Population-based Study In Korea Research Articles

Metformin and Cervical Cancer Risk in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Study in Korea.

Metformin and Cervical Cancer Risk in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Study in Korea.

Prevalence and incidence of vitiligo and associated comorbidities: a nationwide population-based study in Korea.

The prevalence of vitiligo shows regional variance. Recently, an association between vitiligo and extracutaneous conditions including other autoimmune, metabolic and dermatological disorders has been suggested. Despite its increasing incidence, the epidemiological trends and comorbidities in people with vitiligo have rarely been quantified in Asia. To determine the prevalence and incidence of vitiligo and the disorders associated with vitiligo using the National Health Insurance Service database. We included all patients with vitiligo, classified by the International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10) code of L80, with ≥ 3 documented visits from 2003 to 2019. The incidence and prevalence of vitiligo were estimated for the study period. Age-, sex-, insurance type- and income level-matched controls (ratio 1 : 5) were selected to compare comorbidities. The odds ratios between comorbidities and vitiligo were calculated through conditional logistic regression. The incidence and annual prevalence of vitiligo in Korea increased from 2003 to 2019, with incidence peaking in summer. Age-specific incidence showed a bimodal distribution, with the steepest increase in the group aged < 20 years. Many comorbidities, including alopecia areata, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, Sjögren syndrome, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, chronic hepatitis, anxiety disorder and mood disorder showed higher odds ratios in patients with vitiligo than controls. The incidence and prevalence of vitiligo are increasing, particularly among younger patients in Korea. In addition, various comorbidities are associated with vitiligo, therefore, if patients with vitiligo present with extracutaneous symptoms, physicians should consider the possibility of other comorbid diseases.

Metformin and Cervical Cancer Risk in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Study in Korea.

Cervical cancer is a prevalent malignancy that is a major health problem for women worldwide. The cancer-preventive properties of metformin are well-known, but insufficient data have been reported regarding its relationship to cervical cancer. Therefore, in a nationwide population-based study, we investigated the association between metformin use and cervical cancer incidence in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. This retrospective cohort study used the Korean National Health Insurance claims database. Individuals newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between January 2005 and December 2009 were included. The occurrence of cervical cancer was explored by matching for age, economic status, region of residence, and use of anti-diabetic medication. In total, 66,013 metformin users and 64,756 non-users were analyzed. Cervical cancer occurred in 219 metformin users (0.33%) and 274 metformin non-users (0.42%) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.783; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.655 to 0.036; P=0.007). Moreover, cervical cancer risk was considerably reduced in those treated with a high dose (>1,200,000 mg) or for an extended period (≥2,000 days) compared to non-users (HR, 0.151; 95% CI, 0.093 to 0.243; P<0.001; and HR, 0.141; 95% CI, 0.077 to 0.258; P<0.001). The incidence was also significantly lower in metformin users among those over 50 years old (HR, 0.791; 95% CI, 0.650 to 0.961; P<0.001). Metformin use in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes was associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer in Korea. Furthermore, a significant association was found between the use of metformin and cervical cancer in a dose- and duration-dependent manner and among those over 50 years old.

1173. Increased risk of dementia in patients after Scrub typhus: a nationwide, population-based study in Korea

Abstract Background Scrub typhus causes systemic vasculitis and can lead to complications ranging from pneumonia and acute renal injury to meningitis or encephalitis. In South Korea, it occurs not only in rural areas but also in urban areas, and especially high in older people. We hypothesized that patients with scrub typhus are predisposed to increased risks for developing dementia. Methods We performed a population-based cohort study, in which persons aged between 60∼89 years, used the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database of South Korea between 2009 and 2018. The case definition of scrub typhus was based on the ICD-10 diagnostic code and prescription of doxycycline more than three days. Dementia was defined as patients with the code in expending benefit coverage or patients with the ICD-10 codes, examination codes and drug codes. The control group was selected as stratifying by age and gender at a ratio of 1:5 to the number of the case group in study population. Results During the observational periods, Of 76,073 patients had diagnosed with scrub typhus, 5,026 excluded due to diagnosed with scrub typhus during window period, with dementia or died before index date, 71,047 patients were included as case group. 355,235 patients were included as controls. During a mean follow-up of 5.6±2.9 years, 14,089 (19.8%) patients with previous scrub typhus and 61,807 (15.2%) controls had been developed dementia. Scrub typhus was significantly associated with dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.12; 95% confidential interval [CI], 1.10-1.15, P&amp;lt; 0.001). Of dementia classification, the risk of Alzheimer dementia was significantly higher in the case group (17.8% vs 15.2%; aHR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.13-1.18, p&amp;lt; 0.001), however, there was no significant difference in the risk of vascular dementia (2.1% vs 2.2%; aHR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.83-1.16, p=0.82). Cumulative incidence of dementia during the follow-up period by the history of scrub typhus It shows in both groups dementia incidence increased over time and the case group had higher incident dementia compared with control group. Conclusion History of scrub typhus infection in elderly was associated with increased risk for dementia, especially Alzheimer’s dementia. Our results suggest that prevent measures of dementia could be improved by preventing and treating scrub typhus. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

