• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2012

Objective : Psychiatry in North Korea is believed to seem very different from psychiatry in South Korea. However, there is nearly no information regarding psychiatry in North Korea until now. Our study aimed to get information about North Korean psychiatry. Methods : Three North Korean defectors in South Korea, whose clinical experience as medical doctors in North Korea was over 10 years, were recruited. They underwent the semi-structured interview, content of which included the clinical experience with psychiatric patients, the details of psychiatry, the treatment of psychiatric patients, the stigma of mental illness, and the suicide, in North Korea. Results : In North Korea, psychiatric department was called as 49th(pronounced as Sahsip-gu-ho in Korean). Only patients with vivid psychotic symptoms came to psychiatric department. Non-psychotic depression or anxiety disorders usually were not dealt in psychiatry. The etiology of mental illness seemed to be confined to biological factors including genetic predisposition. Psychosocial or psychodynamic factors as etiology of mental illness appeared to be ignored. Psychiatry was apparently separated from political or ideological issues. The mainstay of psychiatric treatment is the inpatient admission and out-of-date therapy such as insulin coma therapy. Stigma over mental illness was common in North Korea. Suicide is considered as a betrayal to his/her nation, and has been reported to be very rare. Conclusion : The situation of psychiatry in North Korea is largely different from that of South Korea. Although some aspects of North Korean psychiatry are similar to psychiatry in former socialist countries, North Korean psychiatry is considered to have also its unique characteristics.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2014

This study is to notify differences of PITR reaction groups classified by industrial accident. This study aims to know reaction of stress, preparation plan, and psychological resources on industrial accident workers. The research was performed as below: First, Measuring and descriptive statistical analysis were performed. twenty workers who were hospitalized by industrial accidents and twenty patients who were hospitalized by common accidents. Data were collected from March to October in 2013. Then There were classified Two groups following subjects; 'industrial accident' and 'common accident'. Second, Questionaries assessing demographic and PITR(Person-In-The-Rain) by Heidi S. Lack. Third, statistical analysis was done by SPSS for Window 18.0. To Verify the reliability of the measures and correlations between two groups, and to find out the difference of the reaction of 'stress', 'preparation plan', and 'psychological resource', were used frequency analysis and T-test. The results of this is significant personality types of industrial accident are followings; Industrial accident workers' felt more stressful, less self esteem, and less psychological resource than common accident patients.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2015

Purpose: Predicting life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients is very important. In many studies, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of cancer patients, and higher ferritin level correlates with aggressiveness of disease and poor outcomes of patients. This study evaluated a prognostic role of serum ferritin levels in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: This study enrolled 65 terminally ill cancer patients from March through June 2012. We assessed routine laboratory findings including serum ferritin levels as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. To examine the association between serum ferritin levels and patient's characteristics, we used Spearman's correlation analysis, Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriately. For multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate significance of serum ferritin levels as a prognostic factor. Results: A negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and survival time was found. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, creatinine levels and white blood cell counts, serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with survival time. Conclusion: Even at the very end of life of terminal cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were an independent prognostic factor for survival.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2000

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the characteristic cardiovascular response patterns associated with the imagination and discussion of anger-provoked events in patients with hwa-byung. Methods: Forty-three female patients with hwa-byung were evaluated with the Korean version of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, Beck Depression Inventory, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression just before the task. Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) and Vividness of the event (VIVID) during the imagination and discussion of the event were evaluated immediately after tasks. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during baseline, rest, and tasks were also evaluated. Results: Both startle and recovery responses of BP, startle response of HR, SUDS, and VIVID in discussion task were significantly larger than in the imagination task. Conclusion: Results suggest that it is undesirable for the patients to excessively and repeatedly recall and talk about the anger events.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.211-218
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• 2012

This study was performed to understand the bacteriologic contamination level of radiological equipments which have frequent contacts with patients in the Department of Radiology of an university hospital in Busan area. Before sterilizing in-patient of the radiology rooms, MRSA, VRE, acinetobacter baumannii, candida albicans, and enterococcus sp. were detected. After sterilization, all the bacteria were not found. As examine times become longer, more bacteria were detected and after 7 hours, bacillus sp.(GPR), CNS, acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterococcus sp. were detected. After examining infected patients, bacillus sp.(GPR), VRE, enterococcus sp. CNS, and micrococcus sp. were detected and on the hands of radiological technologists, CNS, enterococcus sp. escherichia coli, and enterobacter sp. were detected. Similar species of bacteria were detected from each radiology room, but pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected on the handles of portable radiological equipments and the chair in the waiting room. Therefore, it is the most important to regularly sterilize radiological equipments and devices which have frequent contacts with patients and to sterilize them right after the use of infected patients in order to prevent the spread of infection. Also, thorough hand washing, education on infection and management for the characteristics of Department of Radiology should be performed for the systematic prevention of infection.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1234-1243
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• 2011

