• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2010

Purpose: Prolonged stay in the emergency department (ED), which is closely related with the time interval from the ED visit to a decision to admit, might be associated with poor outcomes for trauma patients and with overcrowding of the ED. Therefore, we examined the factors affecting the delay in the decision to admit severe trauma patients. Also, a multidisciplinary department system was preliminarily evaluated to see if it could reduce the time from triage to the admission decision. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care university hospital without a specialized trauma team or specialized trauma surgeons from January 2009 to March 2010. Severe trauma patients with an International Classification of Disease Based Injury Severity Score (ICISS) below 0.9 were included. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to find independent variables associated with a delay in the decision for admission which was defined as the time interval between ED arrival and admission decision exceeded 4 hours. We also simulated the time from triage to the decision for admission by a multidisciplinary department system. Results: A total of 89 patients were enrolled. The average time from triage to the admission decision was $5.2{\pm}7.1$ hours and the average length of the ED stay was $9.0{\pm}11.5$ hours. The rate of decision delay for admission was 31.5%. A multivariable regression analysis revealed that multiple trauma (odds ratio [OR]: 30.6, 95%; confidence interval [CI]: 3.18-294.71), emergency operation (OR: 0.55, 95%; CI: 0.01-0.96), and treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery (OR: 0.07, 95%; CI: 0.01-0.78) were significantly associated with the decision delay. In a simulation based on a multidisciplinary department system, the virtual time from triage to admission decision was $2.1{\pm}1.5$ hours. Conclusion: In the ED, patients with severe trauma, multiple trauma was a significant factor causing a delay in the admission decision. On the other hand, emergency operation and treatment in Department of Neurosurgery were negatively associated with the delay. The simulated time from triage to the decision for admission by a multidisciplinary department system was 3 hours shorter than the real one.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.415-422
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• 2018

Objective: This study compared the prognosis of patients who visited the trauma center directly (direct visit group) with those transferred from the non-trauma center (transferred group). Methods: The patients, who were 18 or older with Injury Severity Score of 15 or more in the trauma center at Busan, were studied from October 2015 to October 2016. To compare the treatment time between the direct visit and transferred group, first treatment time, final treatment time, and time to visit the trauma center were examined. To compare the prognosis, this study compared the 48-hour, 7-day, and in-hospital mortality rate as well as the duration of intensive care unit (ICU) and total hospital stay. To analyze the factors affecting the outcome of transferred group, the physician's level and procedures that had been performed at the non-trauma center were examined. Results: The mortality was similar in the direct visit and transferred group (48-hour 7.6% vs. 4.6%, P=0.111; 7-day 11.1% vs. 7.2%, P=0.89; and in-hospital 14.6% vs. 11.3%, P=0.214). The length of ICU and total hospital stay were similar in the two groups. The mortality was higher in the patients in the transferred group when using intubation, transfusion, and pressure intensifier. The intubated patients showed higher mortality according to logistic regression. Conclusion: The mortality, length of ICU, and hospital stay were similar but the time to visit the trauma center and the final treatment time were longer in transferred group. Stabilizing the patient at the near non-trauma center may be more helpful for some patients.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2008

Patient satisfaction with the Emergency Department(ED) in a hospital is related to the length of stay, and especially to the amount of waiting time for medical treatments. ED overcrowding decreases quality and efficiency, therefore affecting hospitals' profitability. This paper presents a forecasting and simulation model for resource management of the ED at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital. A linear regression forecasting model is proposed to predict the number of ED patient arrivals, and then a simulation model is provided to estimate the length of stay of ED patients, system throughput, and the utilization of resources such as triage nurses, patient beds, registered nurses, and medical doctors. The near future load level of each resource is presented using the proposed models.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.779-788
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• 2003

This study evaluates the approximation errors of the existing linearized equation for a servovalve nonlinear flowrate characteristic. At first, the errors are evaluated on flowrate/pressure characteristics diagrams. Subsequently, they are investigated with time response simulation results for several hydraulic control systems. To enable systematic evaluation of computational error, the authors propose three kinds of equations with restructured forms of the existing linearized equation. As results of the evaluations, it is ascertained that comparatively good computational accuracy can be achieved with the existing linearized equation when both an operating point for the linearized equation and operating range of the hydraulic system stay near the flowrate axis of the flowrate/pressure characteristics diagram. In addition, the results show that comparatively big computational error may occur when operating range of a hydraulic system stay apart from the flowrate axis of the flowrate/pressure characteristics diagram.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.806-811
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• 2000

Background : The authors have modified the method of Ravitch technique. Material and Method ; This technique was applied to 6 patients out of 18 patients who underwent corrective surgery from May 1987 to July 1999. The technique is quite different from that of Ravitch. We did not divide the intercostal muscle bundles from the laterals of sternum and the Akin's struts were placed retrosternally crossing the chest horizontally to prevent flail motion during immediate post-operative period and retraction of the sternum afterwards. Anterior sternal osteotomy instead of the posterior one was performed for the latest 3 cases which made operative procedure more simple and easy. The struts were removed one year later. Result : Compared to the hospital stay of the patients who received standard Ravitch method that of the six cases who received our modification was definitely shortened from 13.1 days to 8.3 days(p<0.0000). Flail motion was not noted in any patient and chest wall stability was obtained more easily with this technique. Conclusion : Our modification is recommendable for correction of funnel chest in regards to shorter operation time better chest wall stability shorter hospital stay and less complication.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2020

