• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.42-53
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• 2020

Purpose: It is important to consider both clinical factors and epidemiological factors in treating burn patients in emergency rooms. However, many emergency medical staffs happen to miss their chances of treating burns based on these considerations. This study is designed to find a better treatment for burn patients in emergency rooms along this approach. Methods: This study was conducted based on the data of the burn patients visiting the emergency room of a single general hospital from January 2015 to December 2019. The epidemiological and clinical factors were extracted out of the data, then the relationship between the prognosis and these factors were analyzed. Results: Most of burn accidents occurred at home, and were caused by hot water, soup, drinks, oil, etc. Especially, flame burns showed high hospitalization rate, surgical rate and mortality. In addition, their prognosis was poor when the affected area included facial, limb and perineal areas etc., or any inhalation burn co-existed. Also, the hospitalization rate and period increased when the treatment time was delayed or the pre-treatment was taken. There was a strong relationship between prognosis and the period of follow-up when patients were admitted during the period. Conclusion: It is difficult for medical staffs to evaluate prognosis of burns in emergency rooms due to progressive damages. Precise treatment and disposition are essential for patients' good prognosis. Therefore, medical staffs should establish treatment plans by identifying the patient's epidemiological and clinical factors, rather than giving prescriptions based on fragmentary and superficial symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.414-419
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• 2023

Background: The recurrence of ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in patients who have already undergone treatment with antiarrhythmic medication, catheter ablation, and the insertion of implantable cardioverter defibrillators is not uncommon. Recent studies have shown that bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation (BCSD) effectively treats VAs. However, only a limited number of studies have confirmed the safety of BCSD as a viable therapeutic option for VAs. Methods: This single-center study included 10 patients, who had a median age of 54 years (interquartile range [IQR], 45-65 years) and a median ejection fraction of 58.5% (IQR, 56.2%-60.8%), with VAs who underwent video-assisted BCSD. BCSD was executed as a single-stage surgery for 8 patients, while the remaining 2 patients initially underwent left cardiac sympathetic denervation followed by right cardiac sympathetic denervation. We evaluated postoperative complications, the duration of hospital stays, and VA-related symptoms before and after surgery. Results: The median hospital stay after surgery was 2 days (IQR, 2-3 days). The median surgical time for BCSD was 113 minutes (IQR, 104-126 minutes). No significant complications occurred during hospitalization or after discharge. During the median follow-up period of 13.5 months (IQR, 10.5-28.0 months) from surgery, no VA-related symptoms were observed in 70% of patients. Conclusion: The benefits of a short postoperative hospitalization and negligible complications make BCSD a safe, alternative therapeutic option for patients suffering from refractory VAs.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2014

Background: It is known to reduce the mortality when glutamine is supplied to patients during the surgery or in intensive care unit through intravenous nutrition supply. The purpose of this study is to establish the appropriate basis for use of glutamine and guidelines of nutrition supply for critically ill patients in the hospital by examining the clinical effects of administration of glutamine with subjects of elderly critically ill patients receiving intravenous nutrition in one hospital in Korea. Method: Among elderly patients with age of 60 or more hospitalized in Yeuido St. Mary's Hospital from August 2012 to July 2013, those who stayed in the intensive care unit for more than a week and received TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) for more than 3 days during staying in the intensive care unit were classified to a test group using glutamine and a control group without glutamine. Duration of use of mechanical ventilator, duration of hospitalization, occurrence of infectious disease and death were compared between two groups. We would like to identify the clinical test figures affected by the use of glutamine by examining changes in SCr, Total Protein, Albumin, AST, ALT, TB, DB and GFR at the time of admission and discharge. Results: At the time of admission to intensive care unit, gender, physical measurement information and clinical test figures did not show any significant difference between 72 subjects in a test group and 24 subjects in a control group. Thus, two groups began in the same condition. There were no significant difference in duration of hospitalization, duration of intensive care unit, use of mechanical ventilator, occurrence of infectious disease and death. As the results of statistical analysis of the average changes of clinical test figures at the time of admission and discharge of intensive care unit, SCr and GFR were significantly changed in the test group. GFR was significantly changed in a control group. As the result of analysis of the clinical test figures at the time of discharge with reflection of average changes after clinical test figures were corrected at the time of admission of intensive care unit, TB and GFR were significantly increased in a test group compared with those in a control group. Other clinical test figures were not significantly changed. Conclusion: If glutamine is administered to critically ill patients over age 60 receiving TPN and careful monitoring for total bilirubin is made in the future, it is expected to give the positive effect on renal function andminimize the side effect of arise in total bilirubin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2015

