• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2019

Purpose: Recent developments in minimally invasive techniques have the potential to reduce surgical morbidity, promote patient recovery, accelerate surgical procedures, and thus improve cost-effectiveness in case management. In this study, we compared the treatment efficacy and results of supraorbital keyhole approach (SOKA) with those of conventional unilateral frontal craniotomy (CUFC) for traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (TICH) in the frontal lobe. Methods: We analyzed the data of 38 patients who underwent CUFC (n=30) and SOKA (n=8) and retrospectively reviewed their medical records and radiological findings. Furthermore, we tried to identify the best surgical method for such lesions by including patients who underwent burr hole aspiration and drainage (BHAD) (n=9) under local anesthesia due to various circumstances. Results: The difference in the initial Glasgow coma scale score, operative time, and length of hospitalization between the CUFC and SOKA were statistically significant. All radiological features between the two groups including associated skull fracture, amount of pre- and postoperative hematoma, percentage of complete hematoma removal, pre- and postoperative midline shifting of the hematoma, and development of postoperative delayed hematoma were not statistically significant. Our experience of 46 patients with TICH in the frontal lobe with any of the three different surgical methods including BHAD enabled us to obtain valuable findings. Conclusions: Although it is difficult to insist that one particular approach is more useful than the other, we are confident that SOKA will have more advantages over CUFC in carefully selected patients with frontal TICH depending on the surgical experience of a neurosurgeon.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2019

Background: The fear of needle insertion and pain during anesthesia is a source of patient dissatisfaction in dentistry. Inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) remains the most common type of block and is in itself painful. Computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) has been proven to reduce the pain associated with injection of anesthetics in various blocks. However, the efficacy of CCLAD for IANB in adults remains unknown. Methods: Sixty-four adult patients requiring bilateral IANB were selected and divided into two groups: group A (50 patients receiving IANB via CCLAD) and group B (50 patients receiving IANB using a conventional cartridge syringe). Pain perception and patient comfort were assessed using the visual analog scale and the 5-point semantic scale, respectively. Results: The pain perception was compared between the two groups using the Mann-Whitney U-test, and the P value was 0.003. The patient comfort was also compared using the same test, and the P value was 0.484. Conclusion: A significant difference was observed in the pain perception of the patients during CCLAD. The patient comfort was grossly equal for both techniques.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2019

Spontaneous speech provides rich information defining the linguistic characteristics of individuals. As such, computational analysis of speech would enhance the efficiency involved in evaluating patients' speech. This study aims to provide a method to differentiate the persons with and without aphasia based on language usage. Ten aphasic patients and their counterpart normal controls participated, and they were all tasked to describe a set of given words. Their utterances were linguistically processed and compared to each other. Computational analyses from PCA (Principle Component Analysis) to machine learning were conducted to select the relevant linguistic features, and consequently to classify the two groups based on the features selected. It was found that functional words, not content words, were the main differentiator of the two groups. The most viable discriminators were demonstratives, function words, sentence final endings, and postpositions. The machine learning classification model was found to be quite accurate (90%), and to impressively be stable. This study is noteworthy as it is the first attempt that uses computational analysis to characterize the word usage patterns in Korean aphasic patients, thereby discriminating from the normal group.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1123-1126
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• 2018

Study Design: Observational study. Purpose: To assess the correlational accuracy between the traditional anatomic landmarks of the neck and their corresponding vertebral levels in Southern Chinese patients. Overview of Literature: Recent studies have demonstrated discrepancies between traditional anatomic landmarks of the neck and their corresponding cervical vertebra. Methods: The center of the body of the hyoid bone, the upper limit of the lamina of the thyroid cartilage, and the lower limit of the cricoid cartilage were selected as representative surface landmarks for this investigation. The corresponding vertebral levels in 78 patients were assessed using computed tomography. Results: In both male and female patients, almost none of the anatomical landmarks demonstrated greater than 50% correlation with any vertebral level. The most commonly corresponding vertebra of the hyoid bone, the lamina of the thyroid cartilage, and the cricoid cartilage were the C4 (47.5%), C5 (35.9%), and C7 (42.3%), respectively, which were all different from the classic descriptions in textbooks. The vertebral levels corresponding with the thyroid and cricoid cartilage were significantly different between genders. Conclusions: The surface landmarks of the neck were not accurate enough to be used as the sole determinant of vertebral levels or incision sites. Intra-operative fluoroscopy is necessary to accurately locate each of the cervical vertebral levels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2019

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of observing a self-video or a video of another person performing balance and gait training, followed by actual performance of the observed movements on the balance and walking ability of chronic stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty patients, who had experienced a stroke and were admitted to S rehabilitation hospital for treatment, were selected randomly and divided into three groups with 10 patients each: self-action observation (SAO) group, other-action observation (OAO) group, and treadmill walking training (TWT) group. The training program was conducted five times per week for four weeks. The GAITRite system, 10 m walking test, and timed up and go test were performed to measure the subjects' gait and balance ability. RESULTS: The velocity, cadence, double support, and stride length were increased significantly in the SAO and OAO groups (p<.05) but the T group showed no significant changes; no significant difference was observed among the groups (p >.05). The 10MWT decreased significantly in the OAO group (p<.05), but there were no significant changes in the SAO and T groups, and no significant difference was observed among the groups (p>.05). The TUG decreased significantly in the SAO and OAO groups (p<.05), but there were no significant changes in the T group, and no significant difference was observed among the groups (p>.05). CONCLUSION: The self or other action observation training helps improve the balance and gait ability.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.136-140
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• 2019

