• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2022

Purposes: This study aims to investigate the changes in the length of stay and medical expenses by the impact of the admission decided by patients or their family. Methodology: The analysis was conducted using data from elder patients aged 65 or older who have used admission services more than once from year 6(2012) to year 12(2017) of the Korean Medical Panel Data(KOWEPS). The statistical analysis was performed through the Chi-square test, mean difference analysis, and generalized estimation equation analysis. Findings: Compared to the patients who used admission services decided by doctors, those who used admission services decided by patients or their family had a longer length of stay and a lower daily medical expense. Practical Implications: Inappropriate admission decided by patients or their family can increase the risk of hospital-acquired infections, impairing the health of elderly patients, and has a negative impact on the efficiency of health resources. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent and properly manage inappropriate admission decided by patients or their family

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.71-84
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the proportion of admission via the emergency room(the rest is ER) in an emergency medical center and to examine the factors related to admission. Methods : This study used 2005 National Health Insurance claims data for admitted patients of 112 hospitals having emergency medical centers in Korea. The study sample had 2,335,610 patients. The data was classified into emergency admission and non-emergency admission. To investigate the factors affecting the type of admission, the following were included as independent variables: type of health assurance_(national health insurance beneficiaries or medical aid beneficiaries), demographic characteristics_ (sex, age), cause of admission_ (disease or injury), whether an operation was performed or not, DRG severity level, the number of beds, and the location of the hospital. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test for the differences in emergency admission rates for each variables, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used for identifying the factors affecting admission type. Results : The proportion of admission via the ER accounted for 40.6% of the total admission among hospitals having emergency medical centers. The risk of admission via ER was relatively high for patients who were male, the aged, the injured, the surgical patients, the patients having more severe symptoms, and the patients admitted the hospitals located in metropolitan areas, and the patients admitted the hospitals having 300-699 beds. Medical aid patients were more likely admitted through the emergency room than health insurance patients after other variables ware adjusted. Conclusions and Discussion : We analyzed the proportion of admission via the ER for the total admission rate of hospitals having an emergency medical center in Korea. And we explored the factors related to admission via the ER. This proportion may be used as an indicator of the adequacy of medical utilization or low accessibility to hospitals of patients with low socioeconomic status.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of malnutrition among patients on admission to hospital, to monitor changes in their nutritional status during hospitalization, and to determine the factors which might affect changes in nutritional status. The subjects for the study were patients who were admitted to general medicine for more than one week. Patients suffering from cardiovascular. renal disease, or dehydration were excluded. Nutritional assessment of the patients was performed on admission and nutritional status was reassessed one week and two weeks after admission. The nutritional assessment tool consisted of subjective history taking and anthropometric measurements. Biochemical measurements were performed only on admission. For anthropometric assessment : patients' body weight, subcutaneous skinfolds thickness, % of body fat, body mass index, and lean body mass were measured using caliper or Bio impedance Analyzer. Factors which might influence current nutritional status, like dietary intake, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sleep disturbance, and number of days of NPO for diagnostic examinations were analyzed. The results are as follows : 1. Of the 59 patients who were studied, 61% were male and 39% female. The nutritional status of all of the 59 subjects was reassessed one week after admission, but it was only done for 22 subjects at two weeks. 2. The anthropometric measurements. including weight body mass index, lean body mass, body fat. and skin fold thickness. were all significantly decreased at one week after admission compared to the values at admission. On the other hand, two weeks after admission, only body weight and abdominal skinfolds thickness were decreased. 3. The subjects reported anorexia for an average of two days, sleep disturbance for two days, and no food intake due to diagnostic test for one day. In the second week of hospitalization, almost none of the patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms or sleep disturbance except anorexia. Food consumption which was measured based on rice intake was 60% of the food served during the first week of hospitalization, and 66% during the second week of hospitalization. 4. There was no correlation between the subjective nutritional assessment and anthropometric assessment. 5. There was no statistical significance in anthropometric measurements among the patients with various diseases whereas sleep disturbance and no food intake due to various diagnostic test was prominent in patients with gastrointestinal diseases.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.874-880
