• Journal of the Korea Knowledge Information Technology Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.273-286
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• 2018

Korean government has taken various population policy so far According to demographic results, The aging population is rapidly aging and it is expected to deepen in the future. However, many senior citizens are also exposed to poor economic conditions and inconsistent health care risks Most seniors suffer from mental illness and chronic diseases. seniors in traditional cities feel very alienated as they change from large family to small family. As the number of elderly people living alone grows, social problems increase. At present, the health care for the elderly who live alone is not being taken properly, and they are under a very poor management system, both physically and mentally. Every human being has to be old, and we aim to spend our old age processes physically and mentally healthy. As the basic age of the elderly increases, it is necessary to consider various aspects of the welfare policies and medical policies that are followed. In this study, 100 elderly people over the age of 65 were surveyed for economic situations and physical and mental health conditions, and specially performed study on utility of 'urban senior multi care zone' to prove the necessity of introducing the latest digital devices to resolve these problems more effectively by analyzing serious feelings of alienation, loneliness, and emotional situations. Lastly, We conducted this research to find ways to help the elderly through customized health care.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.47
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• pp.39-63
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• 2023

Modern medical science tends to categorize addiction as a kind of disease, but a Taoist world-view would not consider addiction to be a disease. Taoists do not have a concept of addiction as an eternal substance. Within the Taoist world-view, human beings are meant to live in harmony with the transformative cycles of nature. Human beings achieve self-realization through balancing themselves with nature. This is what is meant by Self-Realization in Harmony with Nature. There is no disease known as addiction when one's life is in harmony with nature. There are two main principles in the Taoist medical worldview. First, is the theory of correspondences. This theory of correspondences is the foundational to Taoism's value-neutral world-view wherein humans are seen as working together with Heaven and Earth in correlative relationships to create harmonious societies. Second, is the principle of harmony and balance in the Universe. One creature can be in harmony with other creatures and learn to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living beings. Survival of the forest is vital to the survival of natural harmony, balance, morality, and environment. The vitality of the human body depends on the movement of Qi energy. According to the principles of Korean traditional medicine, all human problems stem from the mind. There is no madness, no illness, no tempting fate, and even no death outside of what stems from the mind. Within the human body, there are two principles behind energy systems: harmony and balance. When human beings achieve the state of homeostasis, they obtain Qi flows which are associated with the various organs. In doing so, they can always maintain a healthy state of life in accordance with the cosmic rhythm. Taoist philosophy contains advice that prevents addiction. Empty your mind of all thought. Let your heart be peaceful. Finally, all worries are washed away by the cosmic wave.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2016

Purpose: It is important to alleviate care burden for terminal cancer patients and their families. This study investigated the factors associated with care burden among family caregivers (FCs) of terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: We analyzed data from 289 FCs of terminal cancer patients who were admitted to palliative care units of seven medical centers in Korea. Care burden was assessed using the Korean version of Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA) scale which comprises five domains. A multivariate logistic regression model with stepwise variable selection was used to identify factors associated with care burden. Results: Diverse associating factors were identified in each CRA domain. Emotional factors had broad influence on care burden. FCs with emotional distress were more likely to experience changes to their daily routine (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29~5.02), lack of family support (aOR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.04~4.97) and health issues (aOR, 5.44; 2.50~11.88). Family functionality clearly reflected a lack of support, and severe family dysfunction was linked to financial issues as well. FCs without religion or comorbid conditions felt more burdened. The caregiving duration and daily caregiving hours significantly predicted FCs' lifestyle changes and physical burden. FCs who were employed, had weak social support or could not visit frequently, had a low self-esteem. Conclusion: This study indicates that it is helpful to understand FCs' emotional status and family functions to assess their care burden. Thus, efforts are needed to lessen their financial burden through social support systems.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1217-1223
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was conducted to assess clinical practices related to the evaluation and treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal infection(AGI) in infants and children. This survey also evaluated the current opinion regarding the use of rotavirus vaccine. Methods : This survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire provided to 82 pediatricians in private clinics of Jeonbuk province. From April to June, 2002, 63 of 82 pediatricians(76.8 %) responded to the survey. Results : The annual proportion of patients with AGI was 13%. The highest proportion of patients with diarrhea were reported for the months of October through December. For the treatment of diarrhea, pediatricians preferred to prescribe lactobacillus products, oral rehydration solution, enzyme products, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheal formula, nothing by mouth(NPO) and bowel movement inhibitors in descending order of frequency. Most pediatricians(79.4%) prescribed antibiotics in less than 20% of patients with AGI. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotics followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole(TMP/SMX) and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Clinical manifestations that pediatricians considered as important factors in prescribing antibiotics were bloody diarrhea, mucoid diarrhea, high fever, persisting disease and abdominal pain. Diagnostic procedures that pediatricians preferred for AGI patients were stool examination(rotavirus antigen, RBC, WBC), abdominal X-ray, and serum electrolytes. Pediatricians had a strong interest in rotavirus vaccine(71.4%). Conclusion : Acute gastrointestinal illness remains a common problem, especially during the winter months in Korea. AGI manifesting as watery diarrhea is appropriately treated with commonly available agents but pediatricians appear ready to consider additional approaches to decrease the sizable disease burden of AGI among children in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.187-194
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• 2015

