• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.1267-1276
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• 2008

The time taken for an ischemic heart disease patient to have a percutaneous coronary intervention because of acute myocardial infarction after arriving at the hospitals (door-to-balloon time) affects the patient's mortality significantly. To improve the emergency service system that has been previously used in the hospitals, this study focused on reducing door-data time and data-to-decision time among three time stages. The newly established e-emergency service system has set up the database of patients that had an emergency operation for acute myocardial infarction in the emergency service system of the hospital and has issued health cards for the patients that regularly visit the Busan National University Hospital. In addition, it has stored prior operation permits in the form of a certified electronic document. The new electronic system will reduce the complex treatment and operation procedures innovatively. Therefore, it is expected that this will make the life save (or the emergency patients easier and reduce the mortality. Moreover, it will also settle down the hospital staff's and patients' predicaments caused by the complex procedure of the legacy system.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2006

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. The incidence of these infections has recently begun to increase. The mortality rate associated with these infections is high (bacteremia; 52%, pneumonia: 23%~73%) and multidrug resistance has been reported. For the effective control of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(MDR-AB), the impact of these organisms in clinical practice should be determined. This study compared the clinical characteristics, mortality and morbidity of Acinetobacter nosocomial pneumonia between MDR strain and non-MDR strain. Methods: From Jan. 1, 2002 to Nov. 1. 2004, 47 adult patients with Acinetobacter nosocomial pneumonia in Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital were recruited and analyzed retrospectively. MDR-AB was defined as showing in vitro resistance to all commercially available antibiotics against A. baumannii. Results: There were 47 patients with Acinetobacter nosocomial pneumonia. MDR-AB and non MDR-AB was the cause of the pneumonia in 17 and 30 patients, respectively. Mean age of the former was $69{\pm}11$ years old and the latter was $70{\pm}13$ years old. The mean APCHE II score, ICU days and mortality were not different between the two groups ($16.1{\pm}5.4$ vs. $14.9{\pm}4.8$, P=0.43, $25.1{\pm}13.6$ vs. $39.1{\pm}31.0$, P=0.2, 58.8% vs. 40%, P=0.21). Conclusion: There are no significant differences in mortality and morbidity between MDR and non-MDR Acinetobacter baumannii. The mortality of the two groups is surprisingly high, therefore proper infection control practices are essential.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.371-384
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to develop the risk-adjusted mortality model using Korean Hospital Discharge Injury data and US National Hospital Discharge Survey data and to suggest some ways to manage hospital mortality rates through comparison of Korea and United States Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratios(HSMR). This study used data mining techniques, decision tree and logistic regression, for developing Korea and United States risk-adjustment model of in-hospital mortality. By comparing Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio(HSMR) with standardized variables, analysis shows the concrete differences between the two countries. While Korean Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio(HSMR) is increasing every year(101.0 in 2006, 101.3 in 2007, 103.3 in 2008), HSMR appeared to be reduced in the United States(102.3 in 2006, 100.7 in 2007, 95.9 in 2008). Korean Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratios(HSMR) by hospital beds were higher than that of the United States. A two-aspect approach to management of hospital mortality rates is suggested; national and hospital levels. The government is to release Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio(HSMR) of large hospitals and to offer consulting on effective hospital mortality management to small and medium hospitals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.4
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• pp.835-845
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• 2023

Traumatic pelvic injuries usually include high-energy crush injuries and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Mortality rates range from 6% to 15% and increase to 36%-54% in cases of fractures that result in increased pelvic volume. Therefore, retroperitoneal hemorrhage can spiral and progress to hemorrhagic shock. Pelvic hemorrhage most commonly occurs secondary to disrupted pelvic veins or fractured bones, and 10%-20% of cases involve arterial injuries. Owing to extensive bleeding and limitations of surgery for pelvic hemorrhage, interventional treatment is at the forefront of pelvic hemorrhage management. CT is an accurate indicator of active hemorrhage in patients with pelvic trauma that affects the diagnosis and management, including interventions. Identification of the site of hemorrhage is necessary for focused interventional treatment. The current trend toward a more conservative approach for treatment of pelvic trauma and advances in interventional radiology in the field of pelvic trauma may favor widespread use of interventional treatment for patients with pelvic injuries. In this review, we discuss therapeutic modalities available to the interventional radiologist and common angiographic treatment strategies and techniques.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2003