2149. Risk of dental abnormalities after tetracycline exposure in children: A retrospective, population-based study in Korea, 2003-2015

Abstract Background Despite its clinical usefulness, the use of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) in children has historically been limited because of the risk of permanent tooth discoloration and enamel deformity, although age restrictions have varied across countries (e.g., contraindicated under 8 years of age in Taiwan, USA, and Canada, and under 12 years of age in Korea and UK). We explored whether the incidence of dental abnormalities in Korean children with a history of TCs use differed by age. Furthermore, the relative risk compared to the TCs non-exposed group was calculated. Methods From 2002 to 2015, 1 million standard sample subjects data was provided from National Health Insurance Service in Korea. Children younger than 18 years were included and divided into groups A (0-7 years), B (8-12 years), and C (13-17 years). Subjects in 2002 were excluded for wash-out, as were those diagnosed with dental abnormalities within 6 months after TCs prescription. For comparison, 1:4 matching between the TCs exposure and non-exposure groups was performed according to age and gender. Results Among 14,831 individuals included as study subjects (487 (3%) in group A; 1,695 (11%) in group B; and 12,649 (85%) in group C), 201 (1.4%) were diagnosed with dental abnormalities. The 5-year cumulative incidence of dental abnormalities after exposure to TCs in the group A was 4.7%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group C (0.9%; p&amp;lt; 0.0001), but that of group B was 1.3% and not significantly different from that of group C. In the risk analysis of dental abnormalities according to exposure of TCs, there was no significant difference (adjusted RR=1.03, 95%CI=0.71 to 1.50 in group A; adjusted RR=1.13, 95%CI=0.76 to 1.69 in group B; adjusted RR=1.18, 95%CI=0.97 to 1.43 in group C). Fig 1.Cumulative incidence rate and relative risk analysis.A. Cumulative incidence rate of dental abnormalities after TCs exposure by age group (p = &amp;lt;.00001). B. Relative risk analysis by TCs exposure and age group.Abbreviation; TCs: tetracycline and its derivatives. Conclusion Korean children aged 0-7 years who were exposed to TCs had a higher cumulative incidence and relative risk of dental deformities compared to the 13-17-year-old group but not the 8-12-year-old group. No significant increase in dental abnormalities was observed with TCs exposure among pediatric age groups. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

1315. Dental Discoloration and Enamel dysplasia after Tetracyclines Exposure in Children: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Korea

Abstract Background Tetracycline (TC) is not recommended for pediatric use due to the risk of permanent teeth discoloration and enamel dysplasia. We aimed to assess the incidence of dental abnormality in Korean children and investigate whether the risk was greater in tetracycline-exposed children compared to the general population. Methods This nationwide, population-based study using Health Insurance Review and Assessment service database included children (aged 0-12 years) who were prescribed tetracycline for at least a day between January 2008 and December 2020. We evaluated the incidence rate of children who were inserted diagnosis codes for dental discoloration and enamel dysplasia after at least 6 months after prescription as the primary outcome. Standardized incidence ratio was analyzed to determine whether the risk of dental abnormalities was greater in the exposed group compared to the general population in Korea. Results A total of 56,990 patients with TCs exposure were included, 3% were under the age of 8 (n=1,735) while the majority of 97% were between ages of 8 and 12 (n=55,255). The incidence rate in 0-7 year old age group was 734 cases per 100,000 person-years, which was about five times higher than the 143 cases per 100,000 person-years of the 8-12 year old group with statistical significance (P&amp;lt; 0.001). The 5-year cumulative incidence rate in the 0-7 years old age group was 4.1 % (95% CI, 3.0-5.7%) and 5.7% (95% CI, 4.1–7.8%) in 10-year period. In the 8-12 year old age group, 5-year cumulative incidence was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.7-0.9%) and 1.3% (95% CI, 1.1-1.4%). The risk of dental abnormalities was not significantly increased in the TC-exposed group of 0-7 year old age group compared to the general population (SIR = 1.08; 95% CI, 0.69-1.60). Conclusion The incidence of tooth discoloration and enamel dysplasia was lower than previously suggested, particularly between the ages of 8 and 12 and as low as one-fifth of those under the age of 8, suggesting a reconsideration of limiting use of TCs in children if clinically indicated. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Model for Predicting In-Hospital Mortality of Physical Trauma Patients Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques: Nationwide Population-Based Study in Korea.

