Objectives: This study examined differences in health care spending and characteristics among older adults in Korea by high-cost status (persistently, transiently, and never high-cost). Methods: We identified 1 364 119 older adults using data from the Korean National Insurance Claims Database for 2017-2019. Outcomes included average annual total health care spending and high-cost status for 2017-2019. Linear regression was used to estimate differences in the outcomes while adjusting for individual-level characteristics. Results: Persistently and transiently high-cost older adults had higher health care spending than never high-cost older adults, but the difference in health care spending was greater among persistently high-cost older adults than among transiently high-cost older adults (US$20 437 vs. 5486). Despite demographic and socioeconomic differences between transiently high-cost and never high-cost older adults, the presence of comorbid conditions remained the most significant factor. However, there were no or small differences in the prevalence of comorbid conditions between persistently high-cost and transiently high-cost older adults. Rather, notable differences were observed in socioeconomic status, including disability and receipt of Medical Aid. Conclusions Medical risk factors contribute to high health care spending to some extent, but social risk factors may be a source of persistent high-cost status among older adults in Korea.

A 61-year-old man presented with abdominal distension without any symptoms. On colonoscopy and computed tomography findings, it was clinically diagnosed as peritoneal metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer, and diagnostic laparoscopy was performed. Only the peritoneum was partially resected, and the pathology was signet ring cell carcinoma with predominantly local mucinous carcinoma component. However, the patient complained of persistent symptoms and, despite the progress of chemotherapy, the peritoneal dissemination worsened, and additional cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was performed. Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs) were reported in the appendix with perforated visceral peritoneum. After additional chemotherapy, the patient was discharged. Patients with advanced MANEC with peritoneal spreading may benefit from aggressive treatment by cytoreduction surgery with HIPEC, followed by intravenous chemotherapy.

The electrical burn or amputation of fingers gives damages not only to the soft tissue, but also to the bone, tendon and joint structure and causes severe deformity. To correct severe deformity, surgeons perform osteoplasty, tenolysis, capsulotomy, arthro- plasty, and flap surgery. However, such surgery can not be performed under some circumstances because patients wish to undergo surgery step-by-step, in stead of taking all at once. The deformity would have been more severe if the corrective surgery had been delayed without any treatment. The authors have reconstructed only soft tissue using the preserved superficial fat skin graft taken from the medial side of the foot or great toe. Nine patients who had deviated fingers were corrected from June 2001 to June 2002. Seven patients had deformity due to electrical burn, one due to amputation and the other due to congenital syndactyly. The period of follow-up was from 19 to 31 months. At surgery, a skin incision on the scar vertical to the finger and release of contraction of the deviated finger was performed. The soft tissue defect was reconstructed with a composite graft taken from medial side of the foot or great toe, with a preserved superficial fat layer. To accelerate healing of the grafted tissue, antibiotic ointment was applied to preserve the moisture environment. The composite graft was well taken without complication, and especially, there was no necrosis although the composite tissue was as big as 18x15mm to 33x11mm. The preoperative deformity was corrected better than we expected after surgery. The color and tissue texture were excellent and well harmonized with the surrounding skin, and the donor site healed without complication. We also observed a new bone formation in some cases.
Amputation ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Fingers* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Joints ; Necrosis ; Osteogenesis ; Skin* ; Syndactyly ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors ; Toes ; Transplants*

In this study, the effects of high-intensity-focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment on benign uterine tumor patients were examined. A total of 333 patients diagnosed with fibroids or adenomyosis using diagnostic sonography, treated with HIFU between February 4, 2010 and December 29, 2014 at a hospital in Korea, and followed up for three or six months were selected for this study. Their benign uterine tumor volume was measured, and the effects of HIFU treatment on the volume were analyzed according to age, disease, fertility, and treatment duration. The volume of benign tumors of the uterus changed by age in all age groups after conducting HIFU treatment for 3 and 6 months, respectively. The rate of decrease in individuals' in their twenties was the largest, at 64.9%. When the decreasing volume of benign tumors of the uterus was analyzed by type of disease, the treatment efficacy for adenomyosis was the best, with a decrease of 164.83 cm3 after 6 months. Myoma had the fastest decreasing rate, at 68.5%. When evaluated on the basis of fertility, the volume of benign tumors of the uterus continued to decrease until 6 months after completing all procedures. The volume has continued to decrease for 6 months after all procedures. This study showed that HIFU treatments for uterine fibroid and adenomyosis is an effective non-invasive therapy via reducing the benign uterine tumor volume. Therefore, the HIFU method might replace other conventional treatment methods.
Adenomyosis/diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma/diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ultrasonic Therapy ; Uterine Neoplasms/physiopathology/*radiotherapy ; Uterus/physiopathology

In this study, the effects of high-intensity-focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment on benign uterine tumor patients were examined. A total of 333 patients diagnosed with fibroids or adenomyosis using diagnostic sonography, treated with HIFU between February 4, 2010 and December 29, 2014 at a hospital in Korea, and followed up for three or six months were selected for this study. Their benign uterine tumor volume was measured, and the effects of HIFU treatment on the volume were analyzed according to age, disease, fertility, and treatment duration. The volume of benign tumors of the uterus changed by age in all age groups after conducting HIFU treatment for 3 and 6 months, respectively. The rate of decrease in individuals' in their twenties was the largest, at 64.9%. When the decreasing volume of benign tumors of the uterus was analyzed by type of disease, the treatment efficacy for adenomyosis was the best, with a decrease of 164.83 cm3 after 6 months. Myoma had the fastest decreasing rate, at 68.5%. When evaluated on the basis of fertility, the volume of benign tumors of the uterus continued to decrease until 6 months after completing all procedures. The volume has continued to decrease for 6 months after all procedures. This study showed that HIFU treatments for uterine fibroid and adenomyosis is an effective non-invasive therapy via reducing the benign uterine tumor volume. Therefore, the HIFU method might replace other conventional treatment methods.
Adenomyosis/diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma/diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ultrasonic Therapy ; Uterine Neoplasms/physiopathology/*radiotherapy ; Uterus/physiopathology

A standardized animal model with an identical burn wound depth is necessary to carry out a study on burn wound healing. It should be easy to operate, reliable and reproducible. The authors used pigs because they histologically resembles human skin most. The method of getting the pigs burned embodied a standardized burn models by using a digitally controlled aluminum thermal block designed by the authors. Nine pigs were burned by maintaining the heat at 70degrees C for 10 seconds, 15 seconds and 20 seconds, respectively, and at 80degrees C, 85degrees C, 90degrees C, 95degrees C and 100degrees C, every 5 seconds, 10 seconds and 15 seconds, for a total of 54 contact burn wounds. And another six pigs were burned at same contact time and temperature (n=3). Another three pigs were burned by maintaining the heat at 80degrees C for 10 seconds to produce 30 more contact burn wounds (n=30). After wounding, the burned skin was biopsied, stained with H&E and observed under microscopy. Two pathologists measured the vertical distance between the basement membrane and dermal tissue of the deepest burned tissue. The depth of burn increased at a regular phase in proportion to the temperature and the time of increasing temperature. The depth of 30 biopsies of the burned tissue at 80degrees C for 10 seconds was similar statistically. Therefore, the standardized burn model of a pig, made by using digitally controlled aluminum thermal block is highly simple, reliable and reproducible for a standardized burn model, and will be very helpful in the study of burn wound healing.
Aluminum ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Burns* ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Models, Animal ; Skin ; Sus scrofa* ; Swine ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries

Purpose: Health behaviors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevention should be emphasized from early adulthood. There is little information on psychosocial factors associated with health behaviors for MetS prevention. The aim of this study was to determine whether there would be a mediating effect of perceived stress on the association between social support and health behaviors for MetS prevention among university students. Methods: This cross-sectional and correlation study was conducted with 502 university students in South Korea. Social support, perceived stress, and lifestyle evaluation for metabolic syndrome scales were used. Online questionnaire survey was conducted between November and December 2019. The mediating effect of social support on health behaviors for MetS prevention was analyzed using PROCESS macro program with bootstrapping method to test our hypotheses. Results: Social support directly influenced perceived stress (β=-.35, p<.001) and health behaviors for MetS prevention (β=.14, p=.002). Health behaviors for MetS prevention was indirectly influenced by perceived stress (β=-.25, p<.001). The size of indirect effect of social support on health behaviors for MetS prevention was 0.06. Conclusions The association of social support and health behaviors for MetS prevention was partially mediated by perceived stress among university students. Therefore, a university-based nursing intervention should comprise social support strategies with stress management to promote health behaviors for MetS prevention.

Foreign body (FB) aspiration remains a serious health problem, particularly in children. The complications due to occlusion by FB or related to procedures for removal can lead to morbidity and mortality. Most of the FBs are located in the unilateral bronchus, however, the organic FB can be multiple or bilaterally located when children chewed the FB. Here, we present a case of successful retrieval of bilateral bronchial FBs. Preoperatively, FB in the left main bronchus was diagnosed, however, FB of the right upper bronchus was not definitive on X-ray and CT scan. During the rigid bronchoscopy, occult FB in the right upper bronchus was detected and successfully removed.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1) loaded films on oral wound healing. Two types of G-Rb1 films, G-Rb1 loaded carboxymethyl cellulose (GCMC) film and G-Rb1 loaded hyaluronic acid (GHA) film, were developed. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: control, GCMC, and GHA. After wound formation on midpalate, the control group was left without treatment, whereas the experimental groups had films attached. The specimen was analyzed clinically and histologically after 7 and 21 days. For clinical analysis, the area of incompletely re-epithelialized wound was measured. For histological analysis, the distance between the margins of the wound (soft tissue gap) was measured and the percentage of the collagen-stained area on the specimen was calculated. In clinical and soft tissue gap analysis, the GCMC group presented improved healing compared to the GHA group and the control at day 7 (p < 0.05). And, both GCMC (9.74 ± 10.12%) and GHA groups (19.50 ± 14.47%) presented greater collagen-positive pixels compared to control (0.89 ± 1.60%) at day 7 (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in these parameters among the groups on day 21. Therefore, G-Rb1 loaded films improved oral wound healing.

Objectives: . To compare the surgical outcomes of externally monitored and conventional buried flaps with the goal of determining the usefulness of external monitoring of buried flaps. Methods: . In this case-control study with propensity score matching, 30 patients were evenly divided into externally monitored buried flap and conventional buried flap groups. The total operative time for free flap reconstruction, the flap survival rate, the length of hospital stay, the initial time of a reliable visual assessment, complications, the final diet achieved, and the duration until diet initiation were compared between the groups. Results: . The mean operative time for reconstruction was 115 minutes (interquartile range, 85–150 minutes) and 142 minutes (interquartile range, 95–180 minutes) in the externally monitored and conventional groups, respectively (P= 0.245). The median length of hospital stay was 24 days (interquartile range, 18–30 days) and 27 days (interquartile range, 20–41 days) in the externally monitored and conventional groups, respectively (P=0.298). The median duration until diet initiation was 15 days (interquartile range, 15–21 days) and 18 days (interquartile range, 15–34 days) in the externally monitored and conventional groups, respectively (P=0.466). The final diet, initial time of a reliable visual assessment, and complications were comparable between the groups, but the external skin paddle provided an excellent visual assessment immediately postoperatively in all cases. Conclusion . The outcomes were comparable between the groups, indicating that externalization of the cutaneous component of a buried flap may be a straightforward and useful technique for monitoring a buried anterolateral thigh free flap in laryngopharyngeal reconstructions. The salvage and false-positive rates of compromised flaps should be compared in large subject groups in future studies to prove that the use of an external skin paddle improves flap monitoring.