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Objectives@#This study aimed to assess the contact tracing outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron sub-lineages BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.75 within Republic of Korea, and to generate foundational data for responding to future novel variants. @*Methods@#We conducted investigations and contact tracing for 79 confirmed BA.4 cases, 396 confirmed BA.5 cases, and 152 confirmed BA.2.75 cases. These cases were identified through random sampling of both domestically confirmed and imported cases, with the goal of evaluating the pattern of occurrence and transmissibility. @*Results@#We detected 79 instances of Omicron sub-lineage BA.4 across a span of 46 days, 396 instances of Omicron sub-lineage BA.5 in 46 days, and 152 instances of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2.75 over 62 days. One patient with severe illness was confirmed among the BA.5 cases; however, there were no reports of severe illness in the confirmed BA.4 and BA.2.75 cases. The secondary attack risk among household contacts were 19.6% for BA.4, 27.8% for BA.5, and 24.3% for BA.2.75. No statistically significant difference was found between the Omicron sub-lineages. @*Conclusion@#BA.2.75 did not demonstrate a higher tendency for transmissibility, disease severity, or secondary attack risk within households when compared to BA.4 and BA.5. We will continue to monitor major SARS-CoV-2 variants, and we plan to enhance the disease control and response systems.
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Background@#Although regular physical activity benefits cardiovascular health, there is a concern that intense exer‑ cise is linked to the promotion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary plaque rupture. However, the impact of physical activity on the outcomes of patients with concomitant AF and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association with clinical outcomes according to the level of physical activity in patients with concomitant AF and CAD. @*Methods@#We assessed 551 patients with AF and CAD (mean age, 67.1 ± 9.8 years) who completed a self-reported questionnaire for physical activity from 2015 to 2020 in a single tertiary-care hospital. Physical activity levels were con‑ verted into metabolic equivalent of task (MET) per week and categorized to correspond with multiple public health recommendations. We examined the association between physical activity, all-cause mortality, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). @*Results@#The risks of all-cause mortality (P for linear trend = 0.017) and MACCE (P for linear trend = 0.05) appeared inverse trend with a greater level of physical activity. Compared with inactive patients, patients who met the recom‑ mended target range of physical activity (500–1,000 MET-min/week: unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.58, 95% confi‑ dence interval [CI] = 0.36–0.99) and highly active patients who exceeded the minimum recommended level (≥ 1,000 MET-min/week: unadjusted HR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.25–0.88) had a lower risk of all-cause mortality in the unadjusted model; however, these associations did not remain significant after adjusting for the model. There was no evidence of increased risk of all-cause mortality and MACCE at levels of physical activity above the recommended target range, even with vigorous-intensity physical activity exceeding the recommended target range. @*Conclusions@#There appears to be an inverse trend between physical activity levels and all-cause mortality and MACCE in patients with concomitant AF and CAD. No excess risk of mortality or MACCE was found at exercise levels above the recommended target range. Further large-scale studies are warranted to create an improved evidence base concerning the effects of physical activity in patients with AF and CAD.
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Objectives@#Recent epidemiological data reported that young adults in their 20 ~ 30s are a vulnerable population with unhealthy dietary practices and a few signs of deteriorated health indicators. However, there are no dietary guidelines that are specifically developed for the young adult population. This study introduces some data collection tools that are mostly used in the service design field, and demonstrates how these tools can be used in nutrition research for developing dietary guidelines for specific target groups. @*Methods@#To understand the context of food choices among young people, 39 people were enrolled to complete a probes booklet. Thematic analysis and word cloud were performed to capture the main themes from the probes and a persona was developed based on the findings. @*Results@#Data from the probes enabled us to grasp the various contextual meanings of eating practices among young people. Most participants understand what a healthy diet is and often have a willingness to practice it. However, there were very few participants who were following the practices. We created four types of persona for developing dietary guidelines: healthy eating, emotional eating, convenient eating, and trendy eating. @*Conclusions@#Probes and persona were used in order to understand the lives of young adults and develop targeted messages. We hope that this introduction will be helpful to researchers who are looking for new ways of understanding their target population in the field of community nutrition.