Physical trauma-related mortality places a heavy burden on society. Estimating the mortality risk in physical trauma patients is crucial to enhance treatment efficiency and reduce this burden. The most popular and accurate model is the Injury Severity Score (ISS), which is based on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), an anatomical injury severity scoring system. However, the AIS requires specialists to code the injury scale by reviewing a patient's medical record; therefore, applying the model to every hospital is impossible. We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict in-hospital mortality in physical trauma patients using the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision (ICD-10), triage scale, procedure codes, and other clinical features. We used the Korean National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) data set (N=778,111) compiled from over 400 hospitals between 2016 and 2019. To predict in-hospital mortality, we used the following as input features: ICD-10, patient age, gender, intentionality, injury mechanism, and emergent symptom, Alert/Verbal/Painful/Unresponsive (AVPU) scale, Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), and procedure codes. We proposed the ensemble of deep neural networks (EDNN) via 5-fold cross-validation and compared them with other state-of-the-art machine learning models, including traditional prediction models. We further investigated the effect of the features. Our proposed EDNN with all features provided the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.9507, outperforming other state-of-the-art models, including the following traditional prediction models: Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost; AUROC of 0.9433), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost; AUROC of 0.9331), ICD-based ISS (AUROC of 0.8699 for an inclusive model and AUROC of 0.8224 for an exclusive model), and KTAS (AUROC of 0.1841). In addition, using all features yielded a higher AUROC than any other partial features, namely, EDNN with the features of ICD-10 only (AUROC of 0.8964) and EDNN with the features excluding ICD-10 (AUROC of 0.9383). Our proposed EDNN with all features outperforms other state-of-the-art models, including the traditional diagnostic code-based prediction model and triage scale.

Incidence of major depressive disorder over time in patients with liver cirrhosis: A nationwide population-based study in Korea.

There is yet to be a large-scale longitudinal study on the course of depression incidence within the duration of cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to analyze the incidence of depression from before to after diagnosis of cirrhosis over time. Incidence Rate (IR) was defined as the number of newly diagnosed patients with MDD divided by the sum of observation periods by using claims database in Korea. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) was defined as the IR in the specific interest period divided by the IR in the control period. The control period was defied as 1 to 2 years before diagnosis of cirrhosis. The IRs before and after cirrhosis diagnosis were 3.56 and 7.54 per 100 person-year, respectively. The IRR was 2.12 (95% confidence Interval: 2.06-2.18). The IRR of developing depression mildly increased before diagnosis of cirrhosis (-360 days to -181 days, IRR 1.14, p < 0.001; -180 days to -90 days, IRR 1.24, p < 0.001; -90 days to -31 days, IRR 1.56, p < 0.001) and rapidly increased immediately after diagnosis of cirrhosis (+30 days to +89 days, IRR 2.12, 95% confidence interval: 2.06-2.18, p < 0.001). The pattern of increasing depression immediately after the diagnosis of cirrhosis was observed equally in all sexes and ages. Thus, clinicians must pay close attention to screening for depression within the first three months of liver cirrhosis diagnosis.

Changes in Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Korea.

