OBJECTIVES: To suggest direction for improving policies by understanding current management of narcotics or psychotropic drugs and analyzing their distributions and usage. METHOD: We conducted a comparison analysis between health insurance claims and the amount supplied to health care institutions for narcotics or psychotropic drugs through health insurance claims data and drug distribution supply data from 2010 to 2012 collected from Korea Pharmaceutical Information Service Center (KPIS). Furthermore, we carried out literature investigation and online search to comprehend the current management of narcotics drugs in Korea. RESULTS: The amount supplied to medical institutions for all drugs in 2012 was 19.4 trillion won, which increased from 19.5 trillion in 2011 by 0.54%. For narcotic drugs, the amount supplied was 318.4 billion won in 2011 and increased to 335.1 billion won by 5.3% in 2012, which exceeded the rate of increase for the amount supplied for all drugs. The proportion of amount claimed in the total amount supplied to medical institutions for all drugs was 60.5% in 2012, whereas the proportion of amount claimed for narcotic drugs was 55.6%, which showed that narcotic drugs were used relatively less within health insurance. Furthermore, management of the current domestic distribution supply data focuses on manufacturing and medical institution supply stages. CONCLUSION: Hereafter, the management of narcotics or psychotropic drugs needs to be improved by reinforcing active monitoring in optimal prescription and usage in patients by collecting and analyzing information on drug usage of patients.
Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Information Services ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Narcotics* ; Prescriptions ; Psychotropic Drugs

BACKGROUND: Korea has high prescribing rate and rising antibiotic resistance. This study was conducted to understand why primary physicians prescribe antibiotics for acute respiratory infections and to explore the factors that influence antibiotic resistance, and so to suggest strategy to reduce antibiotic resistance. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory approach was used using 4 focus groups composed of physicians from different area. A semi-structured guide was applied in obtaining the physicians' opinions. Common themes were extracted by authors, which were used to gather results and draw conclusion. RESULTS: Participants acknowledged multiple factors such as clinical factor and competitive environment are involved in physicians' decision of antibiotic prescribing. They identified that causes of rising antibiotic resistance were shortage of information, discontinuation of taking antibiotics, and other system factors. CONCLUSION: Participants were certain that less prescribing antibiotics and selecting appropriate antibiotics might be method to reduce antibiotic resistance. To change the prescribing behavior, it should be provided periodically for community physicians with prescribing information and specific guidelines for antibiotics resistance. Patients should be also noticed about antibiotic medication information more accurately. Including prescription incentive policy, improvement of healthcare system will be carried out at the same time.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Information Dissemination ; Korea ; Methods ; Motivation ; Prescriptions* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Renovascular hypertension (RVHT) is a major cause of surgically correctable secondary hypertension. Refractory hypertension despite multiple antihypertensive drugs requires angioplasty, surgical revascularization, or even nephrectomy. Herein, we report a pediatric patient who had been treated with angioplasty, nephrectomy, and aortorenal bypass surgery for RVHT due to fibromuscular dysplasia and re-do endoaneurysmal graft replacement for a vein graft aneurysm. This case highlights the various treatment modalities for RVHT and the recurrent nature of the disease with a rare presentation of a vein graft aneurysm after aortorenal bypass.

PURPOSE: The dose of drug and the size of instrument are determined based on children's weight. We aimed to validate the finger counting method (FCM) for weight estimation in Korean children using the Monte Carlo simulation. METHODS: We estimated the weight of Korean children aged 1 to 9 years by the FCM. These measurements were compared with the weight extracted by the Monte Carlo simulation applied to the “2007 Korean Children and Adolescents Growth Standard”. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were measured to assess the correlation between the weight extracted by the simulation and that estimated by FCM. Bland-Altman analyses were performed to assess the agreement between the weight extracted by the simulation and that estimated by FCM and 2 other well-known pediatric weight estimation formulas (the Advanced Pediatric Life Support and Luscombe formulas). RESULTS: Data regarding 9,000 children's weight selected by age and gender was randomly extracted using the simulation. We found a positive correlation between the weight estimated by the FCM and the weight extracted (in boys, r = 0.896, P < 0.001; in girls, r = 0.899, P < 0.001). The FCM tended to underestimate weight in the children aged 7 years or old. CONCLUSION: This article suggests the usefulness of FCM in weight estimation, particularly in children younger than 7 years. With appreciation of the limitation in older children, the FCM could be applied to emergency practice.
Adolescent ; Body Weight ; Child ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fingers* ; Humans ; Methods* ; Monte Carlo Method ; Resuscitation

PURPOSE: The rapid recognition of cardiac arrest is an important factor for survival in cardiac arrest patients, and gasping is a primary barrier to the recognition of a cardiac arrest. This study examined differences in capability of recognizing a cardiac arrest and gasping among lay people, hospital nurses, and medical dispatchers. METHODS: From January to July 2016, 193 participants (65 lay people 62 hospital nurses, and 66 medical dispatchers) watched video clips of a collapsed virtual patient with unresponsiveness, gasping or seizure and answered a questionnaire asking whether the patient was in cardiac arrest or not. The results of the questionnaire were analyzed and compared among the groups. RESULTS: The total score of the questionnaire on the determination of cardiac arrest among lay people, nurses, and medical dispatchers were significant (3.09±1.43 vs. 4.15±1.22 vs. 4.45±1.29 points, p < 0.01). In the questions regarding cardiac arrest with gasping, the correct answer rate was highest in the dispatchers, followed in order by nurses and lay people (82.5% vs. 54.8% vs. 29.7%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, lay people had the lowest recognition capability of a cardiac arrest and gasping among the groups. In addition, gasping is a meaningful barrier to cardiac arrest recognition for both lay people and healthcare providers.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Health Personnel ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Respiration ; Seizures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the stability of interface between Co-Cr-Mo (CCM) UCLA abutment and external hex implant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen external hex implant fixtures were assigned to two groups (CCM and Gold group) and were embedded in molds using clear acrylic resin. Screw-retained prostheses were constructed using CCM UCLA abutment and Gold UCLA abutment. The external implant fixture and screw-retained prostheses were connected using abutment screws. After the abutments were tightened to 30 Ncm torque, 5 kg thermocyclic functional loading was applied by chewing simulator. A target of 1.0 × 10⁶ cycles was applied. After cyclic loading, removal torque values were recorded using a driving torque tester, and the interface between implant fixture and abutment was evaluated by scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The means and standard deviations (SD) between the CCM and Gold groups were analyzed with independent t-test at the significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Fractures of crowns, abutments, abutment screws, and fixtures and loosening of abutment screws were not observed after thermocyclic loading. There were no statistically significant differences at the recorded removal torque values between CCM and Gold groups (P>.05). SEM analysis revealed that remarkable wear patterns were observed at the abutment interface only for Gold UCLA abutments. Those patterns were not observed for other specimens. CONCLUSION: Within the limit of this study, CCM UCLA abutment has no statistically significant difference in the stability of interface with external hex implant, compared with Gold UCLA abutment.
Crowns ; Fungi ; Mastication ; Prostheses and Implants ; Torque

We performed nerve resection and reconstruction of the phrenic nerve in a 63-year-old female patient who underwent complete resection of a malignant thymoma. The left phrenic nerve was completely encased by the tumor for 2 cm. Thus, a 3 cm long piece of phrenic nerve with 5 mm margins of safety on each end was resected and it was directly anastomosed in an end-to-end fashion. At 11 months after reconstruction, fluoroscopy demonstrated adequate and symmetric motion of both hemidiaphragms, which indicated the restoration of phrenic nerve function. The pulmonary function test results were comparable to those obtained preoperatively at 30 months. There has been no evidence of recurrence at the recent follow up visits.
Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Phrenic Nerve ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Thymoma

The aim of our study was to determine the impact of vascular access on in-hospital major bleeding (IHMB) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We analyzed 995 patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina at the Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the ACC/AHA guidelines (CRUSADE) moderate- to very high-bleeding risk scores in trans-radial intervention (TRI) retrospective registry from 16 centers in Korea. A total of 402 patients received TRI and 593 patients did trans-femoral intervention (TFI). The primary end-point was IHMB as defined in the CRUSADE. There were no significant differences in in-hospital and 1-yr mortality rates between two groups. However, TRI had lower incidences of IHMB and blood transfusion than TFI (6.0% vs 9.4%, P = 0.048; 4.5% vs 9.4%, P = 0.003). The patients suffered from IHMB had higher incidences of in-hospital and 1-yr mortality than those free from IHMB (3.1% vs 15.0%, P < 0.001; 7.2% vs 30.0%, P < 0.001). TRI was an independent negative predictor of IHMB (odds ratio, 0.305; 95% confidence interval, 0.109-0.851; P = 0.003). In conclusions, IHMB is still significantly correlated with in-hospital and 1-yr mortality. Our study suggests that compared to TFI, TRI could reduce IHMB in patients with ACS at moderate- to very high-bleeding risk.
Acute Coronary Syndrome/mortality/*pathology ; Aged ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; *Hemorrhage ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Radial Artery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

A coronary aneurysm (CA) can occur in sirolimus-eluting stent (SES)-implanted coronary lesions. Although several possible mechanisms have been suggested, the precise pathogenesis of a CA in SES-implanted lesions is still unknown. We report a patient with Churg-Strauss syndrome who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention with SES and then experienced a CA in an SES-implanted coronary lesion. We describe the CA characteristics through the use of coronary angiography, coronary 64-multidetector computed tomography, and intravascular ultrasound and discuss the etiological factors for the CA in this patient.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Coronary Angiography ; Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Stents

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the current overall preventable trauma death rate (PTDR) in Korea and identify factors associated with preventable trauma death (PTD). METHODS: The target sample size for review was designed to be 1,131 deaths in 60 emergency medical institutions nationwide. The panels for the review comprised trauma specialists working at the regional trauma centers (RTCs); a total of 10 teams were formed. The PTDR and factors associated with PTD were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Of the target cases, 943 were able to undergo panel review and be analyzed statistically. The PTDR was 30.5% (6.1% preventable and 24.4% possibly preventable). Those treated at a RTC showed a significantly lower PTDR than did those who were not (21.9% vs. 33.9%; P = 0.002). The PTDR was higher when patients were transferred from other hospitals than when they directly visited the last hospital (58.9% vs. 28.4%; P = 0.058; borderline significant). The PTDR increased gradually as the time from accident to death increased; a time of more than one day had a PTDR 14.99 times higher than when transferred within one hour (95% confidence interval, 4.68 to 47.98). CONCLUSION: Although the PTDR in Korea is still high compared to that in developed countries, it was lower when the time spent from the accident to the death was shorter and the final destined institution was the RTC. To reduce PTDR, it is necessary to make an effort to transfer trauma patients to RTCs directly within an appropriate time.
Developed Countries ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Sample Size ; Specialization ; Trauma Centers ; Wounds and Injuries