Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Effect of Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 Treatment on Blood Culture Contamination: Implication for Optimal PPE Strategies.
The personal protective equipment (PPE) used to minimize exposure to hazards can hinder healthcare workers from performing sophisticated procedures. We retrospectively reviewed 77,535 blood cultures (202,012 pairs) performed in 28,502 patients from January 2020 to April 2022. ⋯ This finding implies that wearing PPE might interfere with adherence to the aseptic technique. Therefore, a new PPE policy is needed that considers the balance between protecting healthcare workers and medical practices.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Observational StudyReal-World Treatment Intensity and Patterns in Patients With Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization: Common Data Model in Ophthalmology.
A paucity of data addressing real-world treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) in the era of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs led us to investigate real-world treatment intensity and treatment patterns in patients with mCNV. ⋯ Anti-VEGF drugs have become the treatment of choice and second-line treatment for mCNV over the past decade. Anti-VEGF drugs are effective for the treatment of mCNV as the non-switching monotherapy is the main treatment regimen in most cases and the number of treatments decreases significantly in the second year of treatment.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Multicenter StudyIron Deficiency in Korean Patients With Heart Failure.
Although iron deficiency (ID) is an important and treatable risk factor for heart failure (HF), data on ID are scarce in Asian patients with HF. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of ID in hospitalized Korean patients with HF. ⋯ The prevalence of ID is high in hospitalized Korean patients with HF. Because ID cannot be diagnosed by clinical parameters, routine laboratory examinations are necessary to identify patients with ID.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Exercise Frequency Reduction Is Associated With Higher Risk of Infection in Newly Diagnosed Diabetes: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.
Exercise is an important method to control the progression of diabetes. Since diabetes compromises immune function and increases the risk of infectious diseases, we hypothesized that exercise may affect the risk of infection by its immunoprotective effects. However, population-based cohort studies regarding the association between exercise and the risk of infection are limited, especially regarding changes in exercise frequency. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the change in exercise frequency and the risk of infection among patients with newly diagnosed diabetes. ⋯ Among patients with newly diagnosed diabetes, a reduction in exercise frequency was related to an increase in the risk of pneumonia. For patients with diabetes, a modest level of physical activity may need to be maintained to reduce the risk of pneumonia.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2023
Korean vs. Western Exercise Capacity Nomograms for Korean Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.
Exercise capacity is known to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, most previous studies were based on Western populations. Further study is warranted for Asian patients according to ethnic or national standards. We aimed to compare prognostic values of Korean and Western nomograms for exercise capacity in Korean patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). ⋯ Korean patients with CVD with lower exercise capacity have higher risk of MACE. Considering inter-ethnic differences in cardiorespiratory fitness, the Korean nomogram provides more suitable reference values than the Western nomogram to determine lower exercise capacity and predict cardiovascular events in Korean patients with CVD.