Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2025
Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge, Views, and Perceptions of the Roles and Functions of Research Ethics Committees: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.
This survey examined healthcare professionals' knowledge, views, and perceptions of the responsibilities and functions of Research Ethics Committees (RECs). The study aimed to analyze ethical principles and operational issues faced by RECs and guide researchers, journal editors, and publishers on publication ethics notes. ⋯ Healthcare professionals comprehend the basics of REC duties and responsibilities. However, improvements in the consistency and efficiency of ethics evaluations are still warranted. The COVID-19 pandemic stressed the importance of adaptive REC procedures; researchers, editors, and publishers learned a vitally important lesson. More efforts are warranted to increase REC member training, simplify administrative procedures, and define standard operating procedures in times of crisis. Continuous progress in these areas will allow RECs to maintain high ethical standards while supporting productive research. Editors and publishers will greatly benefit from related advances in research ethics considerations.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jan 2025
Prognostic Value of Ambulatory Status at Transplant in Older Heart Transplant Recipients: Implications for Organ Allocation Policy.
Shortage of organ donors in the Republic of Korea has become a major problem. To address this, it has been questioned whether heart transplant (HTx) allocation should be modified to reduce priority of older patients. We aimed to evaluate post-HTx outcomes according to recipient age and specific pre-HTx conditions using a nationwide prospective cohort. ⋯ Our results do not support use of age alone as an allocation criterion. Transplant candidate age in combination with some comorbidities such as non-ambulatory status may identify patients at a sufficiently elevated risk at which suitability of HTx should be reconsidered.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jan 2025
Observational StudyManagement of a Large Nosocomial Outbreak From an Index of Crusted Scabies in a Tertiary Care Hospital, 2023: A Retrospective Observational Study.
In 2023, we experienced an outbreak from a case of undiagnosed crusted scabies, resulting in a significant number of exposed individuals and secondary cases. In this report, we describe the outbreak control measures, the attack rate, and the risk factors for acquisition of scabies among healthcare workers (HCWs). ⋯ Lowering the threshold for suspicion of crusted scabies is important, as a single missed case could lead to a large outbreak. Simultaneously applying preemptive permethrin cream to all potentially exposed individuals might have been effective in preventing further transmission. However, caution is needed because the development of scabies or persistent scabies is possible even with preemptive or therapeutic treatment.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jan 2025
Factors Associated With Receiving Early Post-Discharge Follow-up Care in Patients With Schizophrenia.
Identifying factors associated with early post-discharge outpatient care is crucial to prevent relapse and suicide in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with receiving follow-up care within seven days after hospital discharge among patients with schizophrenia. ⋯ This study highlights the need to ensure continuity of care for patients with schizophrenia during discharge planning, with particular attention to vulnerable patients.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jan 2025
Risk of Kawasaki Disease/Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Korean Children: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.
Rare cases of Kawasaki disease (KD) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have been reported following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination; however, the association between COVID-19 vaccination and the risk of developing KD/MIS-C has not yet been established. ⋯ The results of this nationwide study suggest that the risk of developing KD/MIS-C did not increase after COVID-19 vaccination. However, owing to the lack of a sufficient number of cases, future studies utilizing multinational long-term follow-up databases should be conducted. Considering the increasing incidence of KD/MIS-C and the limited understanding of its precise biological mechanisms, additional research on KD/MIS-C is warranted.