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Objectives@#On November 5, 2021, Pfizer Inc. announced Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir+ritonavir) as a treatment method that could reduce the risk of hospitalization or death for patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). @*Methods@#From February 6, 2022 to April 2, 2022, the incidence of COVID-19 and the effects of treatment with Paxlovid were analyzed in 2,241 patients and workers at 5 long-term care facilities during the outbreak of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in South Korea. @*Results@#The rate of severe illness or death in the group given Paxlovid was 51% lower than that of the non-Paxlovid group (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24−0.98). Compared to unvaccinated patients, patients who had completed 3 doses of the vaccine had a 71% reduced rate of severe illness or death (aRR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.13−0.64) and a 65% reduced death rate (aRR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15−0.79). @*Conclusion@#Patients given Paxlovid showed a lower rate of severe illness or death and a lower fatality rate than those who did not receive Paxlovid. Patients who received 3 doses of the vaccine had a lower rate of severe illness or death and a lower fatality rate than the unvaccinated group.
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Purpose@#Only a few Asian studies have discussed the impact of statin intensity on clinical outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). We aimed to investigate the clinical impact of statin intensity in patients with PAD after endovascular revascularization. @*Materials and Methods@#From April 2009 to June 2019, 376 patients with lower extremity PAD treated with endovascular revascularization were enrolled. They were classified into three groups according to statin intensity: no-statin, low-to-moderate intensity (LMI), and high-intensity (HI). The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE). @*Results@#During the 40-month follow-up, MACE occurred less frequently in the HI and LMI groups than the no-statin group (11.4% vs. 16.0% vs. 39%, p<0.001). In adjusted Cox models, the HI group had the fewest MACE [hazard ratio (HR): 0.447; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.244–0.834; p=0.018] and MALE (HR: 0.360; 95% CI: 0.129–1.006; p=0.051) events, while the LMI group had fewer MACE (HR: 0.571; 95% CI: 0.326–1.0; p=0.050) events than the no-statin group. HI statin therapy was associated with better outcomes in terms of MALE (HR: 0.432; 95% CI: 0.223–0.837; p=0.003) than LMI statin therapy after inverse probability treatment weighting analysis. @*Conclusion@#HI and LMI statin use is associated with a significant reduction in MACE events than no-statin use. HI statin use was associated with better MALE outcomes than no-statin or LMI statin use.
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In November 2021, 14 international travel-related severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant of concern (VOC) patients were detected in South Korea. Epidemiologic investigation revealed community transmission of the omicron VOC. A total of 80 SARS-CoV-2 omicron VOC-positive patients were identified until December 10, 2021 and 66 of them reported no relation to the international travel.There may be more transmissions with this VOC in Korea than reported.
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Background@#This study aimed to investigate the recent prevalence, management, and comorbidities of diabetes among Korean adults aged ≥30 years by analyzing nationally representative data. @*Methods@#This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2016 to 2018, and the percentage and total number of people ≥30 years of age with diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were estimated. @*Results@#In 2018, 13.8% of Korean adults aged ≥30 years had diabetes, and adults aged ≥65 years showed a prevalence rate of 28%. The prevalence of IFG was 26.9% in adults aged ≥30 years. From 2016 to 2018, 35% of the subjects with diabetes were not aware of their condition. Regarding comorbidities, 53.2% and 61.3% were obese and hypertensive, respectively, and 72% had hypercholesterolemia as defined by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥100 mg/dL in people with diabetes. Of the subjects with diabetes, 43.7% had both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. With regard to glycemic control, only 28.3% reached the target level of <6.5%. Moreover, only 11.5% of subjects with diabetes met all three targets of glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and LDL-C. The percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates was higher in diabetes patients than in those without diabetes, while that from protein and fat was lower in subjects with diabetes. @*Conclusion@#The high prevalence and low control rate of diabetes and its comorbidities in Korean adults were confirmed. More stringent efforts are needed to improve the comprehensive management of diabetes to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.
