• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.10-18
• /
• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of patients referred for delirium and depressive disorder and to find direction of improvement of consultation-liason psychiatry in general hospital. Methods : We performed a retrospective computed chart review of the 4,966 inpatients hospitalized at Konkuk University Hospital who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry from August 1, 2005 to December 31, 2011. Results : Depressive disorder shows the order of frequency of consultation type Parallel-Complementary-Mending. Delirium shows the order of frequency of consultation type Mending-Parallel-Complementary. When comparing 'follow up consultation' and 'without follow up consultation' group within the depressive disorder, the proportion of men in the 'follow up consultation' group was higher. In the analysis of the consultation type, the 'follow up consultation' group showed the order of consultation type Parallel-Mending- Complementary, and type Parallel-Complementary-Mending in the 'without follow up consultation' group. When comparing 'follow up consultation' and 'without follow up consultation' group within the delirium, the proportion of the surgical field in the 'follow up consultation' group was higher. In the analysis of the consultation type, both group showed the order of consultation type Mending-Parallel- Complementary. Conclusions : Doctors in each department and psychiatrists should pay attention to delirium symptoms that may occur in surgical inpatients and preventive measures should be taken. Screening tests should be conducted in medical patients to properly evaluate coexisting psychiatric diseases. Risk factors of Delirium and Depressive disorder should be identified from the time of hospitalization, and actively discussing treatment plans and early interventions could improve the quality of medical services.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.46-58
• /
• 1998

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate the status of psychiatric consultation at a newly opened university hospital, to explore problems related to psychiatric consultation and to contribute for future consultation to be more systematic and more efficient. Methods: The subjects of this study were 284 patients hospitalized at Inha University Hospital between September 1, 1996 and August 31, 1997, who were referred for psychiatric consultation during hospitalization. This study was evaluated demographical characteristics of referred patients, resons for referral, recommendations by psychiatric consultant, clinical diagnoses, psychiatric diagnoses, relationship between referral time and hospitalization following the day of consultation and consultation referral types based upon psychiatrists' reports and patients' medical charts. Results : Most common patients referred to consultation were females aged 20s who visited at the department of internal medicine and related to the risk of suicidal attempts. Mood disorder was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis, and the most common recommendations were to use psychopharmacological treatment along with outpatient visits. The 30% of subjects were referred to consultation within a day after hospitalization. In the case of consultation referral timing within two days and after three days, there was significant difference between early consultation and shorter hospitalization following the day of consultation. Most frequent type of consultation(29.6%) was categorized as IIIa type(physical complication type as a "Mending" request type). Conclusion : In review of consultation referral timing and consultation referral type of the subjects, who were referred for psychiatric consultation for one year at a newly opened University Hospital, referrals were found to be made within two days after their admission to hospital(50.7%), which was observed to be early request. We found that there was significant association between early consultation and shorter hospitalization following the day of consultation. The physical complication type(29.6%) which belongs to "Mending" request type was found to be the most frequent consultation referral type. This result indicates that more systematic psychiatric consultation is needed for the future.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the current status of pediatric palliative care provision and how it is perceived by the palliative care experts. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 61 hospice institutions. From September through October 2017, a questionnaire was completed by experts from the participating institutions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results: Among 61 institutions, palliative care is currently provided for pediatric cancer patients by 11 institutions (18.0%), all of which are concentrated in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi and Gyengsang provinces; 85.2% of all do not plan to provide specialized pediatric palliative care in the future. According to the experts, the main barriers in providing pediatric palliative care were the insufficient number of trained specialists regardless of the delivery type. Experts said that it was appropriate to intervene when children were diagnosed with cancer that was less likely to be cured (33.7%) and to move to palliative care institutions when their conditions worsened (38.2%); and it was necessary to establish a specialized pediatric palliative care system, independent from the existing institutions for adult patients (73.8%). Conclusion: It is necessary to develop an education program to establish a nationwide pediatric palliative care centers. Pediatric palliative care intervention should be provided upon diagnosis rather than at the point of death. Patients should be transferred to palliative care institutions after intervention by their existing pediatric palliative care team at the hospital is started.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.13-22
• /
• 2014

Objectives : Breast cancer has been the most prevalent female cancer in South Korea since 2001. Early detection of this disease is the most effective strategy for reducing mortality. The objective of this study was to identify factors which could predict advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods : Participants who were initially diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the Stress Clinic of the Breast Cancer Center at Kyungpook National University Hospital were included. Through a semi-structured interview, the authors investigated psychosocial variables such as the extent of marital and family functioning and emotional-economic family burden as well as sociodemographic and health behavior-, health characteristic- and cancer-related variables. Results : Data were collected from 219 participants. One hundred and twenty(54.8%) subjects were diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer. Variables that were significantly different between the advanced-stage and early-stage groups included : monthly breast self examination(p<0.000), annual mammographic screening(p<0.000), mode of tumor detection(p<0.000), nature of the first symptoms(p<0.000), time to treatment after diagnosis(p<0.000), overloaded economic and family burden(p=0.018), marital functioning(p<0.000) and family functioning(p<0.00). Logistic regression analysis indicated that irregular annual mammography screening(OR=7.431 ; 95% CI 2.407-22.944) or a lack of screening(OR=25.299 ; 95% CI 7.855-81.482) and a dysfunctional marital relationship(OR=4.772 ; 95% CI 2.244-10.145) were significantly associated with advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. Conclusions : We reconfirmed screening behavior to be a risk factor for delayed diagnosis of breast cancer. Our findings also emphasized the importance of psychosocial factors such as marital functioning in early detection of breast cancer. Psychiatric consultation in the area of martial functioning could be beneficial for increasing early detection in breast cancer.