Objective: We investigated the factors that affect the time from the onset of acute stroke symptoms to arrival at the emergency department (ED). Methods: Between July 2019 and February 2020, patients with acute stroke symptoms who visited a public hospital were evaluated by retrospective analysis using a prospective survey. The data for this study was gathered from baseline interviews with patients enrolled in stroke surveys. The primary outcome was time to arrival at the ED, evaluated as a binary variable with a value of 4.5 hours. Results: Overall, 205 patients were included in the final analysis. Among them, 47% (n=96) of patients with acute stroke symptoms arrived at the ED later than 4.5 hours from the time of onset of acute stroke symptoms. After multivariable logistic regression analyses, it was found that patients with higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, patients who did not live with their family members, and patients who were found by a passerby were associated with early ED arrival post onset of acute stroke symptoms. Among patients diagnosed with acute stroke, those with higher NIHSS scores or underlying malignant diseases were found to present earlier at the ED. Conclusion Approximately half of the patients (47%) with acute stroke symptoms presented to the ED within 4.5 hours. Higher NIHSS scores and the presence of underlying malignancy were identified as the key factors that were associated with an early presentation at the ED from the time of onset of acute stroke.

PURPOSE: This study is executed to identify and report the treatment effects of oral mucosa grafting of prosthetic eye patients who have shallow conjunctival socket caused by socket contraction. METHODS: Conjunctival sac reconstruction was performed by using the lower lip mucosa to 11 eyes of 11 patients diagnosed with contracted conjunctival sac at the ophthalmic clinic from August 2009 to May 2015, and a retrospective analysis was performed with medical record data from the patients who were followed-up after surgery. RESULTS: Within the follow-up period, prosthetic eye insertion was possible for all 11 eyes of the 11 patients. All of them were satisfied in an aesthetic aspect, and were able to maintain deep conjunctival sac without receving findings of graft absorption, or re-contracted or shallow conjunctival sac during the follow-up period. On the donor region, normal epithelialization occurred. Concerning the donor region for the first week after surgery, the mean score of the patients' pain was 3.18 +/- 0.94 points measured by a numerical rating scale, and no infection, bleeding, contraction, or cicatrix was revealed during the follow-up period. There were hypoesthesia, pararthria, and paresthesia (tingling sense) for post-complications from the donor region, and four patients out of the 11 patients complained of discomfort resulting from post-complications; whereas the remaining seven patients did not complain of discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Oral mucosa can be considered as a good graft for contracted conjunctival sac reconstruction for patients who cannot wear a prosthetic eye.
Absorption ; Cicatrix ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Lip ; Medical Records ; Mouth Mucosa* ; Mucous Membrane ; Paresthesia ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

While communicable diseases still pose a serious health threat in developing countries, previously neglected health issues caused by non-communicable diseases such as stroke are rapidly becoming a major burden to these countries. In this review we will discuss the features and current status of stroke in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Overall the global burden of hemorrhagic stroke is larger than ischemic stroke, with a disproportionately greater burden, measured in incidence and disability-adjusted life-years, regionally localized in LMICs. Patients in poorer countries suffer due to insufficient primary care needed to control risk factors such as hypertension, and inadequate emergency care systems through which sudden events should be managed. In light of these situations, we emphasize two strategic points for development assistance. First, assistance should be provided for bolstering, integrating, and coordinating both the primary health and emergency care systems, in order to prevent stroke and strengthen stroke management, respectively. Second, the assistance needs to focus on programs at the community level, to reduce life-style risks of stroke in a more sustainable manner, and to improve stroke outcomes more effectively.
Delivery of Health Care/*organization & administration ; Developing Countries/*economics ; *Economic Development ; Global Health ; Health Promotion/*organization & administration ; Humans ; Incidence ; International Cooperation ; Models, Organizational ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Stroke/economics/*epidemiology/*prevention & control

No abstract available.
Compressed Air* ; Explosions* ; Orbit* ; Orbital Cellulitis*

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the mass and social media contents and structures related to particulate matter before and after the policy enforcement of the comprehensive countermeasures for particulate matter, derive nursing implications, and provide a basis for designing health policies. Methods: After crawling online news articles and posts on social networking sites before and after policy enforcement with particulate matter as keywords, we conducted topic and semantic network analysis using TEXTOM, R, and UCINET 6. Results: In topic analysis, behavior tips was the common main topic in both media before and after the policy enforcement. After the policy enforcement, influence on health disappeared from the main topics due to increased reports about reduction measures and government in mass media, whereas influence on health appeared as the main topic in social media. However semantic network analysis confirmed that social media had much number of nodes and links and lower centrality than mass media, leaving substantial information that was not organically connected and unstructured. Conclusion Understanding of particulate matter policy and implications influence health, as well as gaps in the needs and use of health information, should be integrated with leadership and supports in the nurses’ care of vulnerable patients and public health promotion.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the clinical factors associated with positive brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute altered mental status (AMS). Methods: Patients with acute AMS who presented to the ED were retrospectively analyzed from September 2019 to March 2020. Non-traumatic patients with abnormal alert, verbal, pain, unresponsive (AVPU) scale scores and exhibiting acute change in mental status were included in the study. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with acute AMS according to the results of their brain MRI. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the clinical factors associated with positive brain MRI findings. Results: During the study period, 138 patients underwent brain MRI in the ED, with 36 (26.1%) positive results. A majority of patients with positive brain MRI findings had underlying malignancies, cerebrovascular disease, higher serum total bicarbonate (TCO2) levels, TCO2≥22 mmol/L, lower blood urea nitrogen levels, abnormal findings on brain computed tomography and abnormal findings on neurologic examination. In the multivariable analysis, serum TCO2≥22 mmol/L (odds ratio [OR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-4.12) and the presence of cranial nerve abnormalities (OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.55-9.68) and extremity abnormalities (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.11-6.88) were significantly associated with positive brain MRI results. Conclusion Serum TCO2 level and the presence of cranial nerve and extremity abnormalities in the neurologic examinations were significantly associated with positive brain MRI results in patients with acute AMS.

PURPOSE: The butterfly-shaped pigment dystrophy is an extremely rare autosomal dominant retinal disorder. The authors present a case of butterfly-shaped pigment dsytrophy not reported previously in Korea. CASE SUMMARY: A 45-year-old man had bilateral blurred vision for 2 years. His visual acuity was 0.2 in the right eye, and 0.3 in the left and was uncorrected. Funduscopically, yellow pigment deposits were present at the level of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the central macula of both eyes. Fluorescein angiography (FA) revealed a central, dark, butterfly-shaped lesion surrounded by a region of hyperfluorescence, Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed thick elevation of the RPE with hyperreflectivity and disruption of the inner and outer segment (IS/OS) interface of the photoreceptors. The patient had normal color vision, visual field and electroretinograms and reduced electrooculograms. CONCLUSIONS: In general, butterfly-shaped pigment dystrophy is known to have good visual prognosis. However, in some cases the disease can be a chronic progressive disorder with secondary involvement of the photoreceptors, as exemplified this patient. The authors anticipate more detail regarding the natural course of this disease will be obtained through spectral domain OCT.
Butterflies ; Color Vision ; Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Vision, Ocular ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of our antivenin treatment protocol for patients with Korean Viperidae envenomation. METHODS: We developed an antivenin treatment protocol for Korean Viperidae envenomation, based on previous data, and applied this treatment to the enrolled patients. In brief, antivenin was not used for patients with grade 0. Patients with grade I and II received one vial of antivenin. Those with grade III and IV received two and three vials of antivenin, respectively. Adult patients who visited the emergency department (ED) after receiving a snakebite between July 2008 to August 2010 were included. Follow ups were performed at 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days after the snakebite. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were enrolled. At the initial evaluation, 6 patients (9.7%) were grade 0, 47 patients (75.8%) were grade I, and 9 patients (14.5%) were grade II. Upon the follow-up evaluation, 14 patients (29.8%) progressed from grade I to grade II and 2 patients (22.2%) progressed from grade II to III. Coagulopathy developed in 5 patients (8.0%) and rhabdomyolysis in 5 patients (8.0%). Urticaria developed in 2 patients (3.2%) and cellulitis in 3 patients (4.8%) as delayed complications. As an antivenin-related complication, serum sickness developed in only 1 patient (1.6%). There were no severe complications and all clinical and laboratory abnormalities disappeared within 28 days. CONCLUSION: Our antivenin treatment protocol was feasible and safe. To confirm our data, multicenter validation studies are needed.
Adult ; Antivenins ; Cellulitis ; Clinical Protocols ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Serum Sickness ; Snake Bites ; Snake Venoms ; Urticaria ; Viperidae

No abstract available.
Incidence

Korea has a relatively short history in the development and use of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Additionally, it has been difficult to employ the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument due to the lack of consensus and the presence of differences in Korean medical settings and in the Korean socio-cultural environment. An AGREE II scoring guide was therefore developed to reduce differences among evaluators using the same tool. In consideration of the importance of using a quantitative measure of satisfaction with the elements described in the AGREE II manual, a final draft was developed through a Delphi consensus process. Ninety-two draft scoring guides for anchor points 1, 3, 5, and 7 (full score) in 23 items were developed. Consensus was defined as agreement among at least 70% of the raters. Agreement on 88 draft scoring guidelines was reached in the first Delphi round, and agreement for the remaining four was achieved in the second round. The development of an AGREE II scoring guide in this study is expected to contribute to improving the CPG environment.
Consensus ; Humans ; Peer Review ; *Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Republic of Korea