Background : According to the study in ICOPER (International Cooperative Pulmonary Embolism Registry), the overall mortality rate of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE) at 3 months is 17.4%. According to the study for current status of APTE in Japan, the hospital mortality rate is 14%. Although the incidence and mortality rate of APTE has been increasing, patient characteristics, management strategies, and outcome of APTE in the Korean population have not yet been assessed in large series. We therefore performed the national survey for the current status of APTE in the Korean population. Methods : 808 registry patients with APTE were analyzed with respect to clinical characteristics, risk factors, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and clinical outcome. Results : Main risk factors were immobilization, recent major surgery, and cancer. Common symptoms were dyspnea and chest pain. Common signs were tachypnea and tachycardia. The majority of registry patients underwent lung perfusion scanning. Spiral CT was used in 309 patients(42.9%), and angiography in 48 patients(7.9%). Heparin was the most widely used treatment. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, onset in hospital (odds ratio 1.88, p=0.0385), lung cancer (odds ratio 9.20, p=0.0050), tachypnea (odds ratio 3.50, p=0.0001), shock (odds ratio 6.74, p=0.0001), and cyanosis (odds ratio 3.45, p=0.0153) were identified as significant prognostic factors. The overall mortality rate was 16.9% and mortality associated with APTE was 9.0%. Conclusions : The present registry demonstrated the clinical characteristics, diagnostic strategies, management and outcome of patient with APTE in Korea. The mortality rate was 9.0%, and the predictors of mortality were onset in hospital, lung cancer, tachypnea, shock, and cyanosis. These results may be important for risk stratification as well as for the identification of potential candidates for more aggressive treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.365-373
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• 1999

Background: Despite widespread use of tracheostomy in intensive care unit, it is still controversial to define the best timing from endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy under prolonged mechanical ventilation. Early tracheostomy has an advantage of easy airway maintenance and enhanced patient mobility whereas a disadvantage in view of nosocomial infection and tracheal stenosis. However, there is a controversy about the proper timing of tracheostomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the 35 medical and 15 surgical ICU patients who had admitted to Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital from January 1996 to August 1998 with the observation of APACHE III score, occurrence of nosocomial infections, and clinical outcomes during 28 days from tracheostomy in terms of early (n=25) vs. late (n=25) tracheostomy. We defined the reference day of early and late tracheostomy as 7th day from intubation. Results: The number of patients were 25 each in early and late tracheostomy group. The mean age were $48{\pm}18$ years in early tracheostomy group and $63{\pm}17$ years in late tracheostomy group, showing younger in early tracheostomy group. The median duration of intubation prior to tracheostomy was 3 days and 13 days in early and late tracheostomy groups. Organs that caused primary problem were nervous system in 27 cases(54%), pulmonary 14(28%), cardiovascular 4(8%), gastrointestinal 4(8%) and genitourinary 1(2%) in the decreasing order. Prolonged ventilation was the most common reason for the purpose of tracheostomy in both groups. APACHE m scores at each time of intubation and tracheostomy were slightly higher in late tracheostomy group but not significant statistically. Day to day APACHE III scores were not different between two groups with observation upto 7th day after tracheostomy, Occurrence of nosocomial infections, weaning from mechanical ventilation, and mortality showed no significant difference between two groups with observation of 28 days from tracheostomy. The mortality was increased as the APACHE m score upto 7 days after tracheostomy increased, but there were no increment for the mortality in terms of the time of tracheostomy and the days of ventilator use before tracheostomy, Conclusion: The early tracheostomy seems to have no benefit with respect to severity of illness, nosocomial infection, duration of ventilatory support, and mortality. It suggests that the time of tracheostomy is better to be decided on clinical judgement in each case. And in near future, prospective, randomized case-control study is required to confirm these results.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 1999

Backgrounds : The advent of penicillin has led to the marked reduction in the mortality from pneumococcal bacteremia, however, the mortality is still relatively high in this post-antibiotic era. Actually the prevalence of infection due to penicillin-resistant penumococci is increasing worldwide, and it is especially high in Korea due to irrelevant use of antibiotics. So, the high mortality of pneumococcal sepsis might be related to the emergence of penicillin-resistant strains, however, many other antibiotics, which eradicate pneumococci effectively, are available in these days. This has led us to suspect the role of penicillin-resistance in the high mortality rate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of penicillin resistance on the mortality of patients with penumococcal bacte remia. Methods: The study population consisted of 50 adult patients with penumococcal bacteremia who were admitted between Jan, 1990 and July, 1997. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Most of the patients (96%) had underlying diseases. The most common local disease associated with pneumococcal bacteremia was pneumonia (42%), which was followed by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (14%), cholangitis (10%), meningitis (8%), liver abscess (4%), pharyngotonsillitis (4%), sinusitis (2%) and cellulitis (2%). While the overall case-fatality rate in this study was 24%, it was higher when peumococcal bacteremia was associated with pneumonia (42%) or meningitis (50%). The rate of penicillin resistance was 40%, which was increased rapidly from 1991. The rate of penicillin resistance was significantly higher in patients with the history of recent antibiotics use and hospitalization within 3 months respectively. The clinical manifestations, that is, age, severity of underlying diseases, nosocomial infection, associated local diseases, and the presence of shock or acute renal failure were not statistically different between the patients with penicillin-resistant and -sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. The mortality of patients infected with penicillin-resistant pneumococci was not statistically different from those with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. Conclusion: Penicillin resistance is not associated with high mortality in adult patients with pneumococcal bacteremia. As the overall mortality is high, active penumococcal vaccination is recommended in patients with high risk of infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 1997

Introduction : The outcome and incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) could be variable related to the varied definitions used for ARDS by researchers. The purpose of the national survey was to define the risk factors of ARDS and investigate the prognostic indicies related to mortality of ARDS in Korea according to the definition of ARDS determined by the American-European Concensus Conference on 1992 year. Methods : A Multicenter registry of 48 University or University-affliated hospital and 18 general hospital s equipped with more than 400 patient's beds conducted over 13 months of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome using the same registry protocol. Results : 1. In the 12 months of the registry, 167 patients were enrolled at the 24 hospitals. 2. The mean age was 56.5 years (${\pm}17.2$ years) and there was a 1.9:1 ratio of males to females. 3. Sepsis was the most common risk factors (78.1%), followed by aspiration (16.6%), trauma (11.6%), and shock (8.5%). 4 The overall mortality rate was 71.9%. The mean duration was 11 days (${\pm}13.1$ days) from the diagnosis of ARDS to the death. Respiratory insufficiency appeared to be a major cause in 43.7% of the deaths followed by sepsis (36.1%), heart failure (7.6%) and hepatic failure (6.7%). 5. There were no significant differences in mortality based on sex or age. No significant difference in mortality in infectious versus noninfectious causes of ARDS was found. 6. There were significant differences in the pulse rate, platelet numbers, serum albumin and glucose levels, the amounts of 24 hour urine, arterial pH, $Pa0_2$, $PaCO_2$, $Sa0_2$, alveolar-arterial oxygen differences, $PaO_2/FIO_2$, and PEEP/$FI0_2$ between the survivors and the deaths on study days 1 through 6 of the first week after enrollment. 7. The survivors had significantly less organ failure and lower APACHE III scores at the time of diagnosis of ARDS (P<0.05). 8. The numbers of organ failure (odd ratio 1.95, 95% confidence intervals:1.05-3.61, P=0.03) and the score of APACHE III (odd ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval:1.01-2.50, P=0.04) appeared to be independent risk factors of the mortality in the patients with ARDS. Conclusions : The mortality was 71.9% of total 167 patients in this investigation using the definition of American-European Consensus Conference on 1992 year, and the respiratory insufficiency was the leading cause of the death. In addition, the numbers of organ failure and the score of APACHE III at the time of diagnosis of ARDS appeared to be independent risk factors of the mortality in the patients with ARDS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.233-238
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• 2006

Study objectives: To determine the factors associated with mortality after an in-hospital diagnosis of tuberculosis in a region with low levels of HIV coinfection. Methods: From January 2003 to December 2004, all subjects who were > 15 years of age and had received a diagnosis of tuberculosis were registered. The clinical, radiological and laboratory aspects of the patients who died (n=27) were compared with those of an age and gender matched control population(n=54). Logistic regression analyses were carried out, which included age, gender, hospital admission source, initial site of admission, dyspnea, general weakness and initial laboratory data. Results: The mean age of the patients was $60{\pm}16$ years and male patients outnumbered female patients. Univariate analysis identified hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, albumin, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein and the risk factors for tuberculosis to be significantly associated with mortality. Among the characteristics of disease presentation and treatment, emergency department admission, intensive care unit, disease severity, general weakness and dyspnea at the time of admission were associated with mortality. Multiple regression analysis revealed the initial management in the intensive care unit and lower serum albumin to be independently associated with mortality. Conclusion: The markers of disease chronicity and severity appear to be associated with in-hospital mortality. Identifying potentially reversible factors such as malnutrition and respiratory failure suggests specific intervention that might lead to an improvement in the patients' outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.1
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• pp.189-193
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• 2022

Hemorrhage after pancreaticobiliary surgery is an infrequent but fatal complication. It is primarily caused by rupture of the pseudoaneurysm, and treatment options include endovascular coil embolization or endovascular stent-graft placement. Herein, we report a case of migration of an arterial stent-graft that was placed in the common hepatic artery to treat pseudoaneurysm after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. The stent-graft migrated to the jejunum and was eventually excreted from the body.