Objectives To examine direct causes of attempted suicides, methods adopted to commit suicide, and psychiatric diagnoses among suicide attempters in South Korea. Methods A total of 1359 suicide attempters who had visited emergency department of 17 medical centers due to suicide attempt from May 2013 to Nov 2013 were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results Psychiatric symptoms were the most common cause of suicide attempts (62.2%), followed by interpersonal relationships (24.4%). Women attempted suicide more often for interpersonal reasons, whereas men were more likely to do so for financial and job-related reasons. Half of participants (55.8%) attempted suicide by drug intoxication, which was more prevalent among females and those who had previous history of psychiatric disease or previous suicide attempt. Men were more likely to use more lethal methods such as pesticide poisoning and gas inhalation than women. Pesticide poisoning was also prevalent among the elderly group and the rural population. Near ninety-five percent (94.5%) of participants received a psychiatric diagnosis : the most frequent diagnosis was depressive disorder. Conclusions This is the first nationwide study of cases of attempted suicide. When stratified by age groups, gender, urbanicity, living alone or not, presence of physical illness, previous psychiatric history, and previous suicide attempt, there were significant differences with respect to causes, methods of attempted suicides and psychiatric diagnoses of suicide attempters.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.14-23
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• 2000

Background: The evaluation of candidates for successful lung resection is important. Our study was conducted to determine the preoperative predictors of postoperative mortality and morbidity in lung cancer patients with impaired lung function. Method; Between October 1, 1995 and August 31, 1997, 36 lung resection candidates for lung cancer with $FEV_1$ of less than 2L or 60% of predicted value were included prospectively. Age, sex, weight loss, hematocrit, serum albumin, EKG and concomitant illness were considered as systemic potential predictors for successful lung resection. Smoking history, presence of pneumonia, dyspnea scale(l to 4), arterial blood gas analysis with room air breathing, routine pulmonary function test were also included for the analysis. In addition, predicted postoperative(ppo) pulmonary factors such as ppo-$FEV_1$ ppo-diffusing capacity(DLco), predicted postoperative product(PPP) of ppo-$FEV_1%{\times}$ppo-DLco% and ppo-maximal $O_2$ uptake($VO_2$max) were also measured. Results: There were 31 men and 5 women with the median age of 65 years(range, 44 to 82) and a mean $FEV_1$ of $1.78{\pm}0.06L$. Pneumonectomy was performed in 14 patients, bilobectomy in 8, lobectomy in 14. Pulmonary complications developed in 10 patients; cardiac complications in 3, other complications(empyema, air leak, bleeding) in 4. Twelve patients were managed in the intensive care unit for more than 48 hours. Two patients died within 30 days after operation. The ppo-$VO_2$max was less than 10 ml/kg/min in these two patients. MVV was the only predictor for the pulmonary complications. However, there was no predictor for the post operative death in this study. Conclusions: Based on the results, MVV was the useful predictor for postoperative pulmonary complications in lung cancer resection candidates with impaired lung function In addition, ppo-$VO_2$max value less than 10 ml/kg/min was associated with postoperative death, so exercise pulmonary function test could be useful as preoperative test. But further studies are needed to validate this result.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.2 s.26
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• pp.290-301
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• 1989

