A-Yeong Lim

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients. Serum cystatin C has emerged as a reliable marker of AKI. We sought to assess the value of serum cystatin C for early detection and prediction of renal function recovery in patients with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Sepsis patients (113 AKI patients and 49 non-AKI patients) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were included. Serum creatinine and cystatin C levels and glomerular filtration rate were measured on days 0

Surgical resection is the best-known approach for breast cancer treatment. However, post-operative metastases increase the rate of death. The potential effect of anesthetic drugs on long-term tumor growth, risk of metastasis, and recurrence after surgery has been investigated in cancer patients. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the anti-metastatic effect of lidocaine combined with common anesthetics and its mechanisms of action on lung metastasi

Purpose: We aimed to determine the relationship between environmental exposure and nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonarydisease (NTM-PD) in Korea. Materials and Methods: A group of 150 patients with NTM-PD and a control group of 217 patients with other respiratory diseaseswere prospectively enrolled between June 2018 and December 2020 in Seoul, Korea. They were surveyed with a standardizedquestionnaire, and their medical records were reviewed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) w

Ifosfamide-induced Fanconi syndrome is a rare complication that typically occursin young patients due to a cumulative dose of ifosfamide > 40–60 g/m2, a reductionin kidney mass, or concurrent cisplatin treatment. It is usually characterizedby severe and fatal progression accompanied by type II proximal renal tubulardysfunction, as evidenced by glycosuria, proteinuria, electrolyte loss, and metabolicacidosis. Diabetes insipidus is also a rare complication of ifosfamide-inducedrenal disease. We he

Purpose: Isoniazid (INH) mono-resistant tuberculosis (Hr-TB) is a highly prevalent type of drug-resistant TB, possibly associatedwith unfavorable treatment outcomes. However, definitive guidelines on an optimal treatment regimen and duration for Hr-TBare currently under discussion. We evaluated the characteristics and treatment outcomes of Hr-TB patients. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of Hr-TB patients treated at a South Korean tertiary referralhospital f

Background/Aims: Osteoporosis is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The relationship between osteoporosis and COPD has been primarily reported in patients with moderate to severe COPD, but there is no report in the general population. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and lung function in the general Korean population. Methods: This study was based on data acquired from the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Hea

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) following sepsis is associated with higher mortality; however, reliable biomarkers for AKI de velopment and recovery remain to be elucidated. Materials and Methods: Patients with sepsis admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of Severance Hospital between June 2018 and May 2019 were prospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into those with and without AKI within 48 hours. Patients with septic AKI were subdivided into AKI-recovery and non-recovery

Purpose: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recognized as an important cause of not only healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) but also community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We determined the impact of MRSA on differences in clinical characteristics, courses, and outcomes between CAP and HCAP. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study on 78 adult patients admitted with MRSA pneumonia at a university-affiliated tertiaryhospital between January 2008

Background: Hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia are frequently appeared and associated with poor prognosis in critically ill patients. We aim to evaluate the association between the bilirubin to albumin ratio and prognosis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 731 patients who were admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at a tertiary-care center from July 2015 to September 2017. We analyzed the bilirubin to albumin ratio on admission to

Background: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) occurs frequently in critically ill patients, but the clinical features and prognostic impact of SIC on sepsis outcome remain controversial. Here, we investigated the predictors and outcomes of SIC. Methods: Patients admitted to a single medical intensive care unit from June 2016 to September 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. SIC was diagnosed by ejection fraction (EF) <50% and ≥10% decrease in baseline EF that recovered within 2 weeks. Results:

Background: An automatic alarm system was developed was developed for unexpected vital sign instability in admitted patients to reduce staffing needs and costs related to rapid response teams. This was a pilot study of the automatic alarm system, the medical emergency system (MES), and the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the MES before expanding this system to all departments. Methods: This retrospective, observational study compared the performance of patients admitted t

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a toxic chemical commonly used as a degreasing agent, and it is usually found in a colorless or blue liquid form. TCE has a sweet, chloroform-like odor, and this volatile chlorinated organic chemical can cause toxic hepatitis, neurophysiological disorders, skin disorders, and hypersensitivity syndromes. However, the hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) attributed to TCE has rarely been reported. We hereby describe a case of HP associated with TCE in a 29-year-old man who

Background: Interferons (IFNs) are proteins made and released by lymphocytes in response to the presence of pathogens and used in the treatment of hepatitis B or C virus. The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a pegylated interferon alpha-2a formulation. Methods: This study was a randomized, open-label, 2-period, crossover design. Each group had 17subjects who took 180 μg of PEGASYS®as a reference formulation and DA-3021 as a test formula

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have limited benefit in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, they are often tried after tumors develop resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Because EGFR-TKI treatment alters the tumor microenvironment, biomarkers predictive of ICI response are ideally identified post-EGFR-TKI resistance, but obtaining repeat biopsies at this time can be challenging. The purpose of this study wa

Treatment of lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is difficult because the mortality rate after surgery or chemotherapy is high for these patients. Spontaneous regression of cancer is rare, especially in lung cancer. A 62-year-old man, previously diagnosed with IPF, presented with stage IIIC (T2N3M0) non-small cell lung cancer. About 4 months later, spontaneous regression of the primary tumor was observed without treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fi