Hearing and Speech Perception for People With Hearing Loss Using Personal Sound Amplification Products

Background@#Hearing loss (HL) is the most common chronic disease and has been linked to negative health outcomes. Hearing aids (HAs) are regarded as the gold standard for HL management, however, the adoption rate of HAs is relatively low for various reasons. With this background, hearing devices, such as personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) received significant attention as an alternative to conventional HAs. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of PSAPs in patients with mild to moderately severe HL. @*Methods@#Nineteen patients with mild hearing loss (MHL), 23 with moderate hearing loss (MDHL), and 15 with moderately severe hearing loss (MSHL) participated in the study.Electroacoustic analysis, simulated real-ear measurements (REMs), and three clinical evaluations were implemented. @*Results@#All devices satisfied the electroacoustic tolerances. All devices provided sufficient gain for MHL and MDHL audiograms. However, in MSHL audiogram, the gains of PSAPs were insufficient, especially for high frequencies. In terms of clinical evaluations, soundfield audiometry showed significant improvements between aided and unaided thresholds in all groups for all devices (P < 0.001). Significant improvements of word recognition scores were only shown for HAs between aided and unaided conditions. The Korean version of the Hearing In Noise Test did not show any consistent findings for all devices and groups. @*Conclusion@#Certain PSAPs are beneficial for improving hearing and speech perception in patients with HL. Well-chosen PSAPs could be an alternative hearing rehabilitation option for these patients.

Giant basal cell carcinoma of the left lateral neck

Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial neoplasm of the skin and the most common human skin cancer. It is generally associated with a good prognosis. In this case report, a giant basal cell carcinoma of the nodulo-ulcerative type showing wide ulceration with marginal multiple small nodules, is presented. It was trapezoidal in shape, having dimensions of 7 cm at the greatest basal width, 6 cm vertically with different anterior and posterior margin dimensions, and 5 cm horizontally at the top margin. After wide excision of the lesion including 5–10 mm safety margins, the wound was reconstructed with a local skin flap and split-thickness skin graft. The reconstructed wound healed well without recurrence for 1 year.

A hemangioma in the masseter muscle: a case report

Intramuscular hemangiomas of the masseter muscle are uncommon tumors and therefore can be difficult to accurately diagnose preoperatively, due to the unfamiliar presentation and deep location in the lateral face. A case of intramuscular hemangioma of the masseter muscle in a 66-yearold woman is presented. Doppler ultrasonography showed a 34× 15 mm hypoechoic and hypervascular soft tissue mass in the left masseter muscle, suggesting hemangioma. The mass was excised via a lateral cervical incision near the posterior border of the mandibular ramus. The surgical wound healed well without complications.

Validation of the Korean Frailty Index in community-dwelling older adults in a nationwide Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort study

Background/Aims@#We aimed to assess validity of the Korean Frailty Index (KFI) and the modified KFI (mKFI) in nationwide Korean population as screening measures for frailty status in older adults. @*Methods@#Analysis was performed in the records of baseline assessments of 2,886 participants in the Korean Frailty Aging Cohort study from 2016 to 2017. The KFI included eight items on a history of hospitalization, self-reported health status, polypharmacy, weight loss, mood, incontinence, sensory problems, and timed up and go test. In mKFI, timed up and go test was replaced with a question whether a person can walk around a schoolyard. Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) frailty scale was used as a gold standard. @*Results@#In study population (mean age, 76; 47.6% men), score of the KFI correlated with the CHS scale. The KFI correlated with common geriatric parameters including Activities of Daily Living, nutritional status, cognitive performance, and mood. As a construct validity, items of KFI correlated with CHS scale. As a criterion validity, sensitivity was 81.6%, specificity was 67.0% to predict frailty by CHS scale with the score of 3 or higher in KFI. The KFI and mKFI correlated with each other (R2 = 0.88), and prediction ability for frailty by CHS scale was not significantly differed between KFI and mKFI. @*Conclusions@#The KFI and mKFI are valid instruments for frailty screening and might be useful as simple frailty screening tools to identify older adults who might benefit from comprehensive geriatric assessment and integrated, multidisciplinary geriatric care services.

