Comparative Analysis of Characteristics of Patients Who Visited the Emergency Department due to Suicide Attempts During Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic

The coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected on mental health and contributed to increased depression and anxiety. We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide-related the emergency department (ED) visits. We compared the characteristics of suicide-related patients who visited the ED between the "COVID-19 period" and the "pre-COVID-19 period". The mean age of patients was younger after COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison by age group, the proportion of patients during the COVID-19 period increased in their teens and 20s, and the rest of the age groups decreased. The proportion of patients who requested help was higher during the COVID-19. The authenticity of suicide attempts showed a higher proportion of patients during the pre-COVID-19. Therefore, during the pandemic, attention should be paid to worsening mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, rather than the lethality of suicide attempts.

Analysis of Response and Progression Patterns of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Recurrent or Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: A Post Hoc Analysis of Two KCSG Phase II Trials

PURPOSE

In this study, we evaluated 66 patients diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) enrolled in two Korean Cancer Study Group trials to investigate the response and progression patterns in recurrent and/or metastatic ACC treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated 66 patients diagnosed with ACC who were enrolled in the Korean Cancer Study Group trials. The tumor measurements, clinical data, treatment outcomes, and progression patterns of therapy were analyzed.

RESULTS

In the 66 patients (53 receiving axitinib and 13 receiving nintedanib), the disease control rate was 61%, and three patients achieved partial response. The median follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and 6-month PFS rate were 27.6%, 12.4%, and 18.1% months and 62.1%, respectively. Among 42 patients who experienced progression, 27 (64.3%) showed target lesion progression. Bone metastasis was an independent poor prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

Overall, most patients demonstrated stable disease with prolonged PFS; however, prominent target lesion progression occurred in some patients. Thus, PFS may capture VEGFR-TKI efficacy better than the objective response rate.

Lactate to albumin ratio as a prognosis predictor in gastrointestinal bleeding in the emergency department

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common cause of emergency department (ED) visits, and has various prognoses. This study aimed to verify the prognostic ability of the lactate/albumin (L/A) ratio in patients with GIB compared with the AIMS65 score and blood urea nitrogen/albumin (B/A) ratio. This retrospective study included patients with GIB symptoms who visited the ED in 2019. Baseline characteristics and laboratory data were obtained to calculate the L/A and B/A ratios and AIMS65 score. Each score was evaluated as a predictor of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the L/A ratio significantly predicted ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. The AUROC curve for predicting ICU admission were 0.788, 0.695, and 0.586 for the L/A, B/A, and AIMS65 scores, respectively, while the AUROC curve for predicting in-hospital mortality were 0.807, 0.799, and 0.683 for the L/A, B/A, and AIMS65 scores, respectively. The L/A ratio, which consists of the serum lactate and albumin levels, showed superior performance relative to the B/A ratio and AIMS65 score in predicting the prognosis of patients with GIB.

Validation of the Korean Version of the Clinical Frailty Scale-Adjusted Korean Triage and Acuity Scale for Older Patients in the Emergency Department

Background and Objectives: The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), used to screen for prehospital frailty in patients aged >65 years, is simple, time-efficient, and has been validated in emergency departments (EDs). In this study, we analyzed whether the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) classification by level in older patients determined to have frailty based on the Korean version of the CFS increases the triage performance of the current KTAS. Materials and Methods: The primary outcome was 30-day in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes were hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. This study retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from three ED centers. Patients with a CFS score ranging from five (mildly frail) to nine (terminally ill) were categorized into the frailty group. We upgraded the KTAS classification of the frailty group by one level of urgency and defined this as the CFS-KTAS. Results: The cutoff values for predicting admission were three and two for the KTAS and CFS-KTAS, respectively. A significant difference was observed in the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve between the KTAS and CFS-KTAS. To predict ICU admission, the cutoff score was two for both scales. A significant difference was observed in the AUROC curve between the KTAS and CFS-KTAS. For predicting in-hospital mortality, the cutoff score was two for both scales. A significant difference was observed in the AUROC curve between the KTAS and CFS-KTAS. Conclusions: This study showed that the CFS-adjusted KTAS has a more useful prognostic value than the KTAS alone for predicting hospital outcomes in older patients.

Effects of an Electronic Medical Records-Linked Diabetes Self-Management System on Treatment Targets in Real Clinical Practice: Retrospective, Observational Cohort Study

BACKGRUOUND

This study evaluated the effects of a mobile diabetes management program called "iCareD" (College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) which was integrated into the hospital's electronic medical records system to minimize the workload of the healthcare team in the real clinical practice setting.

METHODS

In this retrospective observational study, we recruited 308 patients. We categorized these patients based on their compliance regarding their use of the iCareD program at home; compliance was determined through self-monitored blood glucose inputs and message subscription rates. We analyzed changes in the ABC (hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels from the baseline to 12 months thereafter, based on the patients' iCareD usage patterns.

RESULTS

The patients comprised 92 (30%) non-users, 170 (55%) poor-compliance users, and 46 (15%) good-compliance users; the ABC target achievement rate showed prominent changes in good-compliance groups from baseline to 12 months (10.9% vs. 23.9%, P<0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed for poor-compliance users and non-users (13.5% vs. 18.8%, P=0.106; 20.7% vs. 14.1%, P=0.201; respectively).

CONCLUSION

Implementing the iCareD can improve the ABC levels of patients with diabetes with minimal efforts of the healthcare team in real clinical settings. However, the improvement of patients' compliance concerning the use of the system without the vigorous intervention of the healthcare team needs to be solved in the future.

Predictors for emergency readmission in patients with ureteral calculi: a focus on pain management and stone location

BACKGROUND

The management of patients with ureteral calculi in the emergency department (ED) remains challenging due to high revisit rates.

PURPOSE

To identify predictors of revisits among patients with ureteral calculi in the ED.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data from patients who presented at a tertiary academic hospital in Seoul, Republic of Korea, between February 2018 and December 2019, were analyzed retrospectively.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Variables, including the respiratory rate (RR), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), duration of pain, number of analgesic doses, location of ureteral calculi, and ED length of stay (LOS) were examined using logistic regression. We also examined some additional variables included in the STONE and CHOKAI scoring systems to examine their association with revisit.

RESULTS

Significant predictors of revisits included the number of analgesic doses and the location of ureteral calculi. Patients who required multiple analgesic doses or those with proximal or mid-ureteral calculi were more likely to revisit the ED. Although the STONE and CHOKAI scores could predict uncomplicated ureteral calculi, we found that the CHOKAI score is a valuable tool for predicting the likelihood of patient revisits (p = 0.021).

CONCLUSIONS

Effective pain management and consideration of calculi location are important for predicting patient revisits. More research is required to validate findings, develop precise predictive models, and empower tailored care for high-risk patients. In patients with ureteral calculi in the ED, the number of analgesics given and stone location predict return visits. Proximal ureteral calculi on CT may require early urologic intervention to prevent pain-related revisits.

Artificial intelligence-powered spatial analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a predictive biomarker for axitinib in adenoid cystic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

This study analyzed the predictive value of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) analysis in recurrent or metastatic (R/M) adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) treated with axitinib.

METHODS

Patients from a multicenter, prospective phase II trial evaluating axitinib efficacy in R/M ACC were included in this study. H&E whole-side images of archival tumor tissues were analyzed by Lunit SCOPE IO, an AI-powered spatial TIL analyzer.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients were included in the analysis. The best response was stable disease, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.1 months (95% CI, 9.2-13.7 months). Median TIL densities in the cancer and surrounding stroma were 25.8/mm2 (IQR, 8.3-73.0) and 180.4/mm2 (IQR, 69.6-342.8), respectively. Patients with stromal TIL density >342.5/mm2 exhibited longer PFS (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer and stromal area TIL infiltration were generally low in R/M ACC. Higher stromal TIL infiltration was associated with a longer PFS with axitinib treatment.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on revisits to emergency department

AIM

This study presents the impact of COVID-19 on revisits to the emergency department comparing revisit rates and characteristics between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods.

METHODS

This multi-center retrospective study included patients over 18 years of age who visited emergency departments during the pre-COVID-19 period and the COVID-19 pandemic. The revisit rates were analyzed according to five age groups; 18-34, 35-49, 50-64, 65-79, and ≥ 80 years, and three revisit time intervals; 3, 9, and 30 days. Also, we compared the diagnosis and disposition at revisit between the study periods.

RESULTS

The revisit rates increased with age in both study periods and the revisit rates among all age groups were higher in the COVID-19 period. The proportion of infectious and respiratory diseases decreased during the COVID-19 period. The ICU admission rate and mortality at the revisit among patients aged ≥ 80 years were lower in the COVID-19 period than in the pre-COVID-19 period.

CONCLUSION

The revisit rates increased with age in both study periods and there were several changes in the diagnosis and disposition at the revisit in the COVID-19 period.

Comparison of antibiotic resistance rates and outcomes among older adult patients with urinary tract infections living in long- term care hospitals and the community

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we compared the proportion of antibiotic resistance between patients who visited the emergency department (ED) with urinary tract infection (UTI) from long-term care hospitals (LTCH), which is a type of long-term care facilities (LTCF) and the community. We assessed the resulting difference in prognosis.

METHOD

Older adults who visited the ED between January and December 2019 and were diagnosed with UTI were divided into community residents and LTCH residents. We investigated the antibiotics sensitivity rates, end of therapy (EOT), and the patient's outcomes were evaluated.

RESULTS

The antibiotic resistance rate was higher in LTCH residents. LTCH residents had a higher in hospital mortality rate compared to community residents. EOT was found to be longer, and admission rate and in-hospital mortality rate were also higher in LTCH residents.

CONCLUSION

LTCF residents had a higher rate of antibiotic resistance and a poor prognosis.

A safety mechanism enables tissue-specific resistance to protein aggregation during aging in C. elegans

During aging, proteostasis capacity declines and distinct proteins become unstable and can accumulate as protein aggregates inside and outside of cells. Both in disease and during aging, proteins selectively aggregate in certain tissues and not others. Yet, tissue-specific regulation of cytoplasmic protein aggregation remains poorly understood. Surprisingly, we found that the inhibition of 3 core protein quality control systems, namely chaperones, the proteasome, and macroautophagy, leads to lower levels of age-dependent protein aggregation in Caenorhabditis elegans pharyngeal muscles, but higher levels in body-wall muscles. We describe a novel safety mechanism that selectively targets newly synthesized proteins to suppress their aggregation and associated proteotoxicity. The safety mechanism relies on macroautophagy-independent lysosomal degradation and involves several previously uncharacterized components of the intracellular pathogen response (IPR). We propose that this protective mechanism engages an anti-aggregation machinery targeting aggregating proteins for lysosomal degradation.

Risk factors for deep neck infection in patients with sore throat and neck pain

BACKGROUND

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a potentially life-threatening disease because infections spread quickly, causing se-rious complications. Therefore, more attention is needed than other neck infections, but there are many difficulties due to isolation guidelines in the period of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We investigated the early predictability of DNI through patient symptoms at the first emergency department encounter.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients with suspected soft-tissue neck infections from January 2016 to February 2021. Symptoms were retrospectively analyzed in fever, foreign body sensation, chest discomfort/pain, submandibular pain, odynopha-gia, dysphagia, voice change, and severe pain. Furthermore, baseline characteristic data, laboratory findings, and pre-vertebral soft-tissue (PVST) thickness were evaluated. DNI and other neck infections were diagnosed through computed tomography. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent factors for predicting DNI.

RESULTS

In the 793 patients included in the study, 267 (33.7%) were diagnosed with DNI, and 526 (66.3%) were diagnosed with other soft-tissue neck infections. In the comparison between the two groups, C-reactive protein (CRP), sodium, PT (INR), foreign body sensation, chest discomfort/pain, submandibular pain, odynophagia, dysphagia, severe pain, and PVST thickness showed statisti-cally significant differences. Independent factors for predicting DNI were severe pain (odds ratio: 6.336 [3.635-11.045], p<0.001), for-eign body sensation (odds ratio: 7.384 [2.776-19.642], p<0.001), submandibular pain (odds ratio: 4.447 [2.852-6.932], p<0.001), and dysphagia (odds ratio: 52.118 [8.662-313.588], p<0.001) among symptoms and CRP (odds ratio: 1.034 [1.004-1.065], p=0.026) and PT (INR) (odds ratio: 29.660 [3.363-261.598], p=0.002) in laboratory tests. PVST thickness at C2 (odds ratio: 1.953 [1.609-2.370], p<0.001) and C6 level (odds ratio: 1.179 [1.054-1.319], p=0.004) was also shown as an independent variable for prediction.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with sore throat or neck pain, patients with dysphagia, foreign body sensation, severe pain, and submandibular pain are more likely to have DN. DNI can cause serious complications; therefore, patients with the above symptoms should be closely observed due to the potential for significant complications.

Source localization based on steered frequency-wavenumber analysis for sparse array

When using a sparse array, locating the target signal of a high-frequency component is difficult. Although forecasting the direction in a sparse situation is challenging, the frequency-wavenumber (f-k) spectrum can simultaneously determine the direction and frequency of the analyzed signal. The striation of the f-k spectrum shifts along the wavenumber axis in a sparse situation, which reduces the spatial resolution required to determine the target's direction using the f-k spectrum. In this study, f-k spectra of a high-frequency signal were used for near-field source localization. Snapping shrimp sounds (5-24 kHz) from SAVEX15 (a shallow-water acoustic variability experiment conducted in May 2015) were used as the data source, and a simulation was used to evaluate the proposed method. Beam steering was performed before creating the f-k spectrum to improve spatial resolution. We found that the spatial resolution was improved, and the location of the sound source could be determined when a signal with beam steering was utilized. The shrimp sound from SAVEX15, a near-field broadband signal, was used to determine the shrimp's location (range, 38 m; depth, 100 m) and the tilt of the vertical line array. These results suggest that the proposed analysis helps to accurately estimate the location of sound source.

Structural insights into the multifunctionality of rabies virus P3 protein

Viruses form extensive interfaces with host proteins to modulate the biology of the infected cell, frequently via multifunctional viral proteins. These proteins are conventionally considered as assemblies of independent functional modules, where the presence or absence of modules determines the overall composite phenotype. However, this model cannot account for functions observed in specific viral proteins. For example, rabies virus (RABV) P3 protein is a truncated form of the pathogenicity factor P protein, but displays a unique phenotype with functions not seen in longer isoforms, indicating that changes beyond the simple complement of functional modules define the functions of P3. Here, we report structural and cellular analyses of P3 derived from the pathogenic RABV strain Nishigahara (Nish) and an attenuated derivative strain (Ni-CE). We identify a network of intraprotomer interactions involving the globular C-terminal domain and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of the N-terminal region that characterize the fully functional Nish P3 to fluctuate between open and closed states, whereas the defective Ni-CE P3 is predominantly open. This conformational difference appears to be due to the single mutation N226H in Ni-CE P3. We find that Nish P3, but not Ni-CE or N226H P3, undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation and this property correlates with the capacity of P3 to interact with different cellular membrane-less organelles, including those associated with immune evasion and pathogenesis. Our analyses propose that discrete functions of a critical multifunctional viral protein depend on the conformational arrangements of distant individual domains and IDRs, in addition to their independent functions.

Validity of the Korean triage and acuity scale in older patients compared to the adult group

INTRODUCTION

While many patients visit the emergency department (ED) for various reasons, medical resources are limited. Therefore, various triage scale systems have been used to predict patient urgency and severity. South Korea has developed and used the Korean Triage and Accuracy Scale (KTAS) based on the Canadian classification tool. As the elderly population increases, the number of elderly patients visiting the ED also increases. However, in KTAS, there is no consideration for the elderly, and the same classification system as adults. The aim of this study is to verify the ability of KTAS to predict severity levels in the elderly group, compared to the adult group.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study for patients who visited the ED at two centers between February 1, 2018 and January 31, 2021. The initial KTAS level, changed level at ED discharge, general patient character, ED treatment results, in-hospital mortality, and lengths of hospital and ED stays were acquired. Area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) was used to verify the severity prediction ability of the elderly group to KTAS, and logistic regression analysis was used for the prediction up-triage of KTAS.

RESULTS

The enrolled patients in the study were 87,220 in the adult group and 37,627 in the elderly group. The proportion of KTAS up-triage was higher in the elderly group (1.9 % vs. 1.2 %, p < 0.001). The AUROC for the overall admission rate was 0.686, 0.667 in the adult and elderly group, the AUROC for ICU admission was 0.842, 0.767, and the AUROC for in-hospital mortality prediction was 0.809, 0.711, indicating a decrease in the AUROC value in the elderly group. The independent factors of the up-triage predictors were old age, male gender, pulse, and ED length of stay, and old age was the most influential variable.

CONCLUSION

KTAS was poorly associated with severity in the elderly than in adults, and it was found that up-triaging was more likely to occur in the elderly. The severity and urgency of patients over 65 years of age should not be underestimated when initially determining the triage scale.

Effects of an Initial Single Dose of Intravenous Antibiotics on Emergency Department Revisits Among Elderly Patients with Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the second most common infectious disease among older adults. It is important that the treatment strategy used for older patients with UTIs in the emergency department (ED) be adequate. The effectiveness of an initial single dose of intravenous antibiotics in the ED for treating UTIs has not been extensively studied. Therefore, we investigated the clinical outcomes of single-dose intravenous antibiotic administration before discharge from the ED in elderly patients with UTIs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted among patients who visited two academic tertiary hospitals in Seoul, South Korea. We included all patients older than 65 years of age with UTI who visited the ED and were directly discharged between 1 January and 31 December 2019 (n = 429). The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received a single dose of intravenous antibiotics before ED discharge.

RESULTS

Patients who received intravenous antibiotics had a higher 72-hour revisit rate (43 [15.4%] vs 10 [6.7%], p = .009) and a longer mean duration of therapy (total days of antibiotics use) (11 [4.00 - 15.00] vs 5 [3.00 - 11.00], p < .001) than patients who received only oral antibiotics. However, the rate of admission after revisits did not differ significantly between the groups (27 [62.8%] vs 5 [50.0%], p = .492).

CONCLUSION

Older patients with severe UTIs were prescribed intravenous antibiotics in the ED. Decisions on admission or discharge should be made carefully for older patients with UTIs who are prescribed intravenous antibiotics in the ED.

A Phase 2 Study of Palbociclib for Recurrent or Refractory Advanced Thymic Epithelial Tumors (KCSG LU17-21)

INTRODUCTION

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare but are the most common tumors of the anterior mediastinum. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy is the standard of care for such tumors and is associated with a 50% to 90% objective response rate (ORR) in metastatic disease. Nevertheless, there is no standard chemotherapeutic option after failure of platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Genetic alterations associated with the cell cycle, including pRB, p16^INK4A, and cyclin D1, are most often observed in TETs. On the basis of these results, we conducted a phase 2 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of palbociclib in patients with recurrent or refractory advanced TETs.

METHODS

This is a phase 2, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study of palbociclib monotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic advanced TETs who failed one or more cytotoxic chemotherapies. The patients received 125 mg of oral palbociclib daily for 21 days, followed by a 7-day break. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary end points were ORR, duration of response, overall survival, and safety.

RESULTS

Between August 2017 and October 2019, a total of 48 patients were enrolled. The median number of previous chemotherapies was one (range: one to four), and 21 (43.7%) of 48 patients received thymectomy. By the WHO classification, the patients were type A (n = 1), type B1 (n = 2), type B2 (n = 8), type B3 (n = 13), thymic carcinoma (n = 23), and unknown (n = 1). With a median follow-up of 14.5 months (range: 0.8-38.2), the median number of cycles of palbociclib monotherapy was 10 (range: 1-40). The ORR was 12.5% (four partial responses in thymoma and two partial responses in thymic carcinoma). The PFS at 6 months was 60.2%, and the median PFS was 11.0 months (95% confidence interval: 4.6-17.4). The median overall survival was 26.4 months (95% confidence interval: 17.4-35.4). The most common treatment-related adverse events of any grade were neutropenia (62.5%), anemia (37.5%), and thrombocytopenia (29.1%), and the most common grade 3/4 treatment-related hematologic adverse event was neutropenia (41.7%). Neutropenia above grade 3 was reversible, and there were no cases with neutropenic fever.

CONCLUSIONS

Palbociclib monotherapy was well tolerated and had encouraging efficacy in patients with TETs who failed platinum-based combination chemotherapy.

Early lactate clearance for predicting outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding

BACKGROUND

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleeding) can range from mild symptoms to life-threatening conditions that require emergency intervention. Therefore, it is important to first identify the high-risk and low-risk patients in the emergency department (ED).

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of a three-hourly interval for determining the lactate clearance, which is shorter than the time interval in previous studies, in order to predict the prognosis early in patients with GI bleeding.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved patients who visited for complaining of GI bleeding symptoms. Initial lactate levels were measured upon arrival at the ED and measured again 3 h later after performing initial resuscitation. And 3-h lactate clearance was calculated. Lactate and 3-h lactate clearance for predicting outcomes were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve.

RESULTS

A total of 104 patients were enrolled and 21 patients (20.2%) died in the hospital. Multivariate logistic regression showed that 3-h lactate clearance was a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality. The AUROC of 3-h lactate clearance for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.756. The sensitivity and specificity were 66.67% and 75.90%. On combining lactate clearance, total bilirubin, and PTT, the AUROC was 0.899 for predicting in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

This study validated that lactate clearance at three-hourly intervals is useful for early prediction of mortality and prognosis in patients with GI bleeding. It is important to perform not only an initial lactate measurement, but also a follow-up lactate measurement after initial resuscitation to check the lactate clearance.

Effect of delayed transport on clinical outcomes among patients with cardiac arrest during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted many changes. Revised cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recommendations were issued including increased requirement for personal protective equipment (PPE) during CPR and isolation rooms. We hypothesized that these changes might have affected transport times and distance. Accordingly, we investigated any differences in transport time and distance and their effect on patient neurologic outcomes at hospital discharge.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted among patients who experienced cardiopulmonary arrest and were admitted to an emergency department during specific periods - pre-COVID-19 (January 1 to December 31, 2019) and COVID-19 (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021).

RESULT

The mean transport distance was 3.5 ± 2.1 km and 3.7 ± 2.3 km during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively (p = 0.664). The mean total transport time was 30.3 ± 6.9 min and 35.6 ± 9.3 min during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean activation time was 1.5 ± 2.2 min and 2.9 ± 4.5 min during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively (p = 0.003). The mean transport time was 9.3 ± 3.5 min and 11.5 ± 6 min during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Total transport time, including activation time for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, increased owing to increased PPE requirements. However, there was no significant difference in the neurological outcome at hospital discharge.

