• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.539-544
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• 2017

Background We conducted this study to identify factors that may prolong the length of the hospital stay (LHS) in patients with diabetic foot (DF) in a single-institution setting. Methods In this single-center retrospective study, we evaluated a total of 164 patients with DF, and conducted an intergroup comparison of their baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, including sex, age, duration of diabetes, smoking status, body mass index, underlying comorbidities (e.g., hypertension or diabetic nephropathy), wound characteristics, type of surgery, the total medical cost, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and albumin, protein, glycated hemoglobin, and 7-day mean blood glucose (BG) levels. Results Pearson correlation analysis showed that an LHS of >5 weeks had a significant positive correlation with the severity of the wound (r=0.647), WBC count (r=0.571), CRP levels (r=0.390), DN (r=0.020), and 7-day mean BG levels (r=0.120) (P<0.05). In multiple regression analysis, an LHS of >5 weeks had a significant positive correlation with the severity of the wound (odds ratio [OR]=3.297; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.324-10.483; P=0.020), WBC count (OR=1.423; 95% CI, 0.046.0-356; P=0.000), CRP levels (OR=1.079; 95% CI, 1.015-1.147; P=0.014), albumin levels (OR=0.263; 95% CI, 0.113.3-673; P=0.007), and 7-day mean BG levels (OR=1.018; 95% CI, 1.001-1.035; P=0.020). Conclusions Surgeons should consider the factors associated with a prolonged LHS in the early management of patients with DF. Moreover, this should also be accompanied by a multidisciplinary approach to reducing the LHS.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.416-423
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was performed to examine medical care utilization of psychiatric patients and to explore patients' characteristics associated with extended hospitalization. Methods : Data were extracted from information of Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. All data associated with admission and outpatient clinic visit were analysed by patient characteristics. We selected first psychiatric admission patients who diagnosed mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol (main disease code: F10), schizophrenia and related disorders (F20-29) and mood disorders (F30~33) from January to June 2005. We analysed status of admission, mean length of stay, regular access to outpatient clinic and rates of extended hospitalization during 3 years. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with extended hospitalization. Results : The number of psychiatric patients during the first six month of 2005 was 30,678. The mean length of stay was longest for schizophrenia and related disorders but shortest for mood disorders. Patients who experienced an extended hospitalization were 18.8% of total subjects. An extended hospitalization was more common in schizophrenia and related disorders than other diagnostic groups. The factors associated with the extended hospitalization were age, sex, diagnostic group, type of insurance and medical care utilization groups. Conclusions : The study indicates the problem of an extended hospitalization for psychiatric patients in Korea. It is suggested that variations in rates of extended hospitalization among medical care utilization group may need an active early intervention system in psychiatric treatment service. Particular attention needs to be devoted to planning and funding for reducing extended hospitalization.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2008

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is ultimately an inflammatory state. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level are inflammatory markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of the ESR, CRP and APACHE II score as prognostic factors for patient with ARDS. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 87 ARDS patients. The predictors (APACHE II score, ESR and CRP) and outcomes (mortality and length of the total hospital stay, the ICU stay and mechanical ventilator care) were obtained from the patients' records. The patients were grouped according to survival as the Survivor and Non survivor groups. We compared the APACHE II score, the ESR and the CRP level between the survivor group and the nonsurvivor group. We evaluated the correlation between the predictors and the outcomes. The initial ESR, CRP level and APACHE II score were checked at the time of ICU admission and the second ESR and CRP level were checked $3.3{\pm}1.2$ days after ICU admission. Results: Thirty-eight (43.7%) patients remained alive and 49 (56.3%) patients died. The APACHE II score was significantly lower for the survivor group than that for the non survivor group ($14.7{\pm}7.6$ vs $19.6{\pm}9.1$, respectively, p=0.006). The initial ESR and CRP level were not different between the survivor and non-survivor groups (ESR $64.0{\pm}37.8mm/hr$ vs $63.3{\pm}36.7mm/hr$, respectively, p=0.93, CRP $15.5{\pm}9.6mg/dl$ vs $16.3{\pm}8.5mg/dl$, respectively, p=0.68). The decrement of the CRP level for the survivor group was greater than that for the non survivor group ($-8.23{\pm}10.0mg/dl$ vs $-1.46{\pm}10.1mg/dl$, respectively, p=0.003). Correlation analysis revealed the initial ESR was positively correlated with the length of the total hospital stay and the ICU stay (correlation coefficient of the total hospital days: R=0.43, p=0.001, correlation coefficient of the ICU stay: R=0.39, p=0.014). Conclusion: The initial APACHE II score can predict the mortality of ARDS patients, and the degree of the early CRP change can be a predictor of mortality for ARDS patients. The initial ESR has positive correlation with the ARDS patients' duration of the total hospital stay and the ICU stay.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.84-104
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• 2000

