• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.352-361
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• 2010

Objectives: This study estimated the annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 from a societal perspective and using a cost-of-illness method. Methods: Our model employed a comprehensive set of diagnostic disease codes to define food-borne diseases with using the Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI) reimbursement data. This study classified the food borne illness as three types of symptoms according to the severity of the illness: mild, moderate, severe. In addition to the traditional method of assessing the cost-of-illness, the study included measures to account for the lost quality of life. We estimated the cost of the lost quality of life using quality-adjusted life years and a visual analog scale. The direct cost included medical and medication costs, and the non-medical costs included transportation costs, caregiver's cost and administration costs. The lost productivity costs included lost workdays due to illness and lost earnings due to premature death. Results: The study found the estimated annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 were 954.9 billion won (735.3 billion won-996.9 billion won). The medical cost was 73.4 -76.8% of the cost, the lost productivity cost was 22.6% and the cost of the lost quality of life was 26.0%. Conclusions: Most of the cost-of-illness studies are known to have underestimated the actual socioeconomic costs of the subjects, and these studies excluded many important social costs, such as the value of pain, suffering and functional disability. The study addressed the uncertainty related to estimating the socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease as well as the updated cost estimates. Our estimates could contribute to develop and evaluate policies for food-borne disease.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.93-95
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• 2011

Purpose: Mucormycosis generally occurs in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and immunocompromised conditions. It is rare, but once a patient is infected with it, it can occur as a rapidly extending, aggressive, and life-threatening rhinocerebral infection with a high mortality rate. Methods: A 70-year-old female patient had a 40 years of history of adult onset diabetes mellitus. She presented herself with severe right hemifacial pain, swelling, and weakness for 3 days and was admitted to ENT. On a facial computed tomography (CT) scan, it was found that her infection extended from her inferior temporal scalp to her submental area and involved her submandibular, masseter, prevertebral, parapharyngeal, retropharyngeal, and pharyngeal mucosal space and pansinusitis. Through endoscopic sinus surgery, mucormycosis was confirmed via histologic examination. Results: Despite empiric antibiotics and amphotericin B administration, the patient was in a septic condition and in a coma. The patient's family wanted to withdraw her life support, and the patient expired. Conclusion: Mucormycosis is very rare, but is one of the disastrous complications of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Suspicion of its occurrence, based on identified risk factors, and its rapid diagnosis can enhance the chance of its cure.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.150-152
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• 2012

Acute renal failure with severe loin pain and patch renal ischemia after anaerobic exercise (ALPE) is a rare cause of exercise-induced acute kidney injury. Some ALPE patients also have renal hypouricemia. Mutations in the SCL22A12 gene are among the major factors of hypouricemia. Education for the prevention of relapse and genetic counseling should be recommended to ALPE patients with renal hypouricemia. This paper reports a 25-year-old man who showed recurrent exercise-induced ARF and renal hypouricemia with R90H mutation in his SCL22A12 gene.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.413-418
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• 2020

Neuralgia is a disease that involves severe pain and has a very strong effect on the quality of human life, and the prevalence of the disease increases with aging. To date, previous studies on neuralgia were mainly focused on associations with mental illness, demographic information, and nutrients, and studies on association with blood information were very rare. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to examine the association between neuralgia and blood parameters and find clinical indicators related to neuralgia. To analyze the data, we used binary logistic regression based on data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Our results showed that age tended to have the higher association with neuralgia in both men and women, waist circumference and hematocrit level were associated with neuralgia in women, and fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin levels were associated with neuralgia in men. Also, we found that the association of neuralgia with waist circumference and blood information differed according to gender.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2017

Background: Pelvic ring fractures (PRFs) may influence the daily activities and quality of life of the injured. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore the functional outcomes and factors related to return to work (RTW) after PRF. Methods: During the years 2003-2012, 282 injured individuals aged 20-55 years on the date of the accident, were hospitalized and treated for PRFs in a large tertiary hospital in Athens, Greece. One hundred and three patients were traced and contacted; 77 who were on paid employment prior to the accident gave their informed consent to participate in the survey, which was conducted in early 2015 through telephone interviews. The questionnaire included variables related to injury, treatment and activities, and the Majeed pelvic score. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used for statistical assessment. Results: Almost half of the injured (46.7%) fully RTW, and earning losses were reported to be 35% after PRF. The univariate analysis confirmed that RTW was significantly related to accident site (labor or not), the magnitude of the accident's force, concomitant injuries, duration of hospitalization, time to RTW, engagement to the same sport, Majeed score, and complications such as limp and pain as well as urologic and sexual complaints (p < 0.05 for all). On multiple logistic regression analysis, the accident sustained out of work (odds ratio: 6.472, 95% confidence interval: 1.626-25.769) and Majeed score (odds ratio: 3.749, 95% confidence interval: 2.092-6.720) were identified as independent predictive factors of full RTW. Conclusion: PRFs have severe socioeconomic consequences. Possible predictors of RTW should be taken into account for health management and policies.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2002