This is preliminary report on anthrax epidemic occurred in an island with about 100 residents. Since 1982 there had been sudden deaths among all kinds of domestic animals including cattle, dogs, ducks, chicken and goat but only a few among cats in an isolated island about three hours distance away by ferry boat from Mokpo city. From 1986 through 1988 nine human deaths and four patients occurred, which made the government intervene for investigation on June 25 1988. The epidemiological investigation consisted of interview survey and medical examination, medical record analysis, laboratory work to isolate the pathogens under the direction of hypothesis derived from the study and further confirmation of the pathogens by international institute. The summarized results are as followings: 1. According to the interview survey there were many deaths among domestic animals usually in cold and dry season such as January through March and September through November; 36 heads of cattle leaving one head, more than 40 hogs(all), hundreds of chicken leaving few alive, goats that had taken home from mountain and two or three cats out of around 40 had sudden deaths from 1982 till 1985, when the residents stopped to purchase and take them into the island anymore. Also there were eleven persons who had experienced the similar syndrome complex to those of admitted and expired patients and four of them revealed typical chest X-ray findings; from one of these four patients(Rho) B. anthracis is isolated. 2. Medical record on patients who had been admitted, showed common characteristics of the disease course. On admission they had either gastrointestinal or upper respiratory infection symptoms which invariably progressed to septicemic nature with pulmonary interstitial infiltration and mediastinal widening/bulging, and then to deadly acute respiratory distress syndrome. At the end stage chest X-ray revealed multiple bullous emphysema. One of another characteristics was oral ulceration with bleeding occurred in about 50% of the patients. Laboratory test results in common were leukocytosis with left shift and abnormal liver and kidney functions, particularly at the later stage of the illness. 3. Epidemiological characteristics was striking in that both mortality and incidence rates were high: the mortality rate was 8.7% average, male being three times higher than females but there was no distictive clustering by age group. The incidence rate for both sexes was 28.2% and there was no sex difference although a tendency of higher incidence among older ages was noticed. The highest mortality and incidence were observed in Won village where the first death of animal occurred and with the highest frequency among three villages of the island. 4. Among twelve bacilli species isolated from various specimens, two strains, one from patient and the other from soil where the recently died cow is hurried, were confirmed as B. anthracis by Pasteur Institute and CDC of USA(strain from soil). CDC reported that the strain did not produce capsule in bicarbonate media but reacted with the bacteriophage and one of five sera taken from the patients. Mode of transmission as well as incubation period of the agent has not been established yet, which needs further investigation in relation to the antigenic structure of the variant when it is confirmed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.107-126
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• 2002

Health sub-centers(HSCs) have played an important role in primary health care in rural area in Korea. The unification of neighboring HSCs was a strategy to improve the role of HSCs. This study was conducted to reveal the efficacy of the unified HSC established in Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju-si in1997. The utilization patterns of HSC and its related factors, and satisfaction of consumer on HSC were compared before and after unification of two HSCs in Gampo-eup, Yangnam-myeon using questionnaire survey, and also the statistics of medical care services and public health services were compared. Four hundred forty nine subjects were questioned in survey, 156 from Gampo-eup, 147 from Yangbuk-myeon, and 146 from Yangnam-myeon. Following unification, the utilization rates and the frequency of visits in Gampo-eup declined. In all three areas, chronic illness was the common factor influencing the utilization and change in frequency of visits to the unified HSC. Following unification, aspects of consumer satisfaction, for example; accessibility and affordability decreased in Gampo-eup, but increased in both Yangbuk-myeon and Yangnam-myeon. The statistics relating to medical care, X-ray examination, home visiting service, vaccination, and health education showed an increase for the unified HSC when compared to the sum of the statistics for the previous two. The execution rates for other public health services were the same, or a little decreased. Clinical laboratory examinations and the issuing of civil affair documents were new services offered by the unified HSC. It is concluded, the overall consumer satisfaction with the unified HSC was improved. In Gampo-eup, where after unification there was no HSC, it seemed to be a barrier to accessing the unified HSC. The effect of the unified HSC, in the respect of medical care and public health services, was not as significant as expected at the time of being established. Therefore, the strategies to reenforce the unified HSC should be developed to provide all residents with comprehensive primary health care services.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.4
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• pp.161-187
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• 1995

