Byeong‐Ho Jeong

These results suggest that intermittent three-times-weekly therapy with a macrolide, rifampin, and ethambutol is a reasonable initial treatment regimen for patients with noncavitary nodular bronchiectatic MAC lung disease. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00970801).

Patient- and procedure-related factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) have changed over the last decade. Therefore, we sought to identify independent risk factors of PPCs and to develop a clinically applicable scoring system. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 2,059 patients who received preoperative evaluations from respiratory physicians between June 2011 and October 2012. A new scoring system for estimating PPCs was developed using beta coefficients o

Weaning classification based on the difficulty and duration of the weaning process may provide prognostic information for mechanically ventilated patients who undergo the weaning process.

Macrolides, such as azithromycin (AZM) and clarithromycin, are the cornerstones of treatment for Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease (MAC-LD). Current guidelines recommend daily therapy with AZM for cavitary MAC-LD and intermittent therapy for noncavitary MAC-LD, but the effectiveness of these regimens has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluated associations between microbiological response and estimated peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of AZM. The AZM Cmax was measured in p

The performances of PSI and CURB-65 for predicting 30-day mortality in patients with HCAP were comparable to those in patients with CAP. However, the discriminatory powers of PSI and CURB-65 for 30-day mortality were significantly lower in the HACP group than those in the CAP group.

An enzyme immunoassay kit that detects serum IgA antibody reacting to glycopeptidolipid core antigen derived from Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) was not useful for differentiating MAC pulmonary disease (PD) from Mycobacterium abscessus complex PD (MAB-PD). However, this assay could be useful for differentiating MAC- and MAB-PD from pulmonary tuberculosis. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT00970801.).

New drugs and new combination regimens in clinical trials are expected to increase therapeutic efficacy and shorten treatment duration in both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB.

Limb muscle weakness assessed on the day of extubation was found to be independently associated with higher extubation failure rates within 48 h following planned extubation in medical patients.

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> The use of metallic stents in benign TBS is controversial. Here, we report the clinical outcomes of patients who developed complications due to self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) insertion for benign TBS. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Our institution, which is the largest and most active referral hospital for airway stenosis in South Korea, only uses silicone stents. We conducted a retrospective review of 20 patients referred after the insertion of SEMS for b

There were significant differences between PITS and PTTS in terms of patient and stenosis characteristics, treatment modalities and clinical outcomes. Therefore, PITS and PTTS should be considered two different entities.

In critically ill cancer patients, patient characteristics predicting ICU readmission or unexpected ward death were different according to the time period between index ICU discharge and the events.

Later-generation FQs could improve treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB. Linezolid should be considered for inclusion in FQ-R MDR/XDR-TB treatment regimens.

The WIND classification could be a better tool for predicting weaning outcomes than the ICC classification.

Although there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between PTTS types, patients with subglottic or stoma type stenosis had more favorable outcomes than those with cuff or tip type stenosis. Therefore, it could be important to distinguish between types of PTTS when assessing prognosis.

Knowledge of clinical demographics and outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients is important but there are few prospectively collected data in Korea. The objective of the present study was to describe the current status of mechanically ventilated patients in Korea as of 2010. We analyzed the data of Korean patients (275 patients in 12 Korean intensive care units [ICU]) participating in a multinational prospective cohort study on mechanical ventilation. The most common indication for mechanic