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J Korean Med Sci
J Korean Med Sci
JKMS
Journal of Korean Medical Science
1011-8934
1598-6357
The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences

39228187
10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e269
Editorial
In This Issue on 02-September-2024
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2611-3399
Yoo Jin-Hong Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Korean Medical Science
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Address for Correspondence: Jin-Hong Yoo, MD, PhD. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 327 Sosa-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon 14647, Republic of Korea. editor.jkms@kams.or.kr
02 9 2024
16 8 2024
39 34 e269© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.
2024
The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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pmcIn this issue, 1 brief, 1 special and 3 original articles have been published.

1. High-Dose Corticosteroid Use in Severe to Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: A Nationwide Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

Lee DG, et al.

This study examined the effects of high-dose corticosteroids on severe to critically ill COVID-19 patients. Using data from the National Health Information Database in Korea, 5,754 patients were analyzed. High-dose corticosteroid use (over 6 mg of dexamethasone daily) was linked to increased 28-day (aHR 1.48) and 90-day (aHR 1.63) all-cause mortality. Subgroup analysis showed higher mortality risk for patients using nasal cannulas. No significant impact was observed for mechanically ventilated patients. High-dose corticosteroids also showed a trend toward developing COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA). The study highlights the risks associated with high-dose corticosteroid use in these patients.

2. Bevacizumab Alone Versus Bevacizumab Plus Irinotecan in Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Roh TH, et al.

This study compared the survival of patients with recurrent glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab alone or with irinotecan (B+I) using a nationwide dataset. Patients who underwent surgery or biopsy and received chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide were included. Of 846 patients, 450 received bevacizumab monotherapy and 396 received B+I. Median overall survival was 22.60 months for bevacizumab and 20.44 months for B+I. The bevacizumab group was older and had more women. Cox analysis showed male sex, older age, and biopsy were linked to decreased survival. No significant difference in survival was found between the two groups, suggesting bevacizumab monotherapy as a suitable option.

3. Impacts of Tocolytics on Maternal and Neonatal Glucose Levels in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Park HS, et al.

This study examined the effects of tocolytic agents on blood glucose levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during preterm labor. It included 128 women from twelve hospitals in South Korea, divided into three groups: atosiban, ritodrine, and nifedipine. The study found that atosiban and ritodrine groups had significantly higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 2-hour postprandial glucose (PPG2) levels compared to the nifedipine group. Additionally, these groups had an increased risk of maternal hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia. The results suggest that nifedipine may be a safer option for managing preterm labor in women with GDM.

4. Lack of Parental Control Is Longitudinally Associated With Higher Smartphone Addiction Tendency in Young Children: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Shin YM, et al.

This brief communication article is a longitudinal study examined risk factors for young children’s smartphone addiction using data from 313 participants over 4 years. Mixed effect models evaluated various variables influencing smartphone addiction tendency. Results showed that parents’ lack of control over children’s smartphone use and higher parental smartphone addiction proneness predicted higher addiction tendencies in young children. The study emphasized that parents should take responsibility early on to prevent their children from becoming addicted to smartphones.

5. Contemporary Statistics of Acute Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in 2021: Insights From the CRCS-K-NIH Registry.

Bae HJ, et al.

The report from CRCS-K-NIH highlights the stroke population in South Korea, showing a male-to-female ratio of 1.5, with average ages of 67 for males and 73 for females. Hypertension is the most common risk factor (67%), with higher diabetes (35%) and smoking (21%) rates compared to global figures. Atrial fibrillation prevalence is lower (19%), indicating effective prevention. Large artery atherosclerosis is high (38%). Intravenous thrombolysis rates decreased from 12% to 10% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early neurological deterioration (13%) and recurrent stroke at 3 months (3%) align with global data. Favorable outcomes at 3 months (63%) are comparable internationally.

Disclosure: The author has no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
