Changes in lifestyle and obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korean adolescents: based on the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2019 and 2020

Purpose@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people's daily lives and increased their time spent at home. This study aims to investigate the changes in lifestyle factors and obesity among Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. @*Methods@#We used the data of 109,282 adolescents aged 12–18 years, from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The changes in the prevalence of obesity and lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, sitting time, and sleep duration) were assessed. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of predictors for obesity were calculated. @*Results@#The prevalence of overweight (10% to 10.5%) and obesity (11.5% to 12.7%) increased significantly, especially among males younger than 15 years, whereas significant differences were absent among females. The mean body mass index z-score increased from 0.28 to 0.39 in males but decreased from 0.08 to 0.04 in females. Fruit consumption, regular exercise, and average sleep duration decreased, whereas sitting time increased. After controlling for covariates, a short sleep duration (OR, 1.14) and an increased sitting time (OR, 1.14) were significantly associated with an elevated risk for overweight/obesity. @*Conclusion@#During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of obesity and overweight increased, particularly in males, as did unfavorable trends in related lifestyle factors. Sex- and age-specific strategies to improve lifestyle factors associated with obesity are needed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growth in Exclusively Breastfed and Non-exclusively Breastfed Children:Comparisons with WHO Child Growth Standards and Korean National Growth Charts

Background@#This study examined the relationship of infant feeding with anthropometric indices of children during their first six years of life relative to the Korean National Growth Charts (KNGC) and the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS). @*Methods@#The study population consisted of 547,669 Korean infants and children who were 6 months-old to 6 years-old (born in 2008–2009) and participated in the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children. Data on height, weight, and type of feeding during the first 6 months (exclusively breastfed [BF] vs. mixed- or formula-fed [FF]) were analyzed. @*Results@#BF boys and girls were significantly shorter and lighter than FF counterparts from the age of 6 months to 4 years, but these differences were not significant after the age of 4 years. BF boys and girls only had significantly lower body mass index at the age of 2 years. Under the age of 2 years 6 months, and especially under the age of 1 year, BF boys and girls were significantly taller and heavier than the 50th percentile values of the 50th percentile value of the WHO-CGS. @*Conclusion@#In this study using large-scaled national data, Korean breastfed children are shorter and lighter by 3 years 6 months–4 years 6 months, but afterward, there is no significant difference from those who had mixed- or formula-feeding. Substantial disparities in the anthropometric indices of Korean infants under the age of 1 compared to KNCG and WHO-CGS were found, regardless of their infantile feeding types. Our results emphasize the importance of constructing a nationwide reference chart based on actual measurements of BF Korean infants.

Mechanisms of postoperative pain

Good pain control after surgery is important to facilitate overall recovery, improve patient satisfaction, decrease morbidity, and reduce health care cost. However, despite heightened awareness and development of new guidelines in recent decades, we have failed to make major improvements in postoperative pain control. Currently available analgesic therapies have limited efficacy, and pain after surgery continues to be a significant clinical problem. Our goal is to develop more effective and safer clinical strategies that will eliminate or greatly reduce postoperative pain, and a better understanding of the mechanisms of pain induced by surgery would be essential to achieve this goal. Evidence suggests that the pathophysiological mechanisms and optimal treatment of postoperative pain are different from many other painful conditions. Recognizing the necessity and importance of relevant pre-clinical models, we have developed and characterized rodent incision models that have close similarities to postoperative pain in patients. Previous studies have demonstrated the clinical relevance and translatability of these pre-clinical models of postoperative pain. In this review, we describe the rodent incision pain models, and summarized our current understanding of the mechanisms of postoperative pain, highlighting key findings from our previous studies using these models.

Factors Affecting the Intracuff Pressure of Wire-reinforced Endotracheal Tubes during General Anesthesia Using Nitrous Oxide / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the factors affecting the need for cuff deflation to maintain intracuff pressure (P(cuff)) below 22 mmHg in two types of wire-reinforced endotracheal tubes; type A: Safety-Flex(TM) (Mallinckrodt, Athlone, Ireland) and type B: Insung(R) (Insung, Seoul, Korea). METHODS: Eighty patients were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20 for each); Group F-A: female, type A; Group F-B: female, type B; Group M-A: male, type A; Group M-B: male, type B. Sealing volume and sealing pressure (SP) were measured. Whenever Pcuff reached 22 mmHg during N2O administration, the cuff was deflated to SP. Elapsed time to first deflation (1-CP22) and deflation frequencies were recorded. RESULTS: Specific cuff compliance (C(cuff)) was higher in type A than that in type B (P < 0.05). More patients in Group F-B and M-B needed deflation than those in Group F-A and M-A, respectively (P < 0.05). 1-CP22 in patients intubated with type B was shorter than with type A (P < 0.05). In both tubes type A and B, SP was higher in patients who needed deflation compared to ones that did not (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Use of wire-reinforced tubes with high C(cuff) decreases the frequency of deflation. Low SP also reduces the need for cuff deflation to keep the P(cuff) below 22 mmHg during N2O anesthesia.

Airway Obstruction Resulting from Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery under General Anesthesia: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

The use of a shoulder arthroscopic procedure provides advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of shoulder injuries. However, this technique is not free from complications. We encountered a patient who presented with an airway obstruction caused by the accumulation of extraarticular arthroscopy fluid after arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia.