• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2006

Pediatric surgery could establish a definitive position in the medical field on the basis of a stable patient population. Neonatal surgery, the core of pediatric surgery, requires highly skilled surgeons. However, recent advancement of prenatal diagnosis followed by intervention and decreased birth rate has resulted in a significant decrease in the neonatal surgical population and the number of surgical operations. The purpose of this study is to examine the outcome of neonatal surgeries and to propose a guide for the future surgeries. A total of 359 neonatal surgical patients operated upon at the Department of Surgery, Ewha Medical Center, during past 21 years were studied. The study period hasbeen divided into two time periods: from 1983 to 1993 and from 1994 to 2004. Analysis was based on the Clinical Classification System and mortality pattern, frequency of disorders, occurrence and cause of death, and other changes. Neonatal surgery was 6.4 % of all pediatric surgery during the total 21 year period, 9.9 % in the first period and 4.8 % in the second. Male to female ratio increased from 2.7:1 to 2.1:1. The overall mortality was 6.7 %, and there was significant decrease from 7.4 % in the first period to 6.0 % in the second. The clinical classification system (CCS) for death cases included class II 2, III 4, and IV 7 during the first period and class III 3, and IV 8 during the second, respectively. According to the mortality pattern by Hazebroek, there were 6 preventable death cases during the first period, and only one in the second, and 2 non-preventable death cases during the first period and 8 in second, respectively. Although the patients in the second period had more serious diseases, surgical mortality has been decreased in the second period, which may be the result of improved surgery methods for newborns and advanced patient care.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.89-113
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• 2006

Over the past four decades reproductive behavior has changed rapidly in much of the developing countries. The average total fertility rate has fallen by half from six or more to near three today. Between 1960 and 2000 the largest fertility decline occurred in Asia and Latin America. The mortality rate has also decreased in most developing countries. The purpose of this study is to review the pattern and characteristic of demographic transition in developing countries. At first, this study focuses on the regional fertility and mortality transition. Africa, the total fertility rate is still high, can be match to the second stage of demographic transition. Similar case is found in Southern West Asia areas. However, the fertility rate has therd stage of demographic transition. The same pattern is found in Latin America. The mortality rate has also decreased in most of developing countries. It is interesting to find that there is a clear difference among developing countries. In terms of crude death rate, Latin American countries show the lowest rate. while African countries remain still high rate. About mortality, African countries show a high level in terms of both crude death rate and infant mortality rate. African countries also show the lowest level of life expectancy in the world. One of the reasons for low level of life expectancy in Africa is the widespread of AIDS in this areas. This study suggests that we should include 'AIDS' in the study of mortality in African countries.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine whether the published AMI report card could reduce in-patient mortality, 7-day after discharge mortality, and length of stay (LOS). Methods : Interrupted time-series intervention analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the report card for AMI care quality in November 2005 in terms of risk-adjusted in-patient mortality, risk-adjusted 7-day after discharge mortality, and DRGs case-mix LOS using the claim data of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Results : Public disclosure of AMI care quality decreased risk-adjusted in-patient mortality and DRGs case-mix LOS by 0.00050% per month and 0.042 days per month respectively, however there was no effect on risk-adjusted 7-day after discharge mortality. Patterns of effect of public disclosure on AMI outcomes were a fluctuating pattern on risk-adjusted mortalities and a pulse impact for 1 month on DRGs case-mix LOS. Conclusions : We found the public disclosure of AMI care quality had decreasing effects on risk-adjusted in-patient mortality and DRGs case-mix LOS, but the size of the effect was marginal.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.146-153
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• 1988

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.201-202
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• 2018

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-21
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• 1989

For the analysis of mortality differentials by socioeconomic factors based on death registration data, we have considered four variables : place of residence, educational attainment, marital status and occupation. The age range adopted were 5 to 64 years of age for place of residence, and 25 to 64 years of age for the other factors. The mortality differentials by socioeconomic variables were clear and in the expected direction: mortality levels among urban residents, better educated groups, and non- agricultural workers were lower than among the other sub- groups. The average mortality level in rural areas is much higher than in urban areas : the rural mortality levels were at least double the urban levels at ages below 40 years, but became smaller after age 40, and no clear differentials by urban I rural residence increased until 1974~76 for the both sexes, but since the then differentials have declined slowley for both sexes. This changing pattern of mortality differentials by place of residence can be explained by historical socioeconomic development : the development generally started in urban areas, and rural areas followed : in the course of socioeconomic development the differences between the death rates in the two areas became smaller and finally the mortality levels in the two areas became nearly the same, as is found in the developed countries nowadays. The inverse relationships between mortality and educational level became stronger between the periods 1970~72 and 1984~86, but showed the same atterns of mortality differentials in both period : larger differences among the younger age groups, and for males, than among the older age groups, and for females. The increasing mortality differentials in the fourteen-year period between 1970~72 and 1984~86 were caused by inadequate living standards of the non- educated, whose proportion in the total population, however, dropped sharply during that period. Also, the much lower proportions of low - educated groups or of persons with no formal education among males than females helped to establish the clearly pronounced differentials. The mortality differentials by marital status in Korea showed the usual pattern : the mortality rates of the married in each age and sex group were clearly lower than those of others during the fourteen-year period between 1970~72 and 1984~86. In Korean society which remotes universal marriage, the never married recorded especially high death rates, presumably mainly because of ill - health, but also possibly because of the stigma attached to celibacy. However, the mortality differentials by marital status changed with the changes in the proportionate distribution by marital status during the period : the differences between the death rates of the married and never married groups became smaller, the proportion of the never married group increased : in contrast, the differences between mortalities of the married and widowed / divorced / separated groups widened, with the decrease in the proportion of the later group ; this tendency was perticularly marked for females. Occupational groups also showed clear mortality differences : among four occupational groups mortality of males was highest among agricultural workers and lowest among 'professional, admi-nistrative and clerical workers, However, when the death rates were standardized by educational level, the death rates by occupation in age group 45~64 years were nearly the same (excet for the mixed group consisting of unemployed, students, military servicemen and unknown). Therefore, the clear mortality dfferentials by occupation in Korea resulted mainly from the differences in educational level between different occupation groups. Since socioeconomic characteristics are related to each other, the net effect of each variable was examined. Each of the three variables - ducational level, marital status and urban / rural residence affected significantly Korean adult mortality when the effects of the other variables were controlled. Among the three variables educational level was the most important factor for the determination of the adult mortality level. When male's occupation was added to the above three variables, the effects of occupation on adult mortality were notably smaller after control for the effects of the other three variables while the net effects of these three variables were nearly the same irrespectively whether occupation was included or not. Thus, the differences in educational level (mainly), place of residence and marital status bring out the clear differences in observed mortality levels by occupation.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.183-203
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• 2005

