Korean Journal of Internal Medicine

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) during hospitalization is recommended for patients with heart failure (HF). However, GDMT is underutilized in real-world practice. This study evaluated the role of a discharge checklist on GDMT. METHODS: This was a single-center, observational study. The study included all patients hospitalized for HF between 2021 and 2022. The clinical data were retrieved from the electronic medical records and discharge checklist published by the Korean Society of Heart Failure...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite the obvious benefits of adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to platinum-etoposide chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), real-world data remain scarce. METHODS: This retrospective study included 89 patients with ES-SCLC treated with platinum-etoposide chemotherapy alone (chemo-only group; n = 48) or in combination with atezolizumab (atezolizumab group; n = 41) and compared the survival outcomes between these two groups...

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The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has increased in recent decades. In particular, obesity-related HFpEF is a distinct and frequently encountered phenotype; however, its diagnosis is complex. Furthermore, the management of obesity-related HFpEF has not been established despite the introduction of promising drugs. This review summarizes the diagnostic challenges, pathophysiology, and therapeutic options for obesity-related HFpEF.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Daratumumab has shown an encouraging antitumor effect in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), and was known to alter the immune properties by off-targeting immunosuppressive cells. Here, we aimed to evaluate the change in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) as a surrogate marker for predicting survival outcomes of patients treated with daratumumab. METHODS: Between 2018 and 2021, the medical records of patients with relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM) treated with daratumumab monotherapy at 10 centers in South Korea were reviewed...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognostic value of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for the management of older small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients remains to be established. METHODS: A retrospective cohort enrolled 21 SCLC patients over 65 years from March 2018 to 2019 at the Yonsei Cancer Center. The CGA included the following instruments: frailty, body mass index, sarcopenia (circumference of arm and calf, Timed Up and Go test, grip strength), comorbidity, polypharmacy, activities of daily living (ADL), Instrumental ADL, nutrition, depression, and cognitive function...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with changes in the epidemiology of not only infectious diseases but also several non-infectious conditions. This study investigated changes in the recorded incidence of various rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The number of patients for each disease from January 2016 to December 2020 was obtained from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Corticosteroids (CSs) are frequently used in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, their utility remains controversial in mild to moderate cases. The timing of CSs initiation during the disease course remains unaddressed. The study aims to evaluate the impact of early CSs in non-severe COVID-19. METHODS: A randomized controlled, open-label study was conducted on 754 COVID-19 patients randomized into a study group (n = 377) in which patients received CSs with COVID-19 protocol and a control group (n = 377) in which patients received COVID-19 protocol only...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent evidence has identified the significance of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO2) in various diseases. However, the role of DIO2 polymorphism in metabolic parameters in patients with hypothyroidism is not fully understood. METHODS: We assessed the polymorphism of the DIO2 gene and various clinical parameters in 118 patients who were diagnosed with hypothyroidism from the Ansan-Anseong cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data...

The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide and the current prevalence rate is 13.4%. There are > 120 million CKD patients in China and this number is expected to increase. One of the main abnormalities in patients with CKD and kidney impairment is decreased synthesis of erythropoietin (EPO), which causes anemia and affects iron metabolism. The probability of developing is higher in anemia patients with CKD than in the general population, and the incidence increases as kidney function decreases...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The optimal treatment for acute malignant obstruction of the proximal colon (MOPC, proximal to the splenic flexure) remains challenging. Emergency resection, the traditional modality for MOPC, has shown significantly high mortality and morbidity rates, according to recent studies. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of stent vs stoma as a bridge to curative surgery for MOPC. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 72 patients who underwent endoscopic placement of a self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) or loop ileostomy for MOPC at six referral centers between January 2011 and July 2021...

Although pulmonary embolism (PE)-related mortality rate has decreased because of prompt diagnosis and effective therapy use, acute PE remains a potentially lethal disease. Due to its increasing prevalence, clinicians should pay attention to diagnosing and managing patients with acute PE. Echocardiography is the most commonly used method for diagnosing and managing acute PE; it also provides clues about hemodynamic instability in an emergency situation. It has been validated in the early risk stratification and impacts management strategies for treating acute PE...

Hypernatremia is an occasionally encountered electrolyte disorder, which may lead to fatal consequences under improper management. Hypernatremia is a disorder of the homeostatic status regarding body water and sodium contents. This imbalance is the basis for the diagnostic approach to hypernatremia. We summarize the eight diagnostic steps of the traditional approach and introduce new biomarkers: exclude pseudohypernatremia, confirm glucose-corrected sodium concentrations, determine the extracellular volume status, measure urine sodium levels, measure urine volume and osmolality, check ongoing urinary electrolyte free water clearance, determine arginine vasopressin/copeptin levels, and assess other electrolyte disorders...

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a subgroup of cholangiocarcinoma and is the second- most-common primary hepatic tumor. Several predictive and prognostic factors have been analyzed; however, in this study we focused on the influence of age. Our aim was to use real-world results to determine the influence of age in iCCA patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients treated between 2005 and 2016 at Konkuk University Medical Center...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.