This study was perfomed to investigate causes of the senile hypotension, pathogenic mechanism, symptoms, and therapies through medical literatures, recent chinese medical literatures and chinese medical journals. The results are as follows ; 1. The senile hypotension has major symptoms of dizziness, weakness, syncope, palpitation, shortness of breath, and deficiency of Qi. Additionally, it has minor symtoms of letharhy, isomnia, tinnitus, amnesia etc... 2. The prodromal symptoms of Kwul and Kwul are relating to the symptoms of tachycardia, facial pallor, sweating, anxietas, ambiguous consciousness, and fainting. Weakness and dizziness due to deficiency make the symptoms of exhaustion, fatigue, vertigo, lethargy, and brachycardia. 3. The most principal cause of the senile hypotension is deficiency of Shen due to aging, congenital deficiency, and chronic illness. The rest of causes are defciency of Qi and blood, phlegm of retention, stagnation of Qi, blood stasis, blood prostration etc... In the view of the occidental meicine, the causes of the senile hypotension came from the reduction of cardiac output, the decretion of cardiovascular system's extention due to aging, hereditary factor, secondary factor due to exsanguination, diabetes mellitus, C.V.A etc..., and factor of neurogenic system's degeneration. 4. The principal pathogenic mechanisms are the insufficiency of Xing-Yang, the deficiency of Qi in middle jiao, and deficiency of Shen-Qi. The rest of mechanisms are the deficiency of both Qi and blood, stagnation of the Gan-Qi, and the deficiency of Gan and Shen. Zang-Pu Organs have something to do with Xing, Bi, and Shen. 5. As principal therapies, there are warming and recuperation the Xing-Yang, strengthing the middle-jiao and replenishing Qi, replenishing vital essence to tonify the Shen, and warming and recuperation the Shen-Yang. Additionally, the therapies of invigorating the Bi and relieving mental stress, strengthning the Bi and tonifing the Shen, invigorating Qi and nourishing Yin, soothing the Gan and regulating the circulation of Qi, and tonifing the Shen and nourishing the Gan help the cure of the senile hypotension. In prescriptions there are Baohe Yuan Tang, Buzhong Yigi Tang, Zuoguei Yin, Yougui Yin, Guipi Tang, Zhu Fu Tang, Shengmai San, Sini San, and Qi Ju Dihuang Wan. The medical herbs of Astragali Radix, Codonopsitis Pilosulae Radix, Ginseng Radix, Aconiti Tuber, Ephedrae Herba, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Cinnamomi Corfex Spissus, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Polygalae Radix, Liriopis Tuber, Polygonati Sibirici Rhifoma, Lycii Fructus, Schizandrae Fructus, and Glycyrrhizae Radix can be treated. 6. According to the clinical report, the principal causes are the deficiency of Qi, and insufficiency of Yang which symptoms are dizziness, vitality fatigue and acratia, amnesia, body cold and alger of extremity, spontaneous perspiration, and therady and weak pulse. It was improved by taking WenYang YiQi Tang, Zhu Fu Tang about 20-30 days. The improvement was shown on disappearance of subjective symptoms or the ascending of blood pressure to normal figure, and the rate of improvement was over 70%. 7. As regimens, taking warming and recuperating food(a sheep mutton, juglans regia, chiness date, longan aril etc...) and pungent food(chinese green onion, fress ginger, pipers fructns etc...), doing physical training, not being ill in bed at a long time, and preventing descent of blood pressure coming from sudden change of posture are needed. Additionally, the usage of diuretic, abirritant, and depressor needs to be extra cautious.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 2000

Clinical observation was made on 44 cases of stable thoracolumbar compression fracture that were confirmed through simple x-ray and neurological examination. They were hospitalized and treated by acupuncture and moxibustion, bed rest, herb medicine and physical therapy. If necessary, patient was given an enema. The results obtained are as follows. 1. The patient distribution ratio, in regard to sex, was shown to be 1: 13.7 for males to females. In regard to age, it was shown that people in their 60's was the most predominant case, followed by people in their 70's, 80's, 50's and 40's, respectively. 2. In regard to contributing factors, it was observed that accidental falls were most frequent, followed by reasons unknown, repetitive lifting of heavy objects, overlaboring and bruise in that order. 3. In regard to duration of illness before treatment, it was found that treatment within 1 week was most predominant, followed by over 4 weeks, and 1-2 weeks, respectively. 4. With regard to the duration of hospitalization, hospitalization within 2 weeks was found to be most predominant, followed by 2-4 weeks. 5. In regard to the level of the affected vertebral body; The affected vertebral bodies distributed between T3 to L5 except for T7; T12 was found to be most predominant, followed in turn by L1 and L5. 6. In regard to the number of affected vertebral bodies, 2 was the most frequent followed by 1 and 3, in that order. The average of the number of affected vertebral bodies was observed to be 2.8 and single vertebral body compression fracture was shown to have no clinical and statistical difference as compared with multiple vertebral body compression fractures. 7. In regard to the grade of the seriousness of symptoms, it was found that Grade IV was most predominant, followed by Grade III. 8. With regard to signs at the first medical examination, low back pain was seen in the highest number, and followed in order by gait disturbance, flank pain, flexion-extension disturbance, disturbance of rotation to right or left, and bowel dysfunction. 9. Concerning the effect of treatment, good results were most predominantly seen, and 95.5% of total patients showed fair results. 10. The duration of admission treatment due to the grade of clinical symptoms was as follows; In the case of the Grade IV, it was observed that within 2 weeks was most predominant and for Grade III was 2-4 weeks. It was also found that the grade of clinical symptoms was not in proportion to the duration of admission treatment. 11. In regard to the result of treatment due to the grade of clinical symptoms; It was found that in the case of Grade IV, within 2 weeks was most predominant, and for Grade III, it was found to be 2-4 weeks. 12. Intestinal obstruction was shown in 50% of total patients; In the case of duration of constipation, more than 1 week was found to be most predominant, followed by 2 and 4 days respectively. 13. With regard to the treatment of intestinal obstruction, using acupuncture and moxibustion, herb - medicine and enema together were found to be most effective. 14. Intestinal obstruction was mostly seen in the case of Grade IV.