Byung Ju Kang

Study Design and Outcomes of Korean Obstructive Lung Disease (KOLD) Cohort Study

Background The Korean Obstructive Lung Disease (KOLD) Cohort Study is a prospective longitudinal study of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or other unclassified obstructive lung diseases. It was designed to develop new classification models and biomarkers that predict clinically relevant outcomes for patients with obstructive lung diseases. Methods Patients over 18 years old who have chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations or bronchial hyper-responsiveness were enrolled at 17 centers in South Korea. After a baseline visit, the subjects were followed up every 3 months for various assessments. Results From June 2005 to October 2013, a total of 477 subjects (433 [91%] males; 381 [80%] diagnosed with COPD) were enrolled. Analyses of the KOLD Cohort Study identified distinct phenotypes in patients with COPD, and predictors of therapeutic responses and exacerbations as well as the factors related to pulmonary hypertension in COPD. In addition, several genotypes were associated with radiological phenotypes and therapeutic responses among Korean COPD patients. Conclusion The KOLD Cohort Study is one of the leading long-term prospective longitudinal studies investigating heterogeneity of the COPD and is expected to provide new insights for pathogenesis and the long-term progression of COPD.

A combination of early warning score and lactate to predict intensive care unit transfer of inpatients with severe sepsis/septic shock

Background/Aims The modified early warning score (MEWS) is used to predict patient intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality. Lactate (LA) in the blood lactate (BLA) is measured to evaluate disease severity and treatment efficacy in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock. The usefulness of a combination of MEWS and BLA to predict ICU transfer in severe sepsis/septic shock patients is unclear. We evaluated whether use of a combination of MEWS and BLA enhances prediction of ICU transfer and mortality in hospitalized patients with severe sepsis/septic shock. Methods Patients with severe sepsis/septic shock who were screened or contacted by a medical emergency team between January 2012 and August 2012 were enrolled at a university-affiliated hospital with ~2,700 beds, including 28 medical ICU beds. Results One hundred patients were enrolled and the rate of ICU admittance was 38%. MEWS (7.37 vs. 4.85) and BLA concentration (5 mmol/L vs. 2.19 mmol/L) were significantly higher in patients transferred to ICU than those in patients treated in general wards. The combination of MEWS and BLA was more accurate than MEWS alone in terms of ICU transfer (C-statistics: 0.898 vs. 0.816, p = 0.019). The 28-day mortality rate was 19%. MEWS was the only factor significantly associated with 28-day mortality rate (odds ratio, 1.462; 95% confidence interval, 1.122 to 1.905; p = 0.005). Conclusions The combination of MEWS and BLA may enhance prediction of ICU transfer in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock.

Disseminated Mycobacterium intracellulare Infection in an Immunocompetent Host

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection can occur in immunocompromised patients, and rarely in immunocompetent subjects. Due to the extensive distribution of the disease, clinical presentation of disseminated MAC may mimic malignancies, and thorough examinations are required in order to make accurate diagnosis. We report a case of disseminated Mycobacterium intracellulare disease in an immunocompetent patient, which involved the lung, lymph nodes, spleen, and multiple bones. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography imaging showed multiple hypermetabolic lesions, which are suggestive of typical hematogenous metastasis. However, there was no evidence of malignancy in serial biopsies, and M. intracellulare was repeatedly cultured from respiratory specimens and bones. Herein, we should know that disseminated infection can occur in the immunocompetent subjects, and it can mimic malignancies.

Massive Hemoptysis Due to Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Following Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Pulmonary vein stenosis, which is one of the rare complications of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, has various symptoms. Here, we report a rare case of massive hemoptysis due to pulmonary vein stenosis following radiofrequency catheter ablation, which was successfully managed with pneumonectomy.

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosed by Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration

A 61-year-old woman came to the hospital with dyspnea and pleural effusion on chest radiography. She underwent repeated thoracentesis, transbronchial lung biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and thoracoscopic pleural biopsy with talc pleurodesis, but diagnosis of her was uncertain. Positron emission tomography showed multiple lymphadenopathies, so she underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of mediastinal lymph nodes. Here, we report a case of malignant pleural mesothelioma that was eventually diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. This is an unusual and first case in Korea.

Gynecomastia induced by H1-antihistamine (ebastine) in a patient with idiopathic anaphylaxis.