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic results and safety of pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps in the treatment of mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Methods: Data regarding 33 patients with post-CABG deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) who underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap procedures in the Emam Reza and Ghaem Hospitals of Mashhad, Iran were reviewed in this study. For each patient, age, sex, hospital stay duration, remission, recurrence, and associated morbidity and mortality were evaluated. Results: Of the 2,447 CABG procedures that were carried out during the time period encompassed by our study, DSWIs occurred in 61 patients (2.5%). Of these 61 patients, 33 patients (nine females [27.3%] and 24 males [72.7%]) with an average age of $63{\pm}4.54$ years underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap placement. Symptoms of infection mainly occurred within the first 10 days after surgery (mean, $10.24{\pm}13.62days$). The most common risk factor for DSWIs was obesity (n=16, 48.4%) followed by diabetes mellitus (n=13, 39.4%). Bilateral and unilateral pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps were performed in 20 patients (60.6%) and 13 patients (39.4%), respectively. Complete remission was achieved in 25 patients (75.7%), with no recurrence in the follow-up period. Four patients (12.1%) needed reoperation. The mean hospitalization time was $11.69{\pm}6.516days$. Four patients (12.1%) died during the course of the study: three due to the postoperative complication of respiratory failure and one due to pulmonary thromboembolism. Conclusion: Pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps are an optimal technique in the treatment of post-CABG mediastinitis. In addition to leading to favorable therapeutic results, this flap is associated with minimal morbidity and mortality, as well as a short hospitalization time.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2016

Purpose: Intentional poisoning is a major public health issue in many parts of the world. This study was conducted to provide details regarding the epidemiology of intentional poisoning in a metropolitan emergency department and to identify the changing patterns and epidemiology of poisoning. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate intentional poisoning of patients who visited the emergency department in a tertiary teaching hospital between 2001 and 2015. All intentional poisoning-related emergency department visits over three five year periods (2001-2005 (P1), 2006-2010 (P2) and 2011-2015 (P3)) were reviewed to investigate trends in intentional poisoning patients. Information regarding patient sex, age, time from episode to admission, psychiatric history, type of intoxicants, alcohol co-ingestion, gastric lavage, charcoal administration, any previous suicide attempts, need for hospitalization and death before discharge was reviewed. Results: A total of 1269 patients were enrolled in this study. The number of patients admitted during each period was P1=515, P2=439 and P3=315. Comparison of the three groups revealed significant differences according to age (p<0.001), psychiatric history (p<0.001), alcohol co-ingestion (p=0.013), gastric lavage (p<0.001), charcoal administration (p<0.001), need for hospitalization (p=0.044), repeated attempt (p<0.001) and type of intoxicants (p<0.001). Conclusion: The average age of intentional poisoning patients has increased. While the use of sedatives and multiple drugs increased, the use of pesticides and the antihistamine decreased.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.62-73
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• 2018

