Acute and Critical Care

Original Articles

Ethics
Comparison of factors influencing the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment in intensive care unit patients after implementation of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Act in Korea: Claire Junga Kim, Kyung Sook Hong, Sooyoung Cho, Jin Park; Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(2):294-303. Published online May 24, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2023.01130

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Background
The decision to discontinue intensive care unit (ICU) treatment during the end-oflife stage has recently become a significant concern in Korea, with an observed increase in life-sustaining treatment (LST) withdrawal. There is a growing demand for evidence-based support for patients, families, and clinicians in making LST decisions. This study aimed to identify factors influencing LST decisions in ICU inpatients and to analyze their impact on healthcare utilization.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed medical records of ICU patients with neurological disorders, infectious disorders, or cancer who were treated at a single university hospital between January 1, 2019 and July 7, 2021. Factors influencing the decision to withdraw LST were compared between those who withdrew LST and those who did not.
Results
Among 54,699 hospital admissions, LST was withdrawn in 550 cases (1%). Cancer was the most common diagnosis, followed by pneumonia and cerebral infarction. Among ICU inpatients, LST was withdrawn from 215 (withdrawal group). The withdrawal group was older (78 vs. 75 years, P=0.002), had longer total hospital stays (16 vs. 11 days, P<0.001), and higher ICU readmission rates than the control group. There were no significant differences in the healthcare costs of ICU stay between the two groups. Most LST decisions (86%) were made by family.
Conclusions
The decisions to withdraw LST of ICU inpatients were influenced by age, readmission, and disease category. ICU costs were similar between the withdrawal and control groups. Further research is needed to tailor LST decisions in the ICU.

Citations

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Awareness, attitudes, and educational needs regarding the life-sustaining treatment decision-making act in Korea among healthcare providers and medical students: a comparative analysis
Jooseon Lee, So-yun Kim, Duk-ki Kim, Green Hong, Song I Lee
BMC Medical Ethics.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Cardiac arrest after hanging: A scoping review
Thomas Fisher, Clodagh Beattie, Quentin Otto, Joanna Hooper, Jerry P. Nolan, Jasmeet Soar
Resuscitation.2025; 207: 110510. CrossRef
Determinants of Limiting Life-Sustaining Treatment in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter Study in Korean Intensive Care Units
I Re Heo, Tae Hoon Kim, Won Jai Jung, Gil Myeong Seong, Sun Jung Kwon, Jae Young Moon, Song-I Lee, Do Sik Moon, Tae-Ok Kim, Chul Park, Eun Young Choi, Jung-Wan Yoo, Sunghoon Park, Ae Rin Baek, Sung Yoon Lim, Jung Soo Kim, Jongmin Lee, Chi Ryang Chung, San
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases.2025; 88(3): 557. CrossRef
Public Perspectives on Palliative and Hospice Care: Social Media Content Analysis Using Topic Modeling and Multiclass Sentiment Analysis
Aeri Kim, Kyungmi Woo
Journal of Medical Internet Research.2025; 27: e70836. CrossRef
End-of-life care among Koreans in critical care and community-dwelling Korean Americans: A cross-cultural scoping review
Soo Hyun Kim, Changhwan Kim, Erh-Chi Hsu, Zackary Berger, Hae-Ra Han, Binu Koirala, Jung Kwak, Katherine A. Ornstein, Rebecca Wright
Palliative and Supportive Care.2025;[Epub] CrossRef

Infection
Validation of presepsin measurement for mortality prediction of sepsis: a preliminary study: Seung Min Baik, Jin Park, Tae Yoon Kim, Se Hong Choi, Kyung Sook Hong; Acute Crit Care. 2022;37(4):527-532. Published online August 19, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2022.00150

