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In this issue, 1 brief communication and 3 original articles have been published.
1. Polypharmacy and Elevated Risk of Severe Adverse Events in Older Adults Based on the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management-Korea Adverse Event Reporting System Database.
Lee KH, et al.
This study found that polypharmacy, or the use of 5 or more active drug ingredients, is significantly associated with severe adverse drug events (ADEs) in older adults, particularly affecting the cardiac and renal systems. Acute cardiac arrest and renal failure were notably more associated with polypharmacy in older adults compared to younger ones. The findings suggest that adding new drugs to older adults’ regimens requires careful monitoring of renal and cardiac symptoms.
2. Genotype Analysis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Using Whole-Genome Sequencing: A Prospective, Single-Center Study in Korea From 2019 to 2022.
Kang JM, et al.
This study analyzed the RSV genome in Korea before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. No significant molecular changes or resistance to nirsevimab or palivizumab were found. However, all RSV-B samples had L172Q and S173L substitutions, known to confer resistance to suptavumab. Despite changes in RSV seasonality due to the pandemic, the genotypes of the strains remained consistent.
3. Incidence of Tuberculosis Among Immigrants in Korea Who Participated in a Latent Tuberculosis Infection Screening Program.
Kim HW, et al.
This study assessed TB incidence among immigrants in South Korea. It found that young immigrants with positive IGRA results from high or intermediate TB burden countries showed a relatively high TB risk compared to the general population. Unexpectedly, a high TB risk was also observed among elderly immigrants with positive IGRA results. The findings suggest that future LTBI screenings should primarily focus on the younger age group, and further research is needed on the high TB risk observed in elderly immigrants.
4. Immunity Against Measles in Korean Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.
Kim HS, et al.
Authors found that measles seropositivity was significantly lower in autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) recipients (83.1%) compared to age- and sex-matched healthcare workers (90.3%). This was observed 1–2 years post-transplant, despite the country’s high overall measles seroprevalence of 92.0%. The study highlights the decrease in measles antibody titers over time in ASCT recipients, underscoring the need for further research in high seroprevalence countries.
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