Objectives: This study conducted a retrospective review to compare the effectiveness of herbal medicine, while confirming the effectiveness of Korean medicine (KM) in traffic accidents (TA). Methods: We investigated the medical records of TA patients who were hospitalized at Muuido Korean medicine hospital from January 2016 to June 2018 retrospectively. Medical records included general characteristics (Gender, age), TA & treatment-related information (Collision type, chief complaint, hospitalization period, and herbal medicine prescription), and clinical scales (Five-scale improvement, numerical rating scale (NRS)). Statistical analysis was performed for data distribution and effectiveness comparison. Results: 755 TA patients showed 0.78:1 gender ratio. 20-50s years old, rear collision, pain in the cervical and lumbar spine, and hospitalization period within 14 days were the majority. KM improved 83.18% of 755 TA patients' symptoms and ROM over 'improvement' level, which indicated 30-70% improvement. With common KM treatments including acupuncture, cupping, heat therapy, and manipulation therapy, TA patients received various herbal medicines and herbal medicine for breaking severe blood stasis (Tongdo-san) showed improvement in both five-scale improvement and NRS change at the same time. Conclusions: We could confirm the effectiveness of KM, particularly herbal medicine in TA. It would be necessary to develop new herbal medicines such as Tongdo-san to treat TA-related symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1005-1011
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• 1991

Eighty-four patients with pulmonary metastases from gestational choriocarcinoma were treated at the Catholic Medical Center between August, 1985 and August, 1991. Among these 13 patients underwent thoracotomy with resection of pulmonary lesions and the results obtained were follows. 1] The ages of the patients ranged from 26 to 47 years, with a mean age of 31 years. 2] The frequency of chemotherapy before operation ranged from zero to 46, with a mean frequency of 13.6. 3] Four patients were operated upon for a solitary metastasis of the lung; 6 patients, for unilateral multiple metastases and 3 patients, for bilateral pulmonary metastases. 4] Eight patients underwent wedge resection; 1 patient, segmentectomy; 2 patients, lobectomy; 3 patients, open lung biopsy. The lung lesions of eleven patients showed hemorrhagic necrosis[among these, 2 patients combined with pulmonary tuberculosis]; one was non-necrotic choriocarcinoma; another one was metastatic lung carcinoma from endocrine cancer of unknown origin. 5] Among twelve patients who had managed with chemotherapy before thoracotomy three patients were in remission; among 13 patients who had undergone thoracotomy 6 patients were in remission. 6] The median survival time of these patients was 25.8 months with 3 postoperative deaths. Subsequently, in the patients with pulmonary metastases from choriocarcinoma, if the primary tumor is under control, there are no other metastases, and the patients should be able to tolerate the planned operation, it is necessary to undergo aggressive thoracotomy for diagnostic purposes; for therapeutic purposes only when the pulmonary lesion is the only remaining source of increased hCG excretion; for reduction of tumor volume to shorten hospitalization or to reduce the quantity of drugs.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.58-72
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• 2000

This study was an attempt to encourage the development of a rehabilitation delivery system and programs as a substitute service for hospitalization on the case of car accident patients, such as hospital based home health care nursing services. Various substitute services for hospitalization are required to curtail the length of stay for inpatients who were hospitalized with car accident compensation insurance. It focused on developing an estimation an early discharge day for car accident inpatients based on detailed statements of treatment for 111 inpatients who were hospitalized at the General Hospital in 1997. This study had four specific purposes as follows. First. to find out the utilization of medical services. Second, to estimate the time of early discharge and income increasing effect based on early discharge for those patients. Third, to identify the factors affecting total medical expenditure and the length of stay for those inpatients. Forth, to figure out the need of utilizing home health care nursing service for accident patients. In order to analyze the length of stay and medical expenditure for inpatients who were hospitalized due to car accidents, the authors conducted micro- and macro-analysis of medical and medical expenditure records. Micro-analysis was done by nominal group discussion of 4 expertise with the critical criteria, such as a decrease in the amount of treatment after surgery, treatments, tests, drugs and changes in the test consistency, drug methods, vital signs, start of ROM exercise, doctor's order, patient's outside visiting ability, and stable conditions. In addition to identifying variables affecting medical expenditure, and the length of stay and income effect due to early discharge day, the data was analyzed with a multiple regression analysis and linear regression analysis model by SPSS-PC for windows and Excell program. Results of this study were as follows. First. the mean length of stay was 50.3 days. whereas the mean length of stay due to early discharge was 34.3 days at the hospital. The estimation of time of early discharge depended on the length of stay. The longer the length of stay, the longer the length of time of early discharge : for instance a length of stay under 10 days was estimated as correlating to a mean length of stay of 6.6 days and early discharge of 6.5. The mean length of stay was 217.4 days and the time of early discharge was 110.1 respectively. The mean medical expenditure per day was found to be 169.085 Won and the mean medical expenditure per day showed negative linear trends according to the length of stay at the hospital. The estimation results of the income effect due to being discharged 16 days early was around 2,244,000 won per bed. However. this sum does not represent the real benefits resulting from early discharge, but rather the income increasing amount without considering medical prime cost in the general hospital. Therefore, further analysis is required on the cost containments and benefits as turn over rate per bed as the medical prime costs. The length of stay was most significant and was positive to the total medical expenditure, as expected. Surgery and patient's residential area was also an important variable in explaining medical expenditure. The level of complications was the most significant variable in explaining the length of stay. There was a high level for need a home health care nursing service which further supports early discharge for accident patients. In addition, when the patient was discharged. they needed follow up care for complications suffered during the car accident. $86.8\%$ of discharged patients responded that they needed home health services after early discharge. From these research findings, the following suggestions have been drawn. Strategies on a health care delivery system must be developed in order to focus on the consumer's needs and being planned for 21 century health policy in Korea. Community based intermediate facilities or home health care should be developed for rehabilitation services as a substitute for hospitalization in order to shorten the length of stay would be. A hospital based home health care nursing service. it would be available immediately to utilize by patients who want rehabilitation services as a substitute for hospitalization with the cooperation of car insurance companies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 1981

