• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.510-516
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• 2014

Background: Acute cerebral infarction is a major risk factor for postoperative neurologic complications in cardiac surgery. However, the outcomes associated with acute silent cerebral infarction (ASCI) have not been not well established. Few studies have reported the postoperative outcomes of these patients in light of preoperative Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). We studied the postoperative neurologic outcomes of patients with preoperative ASCI detected by DWI. Methods: We retrospectively studied 32 patients with preoperative ASCI detected by DWI. None of the patients had preoperative neurologic symptoms. The mean age at operation was $68.8{\pm}9.5$ years. Five patients had previous histories of stroke. Four patients had been diagnosed with infective endocarditis. Single cerebral infarct lesions were detected in 16 patients, double lesions in 13, and multiple lesions (>5) in three. The median size of the infarct lesions was 4 mm (range, 2 to 25 mm). The operations of three of the 32 patients were delayed pending follow-up DWI studies. Results: There were two in-hospital mortalities. Neurologic complications also occurred in two patients. One patient developed extensive cerebral infarction unrelated to preoperative infarct lesions. One patient showed sustained delirium over one week but recovered completely without any neurologic deficits. In two patients, postoperative DWI confirmed that no significant changes had occurred in the lesions. Conclusion: Patients with preoperative ASCI showed excellent postoperative neurologic outcomes. Preoperative ASCI was not a risk factor for postoperative neurologic deterioration.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2013

Objectives: This video has been produced to provide better awareness for our patients about radiotherapy treatment for anxiety and stress. This video will give inexperienced patients a better understanding of the processes and expectations of the radiotherapy. We have produced a radiotherapy guidance video regarding work flow and a method of radiotherapy to relieve anxiety and stress. It also improves patients satisfaction and understanding of radiotherapy to provide a high-quality health care for radiotherapy patients with indirect experience. Methods: We have evaluated the effectiveness of the video compared to our existing verbal method. See below for the evaluation criteria; 1) Patients satisfaction rate of guidance 2) a comparison of understanding of radiotherapy 3) a comparison of a time of education for patients 4) a researching of an incidence rate of radiotherapy. Results: When compared to the verbal explanation the patients had a increased level of understanding of the radiotherapy treatment. The time to educate patient was decreased and the level of incidents during the treatment was decreased due to the patient having a better understanding of the whole process. Conclusion : In conclusion, the audiovisual education increased the understanding of radiotherapy for patients compared to verbal education. The video also helped patients to cooperate in treatment room so we can provide premium radiotherapy treatment. By reducing the treatment time and education processa we improved the patients overall experience.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2009

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the cooperative levels of dental patients requiring general anesthesia during dental treatments. Anesthetic induction methods for patients were also recorded and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Methods: Total 566 patients who visited Seoul National University Dental Hospital Clinic for Persons with Disabilities were reviewed on pre-anesthetic review and anesthesia records. The cooperative levels of patients were graded by 4 levels and induction methods used for the patients during general anesthesia application were analyzed. Results: More than half of patients(55.8%) were willing to receive the anesthetic induction(cooperative level 1), 18.6% were minimally cooperative(level 2), 20.8% needed physical restraint prior to induction(level 3), and 4.8% was poorly cooperative and induction procedure was performed under an unconscious condition after ketamine intramuscular injection(level 4). There was no gender difference in cooperative levels(P=0.11). Patients over 30 years revealed better cooperation levels compared to other age groups(P<0.05). For patients of level 1, 53.5% were anesthetized in a way of intravenous induction, while 77.1% out of patients of level 3 were anesthetically induced through inhalation method. Conclusion: Many dental patients with special needs were not cooperative to receive anesthetic induction. Additional behavioral support may be applied to poorly cooperative patients for the safe and successful clinical outcome.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2015

Background: Patients were subjected to post-discharge follow-up (by telephone) in order to investigate the potential complications of outpatient general anesthesia or deep sedation that could develop in disabled dental patients discharged from the hospital. The ultimate aim of this study was to establish an appropriate response measure for such complications. Methods: The caregivers of 79 disabled patients who underwent dental procedures under general anesthesia at our outpatient clinic were interviewed over telephone. Necessary care instructions were provided during the phone calls when required. The patient satisfaction level regarding the telephonic follow-up care was surveyed by additional telephone calls. Results: Most of the patients did not suffer any serious complications; however, some reported fever and bleeding. The data obtained in this study can be utilized towards the development of caregiver education pertaining to the ambulatory general anesthesia of dental patients with disabilities. Conclusions: Additionally, we hope that the findings of this study will help minimize the effects of complications experienced by disabled dental patients undergoing ambulatory general anesthesia, as well as increase the overall patient satisfaction level.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) for the treatment of cancerous upper abdominal pain in a tertiary university hospital in Korea. Methods: At the tertiary university hospital in Korea, electronic medical records of cancer patients who underwent CPN and died in the hospital from November 2009 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The total number of subjects was 51. The 17 patients were from the Department of Gastroenterology (33.0%), followed by 11 patients from the Department of Hemato-oncology (21.6%), 11 patients from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (21.6%), 9 patients from the Department of General Surgery (17.6%). The diagnosis was pancreatic cancer in 15 patients (29.4%), stomach cancer in 8 patients (15.7%), hepatobiliary cancer in 20 patients (39.2%), colon cancer in 1 patient (2.0%), esophageal cancer in 2 patient (3.9%) and intra-abdominal metastasis in 5 patients (9.8%). The mean survival time after the surgery was 66.4±55.0 days. The pain intensity before and 1 week after the procedure significantly decreased, but the amounts of opioids consumed before and 1 week after the procedure were not statistically significant. Side effects occurred after the procedure including temporary localized pain in 24 patients (47.0%), hypotension in 12 (23.5%), and diarrhea in 6 (11.8%). Conclusion: CPN is an effective and safe procedure for reducing upper abdominal pain caused by cancer, and it is necessary to perform CPN within the appropriate time by establishing a system of interdepartmental cooperation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4399-4402
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• 2013