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Papillary fibroelastomas are the second most common primary cardiac tumor in adults. Over 80% of fibroelastomas occur on the cardiac valves, usually on the left side of the heart, while the remaining lesions are typically scattered throughout the atria and ventricles. Although the optimal timing for surgery is controversial and depends on tumor size and location, prompt surgical resection is warranted in patients at high risk of embolism. A tumor on the cardiac valve can be removed using the slicing excision technique without leaflet injury. Here we present two cases of papillary fibroelastomas occurring on the ventricular surface of the aortic valve and in the right ventricle.
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PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify and analyze the trends of theory-based research published in Asian Oncology Nursing (AON) from 2011 to 2017. METHODS: We analyzed 22 theory-based studies taken from among the 232 studies published in AON for 7years. We analyzed the framework developed by researchers, descriptive summaries of theory, keyword classification of nursing meta-paradigms, the generic character of the studies, and the type of research designs. RESULTS: A total of 23 theories were applied in the 22 (9.5%) studies. ‘Nursing’ was the most prevalent field of study (34.8%). In the field of study of theory, nursing theory was the largest with eight (34.8%), and in the method of theory utilization, all 22 studies were theoretical applications 3 middle-range theories were most prevalent. In the keyword classification using meta-paradigm in nursing, we found 83 key words. Among them, ‘Health’ related key words were most frequent (53), followed by ‘Cancer’ keywords (13). CONCLUSION: AON has a high ratio of theoretical study compared to other journals, but the ratio is still less than 10%, which is still weak. Therefore, it is believed that the attention to, utilization of, application, and institutional establishment of nursing theory should be necessary.
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Humans , Asian People , Classification , Methods , Models, Theoretical , Nursing , Nursing Theory , Oncology Nursing , Research DesignABSTRACT
No abstract available.
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Humans , Multiple Myeloma , Plasma Cells , Plasma , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-LymphomaABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of authentic leadership and nursing organizational culture to the intention of hospital nurses to stay in their current position. METHODS: The participants of this study were 503 nurses in 8 hospitals. We collected data using questionnaires for assessing authentic leadership, nursing organization culture and intention to stay. For data analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Cronbach's α, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Tukey test, Multiple regression were performed using SAS ver.9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). RESULTS: Authentic leadership (β=.12, p=.008) and relation-oriented culture (β=.13, p=.009) affected the intention of the hospital nurses to stay. These variables accounted for 29% of the variance in the intention to stay among hospital nurses. CONCLUSION: The finding of this study shows that the authentic leadership and nursing organizational culture especially relation-focused can influence nurses' intention to stay in their current position. For retaining nurses, it is suggested to use an authentic leadership training program for nursing leaders and to make efforts to establish a relation-focused culture in the hospital.
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Education , Intention , Leadership , Nursing , Organizational Culture , Statistics as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Causal hypotheses suggest that alcohol-related disorders may also cause psychiatric disorders and problems, or vice versa. The association between alcohol consumption and mental health is important from both research and therapeutic viewpoints. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and mental health (perceived stress, depressive mood, suicidal ideation, quality of life) in Korean adults over 19 years old.METHODS: We finally included 5,399 adults who had participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2015, and analyzed the association between alcohol consumption and mental health, using logistic regression.RESULTS: Perceived stress was associated with alcohol consumption in problem drinkers (odds ratio [OR]=1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.13–1.61). Depressive mood was associated with alcohol consumption in moderate and problem drinkers (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.71–1.11 and OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.06–1.70, respectively). Suicidal ideation was not associated with alcohol consumption in moderate and problem drinkers (P=0.063 and P=0.068, respectively). Quality of life was associated with alcohol consumption in moderate and problem drinkers (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.41–0.57 and OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.66–0.92, respectively).CONCLUSION: We found that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of depressive mood and a higher quality of life as compared to low drinkers. However, problem drinkers have a higher quality of life but a higher risk of perceived stress and depressive mood as compared to low drinkers.
