• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.352-367
• /
• 2021

Purpose: Minimally invasive gastrectomy is a promising surgical method with well-known benefits, including reduced postoperative complications. However, for total gastrectomy of gastric cancers, this approach does not significantly reduce the risk of complications. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors for the severity of complications associated with minimally invasive total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The study included 392 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent either laparoscopic or robotic total gastrectomy between 2011 and 2019. Clinicopathological and operative characteristics were assessed to determine the features related to postoperative complications after minimally invasive total gastrectomy. Binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors for overall complications and mild and severe complications, respectively. Results: Of 103 (26.3%) patients experiencing complications, 66 (16.8%) and 37 (9.4%) developed mild and severe complications, respectively. On multivariate multinomial regression analysis, independent predictors of severe complications included obesity (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.02-6.43; P=0.046), advanced stage (OR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.13-7.43; P=0.026), and more intraoperative bleeding (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06; P=0.001). Operation time was the only independent risk factor for mild complications (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.001-1.13; P=0.047). Conclusions: The risk factors for mild and severe complications were associated with surgery, indicating surgical difficulty. Surgeons should be aware of these potential risks that are related to the severity of complications so as to reduce surgery-related complications after minimally invasive total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 2001

Objectives : To develop a model that will predict the mortality of patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) and evaluate the perfermance of hospitals. Methods : Data from 564 CABGs peformed in six general hospitals were collected through medical record abstraction by registered nurses. Variables studied involved risk factors determined by severity measures. Risk modeling was performed through logistic repression and validated with cross-validation. The statistical performance of the developed model was evaluated using c-statistic, $R^2$, and Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. Hospital performance was assessed by severity-adjusted mortalities. Results : The developed model included age, sex, BUN, EKG rhythm, Congestive Heart Failure at admission. acute mental change within 24 hours, and previous angina pectoris history. The c-statistic and $R^2$ were 0.791 and 0.001, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic was 10.3(p value=0.2415). One hospital had a significantly higher mortality rate than the average mortality rate, while others were net significantly different. Conclusion : Comparing the quality of service by severity adjusted mortality rates, there were significant differences in hospital performance. The severity adjusted mortality rate of CABG surgery may He an indicator for evaluating hospital performance in Korea.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.405-417
• /
• 2022

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory immune-mediated condition that has been identified as a potentially malignant oral disorder. Various therapies have been proposed for its management as alternative to corticosteroids. However, no definitive treatment has been identified that can result in complete remission or minimal recurrence. Hyaluronic acid has recently been used as an alternative therapy for the management of OLP. This study aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of Hyaluronic acid in the management of symptomatic OLP. Online electronic databases and manual searches were performed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English between January 2010 and April 2022. RCTs were identified that compared the efficacy of hyaluronic acid and other interventional therapies at baseline and during follow-up. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Thongprasom sign scores, lesion size, degree of erythema, clinical severity, and disease severity were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Seven studies were analyzed. Five studies reported a high risk of bias while the remaining two studies reported an unclear risk of bias. The overall quantitative assessment of size, symptoms, degree of erythema, and sign score in OLP lesions treated with HA was not statistically significant compared to that in the control group (P > 0.05). In addition, subgroup analysis comparing HA with placebo or corticosteroids did not yield statistically significant (P > 0.05) results. Qualitatively, both HA and tacrolimus resulted in an effective reduction in signs and symptoms. Clinical/disease severity index/scores were inconsistent. A high degree of heterogeneity was observed among the included studies. None of the included studies reported the side effects of HA. These findings suggest that corticosteroids, tacrolimus, placebo, and HA could be equally effective in OLP management. The clinical/disease severity index or score reduction cannot be determined with certainty. Thus, OLP can be treated with HA as an alternative therapy. Owing to limited clinical trials on HA, high heterogeneity, and high risk of bias in the included studies, definitive conclusions cannot be derived.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.87-95
• /
• 2024

Background: This study focuses on assessing occupational risk for the health hazards encountered during maintenance works (MW) in semiconductor fabrication (FAB) facilities. Objectives: The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying the primary health hazards during MW in semiconductor FAB facilities; 2) reviewing the methods used in evaluating the likelihood and severity of health hazards through occupational health risk assessment (OHRA); and 3) suggesting variables for the categorization of likelihood of exposures to health hazards and the severity of health effects associated with MW in FAB facilities. Methods: A literature review was undertaken on OHRA methodology and health hazards resulting from MW in FAB facilities. Based on this review, approaches for categorizing the exposure to health hazards and the severity of health effects related to MW were recommended. Results: Maintenance workers in FAB facilities face exposure to hazards such as debris, machinery entanglement, and airborne particles laden with various chemical components. The level of engineering and administrative control measures is suggested to assess the likelihood of simultaneous chemical and dust exposure. Qualitative key factors for mixed exposure estimation during MW include the presence of safe operational protocols, the use of air-jet machines, the presence and effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation system, chamber post-purge and cooling, and proper respirator use. Using the risk (R) and hazard (H) codes of the Globally Harmonized System alongside carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic classifications aid in categorizing health effect severity for OHRA. Conclusion: Further research is needed to apply our proposed variables in OHRA for MW in FAB facilities and subsequently validate the findings.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.362-379
• /
• 2015