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Abstract PDF

Background
Sepsis and septic shock remain the leading causes of death in critically ill patients worldwide. Various biomarkers are available to determine the prognosis and therapeutic effects of sepsis. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of presepsin as a sepsis biomarker.
Methods
Patients admitted to the intensive care unit with major or minor diagnosis of sepsis were categorized into survival and non-survival groups. The white blood cell count and serum C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and presepsin levels were measured in all patients.
Results
The study included 40 patients (survival group, 32; non-survival group, 8; mortality rate, 20%). The maximum serum presepsin levels measured during intensive care unit admission were significantly higher in the non-survival group (median [interquartile range]: 4,205.5 pg/ml [1,155.8–10,094.0] vs. 741.5 pg/ml [520.0–1,317.5], P<0.05). No statistically significant intergroup differences were observed in the maximum, minimum, and mean values of the white blood cell count, as well as serum C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin levels. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the curve for presepsin as a predictor of sepsis mortality was 0.764. At a cut-off value of 1,898.5 pg/ml, the sensitivity and specificity of presepsin for prediction of sepsis-induced mortality were 75.0% and 87.5%, respectively.
Conclusions
Early diagnosis of sepsis and prediction of sepsis-induced mortality are important for prompt initiation of treatment. Presepsin may serve as an effective biomarker for prediction of sepsis-induced mortality and for evaluation of treatment effectiveness.

Citations

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Efficacy of anakinra in reducing progression to organ dysfunction in patients with pneumonia (INSPIRE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase IIa trial
Georgios Tavoulareas, Olga Kontakou-Zoniou, Nikolaos Antonakos, Elisavet Tasouli, George Adamis, Nikolaos Kakavoulis, Evangelos Michelakis, Ilias Skopelitis, Konstantina Dakou, Christos Psarrakis, Panagiotis Koufargyris, Myrto Astriti, Styliani Sympardi,
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe.2026; 62: 101573. CrossRef
Impact of nutrition‐related laboratory tests on mortality of patients who are critically ill using artificial intelligence: A focus on trace elements, vitamins, and cholesterol
Dong Jin Park, Seung Min Baik, Hanyoung Lee, Hoonsung Park, Jae‐Myeong Lee
Nutrition in Clinical Practice.2025; 40(3): 723. CrossRef
Predicting outcomes in patients with sepsis-associated encephalopathy using prefrontal functional connectivity analysis
Tae Jung Kim, Jae-Myoung Kim, Ji Sung Lee, Soo-Hyun Park, Jihyun Cha, Hyeon-Min Bae, Sang-Bae Ko
Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
The Prognostic Utility of Pathophysiologically Distinct Biomarkers for Renal Outcomes in Sepsis: A Prospective ICU Cohort Study
Mert Canbaz, Günseli Orhun, Özlem Polat, İlkay Anaklı, Abdurrahman Fatih Aydın, Serhat Kılınç, Perihan Ergin Özcan, Figen Esen
Journal of Clinical Medicine.2025; 14(15): 5370. CrossRef
Prognostic value of laboratory markers and clinical scores for mortality in intensive care unit patients with sepsis
So-yun Kim, Dukki Kim, Hyekyeong Ju, Song I. Lee, Ying Amanda Wang
PLOS One.2025; 20(12): e0337396. CrossRef
Development and external validation of an artificial intelligence model for predicting mortality and prolonged ICU stay in postoperative critically ill patients: a retrospective study
Dong Jin Park, Seung Min Baik, Kyung Sook Hong, Heejung Yi, Jae Gil Lee, Jae-Myeong Lee
World Journal of Emergency Surgery.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
The Potential Role of Presepsin in Predicting Severe Infection in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Eun Yeong Ha, Il Rae Park, Seung Min Chung, Young Nam Roh, Chul Hyun Park, Tae-Gon Kim, Woong Kim, Jun Sung Moon
Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 13(8): 2311. CrossRef
Combined estimation of presepsin and gelsolin might improve the diagnostic validity of clinical scoring to predict and stratify sepsis in non-sepsis surgical ICU patient
Hany A. Shehab, Ahmed M Eid, Yehya Shahin Dabour
Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia.2024; 40(1): 262. CrossRef

Ethics
Decision-making regarding withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and the role of intensivists in the intensive care unit: a single-center study: Seo In Lee, Kyung Sook Hong, Jin Park, Young-Joo Lee; Acute Crit Care. 2020;35(3):179-188. Published online August 10, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2020.00136

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Background
This study examined the experience of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in patients hospitalized in the intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary care center. It also considers the role that intensivists play in the decision-making process regarding the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 227 patients who decided to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment while hospitalized at Ewha Womans University Medical Center Mokdong between April 9 and December 31, 2018.
Results
The 227 hospitalized patients included in the analysis withheld or withdrew from life-sustaining treatment. The department in which life-sustaining treatment was withheld or withdrawn most frequently was hemato-oncology (26.4%). Among these patients, the most common diagnosis was gastrointestinal tract cancer (29.1%). A majority of patients (64.3%) chose not to receive any life-sustaining treatment. Of the 80 patients in the ICU, intensivists participated in the decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment in 34 cases. There were higher proportions of treatment withdrawal and ICU-to-ward transfers among the cases in whom intensivists participated in decision making compared to those cases in whom intensivists did not participate (50.0% vs. 4.3% and 52.9% vs. 19.6%, respectively).
Conclusions
Through their participation in end-of-life discussions, intensivists can help patients’ families to make decisions about withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and possibly avoiding futile treatments for these patients.

Citations

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Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit
Berit Lindahl, Susan Kirk
Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing.2025; 44(3): 127. CrossRef
Reframing Prehospital Termination of Resuscitation as Withdrawal of Life Support: Applying Lessons from the ICU in the Prehospital Setting
Darren Braude, Michael DeFilippo, Naomi George, Robert LaPrise, Kimberly Pruett
Prehospital Emergency Care.2025; : 1. CrossRef
Ethical Challenges and Stress for Health Care Professionals in Life Support Withdrawal
Ching-Mei Chang, Hsien-Feng Lin
Holistic Nursing Practice.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Characteristics and outcomes of patients with do-not-resuscitate and physician orders for life-sustaining treatment in a medical intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study
Song-I Lee, Ye-Rin Ju, Da Hyun Kang, Jeong Eun Lee
BMC Palliative Care.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Comparison of factors influencing the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment in intensive care unit patients after implementation of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Act in Korea
Claire Junga Kim, Kyung Sook Hong, Sooyoung Cho, Jin Park
Acute and Critical Care.2024; 39(2): 294. CrossRef
Critical care nurses' perceptions toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments: a phenomenology study
Ibrahim Ahmd Alabd, Sahar Yassien Mohammad, Dalia Ali Ameen
Jurnal Ners.2024; 19(3): 275. CrossRef
Changes in Pediatric End-of-Life Process After the Enforcement of the Act on Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions—The Experience of a Single Children’s Hospital
Da-Eun Roh, Jung-Eun Kwon, Young-Tae Lim, Yeo-Hyang Kim
Healthcare.2024; 12(21): 2156. CrossRef
Comparison of the end-of-life decisions of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia after the enforcement of the life-sustaining treatment decision act in Korea
Ae-Rin Baek, Sang-Bum Hong, Soohyun Bae, Hye Kyeong Park, Changhwan Kim, Hyun-Kyung Lee, Woo Hyun Cho, Jin Hyoung Kim, Youjin Chang, Heung Bum Lee, Hyun-Il Gil, Beomsu Shin, Kwang Ha Yoo, Jae Young Moon, Jee Youn Oh, Kyung Hoon Min, Kyeongman Jeon, Moon S
BMC Medical Ethics.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Dying in the ICU
Isabel Schulmeyer, Markus A. Weigand, Monika Heinzel-Gutenbrunner, Marco Gruss
Die Anaesthesiologie.2022; 71(12): 930. CrossRef
Changes in the incidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation before and after implementation of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Act
Hyunjae Im, Hyun Woo Choe, Seung-Young Oh, Ho Geol Ryu, Hannah Lee
Acute and Critical Care.2022; 37(2): 237. CrossRef
Factors Influencing the Initiative Behavior of Intensive Care Unit Nurses toward End-of-Life Decision Making: A Cross-Sectional Study
Jingying Huang, Haiou Qi, Yiting Zhu, Minyan Zhang
Journal of Palliative Medicine.2022; 25(12): 1802. CrossRef
Analysis of high-intensity care in intensive care units and its cost at the end of life among older people in South Korea between 2016 and 2019: a cross-sectional study of the health insurance review and assessment service national patient sample database
Yunji Lee, Minjeong Jo, Taehwa Kim, Kyoungsun Yun
BMJ Open.2021; 11(8): e049711. CrossRef