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Adult , Humans , Alcohol Drinking , Alcohol-Related Disorders , Alcohols , Logistic Models , Mental Health , Nutrition Surveys , Quality of Life , Suicidal IdeationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lower back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal disease in adults over the age of 50. LBP is associated with physical activity and mental health such as depression or suicidal thoughts. We aimed to analyze the association between LBP and mental health and that between physical activity and depressive mood in LBP patients among Korean adults over the age of 50.METHODS: We included 2,681 adults in the analysis, who participated in the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and used a t-test, logistic regression analysis, and chi-squared test via complex sampling. We analyzed the association between LBP and mental health, various kinds of physical activity, and depressive mood after adjusting for confounding factors.RESULTS: Poor mental health (perception of stress, diagnosis of depression, depressive mood, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts) were significantly associated with LBP. The LBP group was 2.077 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and was 4.666 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than the control group. Exercise, such as walking, was associated with a reduced risk of depressive mood in subjects with LBP.CONCLUSION: LBP patients were at high risk of being diagnosed with depression, experiencing suicidal thoughts and depressive mood, and attempting suicide. In LBP patients, walking was associated with a reduced depressive mood.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Depression , Diagnosis , Logistic Models , Low Back Pain , Mental Health , Motor Activity , Musculoskeletal Diseases , Nutrition Surveys , Suicide , WalkingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Macrophages have been known to have diverse roles either after tissue damage or during the wound healing process; however, their roles in flap wound healing are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate how macrophages contribute to the flap wound regeneration.METHODS: A murine model of a pedicled flap was generated, and the time-course of the wound healing process was determined. Especially, the interface between the flap and the residual tissue was histopathologically evaluated. Using clodronate liposome, a macrophage-depleting agent, the functional role of macrophages in flap wound healing was investigated. Coculture of human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT and monocytic cell line THP-1 was performed to unveil relationship between the two cell types.RESULTS: Macrophage depletion significantly impaired flap wound healing process showing increased necrotic area after clodronate liposome administration. Interestingly, microscopic evaluation revealed that epithelial remodeling between the flap tissue and residual normal tissue did not occurred under the lack of macrophage infiltration. Coculture and scratch wound healing assays indicated that macrophages significantly affected the migration of keratinocytes.CONCLUSION: Macrophages play a critical role in the flap wound regeneration. Especially, epithelial remodeling at the flap margin is dependent on proper macrophage infiltration. These results implicate to support the cellular mechanisms of impaired flap wound healing.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cell Line , Clodronic Acid , Coculture Techniques , Keratinocytes , Liposomes , Macrophages , Regeneration , Surgical Flaps , Wound Healing , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Whether cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves clinical outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs) has not been thoroughly evaluated. Moreover, few studies have sought to identify patients who would benefit most from CR among STEMI patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutively, 265 STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI with implantation of DESs and follow-up angiography were examined. Seventy-six patients (30%) who received CR were assigned to the CR+ group. Another 178 patients (70%) who did not participate in CR were assigned to the CR− group. Second generation DESs were implanted in 238 (94%) patients. RESULTS: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization, were compared. The CR+ group tended to have lower MACE than the CR− group at 3 years, although the difference was not statistically significant (9.9% vs. 18.3%, hazard ratio=0.54, p=0.138). Subgroup analysis revealed a significant interaction according to CR and preprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow (p value for interaction=0.011). In patients with low preprocedural TIMI flow (TIMI flow ≤1, n=161), those in the CR+ group had significantly lower MACE than those in the CR− group (p=0.005), whereas MACE was not different among patients with higher TIMI flow (TIMI flow ≥2, n=93). CONCLUSION: CR including exercise training was associated with lower MACE, particularly in patients with lower preprocedural TIMI flow during primary PCI for STEMI in the current DES era.
