• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.577-582
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted to find ways to restore the domestic medical tourism industry, which was seriously hit by a sharp drop in foreign patients after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Kendall's W verification was used by asking expert panel for keyword advice by ranking. The conclusion of the study is that institutions attracting foreign patients need an opportunity to turn the crisis situation into an opportunity by expanding treatment for severe foreign patients. In addition, it is possible to gain familiarity and trust in hospitals in situations where it is difficult to visit overseas through virtual and augmented reality, and to prevent the risk of infection and protect patients in the untact era. In addition, the blockchain can maintain patient information supplementation, share it safely, minimize customer inconvenience by using payment means using virtual currency, and finally, smart healthcare can manage and provide information to patients regardless of location.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.8-13
• /
• 2022

Jeju is the largest island in Korea and one of its key tourist attractions. As the number of foreign tourists steadily increases, so does the number of injuries incurred there. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe and compare the characteristics of injuries suffered by foreign tourists versus those of domestic tourists. As a cross-sectional study of a retrospective medical record survey, the study was conducted with reference to the Jeju Injury Surveillance System from the 11-year period of January 2008 to December 2018. The following factors were investigated: demographic data, mechanism of injury, place of occurrence, activity when injured, patient outcome, and mortality. A total of 92,095 injured Jeju Island visitors was recorded during this time, a number that included 88,050 Koreans and 4,045 foreigners. The gender ratio showed similar patterns between the two groups and there were no significant age differences. In both groups, the most common mechanism of injury was collisions/cuts. Also, more foreigners experienced falls than Koreans. Regarding the location, Koreans had the most road accidents, while foreigners were most likely to be injured at outdoor locations, such as seas and rivers. Furthermore, more foreigners experienced severe injuries requiring hospitalization. Notably, this study showed the differences in injury between foreign and Korean tourists visiting Jeju Island and its findings lend support to targeted safety promotion programs.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.408-424
• /
• 2023

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is an incapacitating disorder that impacts a substantial proportion of stroke survivors and can diminish their quality of life. Conventional therapies for CPSP, including tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids, are frequently ineffective, necessitating the investigation of alternative therapeutic strategies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is now recognized as a promising noninvasive pain management method for CPSP. rTMS modulates neural activity through the administration of magnetic pulses to specific cortical regions. Trials analyzing the effects of rTMS on CPSP have generated various outcomes, but the evidence suggests possible analgesic benefits. In CPSP and other neuropathic pain conditions, high-frequency rTMS targeting the primary motor cortex (M1) with figure-eight coils has demonstrated significant pain alleviation. Due to its associaton with analgesic benefits, M1 is the most frequently targeted area. The duration and frequency of rTMS sessions, as well as the stimulation intensity, have been studied in an effort to optimize treatment outcomes. The short-term pain relief effects of rTMS have been observed, but the long-term effects (> 3 months) require further investigation. Aspects such as stimulation frequency, location, and treatment period can influence the efficacy of rTMS and ought to be considered while planning the procedure. Standardized guidelines for using rTMS in CPSP would optimize therapy protocols and improve patient outcomes. This review article provides an up-to-date overview of the incidence, clinical characteristics, outcome of rTMS in CPSP patients, and future perspective in the field.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.109-115
• /
• 2022

During emergencies, the time from symptom onset to definitive treatment determines the final outcome. Therefore, the emergency medical service (EMS) system in Korea, aims to transfer patients requiring emergency care to appropriate medical facilities within 30 minutes. This is in an attempt to improve the chances of survival and reduce sequelae. We attempted to locate areas vulnerable to prehospital transportation and identify hot spots with high demand for emergency medical helicopters in Jeju, by using a grid-based geospatial analysis. This retrospective cross-sectional observational study employed EMS data of 119 ambulance run sheets spanning from January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2018 in Jeju. The location data of emergency patients was superimposed on the spatial analysis frame using the geographic information system (GIS). Subsequently, the locations of long-distance transfer and delayed transfers to the hospital were analyzed, to identify hot spots where the demand for helicopter emergency services would be high. Of the total analysis targets, 42.2% (20,288 people) took more than 30 minutes from reporting to 119 dispatchers to hospital transfer. As the transfer time interval increased, the patient occurrence time increased in the city of Jeju, increased in Seogwipo, and the ratio of patients/guardians to select a transfer hospital rose with significant differences. This study identified the characteristics related to time delays in prehospital transfer of emergency patients in Jeju, and the areas vulnerable to prehospital emergency care were derived and visualized through spatial analysis using the GIS.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2023