Giant basal cell carcinoma of the left lateral neck

Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial neoplasm of the skin and the most common human skin cancer. It is generally associated with a good prognosis. In this case report, a giant basal cell carcinoma of the nodulo-ulcerative type showing wide ulceration with marginal multiple small nodules, is presented. It was trapezoidal in shape, having dimensions of 7 cm at the greatest basal width, 6 cm vertically with different anterior and posterior margin dimensions, and 5 cm horizontally at the top margin. After wide excision of the lesion including 5–10 mm safety margins, the wound was reconstructed with a local skin flap and split-thickness skin graft. The reconstructed wound healed well without recurrence for 1 year.

A hemangioma in the masseter muscle: a case report

Intramuscular hemangiomas of the masseter muscle are uncommon tumors and therefore can be difficult to accurately diagnose preoperatively, due to the unfamiliar presentation and deep location in the lateral face. A case of intramuscular hemangioma of the masseter muscle in a 66-yearold woman is presented. Doppler ultrasonography showed a 34× 15 mm hypoechoic and hypervascular soft tissue mass in the left masseter muscle, suggesting hemangioma. The mass was excised via a lateral cervical incision near the posterior border of the mandibular ramus. The surgical wound healed well without complications.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Frailty in Community-Dwelling Korean Elderly Adults in Primary Care Settings / 가정의학회지

Aging has become a global problem, and the interest in healthy aging is growing. Healthy aging involves a focus on the maintenance of the function and well-being of elderly adults, rather than a specific disease. Thus, the management of frailty, which is an accumulated decline in function, is important for healthy aging. The adaptation method was used to develop clinical practice guidelines on frailty management that are applicable in primary care settings. The guidelines were developed in three phases: preparation (organization of committees and establishment of the scope of development), literature screening and evaluation (selection of the clinical practice guidelines to be adapted and evaluation of the guidelines using the Korean Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool), and confirmation of recommendations (three rounds of Delphi consensus and internal and external reviews). A total of 16 recommendations (five recommendations for diagnosis and assessment, 11 recommendations for intervention of frailty) were made through the guideline development process. These clinical practice guidelines provide overall guidance on the identification, evaluation, intervention, and monitoring of frailty, making them applicable in primary care settings. As aging and “healthy aging” become more and more important, these guidelines are also expected to increase in clinical usefulness.

Physical Activity Patterns and Their Associated Factors Measured by Global Physical Activity Questionnaire Survey among Korean / 대한스포츠의학회지

Research on physical activity and health is actively being conducted. In the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was newly introduced in 2014. The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of physical activity and related factors in Koreans who were assessed through the GPAQ by dividing the physical activity by occupation, leisure, and transport domain. This study used data from the KNHANES (2014–2016), the study population of which included 17,357 participants aged 12 to 80 years. We compared the differences in physical activity by sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, and psychological health-related factors. Moreover, we also compared the mean metabolic equivalent of task and daily sitting time according to physical activity domain by sex and age group. Finally, we investigated the sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, and psychological health-related factors that significantly affect the average physical activity per week. The various factors were found to differ in the frequency of physical activity levels. In addition, there was a difference in the amount of physical activity per occupation, leisure, and transport domain in each age group. Finally, age, sex, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, arthritis, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, sleeping time, and perceived health status significantly affected physical activity. The levels of physical activity significantly differed by sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, and psychological health-related factors. There was also a difference in the physical activity levels according to the age and sex per each domain of physical activity.

What are the illnesses associated with frailty in community-dwelling older adults: the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

Background/Aims@#Frailty is mainly due to an age-related decrease in the physiological reserves needed to maintain biological homeostasis, but it can also occur as a result of chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify illnesses associated with frailty in Korean community-dwelling older adults. @*Methods@#This was a cross-sectional study that included 2,936 older adults aged between 70 and 84 years who had completed both interviews and physical function assessments for the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Current illnesses diagnosed by physicians were included in the analysis. The definition of frailty was derived from the Fried frailty phenotype. @*Results@#The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), arthritis, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, and lung disease (including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic bronchitis) was higher in the frail group (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, alcohol, smoking, education, and presence of a spouse, the odds ratios for DM and urinary incontinence in frailty were 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 2.01; p = 0.01) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.11 to 3.18; p = 0.02). @*Conclusions@#In Korean community-dwelling older adults, DM and urinary incontinence were associated with frailty after adjusting for various factors. In the future, the list of comorbid diseases that are appropriate for Korean population- specific frailty assessment should be inventoried.