Our study was carried out to develop the severity-adjustment model for length of stay in hospital for community-acquired pneumonia so that we analysed the factors on the variation in length of stay(LOS). The subjects were 5,353 community-acquired pneumonia inpatients of the Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey data from 2004 through 2006. The data were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA and the severity-adjustment model was developed using data mining technique. There are differences according to gender, age, type of insurance, type of admission, but there is no difference of whether patients died in hospital. After yielding the standardized value of the difference between crude and expected length of stay, we analysed the variation of length of stay for community-acquired pneumonia. There was variation of LOS in regional differences and insurance type, though there was no variation according whether patients receive their care in their residences. The variation of length of stay controlling the case mix or severity of illness can be explained the factors of provider. This supply factors in LOS variations should be more studied for individual practice style or patient management practices and healthcare resources or environment. We expect that the severity-adjustment model using administrative databases should be more adapted in other diseases in practical.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2011

Purpose : This study was performed to investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of human bocavirus (HBoV)-associated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children. Methods : Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were obtained from 658 children who had been hospitalized for LRTIs in Seoul National University (SNU) Children's Hospital and SNU Bundang Hospital from March 2000 to September 2005. Multiplex RT-PCR was performed to detect 11 respiratory viruses including respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses 1 and 3, influenza viruses A and B, human metapneumovirus, HBoV, human coronavirus (HCoV) OC43/ 229E, and HCoV-NL63. Clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. Results : Overall, respiratory viruses were detected in 325 (49.4%) among 658 patients. HBoV was detected in 62 cases (9.4%) and was responsible for 19.1% of virus-positive cases. HBoV was prevalent among infants and young children aged from 3 months to 5 years with the mean age of 25.3 months. Co-detection of HBoV and other respiratory viruses was observed in 37.1% which is significantly higher than average co-detection rate (12.3%) among overall virus-positive cases (P=0.000). HBoV was identified mainly in late spring and early summer from May to July. Conclusion : This study describes epidemiologic features of HBoV in Korean children compared with those associated with other respiratory viruses. HBoV was prevalent among LRTIs in childhood, especially in late spring and early summer season in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed at determining the detection rate of respiratory viruses and at investigating the risk factors associated with respiratory virus detection in young infants. Methods: From September 2011 to August 2012, nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 227 infants aged ${\leq}90$ days with suspected infectious diseases, including sepsis. We performed a retrospective analysis of their clinical characteristics. The prevalence of respiratory viruses in their nasopharyngeal swabs was assayed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). Results: In total, 157 (69.2%) infants had more than one of the following respiratory viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (n=75), rhinovirus (n=42), influenza virus (n=18), parainfluenza virus (n=15), human metapneumovirus (n=9), coronavirus (n=9), adenovirus (n=4), and bocavirus (n=3). During the same period, bacterial infections were confirmed in 24 infants (10.6%). The detection of respiratory viruses was significantly associated with the presence of cough, a family history of respiratory illness, and a seasonal preference (fall/winter). Using logistic regression analysis, these 3 variables were also identified as significant risk factors. During fall and winter, detection of respiratory viruses was significantly higher in infants who did not have a bacterial infection. Conclusion: Respiratory virus is an important pathogen in young infants admitted to a hospital, who are suspected with infectious diseases. Detection of respiratory viruses in young infants was associated with seasonality (fall/winter), presence of respiratory symptoms and a family history of respiratory illness.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.191-199
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• 1999

Objectives: To examine the relationship between air pollution exposure and mortality in Seoul for the years of 1991-1995, Methods: Daily counts of death were analyzed by general additive Poisson model, with adjustment for effects of secular trend, seasonal factor, day of the week, heat wave, temperature, and humidity. Pollution variables were ozone, nitrogen dioxide, total suspended particles(TSP), and sulfur dioxide. Results: Daily death counts were associated with ozone(1 day before), nitrogen dioxide(1 day before), TSP(2 days before), sulfur dioxide(2 days before). The association with ozone was most statisfically significant and independent of other air pollutants. Increase of 100 ppb in ozone was associated with 0%(95% Cl= 2%-10%) increase in the daily number of death, This effect was greater in persons aged 65 and older. The relative risks of death from respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease were greater than for all-cause mortality in each pollutant. After ozone level exceeds 25 ppb, the dose-response relationship between mortality and ozone was almost linear. However, the effect of TSP, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide on mortality might be confounded with each other. Conclusion: Daily variations in air pollution within the range currently occurring in Seoul might have an adverse effect on daily mortality.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.719-731
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• 2009

Objectives : Stroke is the most common disabling neurological disease of adult life. The treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients is an important and challenging area in the field of medicine. In Korea, a lot of stroke patients are treated using oriental medicine and there have been reports on their functional recovery. The aim of this study was to prove the therapeutic effect of oriental medicine on ischemic stroke. We also tried to identify characteristics of patients whose functional recovery was prominent and studied whether or not the use of fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents increased the functional recovery of patients. Methods : We studied 794 patients within 2 weeks after first attack of ischemic stroke who were admitted to Kyung-Hee Oriental Medical Center from 1999 to 2000. Their maximum admission period was 60 days. Results : Motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI scores of patients improved during hospitalization significantly. Factors affecting functional recovery were admission period, motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI at admission. Age, waist-hip ratio and HDL cholesterol also affected functional recovery of patients. Whether or not fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents were administered had nothing to do with functional recovery. Conclusion : Oriental medicine is effective for treatment and rehabilitation of ischemic stroke patients. When we manage stroke, we have to consider some important factors.