Metal artifacts cause inaccuracies in target delineation, radiation treatment planning, and delivery when computed tomography images of a radiotherapy patient implanted with a high-density material in the body are acquired. In this study, we investigated the possibility of obtaining improved images in clinical trials through metal artifact reduction using silicon impression materials without the need for a specific metal artifact reduction algorithm. A silicon impression material exhibiting a constant Hounsfield unit (HU) value according to the mixing ratio of the catalysts and bases was selected. The material did not exhibit any change in weight or shape over time. For both the instances of inserting the metal material and applying the silicon impression material, the HU value and dose were compared with homogeneous cases filled with water-equivalent materials. When the silicon impression material was applied to the region where the high-density material was located, the HU value was within 5% and the dose was within 3% compared with those of the homogeneous cases. In this study, the silicon impression materials reduced metal artifacts. However, because the composition, shape, size, and location of high-density materials differ, further studies are required to consider these factors in clinical applications.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.55-57
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Tibialis anterior tendon rupture is uncommon and usually caused by laceration. Rupture with an open window is often considered simple laceration, and thus diagnosis is often overlooked or delayed. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical features of tibialis anterior tendon rupture. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients treated for tibialis anterior tendon rupture from March 2015 to December 2019 were examined. Age, sex, rupture etiology, rupture location, and diagnostic and treatment delays were investigated. Results: Mean patient age was 45.7 years, and there were 14 males and 8 females. In 18 cases, rupture was caused by laceration and in 4 by spontaneous rupture. Of the 18 cases caused by laceration, 8 were lawnmower related, 8 were glass injuries, and 2 were caused by crush or degloving injuries, respectively. Three of the 4 spontaneous rupture cases and 4 of the 18 caused by laceration were overlooked. Conclusion: Tibialis anterior tendon rupture is rare and is easily overlooked. Close physical examination is essential to arrive at a correct initial diagnosis in patients with acute or chronic rupture, and greater care is needed in cases of glass injury.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.33-43
• /
• 2023

Objectives : Floating acupuncture (FA) is a kind of newly developed acupuncture technique that contains its own apparatus. The technique has unique points that the body of the acupuncture needle stays intradermal space and manipulation is performed by shaking the needle horizontally; after manipulation, part of the needle remained in the intradermal space for 2~3 days. FA is not a common acupuncture methodology while various clinical study claims its efficacy on musculoskeletal disorders. In this study, the authors aimed to enhance the use of FA by comparing related theories. Methods : The authors reviewed classics, books, and articles related to FA, Meridian Muscle (MM), Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS), and Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture (WAA), and compared its characteristics by related theory, related symptoms, apparatus, and performing procedures. Results : FA was related and had various common parts with MM, MPS, and WAA, however, there were unique parts in the manipulation, apparatus, and stimulation location. FA is based on MM and MPS which pointing 'ashi points' or 'trigger points' as a treating target while FA does not stimulate the points directly. FA also targets subcutaneous space by inserting the needle horizontally as WAA does, while FA remains the needle handle part in the subcutaneous area for 2~3 days for more stimulation. Conclusions : FA has a unique manipulation procedure and potential benefit for musculoskeletal disorders despite the crude theological base written by Fu himself. Thus, developing a new explanation and patient-friendly methodology/apparatus is required for further down-to-earth studies.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.59-64
• /
• 2006

Objective : This study was aimed to investigated the warning signs and its relationship with the other characteristics in acute stroke patients. Methods : Three-hundred sixty three acute stroke patients were recuited in the oriental medical hospitals of 3 universities located in metropolitan region from October in 2005 to October in 2006. We evaluated their stroke type with brain MRI, their waring signs, and general characteristics such as age, sex, past history, risk factor, etc. Result : Of the 363 patient, 138(38%) patients were experience of warning signs. The frequency of Stress were found more in experience of warning signs than none of them. Warning signs were more common in Large Artery Atherosclerosis than in the other etiology. Conclusion : Although a concrete conclusion can hardly be drawn from this study, it reminds physicians of the importance of warning signs which their patients appeal. For the further investigation, it seems to be necessary to construct fundamental databases for stroke by increasing the number of patients and by examination into the etiology and location.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.126-135
• /
• 2023

PURPOSE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of implant stability measuring devices depending on the location of the implant and the position of the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Six implants were installed in different dentate sextants of six artificial bone models. Implant stability was measured in three conditions of the bone model (without mounting on a phantom head, mounted on a phantom head in supine position, and mounted on a phantom head in upright position). A resonance frequency analysis device (Osstell) and two damping capacity analysis devices (Periotest and Anycheck) were used to measure implant stability. The values measured outside the phantom head were treated as controls, and the values inside the phantom head were compared using an independent t-test. RESULTS. Osstell showed different results in two of the six divisions in both the supine and upright positions compared to outside of the mouth (P < .05). Periotest showed different results in all six parts in the supine position and in five parts in the upright position compared to outside of the mouth (P < .05). While Anycheck showed different results in five areas in the supine position compared to outside of the mouth, it showed different results in only one area in the upright position (P < .05). CONCLUSION. In the difficult implant position for the operator to access, the implant stability measuring devices show less reliability. The accessibility of implant is greatly affected in the order of Osstell, Anycheck, and Periotest.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.202-206
• /
• 2023

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare complication that occurs in less than 1% of ectopic pregnancies, and uterine didelphys is one of the rarest uterine forms. We report a successful laparoscopic excision and repair of CSP in a woman with uterine didelphys and a double vagina. A 34-year-old gravida one, para one woman with a history of low transverse cesarean section presented to our hospital with a suspected CSP. She was confirmed to have uterine didelphys with a double vagina during an infertility examination 7 years earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 2.5-cm gestational sac-like cystic lesion in the lower segment of the right uterus at the cesarean scar. We decided to perform a laparoscopic approach after informing the patient of the surgical procedure. The lower segment of the previous cesarean site was excised with monopolar diathermy to minimize bleeding. We identified the gestational sac in the lower segment of the right uterus, which was evacuated using spoon forceps. The myometrium and serosa of the uterus were sutured layer-by-layer using synthetic absorbable sutures. No remnant gestational tissue was visible on follow-up ultrasonography one month after the surgery. This laparoscopic approach to CSP in a woman with uterine didelphys is an effective and safe method of treatment. In women with uterine anomalies, it is important to confirm the exact location of the gestational sac by preoperative imaging for successful surgery.