No abstract available.
Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spinal Cord*

Financial stability is the foremost prerequisite for the continuous growth and development of hospitals. The present study aimed at developing a deterministic model using the factors which affect the hospitals profitability and at discovering which factor affected the hospital profitability. The study conducted questionnaire surveys on all general hospitals, with the exception of special hospitals, with over eighty hospital beds. Of the 274 subject hospitals, 136 of them, consituting 49.6% of the whole, were used in the study. The results are as follow. 1. In the deterministic model, outpatient revenue was affected more by the number of physician visits than by outpatient service intensity. Inpatient revenue was found to be affected more by the number of discharged patients than by inpatient service intensity. However, the increase rate of the service intensity not only contributed in stepping up the operating margin by 4~8% in outpatient and 3~6% in inpatient, but it was statistically significant. 2. Among the factors which determined the operating cost within the deterministic model, the number of patients had a greater impact on the operating cost than the resource consumption per patient. 3. The resource consumption per patient were proved to have the greatest effect on the profitability within the probabilistic model. The management cost per adjusted patient, in particular, was proven to have a statistically significant effect on the profitability in all hospitals.
Growth and Development ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Special ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Models, Statistical ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: This study was done to identify the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and BPHrelated symptoms among community-dwelling elderly men in Korea. In addition, quality of life and health care-seeking behavior were explored. METHODS: A total of 417 elderly men were surveyed using the IPSS (International Prostatic Symptom Score) and a structured questionnaire on health care-seeking behaviors. RESULTS: The prevalence of BPH was 19.7%. Of those with BPH, 80.3% reported mild symptoms, 13.2% moderate symptoms, and 6.5% severe symptoms. The severity of BPH-related symptoms was significantly correlated with quality of life. Among those with BPH, 42.7% had never consulted with anyone about their symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: BPH has emerged as a serious public health problem in elderly men. Elderly people who experience worse symptoms of BPH have a lower quality of life. Many elderly with BPH do not seek health care, mainly due to misconceptions about BPH. The provision of educational programs for BPH may significantly improve the quality of life of elderly men.
Statistics, Nonparametric ; Quality of Life ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/complications/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Prevalence ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Male ; Korea/epidemiology ; Humans ; Health Surveys ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aged

Strongylodiasis is universal in distribution but is most abundant in countries with a tropical climate. Although infestation by Strongyloides stercoralis is usually limited to the intestines, dessemination of this helminth in debilitated host can be lead to death with various clinical disorders. characterized by profound malabsorption, diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance, gram negative or opportunistic fungal sepsis, coma and death. Cell-mediated immunity contributing significantly to the control of helminthic infections, may be suppressed by carcinoma, immunosuppressive chemotherapy and use of corticosteroids. Diagnosis of Strongyloidiasis is achieved by an examination of samples of feces, duodenal aspirates and sputum of patients for Strongyloides stercoralis. Treatment of strongyloidiasis is twofold : correction of the immunosuppressive state by withdrawal of immunosuppressive drug, if possible, and vigorous treatment with thiabendazole. Testing for strongyloidiasis is especially recommanded before treating a patients should be monitored for infection by Strongyloides stercoralis and other opportunistic infection. We are reporting a case patient with Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection and pulmonary tuberculosis who had been. used corticosteroid for persisting polyarthritis.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Arthritis ; Coma ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Drug Therapy ; Feces ; Helminths ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Intestines ; Opportunistic Infections ; Sepsis ; Sputum ; Strongyloides stercoralis* ; Strongyloides* ; Strongyloidiasis ; Thiabendazole ; Tropical Climate ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Child* ; Humans

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of recurrences after their first febrile convulsions in infants and young children. Dlinical studies were made on 187 cases of febrile convulsions who were admitted to the Department of pediatrics of wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital from March, 1990 to December, 1992. 1) 63 cases of 187 cases had recurrences after their febrile convulsions. Thus, the recurrence rate was 33.7%. 2) The male to female ratio was 2.1:1. And there were no significant differences in recurrence rates between sexes. 3) The recurrence rate was significantly higher in those whose initial febrile convulsions were developed before first 18 months of life than those whose initial convulsions were after 18 months of age (49.5% vs. 12.5%). 4) The time interval from initial attack to recurrence was within 12 months in 80% of cases. 5) Our study revealed that the seizure characteristics of the initial febrile convulsion are not important as predictive factors about the probability of recurrences. 6) Among the total 187 cases, family history were present in 52 cases (27.8%). And there were significantly higher recurrence rates if their families show the same history of febrile convulsion (63.5% vs. 22.2%). 7) The risk of recurrence was much higher in patients whose first febrile history of febrile convulsion at the same time.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Protestantism ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile*

No abstract available.

Background: Liquid biopsy is a useful assay for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction of solid tumors and its clinical application is expanding. Therefore, the need for developing an External Quality Assessment (EQA) protocol for liquid biopsy is increasing. In this study, we developed and implemented the liquid biopsy EQA program for the epidermal growth factor receptor mutation. Methods: We validated the feasibility of the protocol using citrate instead of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Additionally, we analyzed the homogeneity and stability of the aliquoted quality control (QC) materials. Mutation-positive QC material with four mutations (exon 19 deletion, L858R, T790M, and exon 20 insertion) was used to make two types of QC materials (low and high) and the wild type material was used for the negative controls. If the EQA results showed consensus in more than 80% of the participating laboratories, the results were reported as acceptable or unacceptable. If not, we reported the results as not graded. Results: Citrate showed equivalent performance to EDTA. Highly mutated QC material and mutation-negative QC material passed the homogeneity and stability test, but low-level mutant specimens showed inconsistent results. In total, 11 laboratories participated, and all of them reported consistent results except for low-grade mutant samples. Thus, the evaluation results were acceptable except for low mutation QC material. Conclusions The applicability of liquid biopsy is expanding. To obtain accurate test results, EQA is indispensable. Here, QC materials for liquid biopsy EQA were produced, distributed, and had its results analyzed. This study could be the foundation for further development of liquid biopsy EQA.

Clinical observations were made on 349 cases of acute drug intoxication who were visited to emergency room of Yeungnam University Hospital during recent 7 years from January 1984 to December 1990. The following results were obtained. 1) Total number of cases of acute drug intoxication was 349 which was 0.39% of the total patients of the emergency room during the same period. 2) The ratio of male to female was 1.1:1. The age incidence was highest in the third decade (26.7%). The monthly incidence was highest in May. Higher frequency was observed in summer season. 3) The most common drug of the intoxication was pesticides and herbicides (71.9%), the remainders were miscellaneous drugs (11.2%), sedatives (7.7%), rodenticides (6.3%) and unknown drug (3.2%) in orders. 4) The most common cause of drug intoxication was suicide (69.1%) and the others were accident, unknown cause, intention in orders. 5) Main clinical manifestations were the impairment of consciousness, nausea, vomiting and convulsion. Physical examination revealed increased pulses, increased blood pressure, miosis of the pupil and sweating. Above symptoms and signs were more prominent in pesticide intoxication. Leukocytosis, glycosuria and abnormal LFT were common findings in acute intoxications. 6) The complications were developed in 18.3% among 349 cases and the most common complication was respiratory failure, pneumonia, cardiovascular collapse and pulmonary edema in orders. 7) Overall mortality rate was 8.3% of total cases and mortality rate was highest in herbicide intoxication (22.2%).
Blood Pressure ; Consciousness ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Glycosuria ; Herbicides ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Incidence ; Intention ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Miosis ; Mortality ; Nausea ; Pesticides ; Physical Examination ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Edema ; Pupil ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Rodenticides ; Seasons ; Seizures ; Suicide ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary results using the 4+5 extensor compartmental vascularized bone graft for the treatment of stage III Kienbock's disease and to report the usefulness of this procedure. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on five patients who had undergone 4+5 extensor compartmental vascularized bone graft for stage III Kienbock's disease between Jan. 2005 and Aug. 2006. All patients were composed of two patients in stage IIIA and three patients in stage IIIB according to Lichtman classification. The radiographic findings were evaluated by carpal height ratio, Stahl's index, ulnar variance and scapholunate angle. The clinical outcome was assessed using the Mayo wrist score. RESULTS: The mean age of 43.4 years(range, 21-61) and the mean follow up of 23.6 months(range, 14-31) were presented. All patients were satisfied and the mean Mayo wrist score was 78(range, 70-85). Two patients showed further lunate collapse on follow-up radiographs. Four patients had no pain in the activity of daily living, one patient had a mild occasional pain. CONCLUSION: The 4+5 extensor compartmental vascularized bone graft for the surgical treatment of stage III Kienbock's disease is the effective treatment showing satisfactory clinical results, but a lunate collapse proceeds. Before this operation, the possibility of lunate collapse should be considered.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Osteonecrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants ; Wrist