• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.123-130
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• 2023

Purpose: "Hallux valgus" is a common disease encountered in clinical practice and is accompanied by foot deformities. Conservative treatment is commonly used in the early stages of hallux valgus. On the other hand, surgical treatment often becomes necessary as the deformity progresses. Surgical treatments involve various osteotomy methods or joint fusion procedures combined with soft tissue release, and outcomes from these surgical treatments are generally favorable. This study compared two soft tissue release techniques in the hallux region. Materials and Methods: This study conducted a retrospective cohort study on 48 participants who underwent surgical treatment for hallux valgus at a single institution from March 1, 2018, to March 31, 2023. A scarf osteotomy was performed in all cases, and the "Modified Mcbride procedure" or "Trans-articular approach" was done for soft tissue release. Hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), and the degree of subluxation of the lateral sesamoid were measured through simple foot radiographs taken before surgery and one year after surgery. Results: In the Modified Mcbride procedure group, HVA, IMA, and the sesamoid position grade decreased from 34.94° to 9.98°, 15.64° to 5.44°, and 2.47 to 0.44, respectively. In the trans-articular approach group, HVA, IMA, and the sesamoid position grade decreased from 33.42° to 7.34°, 15.06° to 6.03°, and 2.17 to 0.58, respectively. There was no significant difference in these changes between the preoperative and one-year postoperative measurements for both techniques (p-value>0.05). Conclusion: A radiological assessment of soft tissue release through the Modified Mcbride procedure and trans-articular approach in hallux valgus did not show significant differences. Therefore, both surgical techniques can be considered in the distal soft tissue release for a hallux valgus correction.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.165-168
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• 2024

Quality improvement activities are especially important in middle to small-sized hospitals as well as in large hospitals. Hospital accreditation would play a crucial role in the re-establishment of the healthcare delivery system, which is now nearly collapsed in Korea. To achieve all these goals, it is also important to educate prospective medical personnel at college on the concepts of quality improvement and patient safety.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2023

Objective : This study aimed to find out whether the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales are useful in distinguishing social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and major depressive disorder. Methods : The study sample included 118 patients: 33 with social anxiety disorder, 53 with major depressive disorder, and 32 with panic disorder. Participants were classified according to the diagnosis indicated on their medical records. MMPI-2-RF scores were derived from MMPI-2 protocols. Results : The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that the elevated scales were consistent with the diagnostic and clinical characteristics of each diafnostic group. Logistic regression analyses identified several scales that were useful in differentiating the diagnostic groups. The higher Cognitive Complaints (COG) scale significantly differentiated major depressive disorder from the other groups. The higher Self-Doubt (SFD) scale and Somatic Complaints (RC1) scale were useful in differentiating social anxiety disorder and panic disorder respectively. The lower Cynicism (RC3) scale was also useful in differentiating social anxiety disorder. Other scales that were useful in distinguishing between pairs of groups were also identified. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that the MMPI-2-RF scales can be useful for discriminating anxiety disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.739-745
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• 2020

A major concern associated with carotid artery angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is a periprocedural distal cerebral embolization. To prevent distal embolization, embolic protection devices (EPDs) have been developed. However, the risk of cerebral embolism after protected CAS in patents with a vulnerable plaque is controversial and either a silent or a symptomatic stroke can occur despite the use of EPDs. Here, we report a case of a massive cerebral microemboli after a protected CAS using a distal filter EPD for a vulnerable plaque with a lipid rich necrotic core and intraplaque hemorrhage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the correlation between Lee's grades and surgical intervention for central lumbar spinal stenosis (CLSS) and to assess whether this grading system can be used as a decision-making tool for the surgical treatment of this condition. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 290 patients (M:F = 156:134; mean age, 46 ± 16 years). Radiologists assessed the presence and grade of CLSS at the stenosis point according to Lee's grading system, in which CLSS is classified into four grades according to the shape of the cauda equina. Correlation coefficients (r_s) between Lee's grades and the operation were calculated with Spearman rank correlation. Results Among the operated patients, grade 2 was the most commonly assigned grade (50%-58%), grade 3 was less common (35%), and grade 0 was the least common (2%-3%). Among the non-operated patients, grade 1 was the most common (63%-65%), grade 0 was less common (15%-16%), and grade 3 was the least common (8%). The distribution of grades differed between the operated and non-operated groups (p < 0.001). Less than 25% of patients who underwent surgery were assigned grades 0 and 1, and more than 88% were assigned grades 2 and 3. A moderate correlation was found between the grade and surgical intervention (r_s = 0.632 and r_s = 0.583). Conclusion Lee's grade was moderately correlated with surgical intervention. Lee's grading system can be a decision-making tool for the surgical treatment of CLSS.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2019

This study aims to identify and understand nurses' experience on patient safety accidents in general hospital. The qualitative research method was used to analyze the daily life of seven nurses who had experienced nursing safety accidents directly or indirectly in general hospitals. The nurses' experiences were divided into 7 categories and 24 subordinate properties and 7 categories were "unexpected experience", "missing caused by negligence", "facing the anxiety", "difficult of loneliness", "resignation from the hospital", "entering into conflict" and "being practiced a nurse". The results of this study will contribute to the establishment of policies for safety accidents in hospitals and also it will help to make a practical improvement plan to prevent the patient safety accident at the clinical site.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.61-71
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• 2019

