Journal of Korean medical science
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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
ReviewTwo Years of Experience and Methodology of Korean COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guideline Development.
In Korea, during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we responded to the uncertainty of treatments under various conditions, consistently playing catch up with the speed of evidence updates. Therefore, there was high demand for national-level evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for clinicians in a timely manner. We developed evidence-based and updated living recommendations for clinicians through a transparent development process and multidisciplinary expert collaboration. ⋯ We provided timely recommendations on living schemes and disseminated them to the public, policymakers and various stakeholders using webpages and social media. Although the output was successful, there were some limitations. The rigor of development issues, urgent timelines for public dissemination, education for new developers, and spread of several new COVID-19 variants have worked as barriers. Therefore, we must prepare systematic processes and funding for future pandemics.
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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
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.