Letter to the Editor

Neurology
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome after Hypovolemic Shock Which Is Required Differential Diagnosis with Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit: Seo In Lee, Gyeong Seon Choi, Jin Park, Young-Joo Lee, Kyung Sook Hong; Acute Crit Care. 2018;33(4):282-285. Published online November 30, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2018.00262

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Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a child following hypovolemic shock: a case report
Yuvraj Adhikari, Satkirti Bista, Sammridhi Karmacharya, Binit Upadhaya Regmi, Anupama Marasini, Anisha Basukala, Shakar Bhandari, Krishna Ghimire, Ram Chandra Subedi
Annals of Medicine & Surgery.2023; 85(11): 5682. CrossRef
Clinical features and prognostic analysis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children
Ting Deng, Xinyu Zhang, Xiaoling Peng, Hailun Peng, Ling He, Yue Hu
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience.2022; 82(4): 349. CrossRef

Original Article

Neurosurgery
Acute Cholecystitis as a Cause of Fever in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Na Rae Yang, Kyung Sook Hong, Eui Kyo Seo; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2017;32(2):190-196. Published online May 31, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2016.00857

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Abstract PDF

Background
Fever is a very common complication that has been related to poor outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The incidence of acalculous cholecystitis is reportedly 0.5%–5% in critically ill patients, and cerebrovascular disease is a risk factor for acute cholecystitis (AC). However, abdominal evaluations are not typically performed for febrile patients who have recently undergone aSAH surgeries. In this study, we discuss our experiences with febrile aSAH patients who were eventually diagnosed with AC.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 192 consecutive patients who underwent aSAH from January 2009 to December 2012. We evaluated their characteristics, vital signs, laboratory findings, radiologic images, and pathological data from hospitalization. We defined fever as a body temperature of >38.3°C, according to the Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines. We categorized the causes of fever and compared them between patients with and without AC.
Results
Of the 192 enrolled patients, two had a history of cholecystectomy, and eight (4.2%) were eventually diagnosed with AC. Among them, six patients had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In their pathological findings, two patients showed findings consistent with coexistent chronic cholecystitis, and two showed necrotic changes to the gall bladder. Patients with AC tended to have higher white blood cell counts, aspartame aminotransferase levels, and C-reactive protein levels than patients with fevers from other causes. Predictors of AC in the aSAH group were diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 8.758; P = 0.033) and the initial consecutive fasting time (OR, 1.325; P = 0.024).
Conclusions
AC may cause fever in patients with aSAH. When patients with aSAH have a fever, diabetes mellitus and a long fasting time, AC should be suspected. A high degree of suspicion and a thorough abdominal examination of febrile aSAH patients allow for prompt diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Additionally, physicians should attempt to decrease the fasting time in aSAH patients.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Rare or Overlooked Cases of Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in Young Patients with Central Nervous System Lesion
Seong-Hun Kim, Min-Gyu Lim, Jun-Sang Han, Chang-Hwan Ahn, Tae-Du Jung
Healthcare.2023; 11(10): 1378. CrossRef
Acute cholecystitis as a rare and overlooked complication in stroke patients
Myung Chul Yoo, Seung Don Yoo, Jinmann Chon, Young Rok Han, Seung Ah Lee
Medicine.2019; 98(9): e14492. CrossRef
Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in Neurological Patients; Clinical Review, Risk Factors, and Possible Mechanism
See Won Um, Hak Cheol Ko, Seung Hwan Lee, Hee Sup Shin, Jun Seok Koh
Journal of Neurointensive Care.2019; 2(2): 77. CrossRef

Letter to the Editor

Pulmonary
Experiences Using Airway Pressure Release Ventilation for Pneumonia with Severe Hypercapnia or Postoperative Pulmonary Edema: Kyung Sook Hong, Young-Joo Lee; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2017;32(1):83-87. Published online February 28, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2016.00906

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