• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2023

Human babesiosis is a tick-borne disease induced by the genus Babesia and has been significantly reported in the Republic of Korea. This report shows the cases of 2 patients with human babesiosis who traveled to the USA in 2019. The 2 patients experienced fever and had travel histories to babesiosis-endemic regions. The diagnoses of both cases were verified by the identification of Babesia-infected red blood cells on blood smears. One patient was found to be infected with Babesia microti using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 18S rRNA, which discovered the phylogenetic link to the B. microti strain endemic in the USA. The 2 patients recovered from fever with subsequent hemoparasite clearance. Babesiosis could be diagnosed in anyone with histories of travel to babesiosis-endemic countries and tick bites. Furthermore, Babesia-specific PCR is required for determining geno-and phenotypic characteristics.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.383-422
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• 2008

Considering above, It might be efficient that medical disputes would be settled by the intervention, the agreement, and the administrative relief that reflect mediators' opinion, who have rich social experience as well as specialized knowledge. Therefore, KCA needs to strengthen its function of mediation and improve relevant systems to become an effective settlement institution. And although Oriental medicine disputes have mainly given ex post facto explanations so far, administrative efforts such as policy development or legislation should be made for the high quality of Oriental medical services offered because an efficient way saving social or economic costs caused by the dispute would be precautionary measures. The traditional Oriental medicine is featured with the lack of baseline examination, the uncertainty of medical mistakes, the difficulty in clarifying and proving facts, the hardship of injury conformation and causality because of the characteristics of Oriental medicine, and the relative lightness of physical damages. Actually, there has been few legal settlements in Oriental medical disputes since the compensation, itself, compared to the lawsuit cost, is relatively much lower without practical benefits.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2014

Purpose: The emergency medical service (EMS) system in Japan is similar to that in Korea. This study reviewed the development of paramedics who are major personnel in the respective EMS system of their country. Methods: We searched law for paramedics and publications in J-stage, MEDLINE and the webpage of Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Results: Paramedic training had started in Japan in 1991, and most paramedics were employed in fire departments. In Japan, ambulances belonging to fire department are staffed by a three-person unit, including at least one paramedic. Medical control advisory boards were established in all Japanese prefectures in 2003 with the purpose of upgrading the activities of ambulance personnel, including paramedics. The scope of paramedics' work has been widened owing to the continued efforts of medical control advisory boards. This allows them to perform invasive procedures including tracheal intubation, intravenous line placement, and epinephrine administration under medical control of a physician. Conclusion: As paramedics' responsibilities expand, further development of the paramedic role and an effective medical control advisory board system are imperative both Korea and Japan.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 2024

Purpose: To analyze trends related to demography and EMS and to provide supporting data for the appropriate deployment of EMS providers. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data on patients transported by 119 EMS, demographics, and EMS factors were collected using the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the National Fire Agency annual report from 2017 to 2021. Results: During the study period, the total number of patients and those with severe disorders transported via 119 EMS showed an increasing trend. The total fertility rate and population during the same period tended to decrease, and the population density and number of households increased; however, there was a disparity between regions. The main demographic factors affecting the number of patients transported were population density and total fertility rate, while the main EMS factors were the number of ambulances and provision of emergency medical information services(hospital guidance, pharmacy information, and first aid guidance). Conclusion: From the perspective of EMS providers' force deployment, it is necessary to consider population density, population, number of households, total fertility rate, and number of emergency medical institutions and to strengthen the role of diverting the use of 119 EMS by minor patients by providing emergency medical information.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.609-617
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• 2020

Plasmodium vivax reemerged in 1993. It has been sustained for more than 25 years and become one of the important indigenous parasitic diseases in northern and western parts of the Republic of Korea near the demilitarized zone. In particular, relapse is a significant concern for the control of malaria, as short- and long-term incubation periods vary among those infected in Korea. In this study, the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers was examined among residents of high endemic areas of vivax malaria during nonseasonal transmission of mosquitoes. Blood samples from 3 endemic regions in northwestern Korea were evaluated by microscopic examination, rapid diagnostic testing, and nested PCR to identify asymptomatic patients carrying malaria parasites in the community. However, no positive malaria case among residents of endemic areas was detected. Additionally, serological analysis was carried out to measure antibodies against 3 antigenic recombinant proteins of P. vivax, merozoite surface protein 1-19, circumsporozoite surface protein-VK210, and liver-stage antigen (PvLSA-N), by the protein array method. Interestingly, seropositivity of sera between previous exposure and samples without exposure to malaria was significantly higher using the PvLSA-N antigen than the other antigens, suggesting that PvLSA-N can be used as a serological marker to analyze the degree of exposure for malaria transmission in endemic areas. This indicates a very low asymptomatic carrier prevalence during the nonmalaria season in the endemic areas of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.151-157
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• 2014

A nationwide survey on radiation safety management in Korean animal hospitals was conducted. By 2013, 53 radiation generators were registered as veterinary medical devices (41 X-ray generators and 12 computed tomography scanners). Additionally there were six approved laboratories for radiation equipment and protection facility, and five approved laboratories for radiation exposure of employees, respectively. By March 2013, 2,030 out of 3,829 animal hospitals operated radiation-generating devices. Among these devices, 389 (19.2%) out of 2,030 were not labeled with the model name and 746 (36.7%) were not labeled with production dates. Thus, most veterinary X-ray generators were outdated (42.6%) and needed replacements. When periodic inspections of 2,018 animal hospitals were performed after revision of the Veterinarians Act in 2011, the hospitals were found to be equipped with appropriate radiation generators and protection facilities. Among 2,545 employees exposed to radiation at the hospitals, 93.9% were veterinarians, 4.3% were animal nurse technicians, and 18% held other positions. Among 169 employees supervised by administrators, none of those had a weekly maximum operating load that exceeded $10mA{\cdot}min$. This study suggests that the radiation safety management system of animal hospitals was general good.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.336-347
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• 2011

Objectives: In Korea, an average of 258 workers claim compensation for their noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on an annual basis. Indeed, hearing disorder ranks first in the number of diagnoses made by occupational medical check-ups. Against this backdrop, this study analyzed the impact of 19 types of noise-generating machines and equipment on the sound pressure levels in workplaces and NIHL occurrence based on a 2009 national survey on work environments. Methods: Through this analysis, a series of statistical models were built to determine posterior probabilities for each worksite with an aim to present risk ratings for noise levels at work. Results: It was found that air compressors and grinding machines came in first and second, respectively in the number of installed noise-generating machines and equipment. However, there was no direct relationship between workplace noise and NIHL among workers since noise-control equipment and protective gear had been in place. By building a logistic regression model and neural network, statistical models were set to identify the influence of the noise-generating machines and equipment on workplace noise levels and NIHL occurrence. Conclusion: This study offered NIHL prevention measures which are fit for the worksites in each risk grade.

• Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.361-375
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• 2018

We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of long-acting injectable (LAI) and oral second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) in treating schizophrenia by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library, as well as five Korean databases, were systemically searched to identify studies published from 2000 to 16 April 2015, which compared the efficacy and safety of LAI and oral SGAs. Using data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), meta-analyses were conducted. In addition, the GRADE (the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach was applied to explicitly assess the quality of the evidence. A total of 30 studies including 17 RCTs and 13 observational studies were selected. The group treated with LAI SGAs was characterized by significantly lower relapse rates, longer times to relapse and fewer hospital days, but also by a higher occurrence of extrapyramidal syndrome and prolactin-related symptoms than that in the group treated with oral SGAs. Our findings demonstrate that there is moderate to high level of evidence suggesting that in the treatment of schizophrenia, LAI SGAs have higher efficacy and are associated with higher rates of extrapyramidal syndrome and prolactin-related symptoms. Additionally, the use of LAI SGAs should be combined with appropriate measures to reduce dopamine $D_2$ antagonism-related symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.396-403
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify experiences when Koreans who reside in Thailand visit Thai health facilities. Methods: The data were collected via direct interview from 36 Korean residents of Thailand. Collected data were analyzed by content analysis. Result: 1) 162 content analysis data were collected from the participants' statements. These data were categorized into 70 attributes and 9 higher attributes. 2) Out of the 70 attributes, the 3 attributes which were most commonly mentioned by the participants were the following: medical expense for foreigners were expensive(66.7%), difficulties in communication with health care providers(36.1%), kindness of nurses(33.3%). 3) The 9 higher attributes were 1) high medical expense to foreigner, 2) difficulties in communication, 3) distrust about medical service, 4) excessive prescription in oral medicine, 5) kindness, 6) good service, 7) difference in medical environment according hospital type, 8) irrational process in medical treatment for out patients, 9) cultural difference in postpartum care. Conclusion: When Korean residents in Thailand use Thailand health facilities, they experience high medical expense, difficulties in communication, low quality in medical service and kindness of the medical staff.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.295-309
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• 2019

Eight years have passed since the Korean government's medical agency officially reported that the fatal lung disease found in some hospitals in 2011 was caused by chemical disinfectants used in household humidifiers, marking the introduction of the humidifier disinfectant disaster. Over the past eight years, a medical-scientific approach has been taken by the Korean government in its efforts to solve the problems in terms of relief of and compensation for the potential victims. One of the unintended consequence of this approach has been the fact that the number of "official victims" recognized by the government is quite small compared to the total number of applicants who claim to be suffering from the humidifier disinfectant disaster. This is mainly due to the fact that the medical-scientific approach relies on excessively strict, rigid, and narrow medical-scientific criteria provided by medical experts for judging the degree of applicants' bodily damage from the use of humidifier disinfectants. As a result, this medical-scientific approach is becoming increasingly criticized by patients' organizations mainly composed of rejected applicants. Based on the analysis of the limits of this medical-scientific approach and after clarifying the social implications of the disaster from a sociological perspective, this paper proposes certain social approaches focused on participatory governance as a means of dealing with the current issue. Finally, the paper emphasizes that the act of taking social responses to the humidifier disinfectant disaster should also be considered a process of enlarging and deepening democracy in Korea.