Association of Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Depression with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in Korean Adults: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2014

Background@#Subclinical thyroid disease is characterized by abnormal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels with normal free thyroxine (T4) levels. This study aimed to verify the association between subclinical hypothyroidism and depression measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score in the Korean population. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study included 1,786 adults aged ≥19 years with normal free T4 levels and serum TSH levels ≥0.45 mIU/L who had participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2014. The PHQ-9 was first introduced in the KNHANES to detect depression (PHQ score of ≥10). Serum TSH level of 0.45–4.49 mIU/L was defined as the reference range. The association between subclinical hypothyroidism and depression according to gender and age was evaluated using the binary logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, education, and body mass index. @*Results@#There was no association between subclinical hypothyroidism and depression according to gender. The odds ratio for depression was 2.498 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.905–6.895; P=0.077) in men and 0.727 (95% CI, 0.352–1.503; P=0.390) in women. Additionally, there was no association between subclinical hypothyroidism and depression according to age. @*Conclusion@#These results suggest that subclinical hypothyroidism was not associated with depression in Korean adults.

Urine Cotinine for Assessing the Association between Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Depression in Adult Non-Smokers in Korea: Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016

BACKGROUND@#Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) has been shown to cause health problems. Recent studies demonstrated an association of SHS with depression and poor mental health. The urinary cotinine concentration (Ucot) is an objective indicator of exposure to SHS. In this study, we evaluated the association between depression and Ucot in adult non-smokers adults in Korea.@*METHODS@#We analyzed the data of 3,417 adults, aged ≥19 years, who participated in the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016). The eligible subjects were non-smokers. Depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The subjects were dichotomized into two groups: the high depressive symptom group (PHQ-9 ≥10 [n=185]) and the low depressive symptom group (PHQ-9 <10 [n=3,232]). The demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics of the subjects were retrieved from the survey data. Ucot was dichotomized into high-Ucot (≥10 ng/mL) and low-Ucot (<10 ng/mL). The Ucot and other characteristics were compared between the two groups. To adjust for confounding variables, we conducted a logistic regression analysis and determined the difference in Ucot between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After adjusting for confounders, the high depressive symptom group was found to be associated with high-Ucot (odds ratio, 1.824; 95% confidence interval, 1.020–3.262). Sex, education, socioeconomic status, marital status, occupational status, limitation of activity, and the presence of an underlying diseases (diabetes and dyslipidemia) had a significant effect on depression.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This concluded that depression was associated with high urine cotinine level in adult non-smokers.

Urine Cotinine for Assessing the Association between Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Depression in Adult Non-Smokers in Korea: Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016

BACKGROUND: Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) has been shown to cause health problems. Recent studies demonstrated an association of SHS with depression and poor mental health. The urinary cotinine concentration (Ucot) is an objective indicator of exposure to SHS. In this study, we evaluated the association between depression and Ucot in adult non-smokers adults in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 3,417 adults, aged ≥19 years, who participated in the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016). The eligible subjects were non-smokers. Depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The subjects were dichotomized into two groups: the high depressive symptom group (PHQ-9 ≥10 [n=185]) and the low depressive symptom group (PHQ-9 <10 [n=3,232]). The demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics of the subjects were retrieved from the survey data. Ucot was dichotomized into high-Ucot (≥10 ng/mL) and low-Ucot (<10 ng/mL). The Ucot and other characteristics were compared between the two groups. To adjust for confounding variables, we conducted a logistic regression analysis and determined the difference in Ucot between the two groups. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounders, the high depressive symptom group was found to be associated with high-Ucot (odds ratio, 1.824; 95% confidence interval, 1.020–3.262). Sex, education, socioeconomic status, marital status, occupational status, limitation of activity, and the presence of an underlying diseases (diabetes and dyslipidemia) had a significant effect on depression. CONCLUSIONS: This concluded that depression was associated with high urine cotinine level in adult non-smokers.

