Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Risk Factors for the Occurrence and Severity of Vertebral Fractures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.
The risk of vertebral fractures is increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. However, whether the severity of vertebral fractures differs between IBD patients and the general population, or between patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is unknown. ⋯ Vertebral fractures occur frequently and more severely in IBD patients, particularly those with CD. Therefore, we suggest monitoring of bone density, regular vitamin D supply, and reducing the use of corticosteroids to prevent vertebral fractures in IBD patients who are older, female, or have comorbidities.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
The Impact of Entry Restrictions on the Spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Variants Between 2021 and 2022.
To contain the surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the South Korean government has implemented non-pharmacological interventions as well as border restrictions. The efficacy of entry restrictions should be evaluated to facilitate their preparation for new variants of SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ The results showed that the outbreak gap of delta variants between international and domestic cases was 10 weeks, while that of omicron variants was approximately 2 weeks, meaning that the quarantine policy helped contain delta variants rather than more transmissible variants. It is recommended that countries implement quarantine policies based on particular purposes accounting for the specific features of different variants to avoid potential negative impacts on the economy.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Trends in the Prevalence of Blindness and Correlation With Health Status in Korean Adults: A 10-Year Nationwide Population-Based Study.
Contemporary data on vision impairment form an important basis for public health policies. However, most data on the clinical epidemiology of blindness are limited by small sample sizes and focused not on systemic conditions but ophthalmic diseases only. In this study, we examined the ten-year trends of blindness prevalence and its correlation with systemic health status in Korean adults. ⋯ Our ten-year Korean nationwide population-based study suggested a gradual decrease in the prevalence of blindness and its association with specific systemic health status. These conditions might be the cause or consequence of blindness and can be used as a reference for the prevention and/or rehabilitation of blindness to establish public health policies.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Associations of Perioperative Red Blood Cell Transfusion With Outcomes of Kidney Transplantation in Korea Over a 16-Year Period.
This study investigated the associations between transfusion of different types of red blood cell (RBC) preparations and kidney allograft outcomes after kidney transplantation (KT) over a 16-year period in Korea using a nationwide population-based cohort. ⋯ Perioperative RBC transfusion was associated with poor graft outcomes. Notably, transfusion of pRBCs significantly increased transplant rejection. Therefore, careful consideration of indications for RBC transfusion and selection of the appropriate type of RBCs is necessary, especially for patients at high risk of rejection or graft failure.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy of Antiviral Prophylaxis up to 6 or 12 Months From Completion of Rituximab in Resolved Hepatitis B Patients: A Multicenter, Randomized Study.
Rituximab occasionally induces reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients with resolved HBV, at times with fatal consequences. The optimal duration of prophylactic antiviral therapy in this situation is unclear. We aimed to investigate the difference in HBV reactivation according to the duration of prophylactic tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in patients with resolved HBV and receiving rituximab. ⋯ Prophylactic TDF up to 6 months after completion of rituximab-based chemotherapy is sufficient in terms of the efficacy and safety of reducing HBV reactivation in patients with resolved HBV.