• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.741-750
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• 2022

Objective : In March 2020, World Health Organization declared a global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused by this virus is called COVID-19. Due to its high contagiousness, many changes have occurred in overall areas of our daily life including hospital use by patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on volume of spine surgery in South Korea using the National Health Insurance database and compare it with the volume of a homologous period before the pandemic. Methods : Data of related to spine surgery from January 2019 to April 2021 were obtained from the National Health Insurance and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Primary outcomes were total number of patients, rate of patients per 100000 population, and total number of procedures. The number of patients by hospital size was also analyzed. Results : COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in South Korea in March, August, and December of 2020. Compared to the previous year, the total number of patients who underwent spinal surgery showed a decrease for 2-3 months after the first and second outbreaks. However, it showed an increasing trend after the third outbreak. The same pattern was observed in terms of the ratio of the number of patients per 100000 population. Between 2019 and 2021, the mean number of spine surgeries per month tended to increase. Mean annual medical expenses increased over the years (p=0.001). When the number of spine surgeries was analyzed by hospital size, proportion of tertiary general hospital in 2021 increased compared to those in 2019 and 2020 (vs. 2019, p=0.012; vs. 2020, p=0.016). The proportion of general hospital was significantly decreased in 2020 compared to that in 2019 (p=0.037). Conclusion : After the COVID-19 outbreak, patients tended to postpone spinal surgery temporarily. The number of spinal surgeries decreased for 2-3 months after the first and second outbreaks. However, as the ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic at the hospital and society-wide level gradually increased, the number of spine surgeries did not decrease after the third outbreak in December 2020. In addition, the annual number of spine surgeries continued to increase. However, it should be noted that patients tend to be increasingly concentrated in tertiary hospitals for spinal surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2013

Purpose: Recently, there is an increase of the number of hospitals using auto dispenser to reduce occupational radiation exposure when drawing up of the $^{18}F-FDG$ dose (5.18 MBq/kg) in a syringe from the dramatic high activity of $^{18}F-FDG$ multidose vial. The aim of this study is to confirm that using auto dispenser actually reduces the radiation exposure for technologists. Also we analyzed the reproducibility of auto dispenser to find optimized dispensing method for the device. Materials and Methods: We conducted three experiments. Comparison of radiation exposure on chest and hands: The chest and hands exposure dose received by technologists during the injection were measured by electronic personal dosimeter (EPD) and ring TLD respectively. Reproducibility of dispensed volume: We draw up the normal saline into 5 and 2 mL syringe using auto dispenser by changing the volume from 1 to 15 mm for 5 times in the same setting of the volume. The weight of 5 normal saline dispensed from the device at same volume was measured using micro balance and calculated standard deviation and coefficient of variation. Reproducibility of dispensed radioactivity: We dispensed 362.6 $MBq{\pm}10%$ of $^{18}F-FDG$ in 5 and 2 mL syringes from the multidose vial of different specific activity. In the same setting of volume, we repeated dispensing for 4 times and compared standard deviation and coefficient of variation of radioactivity between 5 syringes. Results: There was significant difference in the average of chest exposure dose according to the dispensing methods (P<0.05). Also, when dispensing $^{18}F-FDG$ in manual method, exposure dose was 11.5 times higher in right hand and 4.8 times higher in left hand than in auto method. In the result of reproducibility of dispensed volume, standard deviation and coefficient of variation shows decline as the dispensing volume increases. As a result of reproducibility of dispensed radioactivity, standard deviation and coefficient of variation increases as the specific activity increases. Conclusion: We approved that the occupational radiation exposure dose of technologists were reduced when dispensing $^{18}F-FDG$ using auto dose dispenser. Secondly, using small syringes helps to increase reproducibility of auto dose dispense. And also, if you lower the specific activity of $^{18}F-FDG$ in multidose vial below 915-1,020 MBq/mL, you can use auto dispenser more effectively keeping the coefficient of variation lower than 10%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.262-270
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• 2008

This study was conducted to measure concentrations of particulate matter ($PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$) and endotoxin in thirty public facilities (7 elderly-care facilities, 4 hypermarkets, 4 university hospitals, 7 child-care facilities, 4 subway stations and 4 bus terminals) from September 2004 to February 2007 in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do province. $PM_{10}$ or $PM_{2.5}$ was measured with glass fiber filter and mini volume air sampler for 6 to 8 hours in indoor and outdoor of the facilities and expressed as ${\mu}g/m^3$. After weighing the filter, endotoxin was analyzed by Limulus Ameobocyte Lysate method ($EU/m^3$). $PM_{10}$ in indoor air was higher (GM and GSD was 78.00 and $1.92\;{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively) than the outdoor air (GM and GSD was 60.70 and $2.23\;{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, I/O=1.28). All measurements was not exceeded the national maintenance standard. Elderly-care and child-care facilities showed relatively higher concentrations ($83.27\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and $81.75\;{\mu}g/m^3$; I/O=2.01 and 1.19, respectively) than hypermarkets or university hospitals. The highest PM2.5 was seen in child-care facilities ($62.15\;{\mu}g/m^3$, I/O=2.42). The I/O of the endotoxin in the PM10 and the $PM_{2.5}$ was exceeded 1.0 (1.37 and 1.57, respectively). Indoor $PM_{10}$ was affected by user/day and humidity, and endotoxin in the PM10 was affected by temperature. In conclusion, elderly- and child-care facilities are high priority facilities to be improved indoor air quality.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2004

Functional residual capacity (FRC) is an important diagnostic parameter measured using $N_{2}$ analyzer. Since $N_{2}$ analyzer is expensive as well as cumbersome for use of noisy vacuum pump, the FRC measurement becomes possible only in large well-equipped hospitals. The present study introduced a new $TN_{2}$ wash-out technique to measure FRC by $O_{2}/CO_{2}$ analysis, which is relatively cheaper and much simpler to apply. Slower $O_{2}$ response was compensated for high frequency to be coincided with $CO_{2}$ response, thereby enabled indirect, but accurate $N_{2}$ concentration measurement. FRC was estimated by continuous integration of expired $N_{2}$ volume obtained with air flow signal. Experiment with 3 L syringe, a standard calibration device recommended by the American Thoracic Society, demonstrated less than 1% error at 0, 1, and 2 L. Correlation coefficient was almost ideal, guaranteeing linear estimation of FRC. The present technique is inexpensive and simple to apply, thus should he of great convenience.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between noise awareness, hearing ability, and dental hygiene performance in dental hygienists. Methods: The subjects were 234 dental hygienists in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon. The questionnaire consisted of 3 questions of general characteristics of the subjects, 1 question of noise awareness, 3 questions of hearing ability, 5 questions of dental hygiene performance, 1 question of noise reduction necessity, and 2 questions of noise control. Noise awareness, dental hygiene performance, and noise reduction necessity were measured by Likert 5 scale. Cronbach's alpha was 0.825 in dental hygiene performance reliability. Results: There was a significant difference in noise recognition by age(p<0.01) and working career(p<0.05). Those who pumped up the higher TV volume accounted for 31.6% and 3.0% had hearing impairment in the regular health checkup. 3.4% of the respondents complained of hearing loss, ear fluid, and equilibrium problem diagnosed by the doctors. The relationship between the type of workplace environment and task performance showed a significant difference. Those who work in the dental hospitals had high score of 3.43, while those who work in dental clinics had 3.20(p<0.05). The increased level of noise recognition affected the task performance and it is necessary to reduce the noise level. More try must be focused on the noise exposure prevention. Conclusions: In order to reduce the problems due to noise and improve their quality of life, it is necessary to change the noise recognition in the work place.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2003.07c
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• pp.1698-1700
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• 2003

The electrostatic precipitator(ESP) is a device for removing particulate pollutants in the form of either a solid (dust or fumes) or a liquid (mist) from a gas using an electrostatic force, Electrostatic precipitation has been widely used for cleaning gas from almost all industrial processes with a medium to large gas volume(>2,000 $m^3/min$), including utility boilers, blast furnaces, and cement kilns. ESP is also in wide use for air cleaning in living environments (home, offices, hospitals, etc.) ESP has large advantages over other particulate control device : a low operating cost, a high collection performance, and ease of maintenance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the smoke removal of an air cleaner by adjusting variable frequency and monitoring of turbidity three results of this research are as follows ;the first is the best efficient switching frequency which is 60Hz, the second is the smoke removal time which is obtained to 9 seconds, third is that the best efficient firing angle is $90^{\circ}$ As a result, the switching trigger frequency and SCR gate firing angle is very important factor to predict the best collection efficiency.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.47-65
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• 2022

Purpose With the recent development of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technology, self-driving technology has developed into three stages (partial self-driving) or four stages (conditional self-driving), it is expected to bring a new paradigm to transportation in the city. Although many researchers are researching related technologies, there is no research on self-driving for disabled persons. In this study, the basic research was conducted based on the assumption that the shared self-driving car used by the disabled person is similar to the special transportation currently driving. Design In this study, data analysis and machine learning techniques were utilized to analyze the mobility patterns of disabled persons by type and to search for leading factors affecting the traffic volume of special transportation. Findings The study found that external physical disorders and developmental disorders often visit general welfare centers, internal organ disorders often visit general hospitals, and the elderly and mental disorders have various destinations. In addition, machine learning analysis showed that the main transportation routes for the disabled person use arterial roads and auxiliary arterial roads and that the ratio of building usage-related variables affecting the use of special transportation for a disabled person is high. In addition, the distance to the subway and bus stops was also mentioned as a meaningful variable. Based on these analysis results, it is expected that the necessary infrastructure for shared self-driving cars for disability person traffic will be used as meaningful research data in the future.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.409-415
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• 2021

