The increase of health care expenditures is an important problem in the almost countries. Also, suppression of the health care expenditures is an important problem in the health field of Korea since the national health insurance for total people in 1989. Thus, it is very important to grasp the change of the health care expenditures of family and proportions of the health care expenditures to total expenditures of family, because they are the basis of national health care expenditures in Korea. While the health care expenditures of urban family were increased during 1980-1993 by 12.8% annually, the total expenditures of urban family were increased by 14.8% annually. consequently, the proportions of health care expenditures to total expenditures were decreased from 5.98% to 4.76%. The proportions of health care expenditure for 3 years to come were predicted to 4.75% in 1994, 4.67% in 1995, and 4.63% in 1996 by the time-series ana]ysis. That is, it was predicted that they would be decreasing slowly. The product elasticity of health care expenditure was less than 1 in the multiple regression analysis, so the health care is normal good rather than superior good. Therefore, it seems that the household economy is able to bear the expense pursuing the improvement of quality of health care by actualizing the medical insurance fee.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Elasticity ; Family Characteristics ; Fees and Charges ; Hand Strength ; Health Expenditures* ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Quality of Health Care

BACKGROUND: Fibrostenosis of large airway due to tuberculosis is one of the most perplexing clinical problems not only because it can lead to respiratory failure but also because of difficulty in the management. No one technique, such as balloon dilatation or insertion of self expandable metallic steno, has proved totally satisfactory in the management of fibrostenosis. We evaluated the effect of laser therapy in patient with severe fibrostenosis due to tuberculosis. METHOD: We classified the fibrostenosis to three types by bronchoscopic finding - the diaphragm type: stenosed by fibrous diaphragm, sparing the tracheobronchial wall, the collapse type: stenosed by collapse of the wall due. to destruction of the cartilage, and the combined type: stenosed by nonspecific inflammatory scar tissue within internal lumen with collapse of the wall. We have treated 10 patients complaining dyspnea due to with severe fibrostenosis of the diaphargm or the combined type using a neodymiumyttrium aluminum garnet(Nd-YAG) laser through a flexible bronchoscopy. RESULTS: Eight of the 10 cases improved after laser therapy and maintained during a follow up period of average 31.9 months. All of the cases undergoing laser therapy showed no serious complication to need the therapy. CONCLUSION: The results of our present study indicate that the Nd-YAG laser therapy is an effective and safe method for the management of selective tuberculous fibrostenosis.
Aluminum ; Bronchoscopy ; Cartilage ; Cicatrix ; Diaphragm ; Dilatation ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Tuberculosis

The purpose of this study is to analyze degree of geographic maldistribution of physicians and changes in the distributional pattern in Korea over the years 1980-1985. In assessing the degree of distribution and in identifying changes in the distribution pattern, the Gini index of concentration was used. The geographical units selected for computation of the Gini index in this analysis are districts (Gu), cities (Si), and counties (Gun). Locational data for 1980 and 1985 were obtained from the population census data in the Economic Planning Board and regular reports of physicians in the Korean Medical Association. The rates of physician located countries to whole physicians were 10.4% in 1980 and 9.6% in 1985. In term of the ratio of physicians per 100,000 population, rural area had 9.18 physicians in 1980 and 12.95 in 1985, 7.13 general practitioner in 1980 and 7.29 in 1985, and 2.05 specialists in 1980 and 5.66 in 1985. Only specialists of general surgery and preventive medicine were distributed over 10% in county and distribution of every specialists except chest surgery in county increased in 1985, comparing with that rates of 1980. The Gini index computed to measure inequality of physician distribution in 1985 indicate as follows; physicians 0.3466, general practitioners 0.5479, and specialists 0.5092. But the Gini index for physicians and specialists fell -15.40% and -10.42% from 1980 to 1985, indication more even distribution. The changes in the Gini index over the period for specialists from 0.3639 to 0.4542 for districts, from 0.2510 to 0.1949 for cities, and 0.5303 for countries indicate distributional change of 24.81%, -22.35%, and 10.65% respectively. The Gini indices for specialists of neuro-surgery, chest surgery, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, tuberculosis, preventive medicine, and anatomical pathology in 1985 were higher than Gini indices in 1980.
Censuses ; General Practitioners ; Humans ; Korea ; Ophthalmology ; Pathology ; Preventive Medicine ; Rural Population ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Specialization ; Surgery, Plastic ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

The osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor, of which the typical form is a cartilage-capped bony projection, far often found at the metaphysis of the long tubular bones, and may arise from any bone preformed in cartilage. To our knowledge, however, osteochondroma of accessory bones has not been reported, but we experienced a rare case of osteochondroma located in the position normally occupied by a tarsal accessory bone(Os Tibiale Externum). The mass was treated by excisioa and it discloeed typical microscopic findings of ostechondroma as shown in the pictures.
Cartilage ; Osteochondroma

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis*

A case of fibroepithelial polyp with stromal atypia in a 25-year-old female is described. The tumor arose from the vaginal wall and measured 3.5 cm in maximal diameter. It was composed of hypercellular connective tissue stroma and focal myxoid area containing numerous atypical mono- and multinucleated stromal cells. These cells may mislead to make a diagnosis of sarcoma, particulary of botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma.
Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Polyps* ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Sarcoma ; Stromal Cells* ; Vagina*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to suggest guidelines for management of Low grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion(LSIL) by evaluating natural course of LSIL of the uterine cervix. MATERIAL & METHODS: Among the women who visited Korea University Kuro Hospital from Jan. 1993 to Oct. 1998, One hundred fifty eight patients who were diagnosed as LSIL with colposcopy directed biopsy were followed up by colposcopy and/or cytology, HPV DNA test every 3 months. RESULT: In I58 patients who were diagnosed as LSIL, colposcopic examination confirmed progression to high grade intraepithelial lesion(HSIL) in 17(10.7%) patients, persistence of LSIL in 87(55%) patients, regression to normal in 54(34.2%) patients during the 3 year follow-up period. In prediction of LSIL subgroup, abnormal Pap test is 39%, 64%, 71% and abnormal HPV test is l6%, 29%, 65% in regression, persistent and progression group respectively. The shortest time of transition from minor lesion(LSIL) to high grade lesion was 12 months (the range, 12-51). CONCLUSION: Of the patients who were diagnosed as LSIL and monitored by colposcopy for 60 months, 34% had disease that regressed, 55% had persistent disease, and 11% had progressive disease. HPV DNA test(p=0.002) is more informative than pap test(p=0.567) in prediction of disease progression.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri ; Colposcopy ; Disease Progression ; DNA ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human Papillomavirus DNA Tests ; Humans ; Korea ; Natural History

To investigate the factors influencing workers' perception and attitude toward special periodic health screening test for workers, a survey with self-administered questionnaires was performed on 279 workers who had special periodic health screening test from september 1 to October 15, 1994. A study model was developed by modifying the health belief model. The end and intermediate response variables of the model were the voluntary participation and necessity perception on the special screening for workers, and The result of analysis was consistent with the study model. Rates for the necessity perception and voluntary participation on the special1 screening for workers were 77.2%, 79.2%, respectively. Factors influencing on the voluntary participation were necessity perception, benefit of special screening for workers, and cue to action. And on the necessity perception were susceptibility and severity to occupational disease, knowledge to special screening for workers, and support of company. General and occupational characteristics influencing on the susceptibility and severity to occupational disease were sex, age, educational level, work duration, and health education. On the knowledge to special screening for workers were age, educational level, work duration, and locus-of-control. On the benefit of special screening for workers were age, locus-of-control, pride on health, and health education. Therefore, to increase the voluntary participation and necessity perception on the special periodic health screening for workers, l) if a worker is judged as occupational disease, the judgment should be widely known in his workplace, 2) the screening result forms should be directly sent to the workers themselves, 3) for the positivity of employers, the campaign and education program subjected to them should be planned, 4) health education should give the first consideration to the younger, lower educational level, and newly employed women, and its frequency should be increased and it should be more frequently dealt with occupation-related subjects, and 5) the employers should have a careful concern in not being disadvantageous to workers due to result of screening.
Cues ; Education ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Judgment ; Mass Screening* ; Occupational Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Arteries* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Rheology*

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*