• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.49-60
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of malnutrition among patients on admission to hospital, to monitor changes in their nutritional status during hospitalization, and to determine the factors which might affect changes in nutritional status. The subjects for the study were patients who were admitted to general medicine for more than one week. Patients suffering from cardiovascular. renal disease, or dehydration were excluded. Nutritional assessment of the patients was performed on admission and nutritional status was reassessed one week and two weeks after admission. The nutritional assessment tool consisted of subjective history taking and anthropometric measurements. Biochemical measurements were performed only on admission. For anthropometric assessment : patients' body weight, subcutaneous skinfolds thickness, % of body fat, body mass index, and lean body mass were measured using caliper or Bio impedance Analyzer. Factors which might influence current nutritional status, like dietary intake, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sleep disturbance, and number of days of NPO for diagnostic examinations were analyzed. The results are as follows : 1. Of the 59 patients who were studied, 61% were male and 39% female. The nutritional status of all of the 59 subjects was reassessed one week after admission, but it was only done for 22 subjects at two weeks. 2. The anthropometric measurements. including weight body mass index, lean body mass, body fat. and skin fold thickness. were all significantly decreased at one week after admission compared to the values at admission. On the other hand, two weeks after admission, only body weight and abdominal skinfolds thickness were decreased. 3. The subjects reported anorexia for an average of two days, sleep disturbance for two days, and no food intake due to diagnostic test for one day. In the second week of hospitalization, almost none of the patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms or sleep disturbance except anorexia. Food consumption which was measured based on rice intake was 60% of the food served during the first week of hospitalization, and 66% during the second week of hospitalization. 4. There was no correlation between the subjective nutritional assessment and anthropometric assessment. 5. There was no statistical significance in anthropometric measurements among the patients with various diseases whereas sleep disturbance and no food intake due to various diagnostic test was prominent in patients with gastrointestinal diseases.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.11-23
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients admitted for Bell's palsy in a Korean medicine hospital to identify whether admission is necessary and beneficial. Methods : A semi-structured interview was conducted on 9 patients who had experience in both the inpatient and the outpatient treatment for Bell's palsy. Their experiences from inception of first symptoms to admission into the Facial Palsy Center in Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital were interviewed along with their thoughts and feelings. The interviews took place after discharge home at a pre-scheduled date and time in a quiet room at the hospital between July 2013 and August 2013. The subjects were purposefully selected until saturation of information was met. Results : Nine participants were interviewed and patients' concerns and priorities were identified. At the acute stage, patients experienced anxiety and all of the female patients and one male patient felt embarrassed of their facial disfigurement. With time, the patients felt impatient of their symptoms and turned to Korean medicine for additional treatment. Providing psychological stability seemed to be an important factor for patients. Conclusions : This study provides insight into the experiences of patients with Bell's palsy, and is significantly the first ever qualitative report to focus on the patient's needs and concerns during admission care for symptoms of Bell's palsy. Admission care can provide many physical and psychological benefits for the patients especially during the acute stage.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2003

Influenza virus is a major cause of respiratory infection in the epidemic season. Especially, the elderly with underlying health problems are at increased risk for complications of influenza. The objective of this study was to investigate that influenza vaccination can reduce the hospital admission rate related to the respiratory diseases. This study was a retrospective study of two age groups, who are the healthy children aged 6 months to 9 years (n=237) and the adults aged over 20 years with respiratory disease (n=327). The vaccinated groups were compared to the controls that were matched in sex and age. The children were vaccinated in winter season of 1995-96 and the adults were vaccinated in 1996-97. The efficacy of influenza vaccine was evaluated with the number of outpatient visits in children group, the admission rate and the mean admission days in both children and adult group. As results, there were not significant differences between the vaccinated and the control group of children. In the elderly over 61 years, however, the influenza vaccination can reduce the admission rate $(8.9\%\;vs.\;25.6\%,\;p<0.05)$ and the mean admission days (1.3 vs. 3.8 days, p<0.05) compared to the control. In conclusion, influenza vaccination can effectively reduce the events related to respiratory infection in the elderly than the children. The elderly should be recommended for influenza vaccination.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.58-67
