• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2021

Preoperative patient analysis for oral cancer involves multiple considerations that are based on multiple factors; these include TNM stages, histopathologic findings, and adjacent anatomical structures. Once the decision is made to excise the lesion, the margin of dissection and its extent should be considered along with the best form of reconstruction and airway management. Treatment methods include surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Although the combined method of treatment is controversial, surgical resection is considered predominantly, and immediate reconstruction after surgical resection follows. The choice of treatment is dictated by the anticipated functional and esthetic results of treatment and also by the availability of a surgeon with the required expertise. Segmental mandibulectomy with primary reconstruction has been shown to have advantages in both functional and esthetic results. A 52-year-old male patient with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth, and the anterior portion of the mandible was treated with surgical procedures that included segmental mandibulectomy with both supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) at Levels I-III and mandible reconstruction with a left fibula free flap. A 55-year-old male patient with clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of the oral cavity underwent segmental mandibulectomy with both SOHND at Levels I-III and mandible reconstruction with a left fibula free flap. The purpose of this study was to review the anatomic and functional results of patients after immediate reconstruction with a fibula free flap following resection of carcinoma in the anterior portion of the mandible and floor of the mouth.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2022

Background: In asthma, consistent control of chronic airway inflammation is crucial, and the use of asthma-controller medication has been emphasized. Our purpose in this study is to compare the incidence of acute exacerbation and healthcare costs related to the use of asthma-controller medication. Methods: By using data collected by the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we compared one-year clinical outcomes and medical costs from July 2014 to June 2015 (follow-up period) between two groups of patients with asthma who received different prescriptions for recommended asthma-controller medication (inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonists) at least once from July 2013 to June 2014 (assessment period). Results: There were 51,757 patients who satisfied our inclusion criteria. Among them, 13,702 patients (26.5%) were prescribed a recommended asthma-controller medication during the assessment period. In patients using a recommended asthma-controller medication, the frequency of acute exacerbations decreased in the follow-up period, from 2.7% to 1.1%. The total medical costs of the controller group decreased during the follow-up period compared to the assessment period, from $3,772,692 to $1,985,475. Only 50.9% of patients in the controller group used healthcare services in the follow-up period, and the use of asthma-controller medication decreased in the follow-up period. Conclusion: Overall, patients using a recommended asthma-controller medication showed decreased acute exacerbation and reduced total healthcare cost by half.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.427-435
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pharyngeal morphology and the success or failure of blind nasotracheal intubation using standard lateral cephalometric radiography and to analyze the measurement items affecting the difficulty of blind nasotracheal intubation. Methods: Assuming a line perpendicular to the Frankfort horizontal (FH) plane, the reference point (O) was selected 1 cm above the posterior-most end of the hard palate. A line passing through the reference point and parallel to the FH plane is defined as the X-axis, and a line passing through the reference point and perpendicular to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis. The shortest length between the tip of the uvula and posterior pharyngeal wall (AW), shortest length between the base of the tongue and posterior pharyngeal wall (BW), and width of the glottis (CW) were measured. The midpoints of the lines representing each width are defined as points A, B, and C, and the X and Y coordinates of each point are obtained (AX, BX, CX, AY, BY, and CY). For each measurement, a t-test was performed to compare the tracheal intubation success and failure groups. A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed using clinically relevant items. Results: The items significantly affecting the success rate of blind nasotracheal intubation included the difference in X coordinates at points A and C (Odds ratio, 0.714; P-value, 0.024) and the ∠ABC (Odds ratio, 1.178; P-value, 0.016). Conclusion: Using binomial logistic regression analysis, we observed statistically significant differences in AX-CX and ∠ABC between the success group and the failure group.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.4-8
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• 2022

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined as the triad of obesity (body mass index, [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m²), daytime hypercapnia (PaCO2 ≥ 45 mm Hg), and sleep breathing disorder, after excluding other causes for hypoventilation. As the obese population increases worldwide, the prevalence of OHS is also on the rise. Patients with OHS have poor quality of life, high risk of frequent hospitalization and increased cardiopulmonary mortality. However, most patients with OHS remain undiagnosed and untreated. The diagnosis typically occurs during the 5th and 6th decades of life and frequently first diagnosed in emergency rooms as a result of acute-on-chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. Due to the high mortality rate in patients with OHS who do not receive treatment or have developed respiratory failure, early recognition and effective treatment is essential for improving outcomes. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy including continuous PAP (CPAP) or noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is the primary management option for OHS. Changes in lifestyle, rehabilitation program, weight loss and bariatric surgery should be also considered.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1073-1079
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• 2003