Purpose : Cubitus varus deformity has been reported to cause ulnar neuropathy. We present five cases of tardy ulnar nerve palsy due to cubitus vus and analyzed the factors related to the nerve plasy caused by the deformity. Materials and Methods : Three men and two women were reviewed retrospectively and the mean age of the patients were 26 (range, 14-38). The average interval from initial fracture to nerve palsy was 19 years (8-32 years). The severity of symptoms, according to McGowan's classification, was grade I of 2 patients, grade Ⅱ of 3 patients. Carrying angle was an average of 18。 (30° -45° ). Internal rotation angle measured by Yamamoto's method was an average of 33° (30° -45° ). Results ㆍ The mean follow-up period was 53 months (35-70 months). Elbow pain and numbness of the fingers were relieved shortly after surgery. It revealed that anterior subluxation of the nerve due to internal rotation deformity and compression of the nerve between the medially shifted medial head of triceps and the medial epicondyle. Conclusion : The major entrapment point of the nerve is the fibrous band between the two heads of the flexor carpi ulnaris. The severe internal rotation deformity may contribute the cause of tardy ulnar nerve palsy in cubitus varus deformity.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.518-520
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• 2006

Purpose: Glomus tumors are uncommon benign neoplasms arising from the neuromyoarterial apparatus, usually seen in the nail bed of fingers. Most of this mass presents typical symptoms such as severe pain, point tenderness and hypersensitivity to cold like neuroma, gout or causalgia. Concerning about the origin, there were few written reports about extra-digit glomus tumor, especially that occurred in the skeletal muscule. Methods: A 48-year-old female complained of painful tender mass in her right calf aggravated several months ago. Her MRI and femoral angiogram showed a well defined hypervascular tumor such as hemagioma or hemagioendothelioma in the right calf. Surgical treatment was performed, and it proved glomus tumor in soleus muscle histologically. Results: After the operation, patient didn't complain of her symptoms any more and there was no evidence of recurrence during 1 year follow-up period. Conclusion: Authors have found only eight cases of intramuscular glomus tumor reported in the literature and present here the ninth case of an intramuscular glomus tumor and first case of soleus muscle.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.309-314
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• 2011

Purpose: Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening, destructive soft tissue infection with a very high rate of mortality that needs early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic, autoimmune disease and it's major cause of mortality is an infection. But necrotizing fasciitis in SLE is very rare and there have been only 22 cases reported in the literatures. We reported a patient of necrotizing fasciitis with SLE and reviewed 22 others from literature research. Methods: A 40-year-old female patient with a history of SLE for 6 years came to the emergency room. The patient complained of severe pain and swelling on her right leg. She was diagnosed as necrotizing fasciitis and underwent emergency fasciotomy. As wound cultures showed variable organisms, she was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and underwent several surgical debridements. Then, the wound was treated with the V.A.C (Vacuum Assisted Closure) device and split thickness skin grafting was performed two times. Results: Skin graft was well taken within 2 weeks after operations and the patient was discharged to outpatient follow up. There was no complication related with surgery and she could walk without cane after 3 months. Conclusion: We treated a necrotizing fasciitis in a patient with SLE and reviewed 22 others from literature research. The case presented here suggests that necrotizing fasciitis is a rare disease in SLE patients, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue infection in SLE patients. A high index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and proper management in these patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2015

Traditional moxibustion therapy can cause severe pain and leave scarring burns at the moxibustion site as it relies on the practitioner's subjective and qualitative treatment. Recently, ultrasound therapy has received attention as an alternative to moxibustion therapy owing to its objectiveness and quantitative nature. However, in order to convert ultrasound energy into heat energy, there is a need to precisely understand the ultrasound-focusing characteristics of the acoustic lens. Therefore, in this study, an FEM simulation was performed for acoustic lenses with different geometries a concave lens and zone lens as the geometry critically influences ultrasound focusing. The acoustic pressure field, amplitude, and focal point were also calculated. Furthermore, the performance of the fabricated acoustic lens was verified by a sound pressure measurement experiment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.720-723
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• 2001

A case of Marfan’s syndrome with atresia of right coronary artery is reported. A 45-year-old woman, who was diagnosed as Marfan’s syndrome 1 year ago, came to the hospital complaining of acute chest pain. The patient showed arachynodactyly, pectus carinatum, and long and slender extremities. In echocardiography there were severe aortic regurgitation measured grade IV and aortic dilatation of ascending aorta maximally 5.9 cm in diameter. Mitral regurgitation was mild, but there were also moderate left ventricular dilation and moderately decreased ejection fraction of left ventricle. At operation, atresia of right coronary artery was found. We performed Bentall type operation with SJM 27mm valved conduit for left coronary artery, and Piehler’s modification for right coronary artery bypass using 6mm PTFE graft. The atretic portion of right coronary artery from the suspected right coronary ostium to distal coronary flow was about 4 cm in length. The combination of right coronary artery atresia and Marfan’s syndrome is very rare. The author describes the rare case, which is treated with combined technique of Bentall and Piehler modification for reconstruction of coronary circulation.