• /
• 1995

Background: This paper describes an effort to provide baseline informations for appropriate utilization of emergency room in a tertiary hospital. Methods: Authors have evaluated that the admissions in the emergency room were medically necessary by objective criteria, Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol(AEP), for one month in a tertiary hospital. Data were analysed by chi-square test and multiple logistic regression to exmaine statistical significances at the level of 0.05. Results: The prevalence of inappropriate decisions for admission was found to be 47.8%(154/322). Whether the physician decided the patient to admit or not was affected by type of services, number of departments involved, patients' medical condition, route of visit, and a day of the week visited. Level of appropriateness of admission is significantly related to patients' age, type of services, and a day of the week visited. Conclusion: We found that substantial proportion of admissions through emergency room are medically unnecessary and that non-medical factors are related to physician's for admission decisions and level of appropriateness of admission. This suggests that policy measures be required to relieve the overcrowding problem and to reduce non-emergent utilization of emergency room in a tertiary hospital.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.201-206
• /
• 2001

Objective : The purpose of this study was to assess the complications, duration of admission, cost effectiveness, radiologic stabilization of the anterior cervical bone fusion in the treatment of cervical disc disease with and without plating. Materials and Methods : Fifty-two surgically treated patients for cervical disc disease were reviewed. Group I consisted of consecutive treated patients with iliac auto-bone graft without instrumentation after anterior cervical discectomy. Group II consisted of consecutive treated patients with iliac autologous-bone graft with CASPER cervical plate fixations. Radiologic fusion was decided when loss of end plate boundary between graft bone and vertebral body and immobile, maintenance of the disc space were evident on simple dynamic plain films. The patients were discharged after the stabilization of cervical motion by films was of tained. These groups were analysed multiple variably with Mann-Whitney U-test. Results : Group I consisted of 18 patients, group II consisted of 34 patients. Mean age was $49.0{\pm}8.1years$, mean duration of admission was $17.27{\pm}10.51days$, mean costs for treatment was $1,970,000{\pm}475,000won$. In group I, mean age was 47.7(34-60) years, 16 patients had undergo on one-level operation, 2-patients had undergo on two-level operation, mean duration of admission was $28.7{\pm}10.4days$, mean costs for treatment was $2,194,473{\pm}561,639won$. The periods of stabilization was $6.6{\pm}3.36weeks$ on radiologic study. Mean periods of out patient follow up was 16.8(6-64) weeks after discharge. Mean period of radiologic follow up was 17.3(4-6) weeks after surgical operation. In group II, mean age was 49.7(37-62) years and 18 patients one-level operation, 14- patients had undergo on two-level operation and 2-patients three-level operation. Mean duration of admission was $11.24{\pm}3.29days$, mean costs for treatment was $1,850,823{\pm}389,372won$. The periods of stabilization was $5.88{\pm}7.07weeks$ on radiologic study. Mean period of out patients follow up was 16.7(4-60) weeks after discharge. Mean period of radiologic follow up was 12.4(3-52) weeks after surgical operation. The duration of admission showed statistical significance in Group II but other items showed no significant difference between two groups. Conclusions : The more economic, early life return and effective method of cervical disc disease in our series were evident in patients who had undergone, iliac bone graft and plate fixations after anterior discectomy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.173-178
• /
• 2007

Objective : Hydrocephalus is one of the major complications following spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the risk factors of the hydrocephalus after SAH are not still well known. This study was focused on verification of the causal relationships between the development of hydrocephalus and SAH. Methods : The patients who developed hydrocephalus after rupture of aneurysms were studied. To obtain prognostic factors regarding to hydrocephalus, several parameters such as age, sex, hypertension, location of aneurysm, existence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), Glasgow coma scale (GCS), Hunt-Hess SAH classification & Fisher Grade on admission and the ratio of frontal harn of lateral ventricle diameter to skull inner table diameter at this level (FH/ID) were studied retrospectively. Results : The development of hydrocephalus following SAH is multifactorial. The age, IVH, FH/ID ratio were related to hydrocephalus in analysis. There is a low clinical correlation between sex, hypertension, location of aneurysm, existence of ICH, GCS, Hunt-Hess SAH classification, Fisher Grade on admission and hydrocephalus. Conclusion : Knowledge on risk factors related to the occurrence of hydrocephalus may help guide neurosurgeons in the long-term care of patients who have experienced aneurysmal SAH.