Purposes: The purpose of this study is to analyze nurses' perception on the clinical career ladder system which was introduced to enhance the nursing capabilities in general hospital. Methods: Research data has been collected for approximately 30 days since March 28, 2017 from 171 nurses who had been involved in the clinical career ladder system, 177 nurses who had not participated, and a total of 348. Finding: The study results showed that nurses' perception on the cost effectiveness of clinical career ladder system is significantly different depending on the sex, age, program experience, personal stage in the clinical career ladder system and the individual's health condition. In addition, the nurses' willingness to pay for the clinical career ladder system was significantly associated with their department and the needs for the system. With adjusted age, gender, position, education and marital status, nursing competency was 8.71(95% Confidence Interval; 4.79 to 12.63) in the presence of system experience, but the perception on clinical career ladder system was 4.34(95% Confidence Interval; -6.84 to -1.84). Practical Implications: Based on the study results, we expect that more hospitals introduce the clinical career ladder system and also use these study results as basic data for securing excellent nurses.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.15-25
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• 2022

Purposes: This study aimed to identify the relationships among personal and organizational communication skills, occupational stress, and patient safety activity levels of two nursing workforce groups (nurses and nursing assistants) who provide integrated nursing care services. Methodology: The study design is a cross-sectional study. Seventy-one nurses and forty-three nursing assistants working in the integrated nursing care service wards participated in this study. The data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire from June to July 2021. The relationships among the variables were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings: Nurses' personal communication skills (r=.294, p=.013), organizational communication skills (r=.408, p<.001), and occupational stress (r=.243, p=.041) were associated with their patient safety activities. However, nursing assistants' personal communication skills, organizational communication, and occupational stress were not correlated with their patient safety activities. Practical Implication: Patient safety activities of nurses were related to their communication skills and occupational stress, but nurse assistants were not. Therefore, nurses should encourage nursing assistants to responsibly engage in patient safety activities and supervise their works appropriately to achieve high-quality care.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.366-373
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• 2020

The task of defining the concept of 'disability' has proven to be surprisingly difficult. The way disability is assessed in the world suggests that very different conceptions of disability are being presumed. It is very hard to suggest appropriate criteria for assessing a disability that accurately demonstrates the presence and measures the severity of the disability, with proven consistency and validity provided by the assessors consuming the time and cost that the society can afford. When a rigorous framework in disability assessment procedures is used, discretion is then considerably restricted. Limited discretion tends to produce more consistency and validity in the assessment but at the cost of ignoring the individual differences or exceptional circumstances. The disability approach among the categories of the disability assessment is both the oldest and the most commonly used strategy of disability assessment around the world. Most of the criteria of disability assessment in Korea belongs to this. The McBride's criteria for disability evaluations can be used to obtain the ratio of body impairment and work disability without spending too much time and is being applied in court. Nevertheless, there are many errors and controversies, and corrections are required. On the other hand, an improvement plan for a disability evaluation method in Korea is to supplement and use the McBride's disability assessment method, which is currently the most widely used. This review article describes the conception of disability and the assessment of disability, and introduces the models of the assessment of disability to determine if the application of the McBride's criteria of disability evaluation can be justified.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.58-66
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• 2019

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic-loaded cement spacers (ALCSs) for the treatment of diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis as a salvage procedure and to analyze the risk factors of treatment failure. Materials and Methods: This study reviewed retrospectively 39 cases of diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis who underwent surgical treatment from 2009 to 2017. The mean age and follow-up period were $62{\pm}13years$ and $19.2{\pm}23.3months$, respectively. Wounds were graded using the Wagner and Strauss classification. X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (or bone scan) and deep tissue cultures were taken preoperatively to diagnose osteomyelitis. The ankle-brachial index, toe-brachial index (TBI), and current perception threshold were checked. Lower extremity angiography was performed and if necessary, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was conducted preoperatively. As a surgical treatment, meticulous debridement, bone curettage, and ALCS placement were employed in all cases. Between six and eight weeks after surgery, ALCS removal and autogenous iliac bone graft were performed. The treatment was considered successful if the wounds had healed completely within three months without signs of infection and no additional amputation within six months. Results: The treatment success rate was 82.1% (n=32); 12.8% (n=5) required additional amputation and 5.1% (n=2) showed delayed wound healing. Bacterial growth was confirmed in 82.1% (n=32) with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus being the most commonly identified strain (23.1%, n=9). The lesions were divided anatomically into four groups; the largest number was the toes: (1) toes (41.0%, n=16), (2) metatarsals (35.9%, n=14), (3) midfoot (5.1%, n=2), and (4) hindfoot (17.9%, n=7). A significant difference in the Strauss wound score and TBI was observed between the treatment success group and failure group. Conclusion: The insertion of ALCSs can be a useful treatment option in diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis. Low scores in the Strauss classification and low TBI are risk factors of treatment failure.