Influencing Factors of Sexual Intimacy and Satisfaction among Women within 1 Year after Mastectomy / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the levels of body image, sexual intimacy, and sexual satisfaction, and to explore factors affecting sexual intimacy and satisfaction among women within one year of mastectomy. METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional survey and involved 101 women who had undergone mastectomy at a University hospital of D city, Korea. Measurement included the scales of body image, sexual intimacy, and sexual satisfaction. RESULTS: Mean age of the subjects was 51 years. Scores of the body image, sexual intimacy, and sexual satisfaction were 59.62, 90.69, and 69.04, respectively. Body image, sexual intimacy, and sexual satisfaction were significantly related to each other. Sexual intimacy was higher when women were of young age (β=−.32), had a shorter period since surgery (β=−.24), and with higher levels of body image (β=.37). Sexual satisfaction was higher when women had higher levels of body image (β=.19) and greater levels of sexual intimacy (β=.74). CONCLUSION: Higher levels of body image and greater levels of sexual intimacy were identified as the significant factors influencing sexual satisfaction among these women. Future research with a mixed-method research is needed to gain a deep understanding of the sexuality between women and their husbands.

Cerebrospinal Fluid CYFRA 21-1 as a Diagnostic Indicator for Leptomeningeal Metastasis in Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: The early and accurate diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) has become important because of introduction of new therapeutic strategies for LM and increasing incidence of LM along with longer survival of cancer patients. We aimed to evaluate the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CYFRA 21-1 as a diagnostic indicator for LM in patients with cancer. METHODS: CSF CYFRA 21-1 level was analyzed using electro-chemiluminescent immunoassay. The difference in concentration of CSF CYFRA 21-1 between 91 patients with LM and 339 control groups (patients with other neurological disease or healthy controls) was investigated. The cut-off value of CSF CYFRA 21-1 as a diagnostic indicator for LM and its diagnostic performance were evaluated. RESULTS: The CSF CYFRA 21-1 was significantly higher in LM patients than control groups (p<0.001). A cut-off value of diagnosis for LM in patients with cancer was 1.59 ng/mL. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of CSF CYFRA 21-1 were 80.2%, 96.2%, 92.8%, 84.9%, 94.8% for diagnosis of LM. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that CSF CYFRA 21-1 can be an additional diagnostic indicator for cancer patients with LM.

Subcutaneous Immunotherapy in Patients with Fagales Pollen-Induced Oral Allergy Syndrome

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is the most common food allergy-related condition in adults. This study aimed to investigate whether subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) with Fagales pollen-containing extracts can improve the clinical symptoms of OAS in Korea. In total, 56 OAS patients were included: 19 subjects treated with SCIT, which included Fagales pollen extracts, and 37 not treated with immunotherapy (IT). We reviewed the patients' medical records and administered a telephone questionnaire at one point to assess baseline OAS features and changes in the patients' OAS and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) symptoms after treatment. Only 12 patients who received SCIT and 15 patients that did not receive SCIT could report on changes in OAS symptoms after treatment because the other patients practiced strict avoidance of their culprit fruits and vegetables, and they could not respond to the status of OAS. SCIT reduced the severity of OAS (p=0.005). Nine of the 12 patients (75%) that received SCIT reported a more than 50% reduction in OAS symptoms. In contrast, only three of the 15 patients (20%) that did not receive IT reported more than a 50% reduction in OAS symptoms. SCIT also reduced the severity of ARC symptoms (p < 0.001). The results indicate that SCIT with Fagales pollen-containing extracts is associated with improved OAS symptoms in Korea.

