Reduced Diffusing Capacity in Humidifier Disinfectant-Associated Asthma Versus Typical Asthma: A Retrospective Case Control Study.

Background: Humidifier disinfectant-related lung injury (HDLI) is a severe form of toxic inhalational pulmonary parenchymal damage found in residents of South Korea previously exposed to specific guanidine-based compounds present in humidifier disinfectants (HD). HD-associated asthma (HDA), which is similar to irritant-induced asthma, has been recognized in victims with asthma-like symptoms and is probably caused by airway injury. In this study, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DL) in individuals with HDA was compared to that in individuals with pre-existing asthma without HD exposure.

A fatal case report of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and mucormycosis coinfection in an immunocompetent patient with coronavirus disease 2019 in Korea.

Systemic glucocorticoid treatment is highly recommended in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, secondary fungal infections are of concern in such patients. Here, we describe the first case of COVID-19-associated invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) coinfection in a COVID-19 positive immunocompetent patient in Korea.

A physician-led medical emergency team increases the rate of medical interventions: A multicenter study in Korea.

Background: According to the rapid response system's team composition, responding teams were named as rapid response team (RRT), medical emergency team (MET), and critical care outreach. A RRT is often a nurse-led team, whereas a MET is a physician-led team that mainly plays the role of an efferent limb. As few multicenter studies have focused on physician-led METs, we comprehensively analyzed cases for which physician-led METs were activated.

Abdominal Muscles and Metabolic Syndrome According to Patient Sex: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Computed tomography (CT) is a reference method for measuring skeletal muscle mass, and the amount of fat in the skeletal muscle can be calculated based on CT attenuation. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the effect of muscle quality and quantity on metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to sex. This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 8081 individuals aged ≥20 years who underwent self-referral abdominopelvic CT at our hospital.

Frequency and Significance of Right Bundle Branch Block and Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Individuals.

Limited data exist regarding the association between right bundle branch block (RBBB) and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated the influence of RBBB on subclinical coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in an asymptomatic population. We retrospectively analyzed 7,205 asymptomatic individuals (mean age 54.

Relationship between the presence of dedicated doctors in rapid response systems and patient outcome: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Rapid response systems (RRSs) improve patients' safety, but the role of dedicated doctors within these systems remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate patient survival rates and differences in types of interventions performed depending on the presence of dedicated doctors in the RRS.

Methods: Patients managed by the RRSs of 9 centers in South Korea from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2017, were included retrospectively.

Differences in Abdominal Body Composition According to Glycemic Status: An Inverse Probability Treatment Weighting Analysis.

Background: Several studies have reported that abdominal fat and muscle changes occur in diabetic patients. However, there are few studies about such changes among prediabetic patients. In this study, we evaluated the differences in abdominal fat and muscles based on abdominopelvic computed tomography in prediabetic and diabetic subjects compared to normal subjects.

Intramuscular and Intermuscular Abdominal Fat Infiltration in COPD: A Propensity Score Matched Study.

Purpose: Low-attenuation muscle area (LAMA) and normal-attenuation muscle area (NAMA) indicate lipid-rich and lipid-poor skeletal muscle areas, respectively. Additionally, intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) indicates localized fat between muscle groups. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the intramuscular and intermuscular fat infiltration in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by performing quantitative assessment of the LAMA, NAMA, and IMAT observed on abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) images.

Histiocytic pleural effusion: the strong clue to malignancy.

Background: There have been many studies on the clinical characteristics of neutrophilic, lymphocytic, and/or eosinophilic pleural effusion. While caring for patients with pleural effusion, we found that histiocytic pleural effusion (HisPE) was not uncommon. However, few studies have explored HisPE.

The association between hospital length of stay before rapid response system activation and clinical outcomes: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Background: Rapid response system (RRS) is being increasingly adopted to improve patient safety in hospitals worldwide. However, predictors of survival outcome after RRS activation because of unexpected clinical deterioration are not well defined. We investigated whether hospital length of stay (LOS) before RRS activation can predict the clinical outcomes.

Clinical Importance of Work-Exacerbated Asthma: Findings From a Prospective Asthma Cohort in a Highly Industrialized City in Korea.