H1-antihistamine is generally a well-tolerated and safe drug. However, in resemblance with all other drugs, H1-antihistamines can also prompt adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We recently encountered the very unusual ADR of H1-antihistamine-induced gynecomastia. A 21-year-old man with idiopathic anaphylaxis was treated with ebastine (Ebastel), a second-generation H1-antihistamine, for the prevention of anaphylaxis. Three months later, the patient remained well without anaphylaxis, but had newly developed gynecomastia. Because anaphylaxis recurred after the cessation of H1-antihistamine, the preventive medication was changed to omalizumab. A few months later, his gynecomastia had entirely disappeared. Physicians should be aware of this exceptional ADR of H1-antihistamine.

Clinical Characteristics and Survival of Korean Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patients Based on Vasoreactivity

We aimed to identify a vasoreactive subset of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in Korea and to show their clinical characteristics and prognosis. Data on patients who were diagnosed with IPAH at Asan Medical Center between January 1994 and March 2013 were retrospectively collected. Acute vasodilator testing was performed with inhaled nitric oxide during diagnostic right heart catheterization. A positive acute response was defined as a reduction in mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) ≥10 mmHg to an absolute level of mean PAP <40 mmHg without a decrease in cardiac output. Among a total of 60 IPAH patients included for analysis, 9 (15%) showed a positive acute response to acute vasodilator testing. Acute responders showed significantly lower peak velocity of a tricuspid regurgitation jet on echocardiography (4.1±0.3 m/s vs. 4.6±0.6 m/s; P=0.01) and significantly lower mean PAP hemodynamically (47±10 mmHg vs. 63±17 mmHg; P=0.003) than non-responders at baseline. The survival rate of acute responders was 88% at 1, 3, 5, and 10 yr, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of non-responders (85%, 71%, 55%, and 40%, respectively; P=0.029). In conclusion, Korean IPAH patients with vasoreactivity showed better baseline hemodynamic features and survival than those without vasoreactivity. Graphical Abstract

Corrigendum: Elucidation of Bacterial Pneumonia-Causing Pathogens in Patients with Respiratory Viral Infection

This corrects the article on p. 358 in vol. 80, PMID: 28905531.

Prone positioning before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: A retrospective multicenter study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) subjected to prone positioning before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). DESIGN A retrospective analysis of a multicenter cohort was carried out. SETTING Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Units of 11 hospitals in Korea. PATIENTS Patients were divided into those who underwent prone positioning before ECMO (n=28) and those who did not (n=34). INTERVENTIONS None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST Thirty-day mortality, ECMO weaning failure rate, mechanical ventilation weaning success rate, mechanical ventilation-free days at day 60. RESULTS The prone group had lower median peak inspiratory pressure and lower median dynamic driving pressure before ECMO. Thirty-day mortality was 21% in the prone group and 41% in the non-prone group (p=0.098). The prone group also showed a lower ECMO weaning failure rate, and a higher mechanical ventilation weaning success rate and more mechanical ventilation-free days at day 60. In the non-prone group, median dynamic compliance marginally decreased shortly after ECMO, but no significant change was observed in the prone group. CONCLUSIONS Prone positioning before ECMO was not associated to increased mortality and tended to exert a protective effect.

Age is major factor for predicting survival in patients with acute respiratory failure on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a Korean multicenter study

Background The proportion of elderly patients in the intensive care unit population is increasing. Although the Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survival Prediction (RESP) score is widely used for survival prediction of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients, it is questionable whether the RESP score is applicable to older patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the RESP score in Korean cohort. Methods Data were retrospectively analyzed from 209 acute respiratory failure (ARF) patients treated with ECMO from 2014 to 2015 at 11 hospitals. A comparison of outcome prediction models was conducted and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for hospital mortality. Results In all patients, the median age was 58 (IQR, 45-65) years. Overall survival at hospital discharge was 45.9%, and veno-venous ECMO was used in 82.3% of patients. Patients older than 65 years treated with ECMO support were 51 with 31.4% of hospital survival. The PRedicting dEath for SEvere ARDS on VV-ECMO (PRESERVE) and RESP scores significantly predicted mortality in patients, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.54-0.72] and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.58-0.73), respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age is independent risk factor for hospital mortality [odds ratio 1.044 (95% CI, 1.020-1.068), P<0.001] with AUC of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.59-0.74). The RESP score was modified using reclassified age and the modified RESP score obtained AUC of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.63-0.78). Conclusions The RESP score is significant model for predicting outcomes in a Korean ECMO population. Elderly patients had higher mortality, and age alone showed similar discrimination ability for prediction of mortality compared to the RESP score.