In this study, Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) construction schedule delay risk assessment methodology is developed and the construction delay risk is assessed for turnkey international NPP projects. Three levels of delay factors were selected through literature review and discussions with nuclear industry experts. A questionnaire survey was conducted on the basis of an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Relative Importance Index (RII) methods and the schedule delay risk is assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by severity and frequency of occurrence of delay factors. This study assigns four main delay factors to the first level: main contractor, utility, regulatory authority, and financial and country factor. The second and the third levels are designed with 12 sub-factors and 32 sub-sub-factors, respectively. This study finds the top five most important sub-sub-factors, which are as follows: policy changes, political instability and public intervention; uncompromising regulatory criteria and licensing documents conflicting with existing regulations; robust design document review procedures; redesign due to errors in design and design changes; and worldwide shortage of qualified and experienced nuclear specific equipment manufacturers. The proposed combined AHP-RII methodology is capable of assessing delay risk effectively and efficiently. Decision makers can apply risk informed decision making to avoid unexpected construction delays of NPPs.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.135-145
• /
• 2020

Recently, the disaster rate of the construction industry has increased with high-rise, and complexity of the building, unlike the decrease in the disaster rate in other industries. Although risk assessment is performed to reduce the occurrence of disasters, it is difficult to estimate the risks accurately due to activity in which no disaster has occurred, and inconsistencies in the level of details of work. In this study, in order to evaluate the risk of the major activity for the apartment construction work, the activity was identified by referring to the risk assessment model of construction industry type by the KOSHA. The construction work types and activities were consistently organized in level of work into nine work types and 82 activities were through experts consultation. Analyzing the disaster types that occurred during work through KOSHA disaster cases, calculating the probability of disaster occurrence according to the type of disaster, and combining the probability of disaster with the severity of disaster to estimate the risk assessment method was presented. Using the daily report of the construction site of the apartment, the results of a case study confirmed the validity of the risk calculation method presented in this study.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.20 no.8
• /
• pp.85-96
• /
• 2022

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare risk factors between men and women through secondary data of nursing information and medical records according to the severity classification in patients of 340 men and 221 women with coronary artery disease(CAD) who were admitted for the first time at a general hospital and underwent first coronary artery angiography. Consequently, men presented with risk factors such as age(p=.004), total cholesterol(p=.040), triglycerides(p=.049), HbA1c(p<.001), smoking(p<.001), alcohol consumption(p=.002) and comorbidities(p=.036) that showed statistically significant differences. Among women, age(p=.002) and comorbidities (p=.018) were the only factors that showed significant differences. Significant risk factors influencing the classification of CAD severity in men were total cholesterol (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-1.00, p=.014) in 1VD, alcohol consumption (OR 52.47, 95% CI 2.99-91.95, p=.007)in 2VD, and total cholesterol in the 3VD(OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.95-0.98, p=.026). A significant risk factor affecting the classification of CAD severity in women was comorbidity (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.82, p=.020) in the 3VD. This study identified the importance of nursing care for male CAD patients, such as smoking cessation and quitting drinking, blood sugar control, cholesterol, and accompanying disease management, and provided evidence of individually tailored nursing care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.819-832
• /
• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify risk factors that influence the probability and severity of elder abuse in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data from community-dwelling Koreans, 65 and older (N=416). Logistic regression, negative binomial regression and zero-inflated negative binomial regression model for abuse count data were utilized to determine risk factors for elder abuse. Results: The rate of older adults who experienced any one category of abuse was 32.5%. By zero-inflated negative binomial regression analysis, the experience of verbal-psychological abuse was associated with marital status and family support, while the experience of physical abuse was associated with self-esteem, perceived economic stress and family support. Family support was found to be a salient risk factor of probability of abuse in both verbal-psychological and physical abuse. Self-esteem was found to be a salient risk factor of probability and severity of abuse in physical abuse alone. Conclusion: The findings suggest that tailored prevention and intervention considering both types of elder abuse and target populations might be beneficial for preventative efficiency of elder abuse.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.141-147
• /
• 2011

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the severity of white matter changes (WMC), risk factors and cognitive domains, including executive function profiles. Method Forty nine subjects over 55 years with subjective memory complaints were assessed with MRI and neuropsychological tests. The WMC were assessed by MRI T2-FLAIR images and divided into 3 groups of mild vs. moderate vs. severe and 2 groups of mild-moderate vs. severe by using Mantyla's criteria and Fazeka's criteria. The risk factors were examined in hypertension, heart disease history and chemistry Lab. Medical conditions which affect to cognitive dysfunction and definite dementia were also excluded. Results Comparing 3 groups, hypertension was identified as a risk factor of the WMC. Comparing 2 groups, total cholesterol and LDL were identified for as the risk factor of WMC. The severity of WMC was significantly associated with cognitive disturbances and their main effect on cognition was working memory and inhibition. Conclusion The risk factors of the WMC in the elderly were hypertension, hyperlipidemia. The severity of WMC appears to be associated with executive dysfunction in the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.164-173
• /
• 2015

There exists required safety integrity level (SIL) to assure safety in accordance with international standards for every electrical / electronics / control equipment or systems with safety related functions. The SIL is allocated from lowest level (level 0) to highest level (level 4). In order to guarantee certain safety level that is internationally acceptable, application of methodology for SIL allocation and demonstration based on related international standards is required. However, application standard differs from every industry in domestic or international for application on mythology for allocation and demonstration of SIL. Application or assessment is not easy since absence on clear criteria or common definition. This research studied not only fundamental concept of SIL required to guarantee safety in accordance with international standards for safety related equipment and system, but different types of methodologies for SIL allocation. Specifically, SIL allocation for Platform Screen Door system of railway is studied applying methodology of severity of accidents and risk graph among different methodologies for SIL allocation.