Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · May 2022
Comparative Analysis of the Psychosocial Symptoms and Experiences of Bereaved Parents and Parents of Children Who Survived the Sewol Ferry Accident After 5 Years: A Qualitative Interview Study.
This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial symptoms and experiences of bereaved parents of victims and parents of survivors of the Sewol Ferry accident five years after the accident. ⋯ This study explored the psychiatric, physical, and relational problems reported by bereaved parents and those of survivors as well as major changes in their personal and social lives after the Sewol Ferry accident. Differences in responses according to gender were also identified. The results from this study could inform and facilitate the implementation of intervention measures, such as long-term psychological evaluation, to bereaved parents of victims or survivors of disasters.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · May 2022
Diagnostic Value of Anti-Nuclear Antibodies: Results From Korean University-Affiliated Hospitals.
Unnecessary and inappropriate laboratory testing accounts for a significant portion of waste in health care utilization. The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic value of the anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) test by examining the rate of ANA associated rheumatic disease (AARD) diagnosis among ANA tested and ANA positive subjects and positive predictive value (PPV) of ANA test leading to AARD diagnosis in different ANA titers and different subsets of patients in 5 hospitals affiliated with a university. ⋯ AARD was diagnosed in less than 1% of all ANA tested patients in university-affiliated hospitals. This result shows that careful consideration before ordering the screening ANA is needed to improve the utility of the test for providers and patients and to reduce health costs spurred by unnecessary testing and its consequences.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · May 2022
ReviewA Review of Sarcopenia Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Future Direction.
Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. The prevalence of sarcopenia was reported to be up to 29% in older persons in the community healthcare setting. Sarcopenia diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of low muscle mass plus low muscle strength or low physical performance. ⋯ Currently, no specific drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of sarcopenia. However, several agents, including growth hormone, anabolic or androgenic steroids, selective androgenic receptor modulators, protein anabolic agents, appetite stimulants, myostatin inhibitors, activating II receptor drugs, β-receptor blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and troponin activators, are recommended and have been shown to have variable efficacy. Future research should focus on sarcopenia biological pathway and improved diagnostic approaches such as biomarkers for early detection, development of consistently pre-eminent treatment methods for severe sarcopenia patients, and establishing sensitive measures for predicting sarcopenia treatment response.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · May 2022
Multicenter StudyRisk Factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Critically Ill Patients: A Nationwide, Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is often accompanied by secondary infections, such as invasive aspergillosis. In this study, risk factors for developing COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and their clinical outcomes were evaluated. ⋯ Our study showed that the dose of corticosteroid use might be a risk factor for CAPA development and the possibility of CAPA contributing to adverse outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.