Purpose: Work-related asthma (WRA) occupies about 10%-30% of all asthma cases. Among 2 subtypes of WRA (occupational asthma [OA] and work-exacerbated asthma [WEA]), the rate of WEA has been reported to increase recently. WRA is described as having worse characteristics than non-WRA (NWRA), while WEA is known to show similar severity to OA in terms of symptoms and exacerbations.

Rapid Response System Should Be Enhanced at Non-general Ward Locations: a Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Korea.

Background: A rapid response system (RRS) contributes to the safety of hospitalized patients. Clinical deterioration may occur in the general ward (GW) or in non-GW locations such as radiology or dialysis units. However, there are few studies regarding RRS activation in non-GW locations.

Normothermia in Patients With Sepsis Who Present to Emergency Departments Is Associated With Low Compliance With Sepsis Bundles and Increased In-Hospital Mortality Rate.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of normothermia on compliance with sepsis bundles and in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis who present to emergency departments.

Design: Retrospective multicenter observational study.

Patients: Nineteen university-affiliated hospitals of the Korean Sepsis Alliance participated in this study.

Use of nasal high flow oxygen during acute respiratory failure.

Nasal high flow (NHF) has gained popularity among intensivists to manage patients with acute respiratory failure. An important literature has accompanied this evolution. In this review, an international panel of experts assessed potential benefits of NHF in different areas of acute respiratory failure management.

Prognosis After Weaning from Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Successful weaning from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) does not necessarily imply patient survival. We retrospectively analyzed 441 patients with acute respiratory failure from 16 hospitals in South Korea who underwent ECMO from January 2012 to December 2015. We evaluated the clinical factors associated with mortality after successful weaning from ECMO.

Diagnosing peripheral lung lesions using endobronchial ultrasonography with guide sheath: A prospective registry study to assess the effect of virtual bronchoscopic navigation using a computed tomography workstation.

Bronchoscopy has a lower diagnostic yield for peripheral lung lesions (PLL). Endobronchial ultrasound guide sheath transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS GS TBLB) has been used to overcome such limitation. Recent studies revealed that combined methods (e.

High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy Can Be Effective for Patients in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure with Hypercapnia: a Retrospective, Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study.

Background: Usually, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy is indicated for de novo acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). Although only a few researches have examined the effectiveness of HFNC therapy for respiratory failure with hypercapnia, this therapy is often performed under such conditions for various reasons. We investigated the effectiveness of HFNC therapy for AHRF patients with hypercapnia compared to those without hypercapnia.

Intensivists' Direct Management without Residents May Improve the Survival Rate Compared to High-Intensity Intensivist Staffing in Academic Intensive Care Units: Retrospective and Crossover Study Design.

Background: Medical staff members are concentrated in the intensive care unit (ICU), and medical residents are essentially needed to operate the ICU. However, the recent trend has been to restrict resident working hours. This restriction may lead to a shortage of ICU staff, and there is a chance that regional academic hospitals will face running ICUs without residents in the near future.

Circulating Tumor Cell Number Is Associated with Primary Tumor Volume in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are frequently detected in patients with advanced-stage malignant tumors and could act as a predictor of poor prognosis. However, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Characteristics, management and clinical outcomes of patients with sepsis: a multicenter cohort study in Korea.

Background: Mortality rates associated with sepsis have increased progressively in Korea, but domestic epidemiologic data remain limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics, management and clinical outcomes of sepsis patients in Korea.

Methods: This study is a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Clinical outcomes of immunocompromised patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for severe acute respiratory failure.

Objectives: There are limited data regarding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in immunocompromised patients, despite an increase in ECMO use in patients with respiratory failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of immunocompromised patients requiring ECMO support for severe acute respiratory failure.

Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2015, all consecutive adult patients with severe acute respiratory failure who underwent ECMO for respiratory support at 16 tertiary or university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea were enrolled retrospectively.

Clinical outcomes of patients receiving prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory support.

Background: There are limited data regarding prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, despite increase in ECMO use and duration in patients with respiratory failure. The objective of this study was to investigate the outcomes of severe acute respiratory failure patients supported with prolonged ECMO for more than 28 days.

Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2015, all consecutive adult patients with severe acute respiratory failure who underwent ECMO for respiratory support at 16 tertiary or university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea were enrolled retrospectively.