Medical waste management is becoming increasingly important, specifically in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals, clinics, quarantine centers, and medical research institutes are generating tons of medical waste every day. Previously, a traditional incineration process was utilized for managing medical waste, but the lack of landfill sites, and accompanying environmental concerns endanger public health. Consequently, an innovative sterilization shredding system was developed to resolve this problem. In this research, we focused on the design and numerical analysis of a shredding system for hazardous and infectious medical waste, to establish its operational performance. The shredding machine's components were modeled in a CAD application, and finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted using ABAQUS software. Static, fatigue, and dynamic loading conditions were used to analyze the structural stability of the cutting blade. The blade geometry proved to be effective based on the cutting force applied to shred medical waste. The dynamic stability of the structure was verified using modal analysis. Furthermore, an S-N curve was generated using a high cycle fatigue study, to predict the expected life of the cutting blade. Resultantly, an appropriate shredder system was devised to link with a sterilization unit, which could be beneficial in reducing the volume of medical waste and disposal time, thereof, thus eliminating environmental issues, and potential health hazards.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2009

Purpose : Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in children on a weaning diet. We investigated weaning practices in infants and children, as well as their mothers' knowledge about weaning. Methods : We investigated 129 children with IDA and 166 without IDA (aged 6-36 months) who had visited 10 university hospitals between March 2006 and July 2007. We investigated the hematologic values of both groups. A questionnaire on weaning was answered by the mothers of these children. Results : The hematologic values in the IDA group showed a significant difference from those in the comparison group (P<0.05). Children who were solely breastfed until 6 months of age were 85%, 34% (P<0.05), and weaning was started by 6.3, 6.4 months, respectively (P>0.05). Rice gruel, boiled rice, and fruit juice accounted for approximately 80% of the starting foods in both groups (P>0.05). Only 40% of the children in the IDA group had a balanced diet within a month, versus 38% in the comparison group. In response to questions about the necessity of iron-fortified foods for breast-fed infants, less than 50% of mothers in both groups answered correctly. In the IDA group, 42% showed serum ferritin less than 10 ng/mL, while 92% showed serum MCV less than 72 fL. Conclusion : In conclusion, collection of information on history should be thorough for feeding and selective examinations for IDA in high-risk groups. Considering the adaptation period, we suggest beginning children on a weaning diet at 45 months. In addition, we need to educate mothers on weaning practice, especially on the necessity of iron-fortified foods for breast-fed infants.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.335-373
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• 2014

According to one Medicare report, in the US, total federal spending on health care expends almost 18 percent of the nation's GDP, about double what most industrialized nations spend on health care. And in 2011, Medicare spending reached close to $554 billion, which amounted to 21 percent of the total spent on U.S. health care in that year. Of that $554 billion, Medicare spent 28 percent, or about $170 billion, on patients' last six months of life. So what are the reasons of this high cost in EOL care and its possible solutions? Much spendings of Medicare on End-of-Life care for the terminally ill/chronically ill in the US has led health economics experts to assess the characteristics of the care. Decades of study shows that EOL care is usually supply-sensitive and poor in cost-effectiveness. The volume of care is sensitively depending on the supply of resources, rather than the severity of illness or preferences of patients. This means at the End-of-Life care, the medical resources are being overused. On the other hand, opposed to the common assumption, "The more care the better utility", the study shows that the outcome is very poor. Actually the patient preference and concerns are quite the opposite from what intense EOL care would bring about. This study analyzes the reasons for the supply-sensitiveness of EOL care. It can be resulted from the common misconception about the intense care and the outcome, physicians' mission for patients, lack of End-of-Life Care Decision which helps the patients choose their own preferred treatment intensity. It also could be resulted from physicians' fear of legal liabilities, and the management strategy since the hospitals are also seeking for financial benefits. This study suggests the possible solutions for over-treatment at the End-of-Life resulting from supply-sensitiveness. Solutions can be sought in two aspects, legal implementation and management strategy. In order to implement advance directive properly, active ethics education for physicians to change their attitude toward EOL care and more conversations about end-of-life care between physicians and patients is crucial, and incentive system for the physicians who actively have the conversations with patients will also help. Also, the general education towards the public is also important in the long run, and easy and official advance directive registry system-such as online registry-has to be built and utilized more widely. Alternative strategies in management are also needed. For example, the new strategic cost management and management education, such as cutting unnecessary costs and resetting values as medical providers have to be considered. In order to effectively resolve the problem in EOL care for the terminally ill/chronically ill and provide better experience to the patients, first of all, the misconception and the wrong conventional wisdom among doctors, patients, and the government have to be overcome. And then there should be improvements in systems and cultures of the EOL care.