• 여성건강간호학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.55-65
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• 2023

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely throughout the world, causing psychological problems such as fear, anxiety, and stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women have been concerned about both their own health and the health of their fetuses, and these concerns could negatively affect maternal-fetal attachment. Thus, this study aimed to explore the level of COVID-19 stress, resilience, and maternal-fetal attachment among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify factors influencing maternal-fetal attachment. Methods: In total, 118 pregnant women past 20 weeks gestation were recruited from two maternity clinics in Daegu, Korea, to participate in this descriptive correlational study during COVID-19. The factors influencing maternal-fetal attachment were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean scores for COVID-19 stress, resilience, and maternal-fetal attachment were 57.18±10.32 out of 84, 67.32±15.09 out of 100, and 77.23±9.00 out of 96, respectively. Nulliparous pregnant women reported greater maternal-fetal attachment than multiparous pregnant women (p=.003). Religious pregnant women also reported greater maternal-fetal attachment than non-religious pregnant women (p=.039). Resilience (β=.29, p=.002), COVID-19 stress (β=.20, p=.030) and parity (β=-.17, p=.047) were factors influencing maternal-fetal attachment, and these factors explained 26.4% of the variance in maternal-fetal attachment (F=10.12, p<.001). Conclusion: Converse to common sense, COVID-19 stress exerted a positive influence on maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers need to recognize the positive influence of COVID-19 stress and implement intervention strategies to strengthen resilience in pregnant women to improve maternal-fetal attachment.

• 중환자간호학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.28-43
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• 2023

Purpose : Intensive care unit (ICU) diaries have been implemented across the international ICU community. This study aimed to comprehend the meaning and nature of the lived experience of patients' families using the ICU diary in Korea. Methods : This qualitative study adopted van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology. The participants comprised eight women and two men who were the family members of patients in the ICU for more than three days. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and observation from July 2018 to January 2019. Results : Patients' families who experienced the ICU diary recognized it with six beings according to time: a good idea, forgotten stuff, burdensome work, touching service, my stuff, and a thing in the memory. The ICU diary had three essential meanings for the families: communication, solace and hope, and a record of life. These findings were rearranged according to van Manen's fundamental existential, and the lived things and lived others were remarkably confirmed. Conclusion : Patients' families experienced various ICU diary forms over time and recognized an ICU diary as a means of communication. Therefore, the ICU diary is expected to be used as an intervention between families and healthcare providers in the ICU to support mutual communication.

• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.37-51
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• 2023

Purposes: There exist many non-covered services that the National Health Insurance does not cover, and thus, their prices are set by individual health care providers. However, little study has been done to investigate how hospitals set prices for those services. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ownership, profitability, and prices of those services for a sample of general hospitals. Methodology/Approach: Data regarding the prices of major non-covered services (e.g., upper-level hospital room fees, MRI, Da 7inci robot surgery, and LASIK) were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the financial information, as well as other characteristics, were derived from the financial reports from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. Findings: Hospitals owned by private universities appeared to have higher prices for non-covered services while regional public hospitals tend to have lower prices. Profitability, measured by operating margin, was not significantly related to the prices. Hospitals that charge higher prices were more likely to be located in the capital area (Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi), and to employ larger number of personnel. Practical Implications: Public hospitals tend to charge lower prices for non-covered services. Relative market power appears to be related to pricing. Further research is needed to investigate whether such a relationship varies over time and its effects on the quality and access.

• 치위생과학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.154-168
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• 2023

Background: Legal regulations and fees have been established in Korea to provide visiting oral health care services to individuals with long-term care insurance (LTCI). However, beneficiaries of this service are very limited. Therefore, to improve the Korean system we propose a comparative analysis with the Japanese system. Methods: This study is a descriptive analysis based on secondary data, such as statistics, laws, and service record forms from Korea and Japan. The most recent institutional documents were obtained through a Google search. The variables investigated were financial resources of LTCI, co-payment structure, monthly limit of LTCI benefits, care levels of LTCI, service providers, service costs, contents of service, and the number of cases of service. Results: In both Korea and Japan, LTCI is financed through a combination of taxes and insurance premiums. However, the monthly limit for receiving LTCI services in Japan is about 2.4 times higher than in Korea. Visiting medical and dental treatment is also possible in Japan. Furthermore, nursing staff can provide daily oral health care services according to dental hygienists' instruction unlike Korea. Oral health care services in Korea are focused on oral hygiene and prevention of oral diseases, while Japan additionally provides oral function screening, patient education for oral health management, and training for nursing staff to enhance oral function, eating, and swallowing of the patients. Conclusion: We concluded that the possibility of visiting dental treatment, differences in monthly limit of LTCI benefits, oral function assessment and guidance, as well as collaboration with other healthcare professionals contributed to the difference in the frequency of utilization of visiting oral health care services between Korea and Japan.