Recently, medical tourism is recognized as a high value-added industry because of its longer period of stay and higher expenditure than general tourism. In particular, although the number of medical tourists visiting Korea is increasing, the perception of Korean medical services is low. The purpose of this paper is to develop the app which, based on medical tourism type, recommends tourism destinations. Additionally, this proposed app can expand general tourism as well. It can provide tourists with medical information easily by sorting types tourists. Besides, as medical tourists normally stay long, we can take the advantage of post-treatment time. This app collects medical information data and tourist destination data, and categorizes the types of medical tourists into four categories: disease medical tourism, traditional medical tourism, cosmetic medical tourism, and recreational medical tourism. It provides medical information according to each type and recommends customized tourist destinations. User-based collaborative filtering is applied for tourist destination recommendations.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2011

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is the most common infantile surgical condition and the standard treatment is open pyloromyotomy. Recently, laparoscopic techniques have rapidly advanced, and the laparoscopic approach has become widely adopted by pediatric surgeons. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between open and laparoscopic pyloromyotomy. We retrospectively evaluated outcomes of pyloromyotomy for HPS by the open (OP) and the laparoscopic (LP) method. The procedures were performed at the Samsung Medical Center between September 2001 and March 2009. We analyzed patient age, sex, birth weight, length of hospital stay, postoperative length of stay (LOS), operating time, time to feeding commencement, postoperative vomiting frequency, the time to full feeding without vomiting, and surgical complications. A total of 54 patients were included in the study. There were 26 OP and 28 LP patients. There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, birth weight, operating time, postoperative emesis. In contrast, postoperative LOS in the LP group was statistically significantly shorter than that in the OP group (2.0 vs. 3.3 days, p=0.0003) and time to full feeding was significantly shorter following LP. (p=0.018) There were no wound complications. Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy significantly reduced postoperative LOS and time to full feeding compared to open pyloromyotomy.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to develop a valid and reliable Classification System for Critical Care Nursing (CSCCN) to be used in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Methods: Head nurses and staff nurses of 17 ICUs in 6 hospitals classified 307 patients to verify interrater reliability. To verify construct validity, the staff nurses classified 404 patients according to CSCCN comparing difference in medical department and type of stay in ICU. For conversion index, 78 patients from 4 ICUs of 'S' hospital were classified and nursing time was measured by 107 nurses and 18 nurse aids using stopwatches. Results: The developed CSCCN has 11 categories, 76 nursing activities and 101 criteria. The reliability was verified as having high agreement (r=.946). The construct validity was verified comparing differences in medical department and type of stay in ICU. According to scores, four groups in the CSCCN classification were identified. According to the conversion index, one score on the CSCCN means 7.2 minutes of nursing time. Conclusion: CSCCN can be used to measure diverse and complex nursing demands including psycho-social aspects of ICU patients and convert nursing demands to numbers.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.137-149
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• 2017

Under the interference of the temperature effect, the alternation of cable force due to damages of a cable-stayed bridge could be difficult to distinguish. Considering the convenience and applicability in engineering practice, simple air or cable temperature measurements are adopted in the current study for the exclusion of temperature effect from the variation of cable force. Using the data collected from Ai-Lan Bridge located in central Taiwan, this work applies the ensemble empirical mode decomposition to process the time histories of cable force, air temperature, and cable temperature. It is evidently observed that the cable force and both types of temperature can all be categorized as the daily variation, long-term variation, and high-frequency noise in the order of decreasing weight. Moreover, the correlation analysis conducted for the decomposed variations of all these three quantities undoubtedly indicates that the daily and long-term variations with different time shifts have to be distinguished for accurately evaluating the temperature effect on the variation of cable force. Finally, consistent results in reducing the range of cable force variation after the elimination of temperature effect confirm the validity and stability of the developed method.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.399-408
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the cost using different methods of costing nursing activities for patients with chronic otitis media having surgery. Method: Data were collected from 30 patients who had mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty. To compare the cost, the researchers used three different costing methods; consumed time, resource based relative value scale (RBRVS), and critical pathway (CP). Results: Twenty-six nursing activities for surgical patients with chronic otitis media were found. Total cost was 83,843.7 won using RBRVS. The costliest activity was recording at 9,734.4 won, followed by confirmation of doctors' orders at 9,302.4 won, and injection with infusion pump at 9,072.0 won. There was a difference in nursing activities performed according to the length of hospital stay, and the cost was highest on the surgery day at 13,417.8 won. Comparatively, the total cost was 72,014.4 won using CP. Conclusions: Nursing activities are performed in various forms according to the disease and patient's condition, and different nursing activities are executed according to the length of hospital stay. In order to measure the load of nursing activities and distribute it appropriately, it is necessary to analyze the cost of nursing activities by the process of nursing services performed.