• Journal of Bone Metabolism
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.17-21
• /
• 2015

Background: There has been lack of epidemiology of proximal humerus fracture using nationwide database in Asia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of proximal humerus fracture and its mortality following proximal humerus fracture in Korean over 50 years of age. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance data were evaluated to determine the incidence and mortality of proximal humerus fracture aged 50 years or older from 2008 through 2012. Results: Proximal humerus fracture increased by 40.5% over 5 year of study. The incidence of fracture increased from 104.7/100,000 in 2008 to 124.7/100,000 in 2012 in women and from 45.3/100,000 in 2008 to 52.0/100,000 in 2012 in men, respectively. One year mortality rate after proximal humerus fracture was 8.0% in 2008 and 7.0% in 2012. One year mortality rate were 10.8% for men and 7.0% for women in 2008 and 8.5% for men and 6.4% for women in 2012. Conclusions: Our study showed that the proximal humerus fracture in elderly was recently increasing and associated with high mortality in Korea. Considering proximal humerus fracture was associated with an increased risk of associated fractures and an increased mortality risk, public health strategy to prevent the proximal humerus fracture in elderly will be mandatory.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.317-324
• /
• 2023

Background: COVID-19 pandemic represented a unique stressful event that affected the physical health and psychological well-being (PWB) of individuals and communities. Monitoring PWB is essential not only to clarify the burden on mental health effects but also to define targeted psychological-supporting measures. This cross-sectional study evaluated the PWB of Italian firefighters during the pandemic. Methods: Firefighters recruited during the pandemic period filled out a self-administered questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index, during the health surveillance medical examination. This tool is usually used to assess the global PWB and explores six subdomains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. The influencing roles of age, gender, working activities, COVID-19, and pandemic restrictive measures were also explored. Results: A total of 742 firefighters completed the survey. The aggregate median PWB global score was in the 'no distress"" range (94.3 ± 10.3), which was higher than that observed in studies conducted using the same tool in the Italian general population during the same pandemic period. Similar findings were observed in the specific subdomains, thus suggesting that the investigated population was in good PWB condition. Interestingly, significantly better outcomes were detected in the younger firefighters. Conclusion: Our data showed a satisfactory PWB situation in firefighters that could be related to different professional factors such as work organization and mental and physical training. In particular, our results would suggest the hypothesis that in firefighters, maintaining a minimum/moderate level of physical activity (consisting of even just going to work) might have a profoundly positive impact on psychological health and well-being.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.279-286
• /
• 2023

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to occupational hazards and the metabolic syndrome. A secondary objective was to analyze the additive and multiplicative effects of exposure to risk factors. Methods: This retrospective cohort was based on 31,615 health examinees at the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in Republic of Korea from 2012-2021. Demographic and behavior-related risk factors were treated as confounding factors, whereas three physical factors, 19 organic solvents and aerosols, and 13 metals and dust were considered occupational risk factors. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios. Results: The risk of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in night shift workers (hazard ratio = 1.45: 95% confidence interval = 1.36-1.54) and workers who were exposed to noise (1.15:1.07-1.24). Exposure to some other risk factors was also significantly associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. They were dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, trichloroethylene, xylene, styrene, toluene, dichloromethane, copper, antimony, lead, copper, iron, welding fume, and manganese. Among the 28 significant pairs, 19 exhibited both positive additive and multiplicative effects. Conclusions: Exposure to single or combined occupational risk factors may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Working conditions should be monitored and improved to reduce exposure to occupational hazards and prevent the development of the metabolic syndrome.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.385-390
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study is to study the need for psychological first aid for stress of fire officials. a 1:1 in-depth interview with 10 paramedics to solve the research problem. Through interviews, the policy on the need for psychological first aid to improve the mental health of firefighters was proposed as follows by analyzing the working environment of paramedics, post-traumatic stress experience, and psychological first aid experience. First, fire officials need to be assigned to the site to educate in advance about post-traumatic stress and the resulting physical symptoms before being exposed to traumatic events. Second, fire officials should provide psychological first aid at an appropriate time after exposure to trauma cases. Third, it is necessary to supplement the manpower and institutional devices that will specialize in mental health work. Fourth, for customized professional medical services and psychological support suitable for fire officials, it is necessary to link fire-fighting complex healing centers and national firefighting hospitals.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2023

Although COVID-19 has transitioned to a level 4 infectious disease in 2023 and has entered a stable trend, in special education settings, the importance of supporting the academic and social development gaps of students with disabilities caused by non-face-to-face learning situations such as remote classes during the COVID-19 period is emerging. there is. Accordingly, in this study, in order to identify and support the educational status and academic deficits of students with disabilities after COVID-19, we conducted a survey targeting 2,214 special education teachers in 17 cities and analyzed the results. As a result of the study, due to COVID-19, the developmental delay and educational gap in students with disabilities in terms of academics, emotions, and behavior deepened, and there was a high demand for manpower support, psychological counseling, and medical support for emotional behavior as a way to support this. Based on the results of this study, follow-up results were proposed.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.87-95
• /
• 2024

Background: This study focuses on assessing occupational risk for the health hazards encountered during maintenance works (MW) in semiconductor fabrication (FAB) facilities. Objectives: The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying the primary health hazards during MW in semiconductor FAB facilities; 2) reviewing the methods used in evaluating the likelihood and severity of health hazards through occupational health risk assessment (OHRA); and 3) suggesting variables for the categorization of likelihood of exposures to health hazards and the severity of health effects associated with MW in FAB facilities. Methods: A literature review was undertaken on OHRA methodology and health hazards resulting from MW in FAB facilities. Based on this review, approaches for categorizing the exposure to health hazards and the severity of health effects related to MW were recommended. Results: Maintenance workers in FAB facilities face exposure to hazards such as debris, machinery entanglement, and airborne particles laden with various chemical components. The level of engineering and administrative control measures is suggested to assess the likelihood of simultaneous chemical and dust exposure. Qualitative key factors for mixed exposure estimation during MW include the presence of safe operational protocols, the use of air-jet machines, the presence and effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation system, chamber post-purge and cooling, and proper respirator use. Using the risk (R) and hazard (H) codes of the Globally Harmonized System alongside carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic classifications aid in categorizing health effect severity for OHRA. Conclusion: Further research is needed to apply our proposed variables in OHRA for MW in FAB facilities and subsequently validate the findings.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 2024

Patients with acute respiratory diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) due to COVID-19, must wear masks, protective clothing, face shields, and gloves to prevent infection during treatment and performance. Even if it is applied to disabled people, families who protect them are severely mentally tired from severe physical fatigue and stress from exposure to high-risk infectious diseases. As such, the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases has not only caused difficulties in using existing welfare and medical services but also caused various problems throughout the daily life of disabled people due to the prolonged infectious disease, and its scope is gradually expanding. Therefore, it should not be overlooked that disabled people may experience various difficulties, from the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases to isolation, diagnosis, and treatment, and it is time to actively assess the life changes felt by families caring for disabled people and consider and research to provide adequate services. According to the survey of disabled people is being conducted in the context of the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases, while research on the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases is rare for parents with disabilities. There is a need for additional investigation into the characteristics in other areas of everyday life, including the health field, which is deteriorating through prior research. Therefore, through this survey, the purpose of this study is to investigate the life changes of parents with disabilities in the context of the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases and to compare and analyze them to find out how parents were affected by each type of disability. It will be used as evidence to identify more necessary needs and problems for parents with disabilities in the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases and to provide more appropriate health care and welfare services in the future.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.163-167
• /
• 2022

Water is an indispensable material for life and health, an essential ingredient for maintaining blood volume, and plays an important role in nutrient supply and waste excretion in the body. Water is also involved in hormone secretion, and when the body dehydration, the main organs cannot function and secrete stress hormones. Therefore, we investigated the changes in salivary cortisol hormone after water intake in 32 healthy adults. They were divided into two groups: The control group (N=16), which consumed water ad libitum, and the experimental group (N=16), which consumed 2L of water per day. Of blood biochemical parameters, a significant decrease in the concentration salivary cortisol hormone decreased in the experimental group. (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a steady and sufficient water intake may contribute to alleviate stress by decreasing cortisol hormone. As a result, constant intake of water appears to reduce the secretion of stress hormones by leading organs functioning properly, further improving immune function.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2024

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the estimated radiochemical yield (RCY) and quality of routine [¹⁸F]FDG production over two years (2022 and 2023) at Mongolia's first cyclotron facility, utilizing the MINItrace Qilin cyclotron (GE Healthcare, 9.6 MeV) and FASTLab 2 radiosynthesizer (GE Healthcare). Methods: [¹⁸F]Fluoride was generated using a MINItrace Qilin cyclotron, producing up to 2 Ci of radioactivity per run, 2-3 runs per week. The [¹⁸F]FDG production was carried out using the FASTLab 2 radiosynthesizer utilizing FDG Duo and Single Citrate cassettes through nucleophilic radiofluorination of mannose triflate followed by basic hydrolysis. Quality Controls, including radiochemical purity, radionuclidic purity and identity, chemical purity, residual solvents, assay for radioactivity, bacterial endotoxins, and sterility, were performed in accordance with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards using bSCAN TLC Scanner, Captus-3000 MCA, Scion-456 GC, and Endosafe nexgen-PTS. Facility design and operation were managed in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines to ensure GMP compliance. Results: All quality control tests met the USP requirements, ensuring safe injections for patients. The RCY were within acceptable ranges. The RCY of the FASTLab 2 Duo cassette was consistently higher than that of the Single Citrate cassette throughout the study period. The RCY for both cassettes were gradually decreased over time, with no significant correlation between cyclotron maintenance and subsequent RCY. Conclusions: Further investigation is needed to identify factors contributing to the decreasing radiochemical yield.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.306-317
• /
• 2024

Background/Aims: To determine whether metformin, which is considered a host-directed therapy for tuberculosis (TB), is effective in improving the prognosis of patients with TB and diabetes mellitus (DM), who have higher mortality than those without DM. Methods: This cohort study included patients who were registered as having TB in the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System. The medical and death records of matched patients were obtained from the National Health Information Database and Statistics Korea, respectively, and data from 2011 to 2017 were collected retrospectively. We classified patients according to metformin use among participants who used diabetes drugs for more than 28 days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during TB treatment. Double propensity score adjustment was applied to reduce the effects of confounding and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The all-cause mortality rate during TB treatment was lower (9.5% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.01) in the metformin user group. The hazard of death due to all causes after double propensity score adjustment was also lower in the metformin user group (aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in mortality between metformin users and non-users for TB-related deaths (p = 0.22); however, there was a significant difference in the non-TB-related deaths (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Metformin use in patients with TB-DM co-prevalence is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, suggesting the potential for metformin adjuvant therapy in these patients.