This study was done to determine the relationship between the anxiety levels of hospitalized psychiatric patients and various influencing variables. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that may help hospitalized psychiatric patients to experience lower levels of anxiety in relation to changing situations and provide the basic data for a dynamic approach which is important in the field of modern psychiatric nursing that understands and analyses the meaning of patients behavior. The anxiety may produce stress, which is a common experience among all human beings. Patients may merely feel uncomfortable in the state of mild anxiety, however, the severe state could be an obstacle to treatment and recovery from disease. The anxiety of the psychiatric patient is a factor which greatly influencing the patient's behavior, so his disorderd behavior is an expression of defence or pathologically fixed behavior. According the psychiatric patient's anxiety at the time of admission is the concern of the health team. The nurse's special concern has to do with understanding and supporting the patient and meeting his individual needs by frequent close contact during the entire hospitalization period, compared to other teamembers the nurse's responsibility in this regard is greated. So this study emphasizes the necessity of creating conditions these, but above all the psychiatric nurse should create a therapeutic environment by not only regarding the patient's behavior or symptoms but understanding the meaning of them. The subjects of this study were 57 psychiatric patients selected from the K neuropsychiatric hospital located in Kunsan city. Data were collected twice from the same patients within a 24 hour period after admission and 10 days after admission. (September 18th to November 8th, 1980). The data collected method was through direct interview, and the interview time was 20 minutes for each patient. Data analysis included Item Analysis & Internal Consistency Reliability Tests, Percentages, t-test, analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings of this study were as follows. A. Test of Hypothesis a. Hypothesis 1 :“The anxiety level of psychiatric patients within 24 hours after admission will be higher than those of the same patients 10 days after admission,”was accepted. (t = 3. 15 ; p < 0.005) b. Hypothesi 2:“The more the number of admissions the higher the level of anxiety related to two categories”, was accepted. (affective anxiety: F = 5.50, p < 0.005, Somatic anxiety: F = 9.12, p <.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.376-380
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• 1995

We experienced 17 skeletal muscle transpositions in chest surgery during the past 8 years. There were 3 female and 14 male patients with ranging from 5 to 71 years of age [ average 47.3 Seventeen patients underwent 27 musele flaps : 11 latissimus dorsi, 6 pectoralis major, 6 serratus anterior and 4 other muscles. An average of 2.0 previous operations was performed. Hospitalization averaged 24 days.Follow up ranged from 7 days to 45 months;There were two postoperative deaths; one, 20 days after from operation due to pneumonia and the other, 130 days after from operation due to cor pulmonale.Fifteen patients who were alive after operation had good results at the time of last follow up.