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify muscle atrophy in critically ill patients on ventilators. A comparison was made between limb circumferences and muscle areas on the day of admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and on the 8th day after admission. Methods: The data were collected from 30 critically ill patients using ventilators at S hospital ICU in Seoul during the period from October 2005 to April 2006. Limb circumferences and skinfold thickness were measured on the day of admission and on the 8th day after admission to the ICU. Limb circumferences and skinfold thickness were measured on the right mid-arm, right mid-thigh, and right mid-calf using a measuring tape and a skinfold calipers. Limb muscle areas were calculated by an equation after measuring limb circumferences and skinfold thickness. The data were analyzed by paired t-test and independent t-test. Results: 1) Mid-arm circumference, mid-thigh circumference and mid-calf circumference on the 8th day after admission to the ICU were significantly less than those on the day of admission to the ICU, 2) Mid-arm muscle area, mid-thigh muscle area and mid-calf muscle area on the 8th day after admission to the ICU were significantly less than those on the day of admission to the ICU, 3) Steroid and vecuronium medication didn't affect changes in limb circumferences (mid-arm, mid-thigh, mid-calf) and muscle areas (mid-arm, mid-thigh, mid-calf on the 8th day after admission to the ICU compared to the day of admission. Conclusion: Limb muscle atrophy may occur on the 8th day after admission to the ICU in critically ill patients using ventilator.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.291-304
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to develop Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and discharge criteria that would lead to the appropriate utilization of ICU resources and nursing services. For this study, a conceptual framework was developed through a review of the literature. Then in order to identify the overall health condition of patients in the ICU, and to draw up preliminary criteria, the medical records of 58 patients who were admitted to the ICU of Y Medical Center in Seoul between March, 1999 to February, 2000 of were analyzed. Two expert validity tests were done for the preliminary criteria for admission and discharge with 21 patients over 18 years of age who were admitted patients and for 12 patients who were discharged between May 30, 2000 and June 5, 2000 a clinical validity test was also done. After this process, the final admission and discharge criteria were developed. The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1. After a review of the literature, there were 9 categories for admission criteria cardiologic, gastrointestinal, neurologic, endocrine, post-op care of major surgery, vital signs, laboratory values, and a category of miscellaneous items. Discharge criteria had 3 categories which were vital signs, laboratory values, and a category of miscellaneous items. 2. From the medical records of the 58 patients who were admitted to the ICU, 45 items for preliminary criteria for admission and 17 for discharge were identified. 3. The two expert validity tests showed that of the 45 items 29 admission items received over 75 percent agreement. The 16 admission items which received less than 75 percent agreement were revised or deleted from the admission criteria. Of the 17 discharge items, 11 had over 75 percent agreement and 6 less then 75 percent agreement. These were revised or deleted from the discharge criteria. 4. In the clinical validity test, 14 admission items showed more than 75 percent agreement and 11 discharge items more than 83 percent agreement. 5. The final criteria consisted of 29 items for admission and 11 items for discharge. Since patients being considered for admission to the ICU have complex problems, there is a need to make the decision based on more than a single issue. This tool will insure that the ICU nursing care and treatment resources are appropriately used by allowing a multi-professional health team to make admission and discharge decisions.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of the study were to examine the nutritional status of severe brain injury adult patients in critical period, and to compare the nutritional states before and after tube feeding. Methods: Data from 19 patients admitted to the SICU in a university hospital due to severe brain injury were analyzed. Nutritional states were measured by anthropometric and blood biochemical indicators. Results: MAC and MAMC were significantly decreased only at 7 days after admission compared with those on the day of admission. TSF was significantly decreased from 7 days to 14 days after admission. Fat rate was significantly decreased from 3 days to 14 days after admission. Hb was significantly decreased only at 3 days after admission. Albumin was significantly decreased from 3 days to 14 days after admission. However, lymphocyte was significantly increased at 14 days after admission. TSF and Albumin became significantly worse even after initiating tube feeding. Conclusions: Nutritional status of severe brain injury patients in SICU became worse after admission whichever indicators were adopted to evaluate nutritional status, anthropometric or blood biochemical indicators, and became worse even after initiating tube feeding.

• Acute and Critical Care
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.230-237
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• 2018

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is closely associated with health outcomes, including mortality in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). However, research regarding this issue is lacking, especially in countries where the National Health Insurance System is mainly responsible for health care. This study aimed to investigate how the SES of ICU patients in South Korea is associated with mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients aged ${\geq}20$ years admitted to ICU. Associations between SES-related factors recorded at the time of ICU admission and 30-day and 1-year mortalities were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: A total of 6,008 patients were included. Of these, 394 (6.6%) died within 30 days of ICU admission, and 1,125 (18.7%) died within 1 year. Multivariable Cox regression analysis found no significant associations between 30-day mortality after ICU admission and SES factors (P>0.05). However, occupation was significantly associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission. Conclusions: Our study shows that 30-day mortality after ICU admission is not associated with SES in the National Health Insurance coverage setting. However, occupation was associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.11
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• pp.489-495
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• 2014

Purpose: The aims of this study were to document our single-center experience with pediatric acute fulminant myocarditis (AFM) and to investigate its clinical features and short-term outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all children <18 years old who were diagnosed with AFM between October 2008 and February 2013. Data about patient demographics, initial symptoms, investigation results, management, and outcomes between survivors and nonsurvivors were collected. Results: Seventeen of 21 patients (80.9%) with myocarditis were diagnosed with AFM. Eleven patients (64.7%) survived to discharge, and 6 (35.3%) died. Electrocardiography on admission revealed dysrhythmia in 10 patients (58.8%); of these, all 7 patients with a complete atrioventricular block survived. Fractional shortening upon admission was significantly different between the survivors (16%) and nonsurvivors (8.5%) (P=0.01). Of the serial biochemical markers, only the initial brain natriuretic peptide (P=0.03) and peak blood urea nitrogen levels (P=0.02) were significantly different. Of 17 patients, 4 (23.5%) required medical treatment only. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was performed in 13 patients (76.5%); the survival rate in these patients was 53.8%. ECMO support was initiated >24 hours after admission in 4 of the 13 patients (30.7%), and 3 of those 4 patients (75%) died. Conclusion: AFM outcomes may be associated with complete atrioventricular block upon hospital admission, left ventricular fractional shortening at admission, time from admission to the initiation of ECMO support, initial brain natriuretic peptide level, and peak blood urea nitrogen level.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.622-627
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• 2021

Objective: This study was designed to analyze the utility of routine chest X-ray on Korean medicine hospital admission. Methods: The chest X-ray reports and medical records of 618 patients who were admitted to Daejeon Korean Medicine Hospital from May 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Of the 618 patients newly hospitalized from May 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021, 560 patients (excluding readmission) were analyzed. The mean age of 560 patients was 53.26±17.20 years. There were 52 patients with abnormal findings, and their mean age was 69.62±15.59 years. Many of these patients had chest symptoms and a history of chest disease. There was no case that showed a significant diagnostic result by chest X-ray examination. Conclusion: The diagnostic usefulness of routine chest X-rays in Korean medicine hospital admission is low. But this does not mean that there is no need to perform routine chest X-rays upon admission.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.228-236
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• 2019

Background: This study investigates the impact of weekend admission with a patient safety indicator (PSI) on 30-day mortality among long-term insurance beneficiaries. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior claim database from 2002 to 2013. To obtain unbiased estimates of odds ratio, we used a nested case-control study design. The cases were individuals who had a 30-day mortality event after their last medical utilization, while controls were selected by incidence density sampling based on age and sex. We examined the interaction between the main independent variables of weekend admission and PSI by categorizing cases into four groups: weekend admission/PSI, weekend admission/non-PSI, weekday admission/PSI, and weekday admission/non-PSI. Results: Of the 83,400 individuals in the database, there were 20,854 cases (25.0%) and 62,546 controls (75.0%). After adjusting for socioeconomic, health status, seasonality, and hospital-level factors, the odds ratios (ORs) of 30-day mortality for weekend admission/PSI (OR, 1.484; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.371-1.606) and weekday admission/PSI (OR, 1.357; 95% CI, 1.298-1.419) were greater than for patients with weekday admission/non-PSI. Conclusion: This study indicated that there is an increased risk of mortality after weekend admission among patients with PSI as compared with patients admitted during the weekday without a PSI. Therefore, our findings suggest that recognizing these different patterns is important to identify at-risk diagnosis to minimize the excess mortality associated with weekend admission in those with PSI.