Association between adverse outcomes of hepatitis A and acetaminophen use: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen (APAP) may cause acute liver injury with therapeutic doses in high-risk conditions such as chronic alcohol consumption or malnutrition. In acute hepatitis A (AHA), however, the safety of APAP has not been fully established. This study examined the potential association between APAP use and clinical outcomes of AHA in a nationwide and hospital-based cohort. METHODS: Adult patients with AHA were identified from claims data of South Korean national healthcare insurance between 2008 and 2016 (n = 43,500). Logistic regression models were used to compare the risk of adverse outcomes (renal replacement therapy, hepatic encephalopathy and/or brain edema, mechanical ventilation, and liver transplantation) in patients exposed to APAP against control and patients exposed to NSAIDs. A propensity score (PS)-matched hospital-based AHA cohort (n = 146) was assessed for biochemical profiles after exposure to APAP or NSAIDs. RESULTS: AHA patients were exposed to APAP or NSAIDs in 26.4% and 11.5% of cases, respectively. Compared to NSAID treatment, APAP exposure was associated with a higher incidence of hospitalization (98.8% vs. 92.4%; p < 0.0001). APAP exposure was independently associated with increased adverse outcomes (odds ratio [OR] = 5.66, p < 0.0001 against control; OR =1.67, p = 0.0015 against NSAIDs). PS-matched hospital cohort showed higher peak serum bilirubin levels (7.0 vs. 5.3 mg/dL; p = 0.03) and a longer time to recovery of jaundice after APAP use than with NSAID use. CONCLUSION: APAP exposure was associated with increased adverse outcomes in a nationwide AHA cohort.

Disparity in Accessibility to and Prognosis of Kidney Transplantation According to Economic Inequality in South Korea: A Widening Gap After Expansion of Insurance Coverage.

BACKGROUND: Nationwide studies on the effects of wealth inequality on kidney transplantation are rare, particularly in a country with an expanded National Health Insurance Service and in Asian countries. METHODS: In this nationwide, population-based cohort study, we reviewed the national claims database of Korea in which details of nationwide health insurance are provided. From 2007 to 2015, 9 annual cohorts of end-stage renal disease patients were included. The annual financial statuses were collected and stratified into 5 subgroups in each year: the aided group in which insurance fee was waived and the 4 other groups divided by quartiles of their medical insurance fee. Time trends of incidence proportion of kidney transplantation among end-stage renal disease patients in each year were initially assessed. The risk of graft failure, both including death-censored graft failure and death with a functioning graft, was analyzed as a prognostic outcome within the transplant recipients. RESULTS: Significant disparity in the accessibility of kidney transplantation was present, and it was further widening, particularly from 2009 in which the National Health Insurance Service started to cover desensitized kidney transplantation. Desensitized or preemptive transplantation was less common in the poorest group who were more frequently receiving transplantation after 5 years of dialysis in the latter years. The prognosis of kidney transplantation was significantly worse in the poorer people, and this disparity also worsened during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Prominent disparity regarding accessibility to and prognosis of kidney transplantation was observed in Korea according to wealth inequality, and this disparity was worsening.

Trends of Antibiotic Consumption in Korea According to National Reimbursement Data (2008-2012): A Population-Based Epidemiologic Study.

This study determined the trends in the quantities and patterns of nationwide antibiotic consumption in the Republic of Korea (ROK).This nationwide descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in the ROK between 2008 and 2012. The quantities and patterns of total systemic antibiotic prescriptions were analyzed using National Health Insurance claims data collected through the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service. Data concerning systemic antibiotics were collected using measurement units of the defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 people per day according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification.Over the 5-year study period, the annual consumption of systemic antibiotics ranged from 21.68 to 23.12 DDD per 1000 people per day. Outpatient antibiotic use accounted for 80.9% of total consumption. A regression model with autoregressive errors showed significant increased consumption of major antibiotic subgroups, including 3rd-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, and glycopeptides (P < 0.001). However, the antibiotic use of 1st- (P = 0.003), 2nd- (P = 0.004), and 3rd-generation (P = 0.018) cephalosporins among patients who underwent surgery under monitoring by the antimicrobial stewardship programs for perioperative prescription was significantly lower than in those who underwent surgery without monitoring programs. In time-series analysis, total antibiotic consumption demonstrated significant seasonality (P < 0.001).The consumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics was noted to have increased in the ROK from 2008 to 2012, providing a possible explanation for the changing epidemiology of multidrug resistance. Larger prospective studies are needed to investigate the impact on public health of monitoring programs of perioperative antibiotic usage.