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A detailed investigation of walking spaces is essential for ensuring the safety of mobility-impaired pedestrians because the conditions of walking spaces affect the daily lives. Seoul Metropolitan Government is exploring barrier-free policies and the Seoul universal design guidelines define the structure of pedestrian spaces. However, these guidelines apply to only a few representative pedestrian-friendly areas or public institutions, causing mobility-impaired people to experience restrictions in other areas. This study propose possibility to investigate condition of pedestrian space using smartphones and strollers with a crowdsourcing model. A smartphone was attached to the cup holder of a stroller to acquire data during its drive through a residential complex. While the stroller was driving, acceleration, rotation, location, and photo data were obtained using a free app installed on a smartphone. As a result of experiment, the acquired data showed different variations in linear acceleration depending on the roughness of the surface. When there was a slope, there was a change in the vertical angular. Therefore, possibility was determined to investigate the flatness of the walking space using a smart device and a four-wheeled vehicle. Additionally, a crowdsourcing model was proposed to survey the entire city in a short period of time. This model includes providing highly feasible rewards to increase citizen participation in surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide basic data for establishing strategies to maintain the core functions of health centers, and enable an effective response to emergency tasks in the event of future infectious disease disasters. Methods: The participants were 41 workers from two public health centers in Seoul. They all had prior experience in responding to the early and middle stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through Focus Group Discussions, and then analyzed using the deductive method of content analysis. Results: The participants' experiences during the infectious disease disaster crisis were examined through ten categories: governance and coordination, information management, human resources, essential medical supplies and equipment, infrastructure, administration, finance and logistics, community engagement and risk communication, delivery of essential services, security, and additional considerations for vulnerable populations. The analysis of the results made it apparent that new systems and policies were imperative for responding appropriately to the concerns and experiences of the public healthcare center staff, and for improving the response to future epidemics. Conclusion: We found that to prepare for infectious disaster situations in the future, it is necessary for health centers to establish a mid- to long-term business continuity plan to ensure the continuation and stability of their operations. Additionally, it was found that health professionals in public health centers also believe in the necessity of education and training programs on disaster preparedness, based on Business Continuity Planning proposed by the World Health Organization. They deem these essential to sustain routine tasks for the management of the health of local community residents during outbreaks of novel infectious diseases in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) is a reliable tool to assess synkinesis symptoms; however, it is yet to be validated in Korea. Thus, this study aimed to translate and validate the Korean SAQ. Methods: This validation study was set in a clinic in Seoul, Korea, that provides general integrative medicine services. A total of 100 participants with facial palsy were enrolled. Participants completed the SAQ, House–Brackmann grade (HB grade), Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SB), and Facial Disability Index (FDI). The forward–backward translation method was followed. Of the 100 participants, 31 underwent a second assessment for test–retest reliability. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The construct validity of the Korean version of the SAQ was tested using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: The internal consistency score for the SAQ was 0.789, and the test–retest reliability score was 0.787. According to Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, the SAQ correlations to the synkinesis subdomain of SB score, total SB score, HB grade, and physical function domain in the FDI score were 0.366 (p <.001), −0.386 (p <.001), 0.315 (p =.001), and −0.269 (p =.007), respectively. All values were statistically significant. Conclusions: The Korean SAQ is a valid and reliable tool used to evaluate synkinesis in patients with facial palsy. Level of Evidence: Level 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on dietary iodine intake and the risk of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) have demonstrated inconsistent results. We aimed to evaluate the association between urinary iodine concentration (UIC), a surrogate biomarker for dietary iodine intake, and the risk of thyroid cancer stratified by sex and age in an iodine-sufficient area. A hospital-based case–control study was conducted in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 