This paper analyzes the technical efficiency of thirty two hospitals in Korea using DEA(Data Envelopment Analysis). DEA provides an efficiency measure for each hospital compared to the most efficient one. The amount and sources of inefficiency that are identified by the DEA are useful for benchmarking to improve efficiency. The results from multiple regression analysis and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test show that bed turnover, hospital size, and average length of stay are related to hospital efficiency.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.808-811
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• 1994

We reported a successful right pneumonectomy using video assisted thoracoscopy for endobronchial tuberculosis. Thoracoscopic surgery has many advantages in spite of its technical difficulties. These advantages include good cosmetic effects, short hospital stay, decreased postoperative morbidity, and good postoperative pulmonary function.The patient was young unmarried female, and her right lung was nearly total obstructed by endobronchial tuberculous dissemination and secondary pulmonary infection. The procedure was a little complicated by inadequate placements of the thoracoscopic ports and 5cm length utility thoracotomy incision. Minimal pain killer was needed only two days after operation and scar of operative wound was very satisfying. Postoperative course was unusual and the patient was discharged 7 days after operation.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2009

Purpose: In this study, the prognostic significance of the Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the height of fall in free-fall patients were investigated. Methods: The medical records of 179 victims of falls from a height who were brought alive to the Emergency Department of Gyeongsang National University Hospital between January 2003 and December 2007 were analyzed. The age, the sex of the patients, the rate of admission, the hospital stay, the site of injury, the severity of injury, the rate of surgery, the site of the fall and the presence of alcohol intoxication were evaluated by using a retrospective review of the medical records. Injury severity was measured by using the ISS. Patients were categorized into four subgroups according to the height from where they had fallen. The data were statistically analyzed with using SPSS ver. 10.0. Results: The admission rates for the subgroups with falls of less than 3 stories were significantly lower than those for the subgroups with higher heights of falls (70.7% vs. 100%, p<0.05). These two subgroups showed statistically significant differences in mean hospital stay ($17.11{\pm}24.88$ vs. $56.73{\pm}49.21$, p<0.05), rate of operation (30.6% vs. 53.8%, p<0.05), and mean ISS ($6.86{\pm}4.97$ vs. $13.96{\pm}9.14$, p<0.05). In the correlation analysis, the ISS and the mean hospital stay showed the highest correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.666. Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis of 179 free-fall patients, we evaluated the prognostic factors affecting the outcomes for the free-fall patients. The patients who had fallen from heights of 3 stories or higher showed statistically significant higher rates of admission, longer durations of hospital stay, higher ISSs, and higher operation rates. The most accurate factor in predicting the length of hospital stay was the ISS.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1992

When we compare different control charting schemes, the average run length of each control chart is usually used. The use of the average run length implies that there is unbounded number of samples or observations. The regression recursive residuals, however, have been applied to the cumulative sum chart to detect whether the mean or variance changes. To implement choice of decision interval, we calculate the probability that certain fixed number of control statistics stay in the in-control state. This probability can be used as the significance level of a test for detecting the change in the residual mean or variance of the data with a finite number of observations.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2007