Background: Epidermal cysts are the most common benign epithelial tumors in humans. The curative treatment of epidermal cyst is surgical excision. However, only few studies have investigated the cause and mechanism of postoperative complications of epidermal cysts. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting complications of epidermal cyst after surgical treatment. Methods: Patients with histologically diagnosed epidermal cysts were selected from among 98 consecutive patients with excised benign cystic tumors from March 2014 to August 2017. Sex, age, size, mobility, site of occurrence, history of infection, history of incision and drainage, complications, history of reoperation, and method of overcoming complications was obtained by analyzing medical records retrospectively. Results: Five of the 98 patients had wound dehiscence due to surgical infection. Three of them underwent wound healing with conservative treatment without a second operation. The other two patients underwent a second operation and showed signs of preoperative infection. None of the factors showed statistical significance in relation to the occurrence of complications. Conclusion: Postoperative complications occurred when the excision of the epidermal cyst was performed at preoperative infection sites or at sites with high tension, so attention should be paid to postoperative care.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2021

Since the first report of a nasal septal abscess (NSA) from a dental origin (1920), six articles have been published in the English literature to date. The most common cause of NSA is an infection of the nasal septal hematoma after trauma. This is a report of an uncommon cause of NSA with a dental origin. A PubMed search performed regardless of year and country using the terms ("nasal septal abscess") OR ("nasal septum abscess") initially yielded 229 articles. After screening, seven articles (eight patients) were selected. Addition of two related articles produced a total of nine articles (10 patients) to be included. The age of the included patients ranged from 7 to 69 years (mean, 32.82 years; standard deviation, ±23.86 years). The sex composition was as followed: males (n=7; 63.6%), females (n=4; 36.4%). Dental histories were various: periapical lesions, caries, extraction, endodontic therapy, and cystic lesions. The maxillary incisor dominated as the tooth of origin. Early diagnosis and treatment of NSAs are important to avoid not only facial deformity, but also severe complications (e.g., intracranial infection). If NSA is suspected in patients without facial trauma, the possibility of a dental origin, especially from the maxillary incisor area, should be considered.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.72-85
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• 2023

Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify the psychosocial interventions for patients with alcohol use disorder and to assess the effects of those interventions. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, KoreaMed, KMBASE, RISS, KISS, Science ON, and DBpia to identify studies reported in English or Korean from 2012 to 2021. Results: From the 4,051 studies extracted, 14 studies were selected for review. The majority of the psychosocial interventions were focused on cognitive therapy or cognitive-behavior therapy. Most of the studies reported that the interventions made positive effects on alcohol consumptions. In addition, the psychosocial interventions for patients with alcohol use disorder were effective on coping, support, alcohol avoidance behavior, and hostility bias. Most of the studies reporting positive effects of psychosocial intervention programs applied computers, mobile phones, or similar electronic devices. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review suggest that the use of computers or mobile devices in psychosocial intervention programs will be effective. It can be said that this systematic review reflects the current trends involving the development of information and communication technology. This systematic review can provide basic data for establishing evidence and suggesting future directions for psychosocial interventions for patients with alcohol use disorder.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.127-129
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• 2016

The prognosis for pancreatic cancer patient is very poor. Patients with locally advanced disease have a median survival time of 8 to 12 months, and patients with distant metastases have significantly worse outcomes, with a median survival time of only 3 to 6 months. Approximately 30% of patients with pancreatic cancer present with locally advanced disease defined as unresectable pancreatic cancer without evidence of distant metastatic disease. Primary treatment options in locally advanced pancreatic cancer include chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Here, we reported a patient with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who does not want further chemotherapy because of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. Irreversible electroporation was performed. Irreversible electroporation was well tolerated in this case, and may be a therapeutic modality for selected patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.300-309
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation training on ankle mobility and gait in patients with stroke. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: 31 patients with stroke were selected and classified into an experimental group (n=16) and a control group (n=15). Both groups were assessed for ankle mobility using the Knee to Wall Test and gait parameters using G-walk before and after the intervention. The intervention was applied five times a week for four weeks. The experimental group performed gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation followed by ankle control exercises, while the control group only applied NMES to the tibialis anterior muscle of the paretic side for 30 min per session five times a week for 4 weeks. Results: Experimental group showed significant improvements in Knee to wall test. and lumbar flexibility after the intervention. both group showed significant improvements in gait parameters after the intervention. However, when comparing between the two groups, the experimental group showed a more significant effect than the control group. Conclusions: Gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation training can be considered an effective approach to improve ankle mobility and gait ability in patients with stroke.