Acupuncture is a popular technique used worldwide, particularly for clinical pain management. Diverse methods of acupuncture with several types of needle have recently been introduced; however, medical evidence of the treatment and safety of many of these techniques has not been established. In addition, severe, life-threatening acupuncture-related complications have been reported even though the treatment is considered to be safe. We report a case of a post-dural puncture headache that occurred following acupuncture for the treatment of lower back pain, with a literature review. Pain physicians should consider that acupuncture can cause far more serious side effects than those previously known.
Acupuncture ; Low Back Pain ; Needles ; Pain Management ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache* ; Postoperative Complications

Background: The rise in national health care costs has emerged as a global problem given the ever-aging population and rapid development of medical technology. The utilization of interventional pain management has, similarly, shown a continued rise worldwide. This study evaluates the differences in the medical costs in the field of interventional pain treatment (IPT) between two countries: Korea and Japan. Methods: Korean medical insurance costs for 2019 related to pain management focused on IPT were compared to those of Japan. Purchasing power parity (PPP) was used to adjust the exchange rate differences and to compare prices in consideration of the respective societies’ economic power. Results: The cost of trigger point injections in Japan was 1.06 times higher than that of Korea, whereas the perineural and intraarticular injection prices were lower in Japan. The cost of epidural blocks was higher in Japan compared to Korea in both cervical/thoracic and lumbar regions. As for blocks of peripheral branches of spinal nerves, the cost of scapular nerve blocks in Japan was lower than that in Korea, given a PPP ratio 0.09. For nerve blocks in which fluoroscopy guidance is mandatory, the costs of epidurography in Japan were greater than those in Korea, given a PPP ratio 1.04. Conclusions This is the first comparative study focusing on the medical costs related to IPT between Korea and Japan, which reveals that the costs differed along various categories. Further comparisons reflecting more diverse countries and socio-economic aspects will be required.

Background: The rise in national health care costs has emerged as a global problem given the ever-aging population and rapid development of medical technology. The utilization of interventional pain management has, similarly, shown a continued rise worldwide. This study evaluates the differences in the medical costs in the field of interventional pain treatment (IPT) between two countries: Korea and Japan. Methods: Korean medical insurance costs for 2019 related to pain management focused on IPT were compared to those of Japan. Purchasing power parity (PPP) was used to adjust the exchange rate differences and to compare prices in consideration of the respective societies’ economic power. Results: The cost of trigger point injections in Japan was 1.06 times higher than that of Korea, whereas the perineural and intraarticular injection prices were lower in Japan. The cost of epidural blocks was higher in Japan compared to Korea in both cervical/thoracic and lumbar regions. As for blocks of peripheral branches of spinal nerves, the cost of scapular nerve blocks in Japan was lower than that in Korea, given a PPP ratio 0.09. For nerve blocks in which fluoroscopy guidance is mandatory, the costs of epidurography in Japan were greater than those in Korea, given a PPP ratio 1.04. Conclusions This is the first comparative study focusing on the medical costs related to IPT between Korea and Japan, which reveals that the costs differed along various categories. Further comparisons reflecting more diverse countries and socio-economic aspects will be required.

Background: The rise in national health care costs has emerged as a global problem given the ever-aging population and rapid development of medical technology. The utilization of interventional pain management has, similarly, shown a continued rise worldwide. This study evaluates the differences in the medical costs in the field of interventional pain treatment (IPT) between two countries: Korea and Japan. Methods: Korean medical insurance costs for 2019 related to pain management focused on IPT were compared to those of Japan. Purchasing power parity (PPP) was used to adjust the exchange rate differences and to compare prices in consideration of the respective societies’ economic power. Results: The cost of trigger point injections in Japan was 1.06 times higher than that of Korea, whereas the perineural and intraarticular injection prices were lower in Japan. The cost of epidural blocks was higher in Japan compared to Korea in both cervical/thoracic and lumbar regions. As for blocks of peripheral branches of spinal nerves, the cost of scapular nerve blocks in Japan was lower than that in Korea, given a PPP ratio 0.09. For nerve blocks in which fluoroscopy guidance is mandatory, the costs of epidurography in Japan were greater than those in Korea, given a PPP ratio 1.04. Conclusions This is the first comparative study focusing on the medical costs related to IPT between Korea and Japan, which reveals that the costs differed along various categories. Further comparisons reflecting more diverse countries and socio-economic aspects will be required.

Most elective cesarean sections are conducted under spinal anesthesia. Regional anesthesia has become the preferred technique, because general anesthesia is associated with a greater risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. In patients without absolute contraindication, spinal anesthesia is avoided, when procedural difficulty is increased by severe spinal deformity. A 41-year-old female patient was 33 weeks into pregnancy. Her height and weight were 145 cm and 45 kg. The patient was planned for emergency cesarean section, due to cephalopelvic disproportion. Spinal anesthesia was planned since she was suffering from Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, and had risks of respiratory failure and prolonged mechanical ventilation after general anesthesia. However, the patient also had severe kyphoscoliosis, maybe due to Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. We are reporting a successful spinal anesthesia using real-time ultrasound guidance, for cesarean section in this obstetric patient with severe kyphoscoliosis.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Cephalopelvic Disproportion ; Cesarean Section* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Mortality ; Muscular Dystrophies* ; Pregnancy ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Scoliosis ; Ultrasonography

Purpose: : The purpose of this study is to explore changes in the conceptual perception structure of medical students’ empathy according to the educational experience provided at the beginning of the basic medical education. Methods: : The subjects of this study were 116 students in the 2nd year of the pre-medical department of the College of Medicine. Results: : Before and after the basic medical interview class and after the end of the dissection practice, words included in the concept of empathy such as ‘the other person’, ‘emotion’, ‘understanding’, ‘position’, ‘situation’, and ‘thought’ appeared in common. However, these common words appeared mixed before and after the basic medical interview class, but after the end of the dissection practice, they changed to a structure that recognizes the concept of empathy by integrating the core concepts of ‘the other’, ‘understanding’, and ‘emotion’. In particular, after the end of the dissection practice, the word ‘patient’ appeared, expressing the specific object of empathy as a doctor for the first time. Conclusion : Curriculum related to medical interview within the basic medical education curriculum should be systematically developed so that students can continuously experience practical medical interview situations along with theoretical education.

Purpose: This study analyzed the results of limb salvage surgery of classical internal bone transport using an Ilizarov apparatus for cases of infected nonunion of the lower extremity long bones, including the complications. Materials and Methods: The data of the patients with infected nonunion of the femur or tibia treated with bone internal transport method using Ilizarov apparatus from December 2006 to December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of the thirteen cases, eleven patients had a lesion of the tibia, one on the knee joint, and the last on the femur shaft. The average length of internal transport was 89.5 (42–191) mm with the external fixation period of 362.8 (175–601) days, resulting in the external fixator index of 1.43 (0.91–2.08) month/cm. The major complications were four cases of delayed union or nonunion, two cases of regenerate failure, two cases of limb length discrepancy of more than 2.5 cm, two cases of remnant angular deformity, one case of refracture, two cases of equinus deformity and ankle joint stiffness, and one case of intended knee joint fusion. In all thirteen cases, bone union was achieved without infection recurrence. Conclusion Limb salvage surgery using Ilizarov apparatus for classical internal bone transport could be a way to avoid amputation in patients with infected nonunion. The outcomes of classical internal bone transport with a higher bone union rate and lower infection recurrence were acceptable. On the other hand, all possible complications, the treatment course, and other options, such as bone transport with internal fixation or induced membrane technique, should be shared with the patient before surgery to enhance overall satisfaction.Furthermore, for difficulties in regenerate formation in the bone with osteomyelitis and massive bone defect, the patient should be informed of a potential longer fixation period or additional surgeries for regenerate failure, including bone graft or fibular transport, to facilitate the patient’s compliance to treatment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) for management of pain during and after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatic tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients were divided into non-TPVB (4 patients, 4 sessions of RFA for 4 tumors) and TPVB group (5 patients, 7 sessions of RFAs for 7 tumors). Ultrasound (US)-guided TPVB was performed at T7 level. The 15 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine was injected into right paravertebral space before RFA. If patients complained pain and asked analgesics or experienced pain with verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) of more than 4, fentanyl 25 µg (up to 100 µg), pethidine 25 mg, and midazolam 0.05 mg/kg (up to 5 mg) were sequentially given intravenously during RFA. RESULTS: Total intravenous morphine equivalence of analgesics before, during, and after RFA was 129.1 mg and 0.0 mg in non-TPVB and TPVB group, respectively. CONCLUSION US-guided TPVB may be an effective and safe anesthetic method for decreasing or eliminating pain during and after RFA for hepatic tumor and helpful in decreasing the usage of opioids.