Introduction of Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) System and Cross-Sectional Validation Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OBJECTIVE: To predict the risk of falls, Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) system has been newly developed to measure multi-systemic balance control among community-dwelling older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the association between FRA and fall-related physical performance tests. METHODS: A total of 289 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants underwent FRA test and physical performance tests such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). RESULTS: Participants who were younger, male, highly educated, living with family members, having high body mass index, having high appendicular lean mass index, and having no irritative lower urinary tract syndrome were more likely to have higher FRA scores. SPPB (β=1.012), BBS (β=0.481), and TUG (β=-0.831) were significantly associated with FRA score after adjusting for the variables (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FRA composite score was closely correlated with SPPB, BBS, and TUG, suggesting that FRA is a promising candidate as a screening tool to predict falls among community-dwelling elderly people.

Why Geriatric Medicine Is Important for Korea: Lessons Learned in the United States

With the rapid increase in the number of Korean older adults, developing and integrating quality, expert older adult care in the Korean health care system will be essential and a tremendous benefit to these older adult patients, their families, and Korean society. While the awareness of geriatric medicine as a specialty for physicians caring exclusively for older adults has improved greatly in recent decades among Korean health care providers and older adult patients, there is still great opportunity to improve training opportunities for all medical students, primary care physicians, and specialty Geriatrics. Korea must also formally establish uniform geriatric medicine fellowships and certification. However, a number of barriers such as insufficient expertise, low incentives, and competitive geriatric societies exist to implement widespread, quality geriatric medicine in the Korean health care system.

Calf Circumference as a Simple Screening Marker for Diagnosing Sarcopenia in Older Korean Adults: the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore the optimal cut-off point of calf circumference (CC) as a simple proxy marker of appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and sarcopenia in the Korean elderly and to test the criterion-related validity of CC by analyzing its relationships with the physical function. METHODS: The participants were 657 adults aged 70 to 84 years who had completed both dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and physical function test in the first baseline year of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. RESULTS: ASM and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were correlated positively with CC (male, ASM, r = 0.55 and SMI, r = 0.54; female, ASM, r = 0.55 and SMI, r = 0.42; all P < 0.001). Testing the validity of CC as a proxy marker for low muscle mass, an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 for males and 0.72 for females were found and their optimal cut-off values of CC were 35 cm for males and 33 cm for females. In addition, CC-based low muscle groups were correlated with physical functions even after adjusting for age and body mass index. Also, the cut-off value of CC for sarcopenia was 32 cm (AUC; male, 0.82 and female, 0.72). CONCLUSION: The optimal cut-off values of CC for low MM are 35 cm for males and 33 cm for females. Lower CC based on these cut-off values is related with poor physical function. CC may be also a good indicator of sarcopenia in Korean elderly.

Modified Criteria for Diagnosing “Cognitive Frailty”

The concept of cognitive frailty has recently been proposed by an International Consensus Group as the presence of physical frailty and cognitive impairment [defined using the Clinical Dementia Ratings (CDR)=0.5], without concurrent dementia. However, CDR is difficult to implement and not often available in epidemiologic studies or busy clinical settings, and an alternative to CDR is required. We suggest an alternative definition of cognitive frailty as: 1) physical frailty, 2) more than 1.5 standard deviation below the mean for age-, gender-, and education-adjusted norms on any cognitive function test (e.g., the Montreal Cognitive assessment test, the Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale, verbal learning test, Digit Span, Boston Naming Test, Trail Making Test, and Frontal Assessment Battery), and 3) no dependency in instrumental activities of daily living. The redefined criteria for cognitive frailty would be more feasible to implement and thus more applicable in epidemiologic studies and busy clinical settings.

Rapidly Fatal Emphysematous Osteomyelitis with Multiple Septic Emboli and Liver Abscess Caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae / 감염과화학요법

Emphysematous osteomyelitis, characterized by intraosseous gas, is a rare but potentially fatal condition that requires prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapy. Causative organisms are members of the bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae or anaerobes in most cases and significant comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and malignancy, may predispose an individual to the development of emphysematous osteomyelitis. We report a case of extensive emphysematous osteomyelitis via hematogenous spread from Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess, complicated by gas-containing abscesses in adjacent soft tissues and epidural space, and multiple systemic septic emboli in a diabetic patient.