Background: The association between alcohol intake and newly developed heart failure remains unclear. We aimed to measure the change in alcohol intake between two timepoints to evaluate the association of alcohol consumption with incident heart failure using a population-based study in Korea. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance database, participants who underwent two subsequent national health examinations in 2009 and 2011 were included. Participants were classified into four groups according to total alcohol intake (none: 0 g alcohol/day; light: <15 g alcohol/day; moderate: 15−30 g alcohol/day; and heavy: ≥30 g alcohol/day), and changes in alcohol consumption between the two health exams were grouped into the following five categories: abstainers, sustainers (those who maintained their first examination drinking level), increasers, reducers, and quitters. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, regular exercise, socioeconomic information, and comorbidities, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, systolic blood pressure, and laboratory results, a Cox proportional hazards model was used to find the risk of newly diagnosed heart failure (according to ICD-10 code I50 from claims for the first hospitalization) as the primary endpoint. A subgroup analysis among those with a third examination was conducted to reflect further changes in alcohol consumption. Results: Among 3,842,850 subjects, 106,611 (3.0%) were diagnosed with heart failure during the mean follow-up period of 6.3 years. Increasers to a light level of drinking had a lower HF risk compared with abstainers (aHR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.89−0.94). Those who increased their alcohol intake to a heavy level had a higher HF risk (from light to heavy (aHR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.12−1.26) and from a moderate to heavy level (aHR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07−1.19). Reducing alcohol from a heavy to moderate level was associated with lower HF risk (aHR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.86−0.95). Conclusion: This study found that light and moderate sustainers had lower incident heart failure risk compared with abstainers. Increased alcohol consumption from light to moderate to heavy was associated with a higher incident heart failure risk.

Long-term outcomes of preterm infants in the first 6years of life: a nationwide population-based study in Korea.

Lower gestational age was associated with an increase in a wide spectrum of adverse neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes in the first 6years of life. Although morbidities were highest at the earliest gestational ages, moderate-to-late preterm children were significantly associated with increased adverse outcomes compared with full-term children. Our findings prove this under-recognized group's long-term follow-up and policy support. •Infants born preterm are at high risk for neurodevelopmental and various medical health problems. • Nationwide research on long-term outcomes for moderate-to-late preterm birth is sparse. •In this nationwide cohort study, lower gestational age at birth was inversely associated with increased adverse neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes in the first 6 years of life. • Long-term follow-up and policy support are required for moderate-to-late preterm children who are at risk of increased adverse outcomes compared with full-term births.

Association between endocrine-disrupting chemical mixture and metabolic indices among children, adolescents, and adults: A population-based study in Korea

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) play a role in the etiology of obesity and dyslipidemia. However, few studies have analyzed the combined effects of EDC mixtures. This study explored the association between concurrent exposure to EDCs and obesity or dyslipidemia in children, adolescents, and adults. A total of 1454 children, 891 adolescents, and 3758 (for BMI) and 3424 (for TG/HDL) adults from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2015 to 2017 were included in this cross-sectional study. Urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites, three phenols, three parabens, and one pyrethroid pesticides metabolite were quantified. Body mass index (BMI) was measured for all participants, and triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels were measured for adolescents and adults. Associations between combined EDC mixtures with the BMI and TG to HDL-c ratio were evaluated using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR). In all age groups, most of the chemical exposures, with the exception of BPF and BPS, were detected in more than 90% of participants. There were significant moderate to high correlations within phthalate metabolites and a high correlation within parabens. The BKMR showed that EDC mixtures were associated with higher BMI in both adolescents and adults, with greater significance in adults compared with adolescents, and a higher TG/HDL in male adolescents. In adolescents, MEP and MCPP drove the main effects on BMI and TG/HDL, respectively. In adults, 3PBA and BPA drove the main effects on BMI. The findings of this study suggest that exposure to EDC mixtures is associated with higher BMI and TG/HDL, and adolescence may be a critical period for EDC mixture in terms of both outcomes. Further studies are needed, but strategies to reduce EDC exposure from early life stages may be necessary to lower the risk of metabolic disease.

154P Prognosis of pregnancy after breast cancer diagnosis according to the type of treatment: A population-based study in Korea by the SMARTSHIP group

In this study, we evaluated the incidence and outcomes of pregnancy after breast cancer was diagnosed in women of childbearing age. Additionally, we evaluated the prognosis of patients who became pregnant after breast cancer, according to the treatment.

Association of menopausal hormone therapy with gastric and colorectal cancer risks in Korean women: A nationwide population-based cohort study

BackgroundMenopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has been associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC); however, few studies have been conducted in diverse ethnic groups, particularly in the Asian population. Therefore, the current study evaluated if MHT is inversely associated with GC and CRC in East Asia using a representative population-based study in Korea. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort 2.0 in South Korea from 2002 to 2015. A total of 196,095 women aged ≥40 years were included in the study. The numbers of participants who did and did not use MHT were 19,063 (9.7 %) and 177,032 (90.3 %), respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. Age was considered as a time scale, and other confounding factors, including income levels based on insurance premiums, region of residence, and comorbidities, were included in the multivariable-adjusted model. ResultsThe total number of incident cases of GC and CRC were 1339 (0.68 %) and 1428 (0.73 %), respectively. We observed an inverse association of the use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT; estrogen-containing therapy regardless of other regimen types) with GC [HR (95 % CI):0.68 (0.51–0.90)], CRC [0.57 (0.42–0.78)] and gastrointestinal cancer [GI, 0.63 (0.51–0.77)]. In the analyses by CRC subsite, the risks of both colon and rectal cancers were associated with ERT. In addition, both estrogen and combined estrogen and progestogen regimens were significantly associated with CRC and GI cancer. ConclusionERT was associated with a decreased risk of GC and CRC. Our findings support the protective effect of estrogen against GC and CRC in Korean women.

Association between Dental Caries and Handgrip Strength: In a Population-Based Study in Korea (KNHANES 2016-2018).

This study aimed to verify the relationship between handgrip strength and oral health using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, representing Korean adults. Data from the seventh survey (2016–2018) conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were utilized, and 10,607 final study participants were recruited according to the selection and exclusion criteria. A complex sample logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the relationship between handgrip strength and dental caries according to the sex of the study participants. On analyzing the correlation in men, “C1 (DMFT: 11–32),” when compared to “C4 (DMFT: 0–3),” in Model 1 without adjustment for potential confounders, was 2.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15–3.97) times more likely to be associated with lower handgrip strength, and a statistically significant result was detected (p < 0.001). Additionally, significant odds ratios (ORs) were confirmed for all adjusted models. In women, the ORs in Model 1 without adjustment for potential confounders were 1.41 times (95% CI: 1.14–1.75) and demonstrated a significant result; however, the results were not significant in all adjusted models 2–4. Resultantly, a significant association was detected between dental caries and handgrip strength in Korean adults.

Incidence, mortality, and survival of liver cancer using Korea central cancer registry database: 1999-2019.

Backgrounds/AimsHistorically, incidence and survival analysis and annual traits for primary liver cancer (LC) has not been investigated in a population-based study in Korea. The purpose of the current study is to determine incidence, survival rate of patients with primary LC in Korea.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using Korea Central Cancer Registry based on the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database. Statistical analysis including crude rate and age-standadized rate (ASR) of incidence and mortality was performed for LC patients registered with C22 code in International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision from 1999 to 2019. Subgroup analysis was performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, C22.0) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC, C22.1).ResultsThe crude incidence rate of HCC (21.0 to 22.8 per 100,000) and IHCC (2.3 to 5.6 per 100,000) increased in the observed period from 1999 to 2019. The ASR decreased in HCC (20.7 to 11.9 per 100,000) but remained unchanged in IHCC (2.4 to 2.7 per 100,000). The proportion of HCC patients diagnosed in early stages (localized or regional Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results or SEER stage) increased significantly over time. As expected, 5-yeat survival rate of HCC was greatly improved, reaching 42.4% in the period between 2013 and 2019. This trait was more prominent in localized SEER stage. On the other hand, the proportion of IHCC patients diagnosed in localized stage remained unchanged (22.9% between 2013 and 2019), although ASR and 5-year survival rate showed minor improvements.ConclusionsA great improvement in survival rate was observed in patients with newly diagnosed HCCs. It was estimated to be due to an increase in early detection rate. On the contrary, detection rate of an early IHCC was stagnant with a minor improvement in prognosis.

Risk for Behçet’s disease gauged via high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a nationwide population-based study in Korea

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Low levels of plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are associated with Crohn’s disease, another chronic inflammatory disease. However, the effects of low HDL-C levels on BD are unclear. We investigated the effects of HDL-C levels, and variability therein, on the risk for BD. We used the Korean National Health Insurance System database to identify 5,587,754 adults without a history of BD who underwent ≥ 3 medical examinations between 2010 and 2013. Mean HDL-C levels at each visit were used to calculate variability independent of the mean (VIM) and the coefficient of variation (CV). There were 676 new cases of BD (0.012%). The risk for BD was increased in participants with highly variable and low mean HDL-C levels. In a multivariate-adjusted model, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for BD incidence were 1.335 (1.058–1.684) in a high mean/high VIM group, 1.527 (1.211–1.925) in a low mean/low VIM group, and 2.096 (1.67–2.63) in a low mean/high VIM group compared to a high mean/low VIM group. Low mean HDL-C levels, and high variability therein, are independent risk factors for BD.

