Pulmonology Clinical impact of pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen on therapeutic strategy and efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma patients with malignant pleural effusion Jaehee Lee, Deok Heon Lee, Ji Eun Park, Yong Hoon Lee, Sun Ha Choi, Hyewon Seo, Seung Soo Yoo, Shin Yup Lee, Seung-Ick Cha, Jae Yong Park, Chang Ho Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2024;39(2):318-326.   Published online February 14, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.309                      Background/Aims: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is important in determining the treatment strategy for advanced lung cancer patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Contrary to serum carcinoembryonic antigen (S-CEA) levels, the associations between pleural fluid CEA (PF-CEA)..

Relationship between metformin use and mortality in tuberculosis patients with diabetes: a nationwide cohort study Eunki Chung, Dawoon Jeong, Jeongha Mok, Doosoo Jeon, Hee-Yeon Kang, Heejin Kim, Heesun Kim, Hongjo Choi, Young Ae Kang Korean J Intern Med. 2024;39(2):306-317.   Published online February 6, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.303              Web of Science 1    Crossref 1                      Background/Aims: To determine whether metformin, which is considered a host-directed therapy for tuberculosis (TB), is effective in improving the prognosis of patients with TB and diabetes mellitus (DM), who have higher mortality than those without DM. Methods: This cohort study included patients w..

Mechanical ventilation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Korea: a nationwide cohort study Jae Kyeom Sim, Seok Joo Moon, Juwhan Choi, Jee Youn Oh, Young Seok Lee, Kyung Hoon Min, Gyu Young Hur, Sung Yong Lee, Jae Jeong Shim Korean J Intern Med. 2024;39(2):295-305.   Published online February 8, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.273                      Background/Aims: The prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation is poor. Therefore, mechanical ventilation is not recommended. Recently, outcomes of mechanical ventilation, including those for patients with IPF, have improv..

Sex differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease characteristics: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018 Moon Seong Baek, Haegwang Shin, Kang-Mo Gu, Hae In Jung, Won Young Kim, Jae-Woo Jung, Jong-Wook Shin, Sun-Young Jung, Jae-Yeol Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2024;39(1):137-147.   Published online December 14, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.036                 Background/Aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is less prevalent in females than males, but it affects mortality in females. There may be sex differences in the clinical characteristics of COPD. Methods: We analyzed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset f..

Short-acting β2-agonist prescriptions in patients with asthma: findings from the South Korean cohort of SABINA III Kwang-Ha Yoo, Sang-Ha Kim, Sang-Heon Kim, Ji-Yong Moon, Heung-Woo Park, Yoon-Seok Chang, Maarten J.H.I Beekman Korean J Intern Med. 2024;39(1):123-136.   Published online December 7, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.086                      Background/Aims: Despite short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) overuse being associated with poor asthma outcomes, data on SABA use in South Korea is scarce. Herein, we describe prescription patterns of SABA and other asthma medications in patients from the South Korean cohort of the SABA use IN Asthma (SAB..

Alterations in lung and gut microbiota reduce diversity in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease Ji Yeon Choi, Bora Shim, Youngmok Park, Young Ae Kang Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(6):879-892.   Published online October 23, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.097                      Background/Aims: Although the incidence of nontuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), a chronic infectious disease, is increasing, lung and gut microbiota dysbiosis in NTM patients has rarely been studied and was therefore the focus of this study. Methods: We analyzed the microbiota di..

The serotype-specific prevalence of pneumococci in hospitalized pneumonia patients with COPD: a prospective, multi-center, cohort study Jae Yeol Kim, Jae-Woo Jung, Min-Jong Kang, Deog Kyeom Kim, Hayoung Choi, Young-Jae Cho, Seung Hun Jang, Chang-Hoon Lee, Yeon Mok Oh, Ji Sook Park Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(5):714-724.   Published online August 17, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.152                 Background/Aims: The overall incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia is declining. However, the change in the pathogenic distribution of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and the serotype specificity of Streptococcus pneumoniae have not be..

The impact of antimicrobial de-escalation therapy in culture-negative pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis Jae-Uk Song, Jonghoo Lee Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(5):704-713.   Published online August 17, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.115                      Background/Aims: Antimicrobial de-escalation (ADE) remains a challenging strategy in the treatment of pneumonia. We investigated the outcomes of ADE as measured by mortality and duration of the use of antibiotics in patients with culture- negative pneumonia. Methods: We performed a systematic revie..

Corticosteroid outcome may be dependent of duration of use in severe COVID-19 [letter] Jin Hyoung Kim, Yong Sub Na, Song-I Lee, Youn Young Moon, Beom Seuk Hwang, Ae-Rin Baek, Won-Young Kim, Bo Young Lee, Gil Myeong Seong, Moon Seong Baek Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(3):382-392.   Published online April 11, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.201              Web of Science 2    Crossref 4                      Background/Aims: For patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who require supplemental oxygen, the evidence of the optimal duration of corticosteroid is limited. This study aims to identify whether long-term use of corticosteroids is associated with decreased mortality. Method..

Real-world evaluation of atezolizumab and etoposide-carboplatin as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer Soo Han Kim, Eun Jung Jo, Jeongha Mok, Kwangha Lee, Ki Uk Kim, Hye-Kyung Park, Min Ki Lee, Jung Seop Eom, Mi-Hyun Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(2):218-225.   Published online February 21, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.361              Web of Science 5    Crossref 7                 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 ..

Timing of corticosteroids in non-severe non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients: open-label, two-center, randomized controlled study (TICS-COV19 study) Emad R. Issak, Mariam M. Amin Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(2):207-217.   Published online January 17, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.232              Web of Science 1    Crossref 1                 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..

Clinical outcomes of and risk factors for secondary infection in patients with severe COVID-19: a multicenter cohort study in South Korea Yong Sub Na, Ae-Rin Baek, Moon Seong Baek, Won-Young Kim, Jin Hyoung Kim, Bo young Lee, Gil Myeong Seong, Song-I Lee Korean J Intern Med. 2023;38(1):68-79.   Published online November 24, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.084              Web of Science 3    Crossref 2                      Background/Aims: Secondary infection with influenza virus occurs in critically ill patients and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality; however, there is limited information about it in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, we investigated the clinical outco..

The efficacy and safety of DW1601 in patients with acute bronchitis: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, phase III clinical trial Young Seok Lee, Seong Yong Lim, Kyung Hoon Min, Do Jin Kim, Kwang Ha Yoo, Tae-Bum Kim, Hak-Ryul Kim, Jae Jeong Shim Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(6):1195-1204.   Published online September 26, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.104                      Background/Aims: DW1601, an oral fixed dose combination syrup composed of DW16011 and Pelargonium sidoides, was developed to enhance the symptom relief effect in patients with acute bronchitis. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of DW1601 compared to DW16011 or P. sidoides for treatm..

Neuromuscular blocking agents and opioids are major risk factors for developing pressure injuries in patients in the intensive care unit Su Yeon Lee, Dong Kyu Oh, Sang-Bum Hong, Chae-Man Lim, Jin Won Huh Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(6):1186-1194.   Published online September 21, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2021.546              Web of Science 1    Crossref 1                      Background/Aims: Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at high risk for developing pressure injuries, which can cause severe complications and even increase the mortality risk. Therefore, prevention of pressure injuries is most important. In this study, we investigated the risk factors of pr..

Clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 vaccine-related pneumonitis: a case series and literature review Ji Young Park, Joo-Hee Kim, Sunghoon Park, Yong Il Hwang, Hwan Il Kim, Seung Hun Jang, Ki-Suck Jung, Yong Kyun Kim, Hyun Ah Kim, In Jae Lee Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(5):989-1001.   Published online August 22, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.072              Web of Science 1    Crossref 2                      Background/Aims: Pulmonary toxicities of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination are exceedingly rare. However, there are a few reported cases after mRNA vaccination, especially from Asian countries. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-..

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is a potential biomarker for prognostic prediction of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Jong-Uk Lee, Jae Sung Choi, Min Kyung Kim, Sun A Min, Jong-Sook Park, Choon-Sik Park Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(5):979-988.   Published online June 22, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2021.442              Web of Science 3    Crossref 4                      Background/Aims: Neutrophilia is frequently observed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a potent neutrophil-activating glycoprotein. However, the clinical implications of G-CSF remain poorly underst..

Prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis and its relating factors in patients with bronchiectasis: findings from KMBARC registry Iseul Yu, Suk Joong Yong, Won-Yeon Lee, Sang-Ha Kim, Hyun Lee, Ju Ock Na, Deog Kyeom Kim, Yeon-Mok Oh, Ji-Ho Lee; on behalf of the KMBARC Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(5):1002-1010.   Published online August 18, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2022.070              Web of Science 2    Crossref 3                      Background/Aims: Patients with bronchiectasis often present with respiratory symptoms caused by chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, studies on the prevalence of CRS and its relationship with bronchiectasis are limited. Methods: The baseline characteristics of patients with bronchiectasis recruit..

Prognostic outcome of treatment modalities for epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated advanced lung cancer Seung Hun Jang, Dong Yoon Lee, Jihyeon Jeong, Won-Il Choi Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(4):811-820.   Published online June 3, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2021.488                 Background/Aims: The treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung cancer cases has shown remarkable development in the past two decades. However, there have been limited studies comparing the prognostic effects of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and other treatment modaliti..

Microbiologic pattern and clinical outcome of non-ICU-acquired pneumonia: Korean HAP registry analysis [corrected-article] Jin Ho Jang, Hye Ju Yeo, Taehwa Kim, Woo Hyun Cho, Kyung Hoon Min, Sang-Bum Hong, Ae-Rin Baek, Hyun-Kyung Lee, Changhwan Kim, Youjin Chang, Hye Kyeong Park, Jee Youn Oh, Heung Bum Lee, Soohyun Bae, Jae Young Moon, Kwang Ha Yoo, Hyun-Il Gil, Kyeongman Jeon; on behalf of the Korean HAP/VAP Study Group Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(4):800-810.   Published online June 28, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2021.348              Web of Science 4    Crossref 3 Correction in: Korean J Intern Med 2023 5; 38(3): 450                 Background/Aims: Most studies on hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) have been conducted in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. This study aimed to investigate the microbiological and clinical characteristics of non-ICU-acquired pneumonia (NIAP) and to identify the factors affecting clinical outcomes ..

Acute exacerbation of COPD increases the risk of hip fractures: a nested case-control study from the Korea National Health Insurance Service Kang-Mo Gu, Sang-Won Yoon, Sun-Young Jung, Moon Seong Baek, Won Young Kim, Jae-Woo Jung, Jae-Chol Choi, Jong-Wook Shin, Jae-Yeol Kim, Byoung-Whui Choi, In-Won Park Korean J Intern Med. 2022;37(3):631-638.   Published online February 8, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2021.152              Web of Science 4    Crossref 5                 Background/Aims: Hip fracture and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD) could increase mortality in patients with COPD. There are no data on the relationship between AE-COPD and hip fracture, which may significantly affect the prognosis of patients with COPD. Therefor..