BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of the severity of psoriasis is important in daily practice and clinical studies. However, the assessment of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) reflects the physician's experience, and thus evaluations by physicians are inherently subjective, with intra-rater and inter-rater variability. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effectiveness of PASI educational lectures and the use of reference photographs on the improvement of accuracy and reliability in PASI assessments and to develop effective educational programs for PASI assessments. METHODS: We performed a before-and-after comparison study during nation-wide PASI educational workshops. The participants were asked to assess the severity components of PASI (erythema, thickness, scale, and affected area) three times: in the test administered before an educational lecture, the test immediately after the lecture, and lastly the test with the use of reference photographs. The improvement of accuracy and reliability was analyzed by comparing the results of three tests. RESULTS: Ninety-six board-certified dermatologists and residents participated and 72 participants completed all three tests. The accuracy and reliability of the assessment of severity components of PASI increased significantly after the educational lecture and the use of reference photographs. Use of reference photographs resulted in limited improvements when the recognition of three-dimensional structures was required, such as in the assessment of thickness or scale. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed that the combination of standardized educational training and reference photographs can improve the accuracy and reliability of PASI assessments. Understanding how to evaluate three-dimensional psoriatic lesions can help with proper assessment of the severity of psoriasis.
Education* ; Lectures* ; Psoriasis* ; Severity of Illness Index

Systematic and effective welfare for the disabled is possible when there are scientific and objective criteria demonstrating either presence or severity of the impairment. We need our own scientific criteria suitable for our culture and society, since the impairment is influenced by them. In 2007, we established the Developing Committee of Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS) Guideline for Impairment Rating under KAMS supervision. We included all fixed and permanent physical impairments after a sufficient medical treatment. The impairment should be stable and medically measurable. If not, it should be reevaluated later. We benchmarked the American Medical Association Guides. The KAMS Guideline should be scientific, objective, valid, reasonable and practical. In particular, we tried to secure objectivity. We developed the KAMS Guideline for Impairment Rating.
*Disability Evaluation ; Humans ; Korea ; Program Development ; Questionnaires ; *Severity of Illness Index

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic criteria of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) have mainly focused on dichotomous (yes/no) categorization, which makes it difficult to compare the inter-patient's condition and to evaluate the intra-patient's subtle severity over the course of time. To overcome this limitation, many efforts have been made to create laboratory methods or scoring systems to reflect the severity of CRPS; measurement of the skin temperature asymmetry is one of the former, and the CRPS severity score (CSS) is one of the latter. However, there has been no study on the correlations among the CSS, temperature asymmetry and subjective pain score. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is any correlation between the CSS, skin temperature asymmetry and subjective pain score. METHODS: Patients affected with CRPS in a unilateral limb were included in this study. After making a diagnosis of CRPS according to the Budapest criteria, the CSS and skin temperature difference between the affected and unaffected limb (DeltaT) was measured in each patient. Finally, we conducted a correlation analysis among the CSS, DeltaT and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included in this study. There was no significant correlation between the DeltaT and VAS score (Spearman's rho = 0.066, P = 0.677). Also, the CSS and VAS score showed no significant correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.163, P = 0.303). CONCLUSIONS: The DeltaT and CSS do not seem to reflect the degree of subjective pain in CRPS patients.
Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Pain Measurement ; Severity of Illness Index ; Skin Temperature*

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of pancreas which come from various etiologies. The pathologic spectrum of acute pancreatitis varies from mild edematous pancreatitis to severe necrotizing pancreatitis. To diagnose and to predict severity in acute pancreatitis, various biochemical marker, imaging modalities and clinical scoring sytstem are needed. Ideal parameters should be accurate, be performed easily and enable earlier assess. Unfortunately, no ideal parameter is available up to date. Serum amylase and lipase are still useful for the diagnosis but meaningless in predicting severity. C-reactive protein and inflammatory cytokines are promising single parameters to predict the severity. CT finding is also an useful determinant of severity, but is expensive and is delayed in assessment.
Acute Disease ; English Abstract ; Humans ; Pancreatitis/*diagnosis ; Severity of Illness Index

Acute Disease ; Humans ; Pancreatitis ; classification ; diagnosis ; Severity of Illness Index

Anemia, Aplastic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Severity of Illness Index

The classification system of diabetic foot not only helps to assess the wound, but it also can be used to predict the outcome of diabetic foot ulcer in the early stage, dynamically monitor the changes in the wound, and rationally direct the therapeutic schedule. At present, there are diverse systems for classifying the diabetic foot, but none has been internationally recognized. The classification systems can be categorized by time sequence, research objective, or structure type. When one of the classification systems is chosen, it is still very important to take the population, facility, and research type into consideration.
Diabetic Foot ; classification ; pathology ; Humans ; Severity of Illness Index ; Wound Healing

Angina, Unstable ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo develop a scoring system to measure the severity of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

METHODSThe clinical data of patients with MODS were collected and analyzed prospectively. Seven indicators were screened out to assess the functions of seven organs. Each indicator was scored from 0 to 4 points, with the 0 point representing the normal organ function, and 1 point to 4 points representing the dysfuntion to failure of the organ. Acording to the index and points a severity scoring system were developed.

RESULTSSeven indicators including the systolic pressure, oxygenation index, conscious state, peripheral blood platelet count, blood total bilirubin, and serum creatinine were used to represent the functions of seven organs. The seven organs included cardiovascular system, lung, brain, coagulative system, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. The severity scoring system were composed of seven indicators and their points. The total score was 24 points. The mortality increased along with the increase of the points (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONThis scoring system can be used to assess the severity of the MODS.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic criteria of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) have mainly focused on dichotomous (yes/no) categorization, which makes it difficult to compare the inter-patient's condition and to evaluate the intra-patient's subtle severity over the course of time. To overcome this limitation, many efforts have been made to create laboratory methods or scoring systems to reflect the severity of CRPS; measurement of the skin temperature asymmetry is one of the former, and the CRPS severity score (CSS) is one of the latter. However, there has been no study on the correlations among the CSS, temperature asymmetry and subjective pain score. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is any correlation between the CSS, skin temperature asymmetry and subjective pain score. METHODS: Patients affected with CRPS in a unilateral limb were included in this study. After making a diagnosis of CRPS according to the Budapest criteria, the CSS and skin temperature difference between the affected and unaffected limb (DeltaT) was measured in each patient. Finally, we conducted a correlation analysis among the CSS, DeltaT and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included in this study. There was no significant correlation between the DeltaT and VAS score (Spearman's rho = 0.066, P = 0.677). Also, the CSS and VAS score showed no significant correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.163, P = 0.303). CONCLUSIONS: The DeltaT and CSS do not seem to reflect the degree of subjective pain in CRPS patients.
Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Pain Measurement ; Severity of Illness Index ; Skin Temperature