Over the past four decades reproductive behavior has changed rapidly in much of the developing countries. The average total fertility rate has fallen by half from six or more to near three today. Between 1960 and 2000 the largest fertility decline occurred in Asia and Latin America. The mortality rate has decreased in most developing countries. The purpose of this study is to review the pattern of demographic transition in developing countries. At first, this study focuses on the regional fertility transition. In Africa, the total fertility rate has decreased from 6.59 to 4.85 between 1960 and 2000. However, the rate has rapidly fallen from 5.76 to 2.34 in East Asia. The same pattern is found in Latin America. The mortality rate has also decreased in most of developing countries. It is also interesting to find that there is a clear difference among developing countries. In terms of crude death rate, Latin American countries show the lowest rate, while African countries remain still high rate. The study also shows the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and fertility/mortality in developing countries. The result supports the hypothesized relationship between education and fertility. However, the effects of urbanization and income on fertility do not show consistent result. About mortality rate, however, the study shows the significant relationship between urbanization and infant mortality rate, between income and mortality. The study finally emphasizes that we should include 'AIDS' in the study of mortality in African countries.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.419-428
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• 2018

Spatial point-patterns analyses were conducted to provide insight into the ecological process behind competition and mortality in two lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) stands, one in the Lower Foothills, and the other in the Upper Foothills natural subregions in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Spatial statistical tests were applied to live and dead trees and included Clark-Evans nearest neighbor statistic (R), nearest neighbor distribution function (G(r)), and a variant of Ripley's K function (L(r)). In both lodgepole pine plots, the results indicated that there was significant regularity in the spatial point-pattern of the surviving trees which indicates that competition has been a key driver of mortality and forest dynamics in these plots. Dead trees generally showed a clumping pattern in higher density patches. There were also significant bivariate relationships between live and dead trees, but the relationships differed by natural subregion. In the Lower Foothills plot there was significant attraction between live and dead tees which suggests mainly one-sided competition for light. In contrast, in the Upper Foothills plot, there was significant repulsion between live and dead trees which suggests two-sided competition for soil nutrients and soil moisture.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.948-953
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• 2021

To find the optimal eggs to larvae transforming temperature of walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma, we investigated their hatching pattern, mortality, and larval deformities. Results showed that the hatching quality decreased as the water temperature increased and dropped sharply above 13℃. The highest hatching rate was achieved at 7℃, whereas the lowest was at 15℃. Dead eggs were not observed at 7℃; however, dead egg ratios were significantly high at 4.5℃ and above 13℃ (P<0.05). Mortality of larvae after hatching was not observed at 4.5℃, but was significantly high above 13℃. The DNA content of the larvae did not show any significant difference at all water temperatures; however, RNA content was the highest at 7℃ and was significantly low above 11℃. In addition, RNA/DNA ratio was the highest at 7℃. Larval deformities after hatching were low at 7-11℃ and higher at higher or lower water temperature. Therefore, the hatching index and larval health index of Walleye pollock eggs in this study show that 7℃ to 11℃ seems to be the optimal transforming water temperature range.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2005

Background: Blunt thoracic trauma in children has a high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we assessed the significance of the injury pattern, mechanism and initial status in emergency department on severity and prognosis in pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and chest X-ray and CT images of 111 pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients from October 2000 to June 2005. Data recorded age, gender, season, injury mechanism, injury pattern, associated injury, length of hospital stay and cause of death. Result: Of all 111 patients, 68 patients were injured by motor vehicle accidents, 30 were falls, 5 were motorcycle accidents, 3 were sports accidents and 5 were miscellaneous. In thoracic trauma, single injury of lung contusion were 35 patients and 32 patients had multiple thoracic injuries. Hospital stay in school age group were longer than preschool age group. The causes of death were brain injury in 9, respiratory distress in 4, and hypovolemic shock in 2 patients. Emergently transfused and mechanically ventilated patients had higher mortality rates than other patients. Patients required emergency operation and patients with multiple thoracic injuries had higher mortality rates. Conclusion: In this study, patients with combined injury, emergency transfusion, mechanical ventilation, emergency operation, multiple injuries in chest X-ray had higher mortality rates. Therefore in these pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients, accurate initial diagnosis and proper management is required.