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Humans , Angiography , Drug-Eluting Stents , Follow-Up Studies , Myocardial Infarction , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention , RehabilitationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The prevalence and clinical outcomes of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have not been thoroughly studied. We examined the prevalence and predictors of asymptomatic CAS detected by carotid angiography and determined the impact of concomitant CAS on prognosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) due to CAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2013 and July 2015, 395 patients who underwent carotid digital subtraction angiography to screen for CAS during CAG were analyzed. The presence of CAS was defined as angiographically significant stenosis (≥50%). Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) rates were compared between patients with and without CAS. MACCEs included a composite of cardiac death, cerebrovascular death, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke. RESULTS: Of the 395 patients, 101 (25.5%) patients had significant CAS. The independent predictors of CAS were age, male sex, hypertension, diabetes, and multi-vessel disease. In patients with CAD, the presence of CAS was as an independent predictor for MACCEs after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio 2.47, 95% confidence interval 1.16–5.24, p=0.018). CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic CAS was documented in up to 25% of patients with CAD. The presence of CAS in patients with CAD was associated with a higher rate of MACCEs. Therefore, detection of CAS by carotid angiography during CAG may be important for risk stratification for CAD patients, particularly those with multi-vessel disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Angiography , Angiography, Digital Subtraction , Carotid Arteries , Carotid Stenosis , Constriction, Pathologic , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Disease , Death , Hypertension , Myocardial Infarction , Prevalence , Prognosis , StrokeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the association of low vitamin D status with thyroid autoimmunity and dysfunction in the Korean population according to sex and menopausal status in women. METHODS: This study was based on the data acquired from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We enrolled 4,356 subjects who had data of thyroid function, antithyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels. We excluded subjects who were pregnant and who had a history of thyroid disease or thyroid cancer, and those with transient thyroid dysfunction who tested negative for TPOAb (TPOAb[−]). RESULTS: TPOAb positivity (TPOAb[+]) with thyroid dysfunction (subclinical and overt hypothyroidism) was more prevalent in the vitamin D deficient group than in the vitamin D insufficient and sufficient groups including premenopausal (P=0.046) and postmenopausal women (P=0.032), although no significant differences were observed in men. The mean serum 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in the TPOAb(+) with thyroid dysfunction group than in the TPOAb(+) with euthyroidism and TPOAb(−) groups of premenopausal women (P=0.001), although no significant differences were observed in men and postmenopausal women. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, body mass index, and current smoking status, showed that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were significantly associated with TPOAb(+) with thyroid dysfunction in premenopausal women (P<0.001), although no significant associations were observed in men and postmenopausal women. CONCLUSION: Low vitamin D status was significantly associated with thyroid autoimmunity and dysfunction in the Korean population, especially in premenopausal women.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Autoimmunity , Body Mass Index , Korea , Logistic Models , Nutrition Surveys , Peroxidase , Premenopause , Smoke , Smoking , Thyroid Diseases , Thyroid Gland , Thyroid Neoplasms , Thyroiditis, Autoimmune , Vitamin D Deficiency , Vitamin D , VitaminsABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of the Stat Profile pHOx Ultra Blood Gas Analyzer (Nova Biomedical, USA), a new blood gas/chemistry analyser, including its precision and linearity, comparison studies, and the carry-over effect of commercial reagents and patient specimens. We assessed all the results on the basis of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The following parameters were assessed: pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, partial pressure of oxygen, ionized calcium, ionized magnesium (iMg), and lactate concentration The total imprecision had a coefficient of variation of 0.0%–1.8%, and the linear measurement ranges for each parameter were all acceptable. In comparison with the Nova Critical Care Xpress Analyzer (Nova Biomedical, USA), the results indicated a good agreement, except for iMg. All carry-over ranges were between −0.5% and −1.4%. The Stat Profile pHOx Ultra Blood Gas Analyzer showed good analytical performance in terms of precision, linearity, comparison studies, and carry-over effect. The Stat Profile pHOx Ultra Blood Gas Analyzer can provide reliable measurements across a clinically relevant range and has potential use in laboratory tests.
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Humans , Calcium , Carbon Dioxide , Critical Care , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Indicators and Reagents , Lactic Acid , Magnesium , Oxygen , Partial PressureABSTRACT
Dysgonomonas capnocytophagoides is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic coccobacillus that was formerly designated CDC group dysgonic fermenter (DF)-3, occurring as a normal flora in human gut and rarely causing human infections such as bacteremia, abscess, diarrhea, and cholecystitis. In this study, we report a case of biliary sepsis caused by D. capnocytophagoides in a patient with biliary obstruction. A seventy four-year-old man, admitted to the hospital due to common bile-duct stone, also had cholangitis caused by D. capnocytophagoides and Enterococcus avium, which were isolated from his blood cultures. D. capnocytophagoides was initially identified as D. gadei by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, but later confirmed as D. capnocytophagoides by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of human infection by D. capnocytophagoides in Korea.