Purpose : Recently there has been a decrease in ventilator care rate and duration of very low birth weight infants(VLBWI) in Fatima Hospital. The aims of this study were to survey the frequency and duration of ventilation in VLBWI and to develop a non-invasive neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) policy. Methods : We performed a retrospective study of 284 newborn of infants less than 1,500 gm admitted to NICU and discharged from January 1998 to December 2001. Patients were intubated or applied continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) via nasal prong immediately after presenting signs of respiratory distress. We analyzed epidemiologic data to study the changes in ventilator care rate, duration and outcome of ventilator care groups. Results : Of 284 newborn infants, 146 required invasive management, such as endotracheal intubation and assisted ventilation. The characteristics, the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in ventilator care groups at birth showed no significant differences. The annual proportion of infants requiring assisted ventilation decreased according to increasing gestational age. The median duration of ventilation decreased markedly from 6.0 days in 1998 to 2.7 days in 2001. Final complications and outcomes in ventilator care groups showed no significant differences. Conclusion : Our study shows a significant reduction in the invasiveness of the treatment of VLBW infants, which was not associated with an increased mortality or morbidity. A non-invasive strategy for the VLBW infant with minimal to moderate respiratory distress after birth in NICU is better than immediate invasive management. Non-invasive nasal CPAP is a simpler and safer method than invasive assisted ventilation.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2012

The Fontan operation is a heart operation used to treat complex congenital heart defects like tricuspid atresia, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary atresia and single ventricle. A single ventricle is dedicated to pumping oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation and the entire systemic venous return reaches the pulmonary arterial system without the direct influence of a pumping chamber. In the patient with Fontan operation, it is important to achieve adequate pulmonary blood flow and cardiac output in anesthetic management. In this case, a 10-year-old boy (19.6 kg, 114 cm) with cleft palate, cerebral palsy and severe mental retardation, who underwent a Fontan operation when he was 4 years old, was presented for deep sedation. Because he was suffering from eating disorder with cleft palate, the orthodontist and the plastic surgeon planned to insert intraoral orthodontic device before cleft palate repair. But it was impossible to open his mouth for alginate impression procedure. After careful pre-anesthesia evaluation we planned to administer deep sedation with propofol infusion. After Intravenous catheter insertion, we started propofol intravenous infusion with the formula of a loading dose of 1.0 mg/kg followed by an infusion rate of 6.0 mg/kg/hr with syringe pump. His blood pressure was remained around 80/40 mmHg after loss of consciousness, but he could not maintain his airway patent. So we lowered the infusion rate to 3.0 mg/kg/hr, immediately. The oxygen saturation was maintained above 95% with nasal oxygen supply, and blood pressure was maintained around 100-80/60-40 mmHg. After the sedation of 110 minutes with propofol (the infusion rate to 3.0-5.0 mg/kg/hr), he fully regained consciousness, and was discharged without complication after 1 hour observation. In case of post-Fontan patient, intravenous deep sedation with propofol was safe and effective method of behavioral management during dental treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.128-132
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• 2008

Background: Laryngeal contact granuloma is an inflammatory hypertrophic granulation tissue arising at around the vocal process of arytenoid cartilage. Various approaches are currently used for the treatment, but a solid guideline has not been established. Objectives: We aimed to compare the each treatment modality in the hope of suggesting a guideline for the successful management of laryngeal contact granuloma. Method: Eighty-seven treatment cases of 56 patients were analyzed. Cases having recent intubation history were excluded from the study. All patients received vocal hygiene education. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI, N = 33) or H2 receptor antagonists ($H_{2}RA$, N =26) were used as a first-line treatment. Among the non-responders to $H_{2}RA$, 11 cases received PPI as a second-line therapy. Eight cases received botulinum toxin injection and 9 cases had laryngomicrosurgical removal. Results: As an initial therapy, response rate to PPI and $H_{2}RA$ was 60.6% and 38.5% respectively, which was not statistically different (p=0.091). Response rate of PPI as the second-line therapy was 36.3% (p=0.162 when compared to that of first-line PPI therapy). Response rate of Botulinum toxin injection was 75%. All cases of surgical removal recurred in a relatively short period (mean 1.9months). Conclusion: In patients having laryngeal contact granuloma, combined therapy with vocal hygiene education and PPI medication would provide more than 60% of therapeutic response. Botulinum toxin injection is highly effective even in non-responders to antireflux therapy. The only indications of surgery are to resolve diagnostic doubt or to treat acute airway compromise.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.570-577
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide a basis for the development of a health insurance payment system by exploring inpatient hospice & palliative care activities in a long-term care hospital by occupational personnel. The contents and frequency of inpatient hospice-palliative care activities were obtained retrospectively from the chart review of 12 terminally ill patients who died during the 6 months before their deaths. According to their occupational personnel, doctors were doing blood transfusion, family counseling, and medication guidance. Nurses' main activities were airway suction, oxygen supply, EKG monitoring, observing patient's status, helping medication and tube feeding. Other workers' activities are as follows: social workers were applying individualized programs, physical therapists were doing electrostimulation, nutritionists were giving nutrition evaluation and meal rounding, and careworkers were assisting with meals and nutrition. Although certain nursing activities, like emotional support, were performed by nurses, the hospice-palliative activities from doctors, social workers and physical therapists were largely unavailable for terminally ill patients in a long-term care hospital. And some terminally ill patients were receiving too intensive and invasive medical cares for end end-of-life care. The results highlight the importance of valid measures of hospice-palliative care quality and the need for establishing an adequate reimbursement system for ensuring and improving end-of-life care.