• 중환자간호학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.15-27
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep quality and its influencing factors in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods : This descriptive correlational study included 130 patients with CAD admitted to the cardiology department of a general hospital in B City between September 2019 and February 2020. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and research instruments to measure sleep quality, anxiety, depression, chronotype, and daytime sleepiness. Results : The mean scores for sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression were 7.59±3.45, 6.45±3.46, 6.58±3.88, and 7.74±4.05, respectively. In terms of chronotypes, 10.8%, 48.5%, and 40.7% of the participants had evening-, intermediate-, and morning-type patterns, respectively. Sleep quality was significantly correlated with anxiety (r=0.38, p<.001), depression (r=.37, p<.001), and daytime sleepiness (r=.26, p =.002). Factors associated with sleep quality in patients with CAD included anxiety (β=.29), heart failure (β=.22), daytime sleepiness(β=.21), and sleeping alone (β=.19). Collectively, these factors had an explanatory power of 23.1% for sleep quality variance. Conclusion: Patients with CAD often experience poor sleep quality owing to various factors such as anxiety, daytime sleepiness, heart failure, and sleeping alone. It is recommended that healthcare providers objectively evaluate sleep and identify factors that influence sleep quality. This will enable the development of effective methods for sleep management as part of nursing care.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.273-280
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• 2023

Background: Intraoral local anesthesia is essential for delivering dental care; however, injection of this local anesthetic is perceived as the most painful and distressing agent for children, parents, and healthcare providers. Reducing pain as much as possible is essential to ensure smooth subsequent treatment procedures, especially in pediatric dentistry. In clinical practice, oral sucrose administration has been reported to decrease the pain during heel lance and cold pressor tests in neonates and children. This study aimed to determine whether the prior administration of a 30% sucrose solution reduced the pain related to inferior alveolar nerve block in children. Methods: A total of 42 healthy children aged 7-10 years requiring dental treatment of mandibular molars involving inferior alveolar nerve block were recruited. The participants' demographic details were recorded, height and weight were measured, and the anesthetic injection was delivered after receiving the respective intraoral sucrose solution and distilled water by the intervention (group 1) and control (group 2) group participants for 2 min. The subjective pain perceived during injection was measured using an animated emoji scale. The pain scores between the groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The median pain score and range for the intervention and control groups were 4 (2 - 6) and 6 (4 - 8), respectively, and statistically significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed in the intervention group. Age, sex, height, and weight did not influence the analgesic effect of the sucrose solution. Conclusion: Oral administration of sucrose may relieve pain associated with inferior alveolar nerve block in children.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.959-968
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Few studies have provided evidence of the association between diet quality and dental caries. This study aimed to examine the association between diet quality and untreated dental caries in a Korean representative population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study population included a sample of 13,815 participants, aged ≥ 19 from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 2013-2015. The explanatory variable was diet quality and the outcome variable was untreated dental caries. Untreated dental caries were defined by the number of decayed teeth recorded according to the criteria established by the World Health Organization. Diet quality was defined by using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) through the 24-h recall methods. We assessed the association between diet quality and untreated dental caries while adjusting for age, sex, education, income, smoking status, dental visits, toothbrushing frequencies, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean overall KHEI scores in the untreated dental caries group were significantly lower than those in the group without untreated dental caries. Significant differences were observed in the untreated dental caries group based on the KHEI quartiles (P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the quartiles of KHEI scores showed an association with untreated dental caries, demonstrating a dose-effect trend (odds ratio [OR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.84 for 1st quartile; OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.19-1.59 for 2nd quartile; OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14-1.53 for 3rd quartile; reference quartile highest]). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated an inverse association between diet quality and untreated dental caries in Korean adults. Healthcare providers should take into account the significant role of diet quality in preventing and managing oral health.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the clinical features of methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning. Methods: This single-center retrospective observational study included patients with toxic alcohol poisoning who visited a regional emergency medical center. Patients with methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning from January 2004 to June 2023 were selected for the study using diagnostic codes. Results: Twenty-two patients with toxic alcohol poisoning visited during the study period, with 11 patients for each category. Compared to methanol poisoning, ethylene glycol poisoning patients were more likely to have consumed alcohol for suicidal purposes (n=4 [36.36%] vs. n=8 [72.73%]) and were more likely to be drowsy (n=0 vs. n=6 [54.55%], p=0.016). The anion gap (25.43±8.35 mmol/L vs. 13.22±6.23 mmol/L, p=0.001) and lactic acid levels (1.785 [1.3-2.785] mmol/L vs. 9.90 [4.20-11.81] mmol/L, p=0.007) were higher in ethylene glycol poisoning patients than in methanol poisoning patients. Among alcohol dehydrogenase blockers, oral ethanol was administered to 10 patients (45.45%) (n=4 [36.36%] vs. n=6 [54.55%]), and intravenous ethanol was administered to six patients (n=4 [36.36%] vs. n=2 [18.18%]). Fomepizole was administered to two patients (9.09%) each, and renal replacement therapy was non-significantly more common in patients with ethylene glycol poisoning (n=8 [72.73%] vs. n=3 [27.27%], p=0.128). Three patients had delays in diagnosis and treatment, and while there were no fatalities, one patient was left with permanent vision damage. Conclusion: Because these are uncommon types of poisoning and the clinical presentation is difficult to recognize early, healthcare providers should be familiar with toxic alcohol types and screen for them to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

