• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2022

Background: To prepare for future work stoppages in the medical industry, this study aimed to identify the effects of healthcare worker strikes on the mortality rate of patients visiting the emergency department (ED) at six training hospitals in Daegu, South Korea. Methods: We used a retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter design to analyze the medical records of patients who visited six training hospitals in Daegu (August 21-September 8, 2020). For comparison, control period 1 was set as the same period in the previous year (August 21-September 8, 2019) and control period 2 was set as July 1-19, 2020. Patient characteristics including age, sex, and time of ED visit were investigated along with mode of arrival, length of ED stay, and in-hospital mortality. The experimental and control groups were compared using t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, and Fisher exact tests, as appropriate. Univariate logistic regression was performed to identify significant factors, followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: During the study period, 31,357 patients visited the ED, of which 7,749 belonged to the experimental group. Control periods 1 and 2 included 13,100 and 10,243 patients, respectively. No significant in-hospital mortality differences were found between strike periods; however, the results showed statistically significant differences in the length of ED stay. Conclusion: The ED resident strike did not influence the mortality rate of patients who visited the EDs of six training hospitals in Daegu. Furthermore, the number of patients admitted and the length of ED stay decreased during the strike period.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2009

Purpose: Merkel cell carcinoma, also called neuroendocrine carcinoma, is a very rare type of skin cancer that develops as Merkel cells grow out of control. Merkel cell carcinoma is reported below 1% of whole skin neoplasms in the United States and is known that the 2-year survival rate is about 50~70%. The principles of treatment are wide excision of primary lesion with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy that decrease the local recurrent rate. There has been no report of reconstruction with free flap after resection of Merkel cell carcinoma in Korea. Methods: We reconstructed the skin and soft tissue defect after wide excision of Merkel cell carcinoma with anterolateral thigh perforator free flap in two cases. No distant metastasis was found at the preoperative imaging work-up. In one case, preoperative chemotherapy was performed and the size of lesion was decreased. Results: There were no recurrence and significant complications. Functionally and aesthetically satisfactory results were obtained with reconstruction. Conclusion: Wide excision and reconstruction with anterolateral thigh perforator free flap for Merkel cell carcinoma patient is the first report in Korea. We regard this method as the treatment of choice in Merkel cell carcinoma.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2011

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of a cranial nerve and has a main symptoms of irregular movement of muscle, stiffening, trembling which occurred by about 1% of population in the age of over 65. Moreover, the and prevalence rate and attack rate are soaring according to increase of elderly population. However, allopathy and surgery were done through dopamine and anticholinergic medicine for treatment but it developed a lot of complications due to medicine and progress since it makes slow progress or can't stop the treatment. Hereupon, I report that there is a case on one of the patients Young Jin Oriental Medical Clinic. The patient who is in state of treatment termination who doesn't need any further remedy and no worsening of symptoms after conduction of therapies of dialectic and 5 upright life cure regulations. 5 upright life cure regulations means five practive way for improvement of nature healing power. Upon undertaking the 5 upright life cure regulations, there were found significant results in such tests as Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn & Yahr Staging Scale, and Activity of Daily Living (ADL), and the ingestion of Benztropine 1mg and Requip 0.25mg was decreased from 3 times to 0 times. The study offers objective clinical data on Oriental Medicine treatment for Parkinson's disease which is one of representative neuro-degenerative diseases and thus broadens the application range of Oriental Medical treatment and presents the fundamental data on the clinical research on Parkinson's disease by adopting evidence-based medicine (EBM).

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.71-87
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• 2009

This study was conducted to present strategies for efficient use of older people's medical expense and efficient management of hospital beds 삭제by analyzing factors which influenced medical charge of inpatients with stroke and medical charge of each medical treatment. The subjects was 1,070 inpatients with stroke in Academic hospital. The result of this study can be summarized as follows. In the case of cerebral hemorrhage, the rate of female was higher than that of male. In the case of cerebral infarction, the rate of male was higher than that of female. With increase of age, patients with cerebral hemorrhage decreased and patients with cerebral infarction increased. Medical charge for cerebral hemorrhage was 12,600,000 won, while that for cerebral infarction was 572,000 won. The medical charge with surgery was four times of that with non-surgery. The total medical charge for inpatients with stroke was 6,860,000 won. The patient payed 2,240,000 won(32.6%) and National Health Insurance Corporation payed 4,620,000 won(67.3%). Among charges of specific medical treatments, operation and treatment charge was highest(27.7%) in the case of cerebral hemorrhage, while examination charge was highest(32.2%)in the case of cerebral infarction. This study will provide basic information for efficient use of Medical Charge for Inpatients with Stroke.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 2021

Background: Dialysis patients are prone to having disabilities. We aimed to evaluate the association between disability and various clinical outcomes in Korean dialysis patients. Methods: This study consisted of 1,615 dialysis patients from 27 centers. We evaluated disability by using four questions on the activities of daily living (ADLs) concerning whether help was needed for feeding, dressing/undressing, getting in/out of bed, or taking a bath/shower. We divided the patients into three groups: no disability (Non-D, none of the four ADL domains required help; n=1,312), mild disability (Mild-D, one ADL domain required some/full help; n=163), or moderate to severe disability (MS-D, two or more ADL domains required some/full help; n=140). We evaluated falls, frailty, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mortality, and hospitalization. Results: The numbers of participants with a fall during the last 1 year were 199 (15.2%), 42 (25.8%), and 44 (31.4%) in the Non-D, Mild-D, and MS-D groups, respectively (p<0.001). The numbers of participants with frailty in the Non-D, Mild-D, and MS-D groups were 381 (29.0%), 84 (51.5%), and 93 (66.4%), respectively (p<0.001). In both univariate and multivariate analyses, the physical component scale and mental component scale scores decreased as the grade of disability increased (p<0.001 for both scores). Hospitalization-free survival rate at 500 days was 64.2%, 56.7%, and 51.1% in the Non-D, Mild-D, and MS-D, respectively (p=0.001 for trend). Patient survival rate at 500 days was 95.3%, 89.5%, and 92.3% in the Non-D, Mild-D, and MS-D, respectively (p=0.005 for trend). Conclusion: Disability was associated with falls, frailty, HRQoL scales, and survival trends in Korean dialysis patients.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.456-469
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• 1997

The cerebral infarction arised from occulsion of cerebral artery has a high mortality rate and fatal sequelae. Sohabhyangwon(蘇合香元) is generally regarded to have a effect of walking up the patient from unconsiousness and promoting the flow of Qj(氣) by warming channel. METHOD The purpose of this study is to find out the effections of Sohabhyangwon(蘇合香元) on regional cerebral blood flow and relative cerebral infarction area in the experimentally induced infartion in rats In this experiment, 12 Spraque-Dawley rats weighting 280-350g were used. Cerebral ischemia induced by intraluminal suture technique of Kozumi's and Zea-Longer's method. $Co_{2},\;O_2$, pH, arterial blood pressure in rats were checked by Blood Gas Analyzer every 30 minutes for 2 hours. And regional cerebral blood flow were checking by hydrogen clearance technique, cerebral infarcted area was megsured by Image Analysis System. RESULTS 1. During the experiment, $CO_{2},\;O_2$, pH, arterial blood pressure in rats had no change in both sample group and control group. 2. Cortical cerebral blood flow decreased at same rate in both sample group and control group after inducing cerebral infarction. 3. On comparison of relative cerebral infarcted area, Sohabhyangwon(蘇合香元) perfused group showed a significant decrease. CONCLUSION According to the result above, Sohabhyangwon has a protection effect on cranial nerve and-has no effect on cerebral blood flow.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate how sedative-hypnotics affect the occurrence and severity of the patient's symptoms. In addition, we conducted a study to determine the type of patients who reacted severely and required hospitalization; patients were accordingly classified as hospitalized patients and patients discharged from the emergency room. Methods: From January 2017 to December 2019, we investigated the demographics, drug information, history, laboratory tests, and severity of patients who visited our emergency department and were diagnosed with benzodiazepine, zolpidem, and doxylamine succinate overdose. We further compared details of hospitalized patients and discharged patients. Results: Subjects who had overdosed and visited the ED included 120 for benzodiazepine, 147 for zolpidem, and 27 for doxylamine succinate. Comparisons between the three groups revealed differences in their early diagnosis, psychiatric history, and sleep disturbance. Differences between groups were also determined for mental state, poisoning history, treatment received in the intensive care unit, and intubation and ventilator support. In cases of benzodiazepine overdose, we obtained a high hospitalization rate (40.0%), admission to the intensive care unit (24.2%), and intubation rate (18.3%). Comparisons between hospitalized patients and discharged groups showed differences in transferred patients, early diagnosis, and mental state. Conclusion: Patients poisoned by sedative-hypnotics are increasing every year. In cases of benzodiazepine and zolpidem, the hospitalization rates were high, and benzodiazepine overdose resulted in hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and pneumonia in a majority of cases. Therefore, active treatment and quick decisions in the emergency room are greatly required.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.36-55
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• 2020