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.459-465
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• 2018

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) shows a very good prognosis, but older patients have a higher recurrence rate and those show poor prognosis than younger patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of thyroid cancer patients who experienced recurrence in old age according to the treatment strategy used. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among DTC patients with no evidence of disease after initial treatment, we enrolled 86 patients who experienced recurrence at an age >65 years from 1994 to 2012. Sixty-nine patients had local recurrence and 17 patients showed distant metastasis. Results: The mean age of patients at recurrence was 72 years. Patients were followed up for a median of 4.1 years after recurrence. Sixty-three of the 69 patients with local recurrence received additional treatment, while the other six received conservative care. The cancer-specific mortality rate was 15.5% in the local recurrence group. Airway problems were the main cause of death in patients who did not receive further treatment for local recurrence. Among the 17 patients with distant metastasis, 10 underwent specific treatment for metastasis and seven received only supportive management. Seven of those 17 patients died, and the cancer-specific mortality rate was 35% in the distant metastasis group. Conclusion: The overall cancer-specific mortality rate was 20% in DTC patients in whom recurrence was first detected at an age >65 years. Mortality due to uncontrolled local disease occurred frequently in patients who did not receive definitive management for recurrence.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.5-23
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• 2011

Objective : This study grasps specific task on paramedics who plays a great role in the emergency scene, thereby eliciting definition of job called paramedics and analyzing occupation by DACUM method. Thus, the aim is to suggest working-level guidelines on the task of paramedics. Methods : It targeted paramedics who are working at hospitals, fire stations, and industries in Seoul and Gyeonggi area from Oct. 11, 2010 to Nov. 30. A total of 608 copies of questionnaire were analyzed by DACUM method. A research tool on occupational analysis consisted of 8 pieces for duty, 43 pieces for task, and 149 pieces for task elements. In order to survey performance frequency, importance, and difficulty by element, each task was developed by this research team, and each task was analyzed and finally elicited through workshop of DACUM method. Results : The occupational definition of paramedics, which was defined through this DACUM, was elicited as 'professional job of performing emergency medical care on the scene, during transferring, or within medical institution in order to maintain life and prevent wound deterioration, targeting a person who is put in emergency situation.' Task element, whose performance frequency was indicated to be the highest, was in order of checking mental status($2.76{\pm}0.497$), checking vital signs($2.70{\pm}0.578$), and airway/c-spine immobilization($2.69{\pm}.546$). Especially, defibrillation stood at $2.23{\pm}.655$ points. Task element, whose performance frequency was low, was in order of caring sexual abuse victims($1.32{\pm}0.563$), performing cricothyrotomy($1.36{\pm}0.618$), and caring cardiac arrest victims($1.40{\pm}0.636$). Importance of task was in order of airway/c-spine immobilization ($2.88{\pm}0.338$), maintenance of respiration($2.88{\pm}0.351$), caring cardiac arrest victims($2.87{\pm}0.349$), and performing CPR($2.87{\pm}0.361$). Task element, whose importance is low, was indicated to be in order of enema($2.29{\pm}0.736$), urinary catheterization($2.35{\pm}0.664$), and nasogastric intubation($2.35{\pm}0.667$). Task element, whose difficulty was shown to be the highest, was indicated to be in order of caring cardiac arrest victims during pregnancy ($2.60{\pm}0.559$), caring cardiovascular injury($2.59{\pm}0.546$), and labor management($2.53{\pm}0.533$). Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, the job performance work table(Dacom chart) of paramedics is suggested to be used, thereby being applied to development in education and curriculum of paramedics. It is necessary to evaluate usefulness of the job performance work table by estimating effect of education for paramedics based on the job performance work table of paramedics.