Background: Recognizing the seriousness of the misuse and abuse of medical narcotics, the South Korean government introduced the world's first narcotic management system, the Narcotics Information Management System (NIMS). This study aimed to explore the recent one-year opioid prescribing patterns in South Korea using the NIMS database. Methods: This study analyzed opioid prescription records in South Korea for the year 2022, utilizing the dispensing/administration dataset provided by NIMS. Public data from the Korean Statistical Information Service were also utilized to explore prescription trends over the past four years. The examination covered 16 different opioid analgesics, assessed by the total number of units prescribed based on routes of administration, type of institutions, and patients' sex and age group. Additionally, the disposal rate for each ingredient was computed. Results: In total, 206,941 records of 87,792,968 opioid analgesic units were analyzed. Recently, the overall quantity of prescribed opioid analgesic units has remained relatively stable. The most prescribed ingredient was oral oxycodone, followed by tapentadol and sublingual fentanyl. Tertiary hospitals had the highest number of dispensed units (49.4%), followed by community pharmacies (40.2%). The highest number of prescribed units was attributed to male patients in their 60s. The disposal rates of the oral and transdermal formulations were less than 0.1%. Conclusions: Opioid prescription in South Korea features a high proportion of oral formulations, tertiary hospital administration, pharmacy dispensing, and elderly patients. Sustained education and surveillance of patients and healthcare providers is required.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제57권2호
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• pp.148-156
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• 2024

Objectives: Understanding patterns of quality of life in people who inject drugs (PWID) can help healthcare providers plan and manage their health problems in a more focused manner. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify patterns of health-related quality of life in PWID in southeast Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in southeast Iran on men who had injected drugs at least once during the last year. We used convenience sampling in 2 drop-in centers and venue-based sampling at 85 venues. Demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, and health-related quality of life were evaluated using the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was used to identify patterns of quality of life. Results: This study enrolled 398 PWID, who had a mean age of 34.1±11.4 years. About 47.9% reported a prison history in the last 10 years, 59.2% had injected drugs in the last month, and 31.6% had a history of sharing syringes. About 46.3% reported having 2 or more sexual partners in the last 6 months, and 14.7% had a history of sex with men. Out of the 5 EQ-5D-5L profiles, the fifth profile had the most people (36.6%). Most variations in quality of life were related to pain and discomfort. Conclusions: We showed that the pain and discomfort dimension of EQ-5D-5L had more variation in PWID. This finding will be useful for allocating appropriate interventions and resources to promote health-related quality of life in this population.