Sequence grammar underlying the unfolding and phase separation of globular proteins

Aberrant phase separation of globular proteins is associated with many diseases. Here, we use a model protein system to understand how the unfolded states of globular proteins drive phase separation and the formation of unfolded protein deposits (UPODs). We find that for UPODs to form, the concentrations of unfolded molecules must be above a threshold value. Additionally, unfolded molecules must possess appropriate sequence grammars to drive phase separation. While UPODs recruit molecular chaperones, their compositional profiles are also influenced by synergistic physicochemical interactions governed by the sequence grammars of unfolded proteins and cellular proteins. Overall, the driving forces for phase separation and the compositional profiles of UPODs are governed by the sequence grammars of unfolded proteins. Our studies highlight the need for uncovering the sequence grammars of unfolded proteins that drive UPOD formation and cause gain-of-function interactions whereby proteins are aberrantly recruited into UPODs.

A Comparison of Emergency Department Revisit Rates of Pediatric Patients between Pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 Periods

Unscheduled revisits to emergency departments (EDs) are important because they indicate the quality of emergency care. However, the characteristics of pediatric patients visiting EDs changed during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and these changes may have affected their revisit patterns. Therefore, we aimed to compare the ED revisit patterns of pediatric patients between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. This retrospective multicenter study included patients aged below 18 years who visited the ED in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. ED revisit rates were analyzed using five age groups and three visit-revisit intervals. In the pre-COVID-19 period, the revisit rates decreased with increasing age. In the COVID-19 period, the revisit rates were the lowest for the group aged 4–6 years, and the rates increased for those aged ≥7 years. In conclusion, there were changes in the patterns of revisit rates of pediatric patients according to age between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the reasons for revisits according to age and establish strategies to reduce the revisit rates of pediatric patients.

Totality outcome of afatinib sequential treatment in patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer in South Korea (TOAST): Korean Cancer Study Group (KCSG) LU-19-22

Background

Irrespective of the first-line epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor chosen, acquired resistance to therapy is inevitable. Therefore, a key consideration when assessing therapeutic choices is the availability of subsequent treatment options following disease progression. We assessed clinical outcomes in patients who received first-line afatinib treatment with various second-line treatments including osimertinib for patients acquiring the T790M mutation.

Methods

A total of 737 EGFR mutation-positive (EGFR M+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving first-line afatinib treatment were categorized by second-line treatment: T790M+ sequentially treated with osimertinib (cohort A, n=116); T790M− given chemotherapy or others (cohort B, n=143); patients with unknown T790M status (cohort C, n=111); and patients who were undergoing afatinib treatment at the time of data collection, were dead, had discontinued afatinib treatment due to serious adverse events or were lost to follow-up (cohort D, n=367). The primary outcomes were total time on treatment (TOT) and TOT for first-line (TOT-1) and second-line treatments (TOT-2). Secondary outcomes were objective response rates (ORR), overall survival (OS), and central nervous system (CNS) efficacy.

Results

Median total TOT in cohorts A, B, C, and D were 35.10 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 30.09–43.53 months], 18.80 months (95% CI: 16.92–20.20 months), 12.00 months (95% CI: 10.22–14.98 months), and 42.60 months (95% CI: 30.95–59.23 months), respectively. The ORR of patients given afatinib was 75.7%. In patients with initial brain metastasis without local treatment, the CNS response rate was 67.0% and CNS progression-free survival was 24.70 months (95% CI: 19.84–33.15 months).

Conclusions

This study showed that sequential approach of afatinib followed by second line treatment is an effective therapeutic strategy for EGFR M+ NSCLC patients.