Objectives: To analyze underlying disease, fatality rate and the major causes of death of in-patients with malignant tumors in Sichuan Cancer Hospital. Methods: Clinical data of in-patients from 2002 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The top 10 tumors (82.0%of the total) of the malignant tumors of the in-patients were lung, cervical, esophagus, breast, colorectal, nasopharynx, liver and gastric cancers, lymphomas and ovarian cancers. The overall fatality rate was 2.7% during these eleven years, 3.4% and 2.0% for male and females, respectively with statistical significance for the difference (${\chi}^2$=164.737, P<0.001). The top 10 death causes were lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, esophagus cancer, gastric cancer, lymphoma, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and nasopharynx cancer. In-patients with pancreatic cancer had the highest fatality rate (9.6%). There were different ranks of death causes in different sex groups and age groups. Conclusion: Prevention and control work of cancer should be enhanced not only for cancers with high incidence such as lung cancer, esophageal cancer but also for the cancers which have low incidence but high fatality rate, such as pancreatic cancer and gallbladder cancer, which would help to improve the survival rate and quality of life of cancer patients in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2012

This study purposed to analyze the differences of cost, length of stay, and number of visits between patients who referred from clinics to a general hospital and patients who directly visit a general hospital. Study sample included 402 patients (177 patients who were not referred from clinics, 225 patients who referred from clinics) who visited the Dept. of Gastroenterology in a university hospital in Daejeon from January to June in 2007. Cost and patients' information were collected from Hospital Information System and medical record. SPSS v.12.0 was used for the statistical analysis. Multiple regression analysis found that for inpatients, location variables and malignant tumors of digestive organs had a significant influence on cost variable. For outpatients, a referring hospital type and visiting month had significant influences on total cost, and sex and visiting month (February) had significant relationship with number of visit. The study results help to understand the differences of patient care depending on whether they were referred from clinics or not. Hospital managements could use the results for marketing purposes, and it could provide valuable information for increasing the competitiveness of hospital in a given market.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2024

Background and Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with acute transient global amnesia (TGA) using volumetric analysis to verify whether the brains of TGA patients have pre-existing structural abnormalities. Methods: We evaluated the brain MRI data from 87 TGA patients and 20 age- and sex- matched control subjects. We included brain MRIs obtained from TGA patients within 72 hours of symptom onset to verify the pre-existence of structural change. For voxel-based morphometric analyses, statistical parametric mapping was employed to analyze the structural differences between patients with TGA and control subjects. Results: TGA patients exhibited significant volume reductions in the bilateral ventral anterior cingulate cortices (corrected p<0.05). Conclusions: TGA patients might have pre-existing structural changes in bilateral ventral anterior cingulate cortices prior to TGA attacks.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.172-175
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the various causes of male infertility using multiple approaches. Methods: Nine-hundred-twenty infertile male patients were analyzed at their first visit with one physician between January 1 and December 31, 2009. All patients were subjected to physical examination and semen analysis and azoospermic patients underwent hormonal testing, chromosomal tests, and testicular biopsy. Semen analysis was based on the definition of the World Health Organization. Results: Among the 920 patients, 555 patients (60.3%) had semen results within the normal range, 269 patients (29.2%) within the abnormal range, and 96 (10.5%) were diagnosed with azoospermia. Varicoceles were diagnosed in 84 of the 555 normal-range patients (15.1%) and in 113 of the 269 abnormal-range patients (42.0%). Of the 96 patients with azoospermia, 24 patients (25%) were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia, 68 patients (71%) with non-obstructive azoospermia, and 4 patients (4%) with retrograde ejaculation. Conclusion: Various causes of male infertility have been reported and diverse treatment methods can be adopted for each cause. In this regard, research must be conducted on a larger number of patients to accurately assess the various causes of infertility in Korean patients and to investigate various infertility treatment methods.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.772-777
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• 2000

Objectives : After lumbar microdiscectomy there are relatively higher incidence of readmission because of various postoperative discomfort. Analyzing these readmitted patients in our private hospital where the patients can be readmitted more easily, we expect to find out which factors are associated with improvement of the surgical outcome. Patients and Methoes : After discharge all significant patient's clinical data were registered to our computerized data bank system and periodic follow-up were performed. The authors analysed 651(97.7%) cases followed up over 2 years(average 3 years) out of 666 patients who underwent a initial lumbar microdiscectomy from May, 1994 to April, 1997. Among them, 63 patients(9.7%) were readmitted. Results : Among the patients readmitted, 29 patients(4.5%) were reoperated because of recurred disc herniation, 17 patients were myofascial pain syndrome, 4 patients were discitis, 3 patients were adhesion and one patient was epidural abscess. Treatment results of these readmitted patients showed that success rate of all readmitted patients was 68.3%, reoperation was 58.6% and myofascial pain syndrome was 82.4%. Conclusion : Treatment results of the patients readmitted because of a continuous lumbago or leg pain after microdiscectomy were acceptable through the careful analysis of the causes of the recurrent symptom. Therefore, the incidence of the chronic failed back syndrome can be reduced by efforting a more active management through readmission.