Objectives: The present study is carried out to review the efficacy of Korean, Oriental medicine on premenstrual syndrome. Methods: We searched for 7 internet worldwide databases in order to find the studies with the keywords of 'premenstrual syndrome', 'premenstrual syndrome & Oriental medicine', 'premenstrual syndrome & traditional Chinese medicine' and 'premenstrual syndrome & herbal medicine' from 2009 to 2019. after selecting studies based on own criteria, total 8 studies are finally included. the studies were assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias criteria and reviewed systematically. Results: After intervention, cured patient rate in test groups in all of studies were significantly higher than rate in control group. there were significant decrease in headache, anorexia, dry mouth, breast mass, mastodynia, agitation, irascibility, edema, dizziness, fever, anhedonia, depression, inability to sleep, profuse dreaming with herbal medicinal intervention. 3 of those studies checked hormonal level. Estradiol (E2) and Progesteron (P) changed significantly in 2 of studies. Prolactin (PRL) in 1 study decreased significantly. FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) had no significant decrease in 1 study. Conclusions: This review suggests that herbal medicine on premenstrual syndrome is effective without serious adverse effects. however, since unclear risk of bias, the result of this study should be considered carefully. further clinical trials should be carried out in order to academical clinical progress regarding treatment of premenstrual syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2021

Purpose: Despite the fact that emergency medical centers (ED) are used by emergency patients, more than 50% of non-emergency patients have been reported to be admitted in EDs, of which more than 10% of them used the 119 ambulance. Therefore, this study investigated whether there was a change in the severity of patients visiting EDs during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who visited the ED through the 119 ambulance in 2019 (13,735) and 2020 (11,015). Patient data were analyzed using the medical information system. Results: There was an increase in non-emergency patients at the emergency departments (KTAS levels 4-5) in 2020 with a rate of 58.0% (6,393), as compared to the 2019 data with a rate of 44.9% (6,169). However, the 2020 median length of stay in the emergency department was 188 minutes (IQR: 0-5,909minutes) (p=.000), which was decreased as compared to the 2019 median length of stay of 231 minutes (IQR: 5-6,211minutes) (p=.003). Conclusion: Providing emergency ambulance guidelines for selecting proper hospitals and educating patients to refrain from using the ED for non-emergency patients should be taken into consideration to prevent overcrowding and construct a more effective emergency medical system (EMS).

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.11b
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• pp.371-376
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• 2000

In this study, the computational method is presented to simulate the hemodynamics of the patients after the Fontan procedure. The short-term feedback control models are implemented to assess the hemodynamic responses of the patients exposed to the stresses such as gravitational effect or hemorrhage. To construct the base line of the Fontan model, we assume an increase in venous tone, in heart rates, and in systemic resistance that are based on the clinical observations. For the verification of the present method we simulate the LBNP (lower body negative pressure) test for the normal and the Fontan model and we compare these with experimental data. Computational results show that the diastolic ABP(arterial blood pressure) increases but the systolic ABP decreases during LBNP. The increase in heart rate is due to the control system activated by the decreased mean ABP and CVP(central venous pressure). In case of the Fontan model, the increased venous tone is the reason of the diminished CVP change during LBNP. We also simulate 20% hemorrhage stress to the patient after the Fontan procedure and these results are compared with the experimental and the existing computational one. Computational results on the hemodynamics of patients after the Fontan procedure show that the mean ABP and cardiac output decrease. Heart rate and systemic resistance increase to compensate for the decrease in ABP. The sensitivity analysis according to the conduit resistance is also presented to delineate the effects of the local blood flow resistance. The cardiac output decreases according to the increase of the conduit resistance. The 50% increase in the conduit resistance causes about 3% decrease of cardiac output.