Risk of herpes zoster infection in patients with cirrhosis: a nationwide population-based study in Korea

Risk of herpes zoster infection in patients with cirrhosis: a nationwide population-based study in Korea

Suicide attempt-related emergency department visits among adolescents: a nationwide population-based study in Korea, 2016–2019

BackgroundThe incidence of adolescent suicide in Korea is increasing; however, nationwide data regarding short-term prediction of suicide attempts (SAs) is still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incidence of SA-related annual emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents in Korea from 2016 to 2019 and to summarize the corresponding demographic and clinical characteristics based on the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.MethodsMost referral hospitals provide relevant essential ED information to the National Emergency Medical Center through the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We analyzed NEDIS data on adolescent visits (aged < 20 years) for a 4-year period from 2016 to 2019. Patients were classified into the discharge and hospitalization groups for comparison, and jointpoint regression analysis was used to identify the years in which there was a change in annual percentage change (APC) in age- and sex-standardized incidence rates of SA-related ED visits. The characteristics of patients in the discharge group and hospitalization group subgroups were also compared.ResultsThe APC in the incidence rate of SA-related ED visits in the 4-year study period revealed a 35.61% increase. The incidence rate increase was higher among females (APC: 46.26%) than among males (APC: 17.95%). Moreover, the incidence rate increased faster in mid-adolescence patients (APC: 51.12%) than in late-adolescence patients (APC: 26.98%). The proportion of poisoning as the SA method was 69.7% in the hospitalization group and 34.5% in the discharge group (p < 0.001).DiscussionOur findings suggest that an increase in the number of SA-related ED visits among female and mid-adolescent patients represented the largest increase in SA-related ED visits from 2016 to 2019. Accordingly, evidence-based suicide prevention programs need to be customized based on sex and age, and further diversification of health care systems is needed through analysis of the characteristics of the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.

Dementia in a Hearing-impaired Population According to Hearing Aid Use: A Nationwide Population-based Study in Korea.

Background:Hearing loss is considered a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, the effect of use of a hearing aid on the development of dementia has not been clearly established. We aimed to assess the incidence of dementia in hearing-impaired individuals according to hearing aid use in a nationwide population-based cohort study with matched controls.Methods:This was a retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study of South Korean national claims data for individuals newly registered with hearing disabilities (better ear ≥40 dBHL with worse ear ≥80 dBHL, or better ear ≥60 dBHL) between 2004 and 2008. The hearing aid cohort comprised individuals who received hearing aid subsidies from the National Health Insurance within a year from disability registration. The comparison cohort comprised individuals without a record of a hearing aid claim during the study period after 1:1 matching for audiologic and sociodemographic factors with the hearing aid cohort. The occurrence of dementia was followed up until 2018.Results:Each cohort comprised 8780 individuals. Overall incidence of dementia in the hearing aid and comparison cohorts were 156.0 and 184.5 per 10,000 person-years, respectively (incidence rate ratio = 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.79–0.91). In a multivariable analysis of the whole study populations, hearing aid use (hazard ratio = 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.70–0.81) attenuated the risk of dementia.Conclusions:Dementia incidence in individuals with hearing disabilities was lower in hearing aid users than that in nonusers. Hearing rehabilitation with hearing aids should be encouraged for individuals with hearing loss.

Anaerobe coverage is important for the prognosis of pyogenic liver abscess: A population-based study in Korea

BackgroundGram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli are the most common cause of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA).We investigated whether the use of anaerobic-covering antibiotics is essential for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscess. MethodsWe analyzed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data in Korea between 2007 and 2017. We classified PLA into two groups: a group using antibiotics that inhibited only aerobic strains (anaerobe (-) group) and a group using antibiotics that inhibited both aerobic and anaerobic strains (anaerobe (+) group). The primary outcome was the difference in in-hospital mortality between the two groups. ResultsDuring this period, a total of 30,690 PLA patients were obtained. There were 6733 patients in the anaerobe (-) group and 23,957 patients in the anaerobe (+) group. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the anaerobe (+) group than the anaerobe (-) group (7.9% vs. 15.6%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the use of anaerobic antibiotics reduced the in-hospital mortality by 42% (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.38–0.46, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age and comorbidities. Furthermore, the improvement of in-hospital mortality was present regardless of the presence of cancer or diabetes. ConclusionThe use of broad-spectrum empirical antibiotics covering anaerobic strains is important for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscess.