Background: This study focuses on assessing occupational risk for the health hazards encountered during maintenance works (MW) in semiconductor fabrication (FAB) facilities. Objectives: The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying the primary health hazards during MW in semiconductor FAB facilities; 2) reviewing the methods used in evaluating the likelihood and severity of health hazards through occupational health risk assessment (OHRA); and 3) suggesting variables for the categorization of likelihood of exposures to health hazards and the severity of health effects associated with MW in FAB facilities. Methods: A literature review was undertaken on OHRA methodology and health hazards resulting from MW in FAB facilities. Based on this review, approaches for categorizing the exposure to health hazards and the severity of health effects related to MW were recommended. Results: Maintenance workers in FAB facilities face exposure to hazards such as debris, machinery entanglement, and airborne particles laden with various chemical components. The level of engineering and administrative control measures is suggested to assess the likelihood of simultaneous chemical and dust exposure. Qualitative key factors for mixed exposure estimation during MW include the presence of safe operational protocols, the use of air-jet machines, the presence and effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation system, chamber post-purge and cooling, and proper respirator use. Using the risk (R) and hazard (H) codes of the Globally Harmonized System alongside carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic classifications aid in categorizing health effect severity for OHRA. Conclusion Further research is needed to apply our proposed variables in OHRA for MW in FAB facilities and subsequently validate the findings.

Background: Despite the lack of official COVID-19 statistics, various workplaces and occupations have been at the center of COVID-19 outbreaks. We aimed to compare legal measures and governance established for managing COVID-19 infection risks at workplaces in nine Asia and Pacific countries and to recommend key administrative measures. Methods: We collected information on legal measures and governance from both general citizens and workers regarding infection risks such as COVID-19 from industrial hygiene professionals in nine countries (Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) using a structured questionnaire. Results: A governmental body overseeing public health and welfare was in charge of containing the spread and occurrence of infectious diseases under an infectious disease control and prevention act or another special act, although the name of the pertinent organizations and legislation vary among countries. Unlike in the case of other traditional hazards, there have been no specific articles or clauses describing the means of mitigating virus risk in the workplace that are legally required of employers, making it difficult to define the responsibilities of the employer. Each country maintains own legal systems regarding access to the duration, administration, and financing of paid sick leave. Many workers may not have access to paid sick leave even if it is legally guaranteed. Conclusion Specific legal measures to manage infectious disease risks, such as providing proper personal protective equipment, education, engineering control measures, and paid sick leave are recommended to be stipulated in Industrial safety and health-related acts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related clinical features, risk factors, and prognoses of bacterial keratitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces and the patterns and trends of fluoroquinolone antibiotic susceptibility. Methods: Medical records of 433 patients (433 eyes) who visited one of the five university hospitals in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces and were diagnosed as culture-positive bacterial keratitis between January 2000 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into younger and older groups based on an age of 60 years. Predisposing factors, prognostic factors, treatment method, causative organisms, and susceptibility to fluoroquinolone were analyzed. Results: Two hundred seventy three males (63.0%) and 160 females (37.0%) were included. The most common risk factors in the younger group were contact lens wear (27.5%) and trauma and foreign body (27.0%). The most common risk factors in the older group were trauma and foreign body (30.5%). Staphylococcus species was the most common causative Gram-positive bacteria, regardless of age, and Pseudomonas species was the most common among Gram-negative bacteria. The older group tended to have more severe keratitis required more surgical treatment and had a worse visual outcome than the younger group (p < 0.05). As of 2011, the resistance to fluoroquinolone did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions Bacterial keratitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces indicated more severe clinical aspects and worse prognoses in older patients showing similar results from previous studies. Caution regarding trauma and foreign bodies and managing previous ocular disease is necessary for all age groups. Education regarding adequate contact lens care and hygiene is required for younger (<60 years) patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related clinical features, risk factors, and prognoses of bacterial keratitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces and the patterns and trends of fluoroquinolone antibiotic susceptibility. Methods: Medical records of 433 patients (433 eyes) who visited one of the five university hospitals in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces and were diagnosed as culture-positive bacterial keratitis between January 2000 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into younger and older groups based on an age of 60 years. Predisposing factors, prognostic factors, treatment method, causative organisms, and susceptibility to fluoroquinolone were analyzed. Results: Two hundred seventy three males (63.0%) and 160 females (37.0%) were included. The most common risk factors in the younger group were contact lens wear (27.5%) and trauma and foreign body (27.0%). The most common risk factors in the older group were trauma and foreign body (30.5%). Staphylococcus species was the most common causative Gram-positive bacteria, regardless of age, and Pseudomonas species was the most common among Gram-negative bacteria. The older group tended to have more severe keratitis required more surgical treatment and had a worse visual outcome than the younger group (p < 0.05). As of 2011, the resistance to fluoroquinolone did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions Bacterial keratitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces indicated more severe clinical aspects and worse prognoses in older patients showing similar results from previous studies. Caution regarding trauma and foreign bodies and managing previous ocular disease is necessary for all age groups. Education regarding adequate contact lens care and hygiene is required for younger (<60 years) patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease. METHODS: A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder. RESULTS: Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ≤40 years. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations. CONCLUSION: The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ≤8 inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms ; Compensation and Redress ; Environment, Controlled ; Korea ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Occupational Diseases ; Rare Diseases ; Semiconductors ; Workers' Compensation

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic total fundoplication is the standard surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, partial fundoplication may be a viable alternative. Here, we conducted a nationwide survey of partial fundoplication in Korea. METHODS: The Korean Anti-Reflux Surgery study group recorded 32 cases of partial fundoplication at eight hospitals between September 2009 and January 2016. The surgical outcomes and postoperative adverse symptoms in these cases were evaluated and compared with 86 cases of total fundoplication. RESULTS: Anterior partial fundoplication was performed in 20 cases (62.5%) and posterior in 12 (37.5%). In most cases, partial fundoplication was a secondary procedure after operations for other conditions. Half of patients who underwent partial fundoplication had typical symptoms at the time of initial diagnosis, and most of them showed excellent (68.8%), good (25.0%), or fair (6.3%) symptom resolution at discharge. Compared to total fundoplication, partial fundoplication showed no difference in the resolution rate of typical and atypical symptoms. However, adverse symptoms such as dysphagia, difficult belching, gas bloating and flatulence were less common after partial fundoplication. CONCLUSION: Although antireflux surgery is not popular in Korea and total fundoplication is the primary surgical choice for gastroesophageal reflux disease, partial fundoplication may be useful in certain conditions because it has less postoperative adverse symptoms but similar efficacy to total fundoplication.
Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Eructation ; Flatulence ; Fundoplication* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Korea*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze research and development projects in mental health services in Korea, using priority evaluation of mental health promotion policies to determine direction of the service. METHODS: An online survey was conducted that targeted experts in the mental health service regarding promotion of mental health in Korea in 2016. The survey was based on 32 policy projects that resulted from 12 strategies according to 4 policy objectives. RESULTS: Analysis of 32 mental health projects were assessed regarding the possibility of technology development success, magnitude of the ripple effect, and necessity of a national response. It was observed that 3 policy projects relevant to suicide, had a high relative priority. This was followed by policies for improvement of health insurance and the medical benefit cost system, and policies for reinforcement of crisis psychological support such as those for disaster victims. CONCLUSION: The prioritization of mental health services should place an emphasis on promotion of a healthy mental lifestyle, rehabilitation support for patients with serious mental illness, and reinforcement of social safety networks for suicide prevention.
Disaster Victims ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Industrial Development ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mental Health Services* ; Mental Health* ; Rehabilitation ; Social Change* ; Suicide

PURPOSE: The information committee of the Korean Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (KSMBS) performed the nationwide survey of bariatric and metabolic operations to report IFSO (International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders) worldwide survey annually. This study aimed to report the trends of bariatric and metabolic surgery in Korea in 2014–2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the accumulated nationwide survey data conducted for annual ISFO survey from 2014 to 2017. Trends such as the number of operations by hospital type and the number of operations by surgical method were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of operations has decreased sharply in 2015 comparing to 2014 (913⇒550). The number of operations performed in private hospitals dropped sharply from 529 to 250, 198, and 103 cases. The number of revisional surgeries increased to 223 in 2015. The primary surgery number fell from 757 in 2014 to 327 in 2015. In primary surgery, sleeve gastrectomy was gradually increased from 2014 to 143 (18.9%), 105 (32.1%), 167 (47.2%) and 200 (56.3%) and became the most frequently performed surgery. On the other hand, the incidence of adjustable gastric band decreased gradually from 439 (58.0%) to 117 (35.8%), 112 (31.6%) and 59 (16.6%). CONCLUSION: The overall number of obesity metabolic operations has decreased since 2014, especially the number of adjustable gastric band, and the number of operations in private hospitals declined sharply. On the other hand, the number of operations in university hospitals did not change much, and the number of sleeve gastrectomy increased.
Bariatric Surgery ; Gastrectomy ; Hand ; Hospitals, Private ; Hospitals, University ; Incidence ; Korea ; Methods ; Obesity

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is reversible in a considerable number of patients. We examined the prevalence and predictive factors of transient PTDM following liver transplantation. Forty-two of 74 PTDM patients showed the clinical features of transient PTDM. Compared with the persistent PTDM patients, they were characterized by younger age at the time of transplantation (49+/-7 vs. 53+/-8 yr, P<0.05), longer time before the development of PTDM (44+/-59 vs. 13+/-20 days, P<0.05), lower rate of hepatitis c virus seropositivity (0.0 vs. 9.4%, P<0.05), and use of mycophenolate mofetil (59.5 vs. 28.1%, P<0.05). Among these risk factors, age at the time of transplantation is the single independent predictive factor associated with the reversibility of PTDM.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Diabetes Mellitus/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Female ; Hepacivirus/isolation & purification ; Humans ; *Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Mycophenolic Acid/analogs & derivatives/metabolism ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

A 20-year-old man presented to our outpatient clinic with hemoptysis, cough, and pleuritic chest pain. His chest radiograph and pulmonary function tests (PFT) were normal. A bronchoscopy showed a small yellowish patch with a regular surface. A direct bronchoscopic biopsy was performed. The pathologic findings showed a benign granular cell tumor. The respiratory symptoms resolved after biopsying the tumor. On follow?up, there were no signs of recurrence of the granular cell tumor after a period of 24 months.
Adult ; Chest Pain/*diagnosis/pathology ; Granular Cell Tumor/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Male ; Tracheal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology