• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.147-154
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of Fire needling therapy in patients with a vertebral compression fracture. Three patients with a acute vertebral compression fracture were treated using Fire needling therapy. To evaluate the effectiveness of Fire needling therapy, we checked Numerical rating scale on a daily and Oswestry disability index on admission and discharge. Numerical rating scale decreased as the number of Fire needling therapy increased. Oswestry disability index on discharge improved compared to admission. The limitation of this study is the insufficient number of cases and outcome measurements. Further studies are needed to prove effect and safety.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.182-189
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• 1991

Fourteen patients underwent surgical resection of bullae between February, 1987 and June, 1990 via median sternotomy. Twelve patients had spontaneous pneumothorax with previous history of pneumothorax on the contralateral side or visible bullae on chest X-ray films. Two patients had bullous emphysema. The duration of operation and admission, frequency and amount of analgesic administered for pain control, pulmonary function test [FEV1, FVC, MVV] and the amount of bleedings were compared with six cases of staged unilateral thoracotomy. The results were as follows: 1. All patients were male. 2. Mean follow up period was 13.5 month and no recurrence of pneumothorax are noted after the operation. 3. Median sternotomy showed shortened admission days than thoracotomy. [12.4$\pm$2.7, 15.6$\pm$3.1 days] 4. Significantly shortened anesthetic time in median sternotomy than thoracotomy [121$\pm$21, 184$\pm$33 minutes] 5. Median sternotomy required less injection of analgesics than thoracotomy. [6.5$\pm$2.7, 13.5$\pm$3.1 ampules] 6. Bleeding amount and PFT showed no differences. 7. Complications were prolonged air leakage for more than 7 days [2 patients], transient elevation of SGOT and SGPT[2 patients], and wound infection[1 patient]

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.44-54
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• 2014

In spite of effective curative therapy, morbidity and mortality remain high for hospitalized patients with tuberculosis(TB) in Korea. The purpose of this study was to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with hospital care outcome. Using annual patient survey data produced by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affair, we identified 8,562 hospital discharge with primary diagnosis of TB. Logistic regression analyses were performed on a model that included age, gender, residence area, insurance status, hospital admission source, length of stay, hospital ownership and class of hospital as the explanatory variables and outcome of treatments as the dependent variable. The results show that negative outcome was associated with the patients older than 65 years, medical aid beneficiary, admission through emergency department, and the patients admitted to public owned hospitals. On the other hand, the patients who were admitted to teaching hospitals were associated with positive outcome. To improve hospital treatment outcome of TB patients, more vigorous strategies should be implemented targeting the older and poor population in regard to social support as well as the clinical management and prevention.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.177-181
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• 2008

Objective : Hydrocephalus is a common sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and patients who develop hydrocephalus after SAH typically have a worse prognosis than those who do not. This study was designed to identify factors predictive of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus among patients with aneurysmal SAH, and patients who require permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Methods : Seven-hundred-and-thirty-four patients with aneurysmal SAH who were treated surgically between 1990 and 2006 were retrospectively studied. Three stages of hydrocephalus have been categorized in this paper, i.e., acute (0-3 days after SAH), subacute (4-13 days after SAH), chronic (${\geqq}14$ days after SAH). Criteria indicating the occurrence of hydrocephalus were the presence of significantly enlarged temporal horns or ratio of frontal horn to maximal biparietal diameter more than 30% in computerized tomography. Results : Overall, 66 of the 734 patients (8.9%) underwent shunting procedures for the treatment of chronic hydrocephalus. Statistically significant associations among the following factors and shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus were observed. (1) Increased age (p < 0.05), (2) poor Hunt and Hess grade at admission (p < 0.05), (3) intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.05), (4) Fisher grade III, IV at admission (p < 0.05), (5) radiological hydrocephalus at admission (p < 0.05), and (6) post surgery meningitis (p < 0.05) did affect development of chronic hydrocephalus. However the presence of intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple aneurysms, vasospasm, and gender did not influence the development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. In addition, the location of the ruptured aneurysms in posterior cerebral circulation did not show significant correlation of development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. Conclusion : Hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage seems to have a multifactorial etiology. Understanding predisposing factors related to the shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus may help to guide neurosurgeons for better treatment outcomes.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2007

Purpose: This study aimed to find any difference in the clinical or the anatomical findings of vertebral artery dissection (VAD) between the trauma and the non-trauma groups. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and radiologic images of VAD patients. We compared data on symptoms, neurologic deficit, National institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) at admission, Rankin score (RS) at admission and discharge, and radiological findings including anatomical features, between the trauma and the non-trauma groups. Results: From January 1997 to May 2006, 42 patients were enrolled and 13 patients (31%) had a history of earlier trauma. Focal neurologic deficit (trauma group 11/13 vs. non-trauma group 11/29), cerebral stroke (10/13 vs. 9/29), and extradural lesions of dissection (6/13 vs. 3/28) were more common in the trauma group than non-trauma group (p=0.007, p=0.017, p=0.018, respectively) and NIHSS at admission and discharge were significantly higher (p=0.012, p=0.001, respectively). Dissecting aneurysms were less frequent in the trauma group (2/13 vs. 19/29, p=0.006). Subarachnoid hemorrhage and unfavorable prognostic value (Rankin score at discharge ${\geq}$ 2) showed no differences between the groups (p=0.540, p=0.267, respectively). Conclusion: In VAD patients after trauma, focal neurologic deficit due to ischemic stroke and a steno-occlusive pattern are more frequent than they are in non-trauma patients. The location of dissection was most frequent at the extradural vertebral artery in the trauma group. NIHSS was higher in the trauma groups but the incidence of an unfavorable prognostic value (RS ${\geq}$ 2) was not significantly different between the groups.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fatigue and quality of life as well as to determine the relationship between those variables and identify the influencing factors on fatigue and quality of life in stomach cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Method: Subjects were 94 stomach cancer patients undergoing postoperational chemotherapy in a general hospital in Seoul. Nausea and vomiting were measured with Rhodes et al(1984) and anorexia with one 5-point item. Fatigue was measured using Lee's tool(1999) except open questions. The tool for quality of life was modified based on the Quality of Life Index by Padilla et al(1983). Result: Subjects reported low level of fatigue(mean=3.86, range=0-10) compared with the results of previous researches and moderate quality of life(mean=2.64, range=1-4). Fatigue was positively correlated with nausea, vomiting and anorexia(r=.21 ~ .55, p<.05). Quality of life was negatively correlated with nausea, vomiting, anorexia(r= -.24 ~ -.45, p<.05) and fatigue (r=-.61, p<.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that activity level, vomiting before admission, anorexia during chemotherapy and age explained 52.8% of the variance in fatigue. Fatigue, anorexia before admission, age and sex explained 50.5% of the variance in quality of life. Fatigue and quality of life were not influenced by the stage of disease, nor weight change. Conclusion: These results may contribute to a better understanding of how much the side effects of anticancer drugs can affect fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Also it is the remarkable fact that symptoms remaining after discharge such as vomiting or anorexia continued until re-admission, contributing to patients fatigue and lowered their quality of life.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2009

Objectives: Herniated Intervertebral Disk(HIVD) of L-spine is one of the most common diseases that cause back pain and radiating pain. The aim of this study is to find out if the acupuncture therapy combined with Soyeom Pharmacopuncture therapy can improve the symptoms of the patients suffering from the disease more effectively than the acupuncture only therapy. Methods: We separated 30 patients into two groups. Group A was treated with the acupuncture only therapy, and Group B was treated with Soyeom Pharmacopuncture therapy in addition to the acupuncture therapy. We have observed patients for 7 days. We checked the Visual Analog Scale(VAS) for 4 times and did Straight Leg Raising Test(SLRT) twice. Results: 1. For 7 days from the admission day, the VAS score has been decreased significantly in both Group A and Group B. 2. For 7 days from the admission day, the VAS score of Group B has been appeared signifi cantly lower than that of Group A, so that we can know that patients in Group B has more rapidly improved than patients in Group A 3. From the admission day to the 3rd hospital day, the improvement index of VAS scroe of Group B has appeared significantly higher than that of Group A, but after 5th hospital day, there was no significance between the improvement index of VAS score of Group A and that of Group B. 4. For 7 days from the admission day, the SLRT(degree) has been improved significantly in both Group A and B, but there was no significance between the SLRT(degree) of Group A and that of Group B. Conclusion: We can use Soyeom Pharmacopuncture therapy with acupuncture therapy to make the patients suffering from back pain and radiating pain improve more rapidly.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.1
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• pp.38-47
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• 2012

Background: The prevalence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is steadily decreasing in South Korea. However, PTB is a disease with relatively high mortality and morbidity rates throughout Korea. Although there are many studies and statistics about the risk factors of PTB mortality in many countries, there are only a limited number of domestic papers on this topic. The aim of this study is to determine predictive factors for mortality among in-hospital patients associated with PTB. Methods: From December 2006 to January 2011, we reviewed medical records of 2,122 adult patients diagnosed with tuberculosis at a single tertiary hospital in a suburban area. In this study period, 960 patients were diagnosed with PTB by positive Acid fast bacilli smear and/or mycobacterial culture of the respiratory specimen. We compared the groups of patients deceased and patients discharged alive with PTB. The number of dead patients was 82 (47 males, 35 females). Results: Mortality was significantly associated with increased values of white blood cells (WBC), blood urine nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, C-reactive protein (CRP), numbers of involved lung field, and length of hospitalization. Also, it was associated with the decreased values of hemoglobin, lymphocyte, sodium, albumin, and cholesterol. Furthermore, admission through the emergency department, initial intensive care unit admission, and drug resistant PTB affected mortality in PTB patients. Independent predictors associated with PTB mortality are BUN, initial intensive care unit care, and admission during treatment of tuberculosis. Conclusion: In our study, mortality of pulmonary tuberculosis was related with parameters associated with nutritional status, disease severity at the time of admission, and drug resistance.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.679-686
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with the admission of patients in the emergency department (ED) within 30 days after discharge. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted on adult patients presenting with abdominal pain to the ED of a single, urban, university hospital, between January 2014 and December 2015, who revisited the ED within 30 days after discharge. Data was collected on the emergency severity index level, time to contact doctors, physical examination, laboratory tests, use of computed tomography (CT), and patient disposition on revisitation. The primary outcome was hospital admission following an ED revisit in the 30-day period after the first visit. Results: During the study period, 19,480 patients visited the ED with the chief complaint of abdominal pain, and 13,577 were discharged. A total of 251 patients (1.29%) revisited the ED within 30 days, of which 89 were eligible for the study. The primary outcome was associated with not performing a CT scan on the initial visit and an increased C-reactive protein (CRP) value. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a cut-off baseline CRP value of >0.35 mg/dL can predict the primary outcome with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 62.1%, respectively (area under the curve, 0.701; 95% confidence interval, 0.569-0.833; P=0.007). Conclusion: An increased CRP value and not performing abdominal CT were associated with a higher rate of admission following ED revisits of patients with abdominal pain. Future prospective studies on the role of abdominal CT imaging in patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain will be needed.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.183-190
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the change trend of emergency department visits among elderly patients with chronic diseases. Using the National Emergency Department Information System data, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019, the selected patient data were evaluated for the emergency department discharge main diagnosis codes for eight chronic diseases. The incidence of elderly chronic diseases, emergency department visits, and admission rates were analyzed. Since 2014, there has been a consistent increase in the number of elderly patients visiting the emergency department, especially among those aged over 85 years. The number of emergency department visits among the elderly chronically ill patients also increased, with a significant increase in ischemic heart disease and arthrosis cases. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the number of chronically ill patients in each year from 2014-2019 (P<0.001). With respect to the trend of admission rates to the emergency department by chronic disease, most diseases showed an increasing trend (P<0.001). however, hyperlipidemia showed a continuous decreasing trend in all age groups since 2014 (P<0.001). Among the elderly chronically ill patients, a greater increase in the admission rate following emergency department visits was noted in those over 85 years of age, with a significant difference in all diseases, except for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and tuberculosis (P<0.001). As the aging population grows, the emergency department admission rates among the elderly chronically ill patients will rise rapidly. This could create issues with respect to the use and consumption of emergency medical resources. Hence, it is necessary to manage chronic diseases effectively in the elderly.