492 cases of newly diagnosed PTC and 595 controls were included. Compared with the lowest quartile of creatine-adjusted UIC (< 159.3 μg/gCr), the highest quartile (≥ 1037.3 μg/gCr) showed an increased risk of PTC (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–2.13), especially in those who were < 45 years old (ptrend = 0.01) compared with those who were ≥ 45 years old (ptrend = 0.48). For those who were < 45 years old, a positive association between creatinine-adjusted UIC and the risk of PTC was observed in both men (q4 vs. q1, OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.14–18.08) and women (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.04–3.78). For those who were ≥ 45 years old, no association was found in any sex. Creatinine-adjusted UIC was positively associated with the risk of PTC, especially in those who were younger than 45 years for both men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets of vancomycin therapy have been recognized for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections but not for other gram-positive bacterial infections. Therefore, we investigated whether vancomycin concentration targets such as the trough level and ratio of the area under the curve to minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) are associated with the treatment outcome in enterococcal bacteremia.Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis enrolled patients with bacteremia caused by vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis who were treated with vancomycin from January 2007 to December 2017 at a tertiary hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. Patients without vancomycin concentrations were excluded from the study. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality.Results: A total of 37 patients were enrolled-26 with E. faecium infection and 11 with E. faecalis infection. The 28-day all-cause mortality rate was 21.6 %. In univariate analysis, vancomycin trough level (≤ 15 µg/mL; p = 0.042), age (p = 0.044), and septic shock (p = 0.049) were associated with 28-day mortality but not AUC24/MIC (> 389; p = 0.479). In multivariate analysis, vancomycin trough concentration (≤ 15 µg/mL; p = 0.041) and younger age (p = 0.031) were associated with 28-day mortality in patients with enterococcal bacteremia.Conclusions: In this study, a vancomycin trough level of 15 µg/mL or lower was associated with 28-day mortality in enterococcal bacteremia. However, relatively large prospective studies are needed to examine the efficacy of vancomycin PK/PD parameters in patients with enterococcal bacteremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain abscess can be life-threatening and manifest various neurological findings, although the mortality rate has decreased recently. We investigated the risk factors for unfavorable outcomes of patients with brain abscess. Methods: A retrospective cohort study examined patients with brain abscess seen from May 2005 to December 2018 in a tertiary care hospital in Seoul, South Korea. We reviewed the medical records for clinical findings, therapeutic modalities, and prognostic factors of brain abscess. Unfavorable clinical outcomes were defined as death, moderate to severe disability with neurological deficits, or vegetative state at 1 year or at the time of discharge from outpatient follow-up. Results: The study enrolled 135 patients: 65.2% were males; the mean age was 56 years. 35.6% had unfavorable outcomes. In multivariate analysis, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) (p < 0.001), pre-existing hemiplegia (p = 0.049), and higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (p = 0.028) were independently associated with unfavorable outcomes. Conclusions: Higher SOFA, pre-existing hemiplegia and higher Charlson comorbidity index were significant risk factors for unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with brain abscess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate how mental imagery evoked from sensory in-store experience influences consumer anticipatory emotion, perceived ownership and decision satisfaction which eventually impact positive consumer responses such as behavioural intent. In this study, gender difference is proposed as a moderator to completely understand the role of mental imagery in the in-store decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach: Using a market research agency in South Korea, an online survey was employed to collect data. A total of 455 useable respondents (men = 224 and women = 231) largely living in the two most populous provinces in South Korea (i.e. Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces) completed the survey. A number of path analyses were conducted to test hypotheses. Findings: The results of the study showed that mental imagery evoked from sensory product experience played a critical part in facilitating the consumer decision-making process by influencing anticipatory emotion and perceived ownership. The relationship among anticipatory emotion, perceived ownership, decision satisfaction and behavioural intent was significant except for the relationship between perceived ownership and behavioural intent. This study further indicated that the way mental imagery influences the in-store decision-making process differs between men and women. Originality/value: The effect of mental imagery in a physical retail context is largely ignored. This study addressed the crucial role of mental imagery in a physical apparel retail setting and examined its impact on consumer decision-making processes. By exploring how to enhance consumers' in-store sensory shopping experiences through mental imagery to influence their positive shopping outcomes, this study offers vital insights into how retailers operating physical stores can successfully utilize their stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a highly contagious coronavirus that has triggered worldwide control actions such as social distancing and lockdowns. COVID-19 control actions have resulted in improved air quality locally and around the world in the short-term by limiting human activity. We analyzed the impacts of social distancing and transboundary pollutants on air quality changes using open data and examined the corresponding health benefits focusing on two domestic cities (Seoul and Daegu) in Korea where the spread of coronavirus was severe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations decreased significantly by 31%, 61%, and 33%, respectively, compared to the previous three years. In particular, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio fell 24.5% after the implementation of social distancing, suggesting a decrease in anthropogenic emissions. Moreover, we found that the air quality index (AQI) also improved significantly, with a focus on reducing exposure to sensitive groups. In Seoul and Daegu, improved air quality prevented 250 and 78 premature deaths, and health costs were USD 884 million and USD 278 million, respectively. On the other hand, health loss due to COVID-19 deaths was in sharp contrast to USD 7.1 million and USD 543.6 million. Our findings indicate a significant association between COVID-19 prevalence patterns and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major objectives of this study is to provide more realistic and accurate results related to transit passenger's route choice behavior by using population data of revealed preference from smartcard transaction records. The smartcard data of the Seoul city provides both boarding and alighting location and time, which can make possible to trace each passenger's actually used path trajectory with close to 100% market penetration of smartcard usage. This study built an abstract transit network with representative nodes by aggregating all near-by bus stops within walkable distance and with abstract paths by aggregating lines for a specific OD pair that run the same trajectory links by same transit modes. This complex and huge-scale transit network allowed to analyze the route choice behavior of transit passengers in a multimodal transit system that could not be found from the data of relatively small-size cities. This study selected OD pairs which had two or more alternative paths in order to analyze choice behavior requiring a plural alternative choice set. The number of the selected OD pairs are 124,393 pairs that are 33.9% of whole OD pairs that has two or more trip records. The calibration result showed that it is good statistically and logically to include the six explanatory variables in the utility function of the multinomial Logit model. Those are in-vehicle travel time, out-of-vehicle travel time, transfer penalty index, travel time reliability measure, and path circuity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the research question: 'What factors encourage neighbourhood associations to assume the roles of a service provider and a local government partner in urban governance?' For that purpose, a survey with the title 'Understanding the Roles of Neighbourhood Associations in Urban Governance' was conducted with 154 representatives of neighbourhood associations in Seoul. Social capital theory, government failure theory, and third-party government theory offered a starting point in formulating hypotheses on the relationships between neighbourhood interactions, community characteristics, and the roles played by neighbourhood associations. This study finds that the social capital created by neighbourhood interactions and community characteristics facilitates neighbourhood associations to play the roles in urban governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma ( ATC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Nevertheless, there have been reports that some patients experience long-term survival and those in whom ATCs of small size are often detected. We evaluated the time trend of characteristics of ATC such as size and association with coexistent differentiated thyroid carcinoma ( DTC). We also found the characteristics of patients showing long-term survival. Design and Patients This is a retrospective observational cohort study from the two major tertiary referral hospitals in Seoul, Korea. Ninety-five patients who had been diagnosed with ATC from 1995 to 2010 were included. We classified them into three groups according to the time of initial diagnosis: group 1 (1995-1999), group 2 (2000-2004) and group 3 (2005-2010). Results The mean tumour size decreased significantly according to groups; 6·2, 5·5 and 4·0 cm in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively ( P = 0·02). The frequency of cases with coexistent DTC increased; 10·3%, 35·1% and 48·3% in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively ( P = 0·02). Fifteen of 95 patients survived more than 24 months, and among them, 13 are still alive who underwent curative surgery. Among 15 long-term survivors, nine patients with ATC arising from DTC had ATC tumour portion less than 1 cm. Another five patients with ATC without coexistent DTC had relatively small-sized tumours (1·0-4·0 cm). Conclusion The tumour size of ATC decreased, and cases with coexistent DTC increased over the last two decades. We found that patients with ATC showing long-term survival are those who had atypical presentations such as anaplastic transformation in early stage of DTC or small size of tumours without coexistent DTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case of a three-year-old female Maltese dog presented to Samjeon Animal Hospital in Seoul, Korea. It states that the dog has completed all vaccination and deworming program, and had been kept exclusively indoors. The dog is being diagnosed with a primary central nervous system B-cell lymphoma, which constitute about 4% of all intracranial primary neoplasms.

Abstract: Few studies have attempted to quantify the integrated health burden, incorporating both mortality and morbidity as these factors pertain to air pollutants, on the population in the vicinity of the incinerators. The aims of this study are to estimate the attributable burden of disease caused by incinerators in Seoul, Korea and to present an approach based on source-specific exposure for the estimation of the environmental burden of disease (EBD). With particular attention on the development of a measurement means of the source-specific, exposure-based population attributable fraction (PAF), we integrated air dispersion modeling, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the population distribution of exposure, and the exposure-response relationship. We then estimated the PAFs caused by additional concentrations of four air pollutants (PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO) emitted from four municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) in Seoul in 2007. We, finally, estimated the attributable burden of disease, using the estimated PAF and the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) method developed by the Global Burden of Disease Group of the World Health Organization (WHO). The PAF for NO2 to all-cause mortality was assessed at approximately 0.02% (95% CI: 0.003–0.036%), which was the highest among all air pollutants. The PAFs for respiratory and cardiovascular disease were 0.12% (95% CI: 0.01–0.16%) and 0.10% (95% CI: 0.04–0.16%), respectively. The sum of the attributable burden of disease for four pollutants was about 297 person-years (PYs) (95% CI: 121–472 PYs) when the incinerators observed to the emission standards. The attributable burdens of respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease were about 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively, of the total burden of respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease of Seoul citizens for the year 2007. Although the air emissions from one risk factor, an incinerator, are small, the burden of disease can be significant to the public health when population exposure is considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between lens density measured using the Pentacam Scheimpflug system and phacodynamics (phacoemulsification time, phacoemulsification energy, and balanced salt solution [BSS] use) in patients with age-related nuclear cataract. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kangnam St. Mary''s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. Methods: This prospective observer-masked study was of eyes with age-related nuclear cataract. Objective lens density (0 to 100 points) was determined using the Scheimpflug system. Subjective grading was by the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III). The correlations between lens density values and phacoemulsification time, phacoemulsification energy, and BSS use were analyzed prospectively. Results: Fifty-three patients (60 eyes) were evaluated. The mean Scheimpflug-measured lens nuclear density was 14.71 ± 6.12 (SD). There was a positive linear correlation between the Scheimpflug-measured lens nuclear density and the LOCS III grading scores for nuclear opalescence (NO) and nuclear color (NC) (r = 0.734 and 0.719, respectively; both P<.05). The Scheimpflug-measured lens nuclear density correlated with torsional amplitude, time, and cumulated dissipated energy (CDE) (P<.05), but not with BSS use (P = .195). The CDE was more strongly correlated with Scheimpflug-measured lens nuclear density (r = 0.797) than with LOCS III NO or NC scores (r = 0.614 and r = 0.637, respectively). Conclusions: Scheimpflug-measured lens nuclear density correlated with phacoemulsification time and energy. The Scheimpflug system enabled quantitative cataract grading and may help predict phacodynamics in cataract surgery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Post-stroke depression has negative impacts on rehabilitation. The physical deficits following stroke have been well studied, but there is little information on sexual behavior, mastery, and depression in stroke patients. Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of sexual frequency and the sense of control on depression in Korean men after stroke. Method: The sample for this study was a convenience sample of 67 Korean men after stroke visiting the convalescent center for disabled people in Seoul, Korea. Participants completed a Sexual Frequency scale, the mastery scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) test. Results: Seventy-eight percent of the subjects were depressed. Sense of control and sexual frequency contributed to depression. Scores on sense of control and sexual frequency accounted for 39.5% of the variance in the depression score. Conclusions: Results indicate that an intervention for depression management after stroke should take into account sexual relationships with their partners and a sense of control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyse Korean health professionals’ attitudes and knowledge of organ donation and transplantation. An exploratory study using semi-structured interviews with nine key informants from three major hospitals which provide transplant services in Seoul was conducted. Overall, there was a lack of knowledge by Korean health professionals surrounding brain death and the organ procurement process. It was also found that the participants’ attitudes were mixed and somewhat negative, as they did not regard brain death as true death. In addition, a majority demonstrated a contradiction when it became a more personal issue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A commercial aircraft, departing from Seoul to Jeju Island in South Korea, encountered a convectively induced turbulence (CIT) at about z = 2.2 km near Seoul on 28 October 2018. At this time, the observed radar reflectivity showed that the convective band with cloud tops of z = 6–7 km passed the CIT region with high values of spectral width (SW; larger than 4 m s–1). Using the 1 Hz wind data recorded by the aircraft, we estimated an objective intensity of the CIT as a cube root of eddy dissipation rate (EDR) based on the inertial range technique, which was about 0.33–0.37 m2/3 s−1. Radar-based EDR was also derived by lognormal mapping technique (LMT), showing that the EDR was about 0.3–0.35 m2/3 s−1 near the CIT location, which is consistent with in situ EDR. In addition, a feasibility of the CIT forecast was tested using the weather and research forecast (WRF) model with a 3 km horizontal grid spacing. The model accurately reproduced the convective band passing the CIT event with an hour delay, which allows the use of two methods to calculate EDR: The first is using both the sub-grid and resolved turbulent kinetic energy to infer the EDR; the second is using the LMT for converting absolute vertical velocity (and its combination with the Richardson number) to EDR-scale. As a result, we found that the model-based EDRs were about 0.3–0.4 m2/3 s−1 near the CIT event, which is consistent with the estimated EDRs from both aircraft and radar observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light pollution in urban locations is a complex, serious problem, but researchers have paid more attention to light pollution on natural, non-urban environments. Understanding the sources of artificial light radiance intensity is the first step in minimizing damage from light pollution in urban areas. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively examine the relationship between light pollution and urban built environments. We developed databases for a series of urban–built environment data with composite Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite day-night band (VIIRS-DNB) data from the Earth Observation Group of the United States National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's National Geophysical Data Center to apply regression models (production functions) with grid cells at a spatial resolution of 15 arc seconds. Based on the results, we identified urban-development and land-use characteristics and built-environment factors that caused high levels of light emissions in a city. First, high levels of light emissions are associated with urban spatial-development patterns, such as roads, office buildings, commercial facilities, higher proportions of "station influence areas," and urban-development intensity. Second, more seriously, the infiltration of commercial facilities into urban residential areas makes them brighter and increases the risk of exposure to light pollution. Therefore, the development of commercial areas and commercial facilities that emit light should be properly managed, especially for areas mixed with residential land use. Third, our quantitative model with intra-city-level analyses can estimate a high level of the baseline light-emission propensity in Seoul, which indicates that a city's light-emission intensity can be highly associated with its sociocultural and institutional characteristics for lighting and light uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Elizabethkingia spp. is a non-fermenting, non-motile, oxidase-positive gram-negative aerobic bacilli that is ubiquitous in the environment, found in freshwater, saltwater and soil. Nowadays, they are emerging as nosocomial pathogens. In this study, we analyzed Elizabethkingia spp infected cases clinically and microbiologically. Methods This study was performed to evaluate the risk factors for mortality and to study the impact of microbiologic response on clinical outcomes in patient with Elizabethkingia spp Data on 210 patient of Elizabethkingia pneumonia and bacteremia that have occurred between November 1, 2005, and May 31, 2016, in a teaching hospital (2000 beds) in Seoul, Korea, were analyzed. Furthermore, antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Elizabethkingia from sputum and blood cultures was performed by E test for rifampin, moxifloxacin and vancomycin. Results Among 210 patients, there were 157(74.8%) survivor and 53(25.2%) non-survivor. Among these patients, 129 patients (61.4%) were male and the median age was 66.5 years. There were no significant differences in the Charlson comorbidity index between survivor and non-survivor groups (P = 0.413). In the multivariate logistic regression, microbiologic failure (odds ratio [OR], 7.862; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.448–17.931; p Elizabethkingia infection (OR, 1.032; 95% CI, 1.013–1.051; P = 0.001), previous use of immunosuppressants (OR, 3.309; 95% CI, 1.334–8.210; P = 0.010), and Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system use at the time of Elizabethkingia infection (OR, 7.439; 95% CI,1.180–46.900; P = 0.033) were significantly associated with 28day mortality. Patients with moxifloxacin-resistant and vancomycin-resistant showed higher mortality rate but no statistically significant difference. Conclusion The early identification of these clinical factors in patients with Elizabethkingia infection is important to improve prognosis Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Brain abscess is a fatal neurological infection, despite reduction of mortality rate on account of medical improvement. Therefore, we investigated to identify risk factors for poor clinical outcomes of patients with brain abscess and subdural empyema in Korea. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted among patients treated for brain abscess or subdural empyema over a period of 11 years between May 2005 and July 2016 in a tertiary hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Based on medical records, we reviewed the clinical findings, therapeutic modalities and prognostic factors of brain abscess or subdural empyema. A multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the independent risk factors of poor clinical outcomes. Unfavorable clinical outcomes were defined as death or neurologic deficit. Results In total, 121 patients were enrolled in this study. 79 (65.2%) were males and the mean age was 55.3 years. The common symptoms at presentation included a focal neurological deficit (52.8%), a reduced Glasgow coma scale (47%), headache (49.5%) and fever (22.3%). Gram-positive cocci were most frequently isolated as the causative microorganism. The most common location of brain abscess was the frontal lobe (32.5%), followed by parietal (18.7%) and temporal lobe (11.38%) and a subdural empyema (8.26%). 28-day mortality was 2.47% (3/121), and 43.8% (53/121) had long-term disability. In multivariate analysis, reduced GCS, headache at presentation and high blood urea nitrogen were independently associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Conclusion In this study, reduced GCS, headache at presentation and high blood urea nitrogen were significant risk factors for unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with brain abscess and subdural empyema. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori have decreased in Korea although the prevalence of this bacterium has also decreased. Antibiotic resistance is likely to be a crucial factor in H. pylori eradication success, and we therefore mapped these resistance patterns nationwide in Korea. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and ninety adult subjects were prospectively enrolled from 2017 to 2018 from 15 centers across six geographic areas of Korea. A total of 580 biopsy tissues had been sampled from these patients during an upper endoscopy and were frozen at −80°C and delivered to a central laboratory. The agar dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin for each H. pylori isolate. Results: The culture success rate was 60.2% (349/580). Resistance rates against clarithromycin, metronidazole, amoxicillin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 17.8%, 29.5%, 9.5%, 0%, 37.0%, and 37.0%, respectively. The geographic distribution of metronidazole and quinolone resistance was highly variable. Some subjects had multiple H. pylori strains in the antrum and body of the stomach and showed a heterogeneous resistance profile between these anatomic areas. The H. pylori multidrug resistance (MDR) rate was 25.2% (88/349) among amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and quinolone and 11.2% (39/349) among four of these major antibiotics except for quinolone. The Seoul and Chungcheong areas showed a relatively lower MDR rate. Conclusion: The antibiotic resistance of H. pylori differs by drug and geographic area in Korea. Detailed nationwide antibiotic resistance mapping is needed to develop an effective H. pylori eradication strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]