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identify patient and hospital characteristics with pulmonary tuberculosis and to analyze factors which were influencing length of stay and treatment. The Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey database from 2006 to 2012 was used for analysis. Study subjects were 4,704 patients and analyzed by using frequency, chi-square and logistic regression through using STATA 12.0. To avoid selection bias, we used propensity score matching. Analysis results show that the length of stay and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis was different between insurance types. Patients characteristic(female, comorbidity, admission by outpatient department, medical insurance type) and hospital characteristic(500-999 beds, over 1000 beds) significantly influence length of stay. Admission by outpatient department and over 1000 beds are significantly influence treatment. Based on these findings, it is necessary to clarify between length of stay and treatment outcome by medical aids beneficiaries and audit hospitals follow discharge guidelines in pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.161-165
• /
• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate whether treatment with Korean medicine might help to improve symptoms of patients diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. A patient diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome was hospitalized for 15 days from October 4, 2018 to October 18, 2018 and treated using Korean medicine (Sinbaro3 pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and herbal medicine). Therapeutic effects were evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), House-Brackmann grade, Yanagihara's score survey, and Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging (DITI). After treatment, the Numerical Rating Scale score (6 at admission down to 2 points at discharge), House-Brackmann grade (Grade V down to Grade II), Yanagihara's score (6.0 up to 22.0), and Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging showed improvement from admission to discharge. Treatment with traditional Korean medicine, may help improve symptoms of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome such as facial nerve paralysis, neuralgia after paraplegia, hearing difficulties, and dizziness.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.74-82
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the fall risk factors and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Morse Fall Scale(MFS) as an assessment tool among hospitalized inpatients. Methods: The medical records of a total of 294 patients who admitted to hospital from January 1 to December 31, 2010 were reviewed. One hundred forth seven patients who had experienced fall were matched with 147 patients who have never experienced fall. The fall information was obtained from electronic medical records and fall reports. Results: There were significant differences in visual disturbances, pain, emotional disturbances, sleep disorder, urination problems and elimination disorder at admission between fallers and non-fallers. Patients who had higher MFS scores at admission were more likely to fall as compared to the patients with lower MFS scores. When falls did occur, these occurred within five days following admission, in the patient room, among patients with alert mental status, and among patients who were ambulant with some assistance. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the need of using risk assessment tool for predicting risk for falls. This finding can be used as a useful resource to develop nursing intervention strategies for fall prevention at the hospital.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.443-454
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of delirium in patients after orthopedic surgery. Methods: Participants were 121 orthopedic surgery patients from one university affiliated hospital located in Seoul. The instrument of Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) developed by Schuurmans et al. (2003) was utilized. Data were collected from September 1st, 2010 to March 31st, 2011 and analyzed using SPSS 12.0 with descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: The delirium in patients after orthopedic surgery was occurred in 9 (7.4%) out of 121 patients. Several factors were associated with the delirium occurrence age, admission route, preadmission Activity of Daily Living (ADL), preadmission hearing aid use, preadmission walking degree, diagnosis, type of surgery, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay after surgery, restraint, drainage tube, time of admission to surgery, preoperative albumin and preoperative sodium. Preadmission ADL, preoperative sodium and time of admission to surgery were the significant predictors of the delirium occurrence. Conclusion: Study results may help nurses predicting and detecting delirium early and providing preventive measures to the patients with high risk of delirium after orthopedic surgery.