the results for epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, and Ki 67 were reviewed. RESULTS: Of 231 patients, 43(18.6%) were triple negative breast cancer. Forty triple negative breast cancers (93.0%) were mass-type lesion on MRI. A round or oval or lobular shape (p=0.006) and rim enhancement (p=0.004) were significantly more in triple negative breast cancer than non-triple negative breast cancer. In contrast, irregular shape (p=0.006) and spiculated margins (p=0.032) were significantly more in non-triple negative breast cancer. Old age (p=0.019), high histologic grade (p<0.0001), EGFR positivity (p<0.0001), p53 overexpression (p=0.038), and Ki 67 expression (<0.0001) were significantly associated with the triple negative breast cancer. CONCLUSION: MRI finding may be helpful for differentiation between triple negative and non-triple negative breast cancer.

An Association among Verbal Abuse, Social Support and Turnover Intention for Special Unit Nurses in a Hospital / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Nurses' turnover has a negative influence on the nursing staff, as well as on the hospital organization as a whole. In an effort to reduce the turnover of nurses, the conditions causing turnover intentions can be identified and managed. The research is conducted to identify the association among verbal abuse, social support, and turnover intentions for special unit nurses. METHODS: A survey was conducted in 105 registered nurses who worked in the following areas at Kyonggi province hospital: operating room, intensive care unit, and anesthesia department. The questionnaires included questions in the following areas: verbal abuse by doctors, supervisors, and colleagues social supports by supervisors and colleagues and turnover intention. The survey was distributed and analyzed based on nurses' responses. RESULTS: Operating room nurses had the highest turn over intentions. The verbal abuse by doctors and supervisors were highest in the operating room. Verbal abuse by supervisors had a significantly positive association with turnover intentions. Verbal abuse by doctors and by colleagues was not associated with the intention to leave. Finally, the social support by supervisors had a significant negative association with turnover intentions. Social supports by colleagues did not affect turnover intentions. CONCLUSIONS: For nurses working at special units, verbal abuse and social support by supervisors had a significant association with turnover intentions. It is important for supervisors to make an effort to reduce nurses' turnover intentions by reducing verbal abuse and by increasing social support.