Tapering enteroplasty was first described by Thomas in 1969 as one method of intestinal anastomosis. The advantages of tapering enteroplasty in the intestinal atresia are: First, it makes end-to-end anastomosis possible between the atretic bowel ends with considerable differences in diameters. Second, it promotes the recover of the postoperative bowel function. Third, it prevents the possibility of the short bowel syndrome by eliminating the need of resecting the dilated bowel. A total of 22 patients with intestinal atresia who underwent tapering enteroplasty from January 1988 to December 2005 at our institute were reviewed. In 3 of 22 cases, tapering enteroplasty was the $2^{nd}$ operation after an initial end-to-oblique anastomosis. We reviewed the following items: age, sex, type and location of intestinal atresia, initial feeding and total enteral feeding start day, the length of hospital stay and complications. The average age of the patients was 7 days. Male to female ratio was 1 to 1.2 (10 cases: 12 cases). We performed the tapering enteroplasty on all types and locations of the intestinal atresia from the duodenum to the colon: type I (n=3), type II (n=4), type IIIA (n=7), type IIIB (n=5), type IIIB and IV (n=1), type IV (n=1) and type C (duodenum) and type IIIB and IV (jejunum). On the average, the oral feeds were started on the postoperative $8.8^{th}$ day, and full caloric intake via the enteric route was achieved on postoperative $13.3^{th}$ day. The average length of hospital stay was 19.6 days. There were 1 case (4.5 %) of anastomotic complication and 2 cases (9 %) of adhesive ileus among 22 patients. The tapering enteroplasty on all types of intestinal atresia is a usefull operative method when there are considerable diameter differences between the atretic bowel ends.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2019

Purpose: This study estimated the incidence of delirium and associated risk factors and outcomes in ICU patients with acute poisoning. Methods: Data were collected from ICU patients over 18 years of age that were admitted via the emergency center after presenting with poisoning from 2010 to 2015. Delirium was assessed retrospectively using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). Risk factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 199 patients participated in this study and 68 (34.2%) were diagnosed with delirium based on the ICDSC score. The delirium group showed a significantly higher association with prolonged length of stay in the hospital and ICU in comparison with the non-delirium group. The delirium group was associated with greater use of physical restraint. A statistically greater number of patients with pharmaceutical substance poisoning developed delirium over a short period of time than those with non-pharmaceutical substance poisoning. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to age, sex, past history, GCS score, vital signs, application of ventilator care and renal replacement therapy. Conclusion: The finding that the delirium group had a greater length of stay in both the hospital and the ICU is consistent with the results of previous worldwide studies of the effects of delirium on the prognosis of patients who were admitted to the ICU, suggesting the possibility for domestic application. Additionally, use of physical restraint was positively related to the incidence of delirium. Thus, interventions for minimizing the use of physical restraints and considering alternatives are needed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2020

Background: Recently, a study comprising adult patients with sepsis admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) was conducted. The patients were treated with high doses of intravenous ascorbic acid, thiamine, and hydrocortisone; the clinical outcomes demonstrated significant therapeutic benefits. The mortality rate in children with sepsis is approximately 25%. However, the effects of additional treatment with ascorbic acid and thiamine ("vitamin protocol") in children are rarely investigated. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using medical records of patients diagnosed with sepsis and admitted to the pediatric ICU (PICU) between September 2016 and June 2019. The control group received treatment only as per sepsis protocol, whereas the treated group received both sepsis protocol and the vitamin protocol. The primary endpoint was change in Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (VIS) for 5 days. The secondary endpoints included the length of stay in the PICU, duration of using mechanical ventilators and vasopressors, and mortality rate. Results: The number of patients in the treated and control groups was 33 and 24, respectively. The treated group showed greater decrease in their VIS for 5 days than the control group (44.4 vs 18.6); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The length of stay in the PICU was significantly longer for the treated group than for the control group [10.0 days (Interquartile range (IQR), 6-18) vs 4.5 days (IQR, 4-10.3); p=0.004]. Conclusions: No significant treatment benefits were observed following vitamin protocol administration to the pediatric patients with sepsis. Further studies are necessary for improving the efficacy and safety of the vitamin protocol.