Genome activation in equine in vitro-produced embryos

Embryonic genome activation is a critical event in embryo development, in which the transcriptional program of the embryo is initiated. The timing and regulation of this process are species-specific. In vitro embryo production is becoming an important clinical and research tool in the horse; however, very little is known about genome activation in this species. The objective of this work was to identify the timing of genome activation, and the transcriptional networks involved, in in vitro-produced horse embryos. RNA-Seq was performed on oocytes and embryos at eight stages of development (MII, zygote, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell, morula, blastocyst; n = 6 per stage, 2 from each of 3 mares). Transcription of seven genes was initiated at the 2-cell stage. The first substantial increase in gene expression occurred at the 4-cell stage (minor activation), followed by massive gene upregulation and downregulation at the 8-cell stage (major activation). An increase in intronic nucleotides, indicative of transcription initiation, was also observed at the 4-cell stage. Co-expression network analyses identified groups of genes that appeared to be regulated by common mechanisms. Investigation of hub genes and binding motifs enriched in the promoters of co-expressed genes implicated several transcription factors. This work represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first genomic evaluation of embryonic genome activation in horse embryos.

Allele-specific expression analysis reveals conserved and unique features of preimplantation development in equine ICSI embryos

Embryonic genome activation and dosage compensation are major genetic events in early development. Combined analysis of single embryo RNA-seq data and parental genome sequencing was used to evaluate parental contributions to early development and investigate X-chromosome dynamics. In addition, we evaluated dimorphism in gene expression between male and female embryos. Evaluation of parent-specific gene expression revealed a minor increase in paternal expression at the 4-cell stage that increased at the 8-cell stage. We also detected eight genes with allelic expression bias that may have an important role in early development, notably NANOGNB. The main actor in X-chromosome inactivation, XIST, was significantly upregulated at the 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages in female embryos, with high expression at the latter. Sexual dimorphism in gene expression was identified at all stages, with strong representation of the X-chromosome in females from the 16-cell to the blastocyst stage. Female embryos showed biparental X-chromosome expression at all stages after the 4-cell stage, demonstrating the absence of imprinted X-inactivation at the embryo level. The analysis of gene dosage showed incomplete dosage compensation (0.5 < X:A < 1) in MII oocytes and embryos up to the 4-cell stage, an increase of the X:A ratio at the 16-cell and morula stages after genome activation, and a decrease of the X:A ratio at the blastocyst stage, which might be associated with the beginning of X-chromosome inactivation. This study represents the first critical analysis of parent- and sex-specific gene expression in early equine embryos produced in vitro.

Factors for return to emergency department and hospitalization in elderly urinary tract infection patients

BACKGROUND

Appropriate decision of emergency department (ED) disposition is essential for improving the outcome of elderly urinary tract infection (UTI) patients. However, studies on early return visit (ERV) to the ED in elderly UTI patients are limited. Therefore, we aimed to identify factors for ERV and hospitalization after return visit (HRV) in this population.

METHODS

Elderly patients discharged from the ED with International Classification of diseases 10th Revision codes of UTI were selected from the registry for evaluation of ED revisit in 6 urban teaching hospitals. Retrospective data were extracted from the electronic medical records and ERV and hospitalization to scheduled revisit (SRV) were compared.

RESULT

Among a total of 419 patients found in the study period, 45 were ERV patients and 24 were HRV patients. Absence of UTI-specific symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 2.789; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.368-5.687; P = 0.005), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels >30 mg/L (OR 2.436; 95% CI 1.017-3.9; P = 0.024), and body temperature ≥ 38 °C (OR 1.992; 95% CI 1.017-3.9; P = 0.044) were independent risk factors for ERV, and absence of UTI-specific symptoms (OR 3.832; 95% CI 1.455-10.088; P = 0.007), CRP levels >30 mg/L (OR 3.224; 95% CI 1.235-8.419; P = 0.017), and systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg (OR 3.795;95% CI 1.156-12.462; P = 0.028) were independent risk factors for HRV. However, there was no significant difference in empirical antibiotic resistance in ERV and HRV patients, compared to SRV patients.

CONCLUSION

The independent risk factors of ERV and HRV should be considered for ED disposition in elderly UTI patients; the resistance to empirical antibiotics was not found to affect ERV or HRV within 3 days.