No abstract available.
Epigastric Arteries* ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Nose* ; Replantation*

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the value of statistical life (VSL) and health damage cost on theoretical mortality estimates due to environmental pollution. METHODS: We assessed the health risk on three environmental problems and eight sub-problems. Willingness to pay (WTP) was elucidated from a questionnaire survey with dichotomous contingent valuation method and VSL (which is the division of WTP by the change of risk reduction) calculated from WTP. Damage costs were estimated by multiplying VSL by the theoretical mortality estimates. RESULTS: VSLs from death caused by air pollution, indoor air pollution and drinking water contamination were about 0.3, 0.5 and 0.3 billion won, respectively. Damage costs of particulate matters (PM10) and radon were higher in the sub-problems and were above 100 billion won. Because damage cost depends on theoretical mortality estimate and WTP, its uncertainty is reduced in the estimating process. CONCLUSION: Health damage cost or risk benefit should be considered as one scientific criterion for decision making in environmental policy.
Air Pollution ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Decision Making ; Drinking Water ; Environmental Policy ; Environmental Pollution ; Methods ; Mortality* ; Radon ; Risk Assessment ; Uncertainty

No abstract available.
Aortic Stenosis, Supravalvular*

communicable diseases. The purposes of the study is to estimate reporting proportion of National Notifiable Infectious Diseases(NNIDs) and investigate characteristics related to reporting using KAP(knowledge, attitude, practice) model. METHOD: We surveyed randomly selected 2,185 physicians (speciality: internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, general physicians) of their knowledge, attitude, and practice of NNIDs reporting through self-administered mail questionnaires. Of them, 231 physicians responded (response proportion: 10.6%). RESULT: The reporting proportion was estimated to 27.0%. Recognition level (knowledge) of NNIDs was relatively high with proportion of 69.4%, and attitude (public health importance) of reporting was 65.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that knowledge, attitude significantly affected physicians' reporting in a positive direction (O.R. 6.2, 6.2 respectively). Whereas, senior age group, specialty (family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology) showed significantly lower reporting. General (tertiary care) hospital level of care showed significantly higher reporting practice (alpha=0.05). CONCLUSION: The NNIDs reporting proportion, 27.0% is similar with those studied recently. Continuous efforts to increase the performance level of communicable diseases surveillance system. Of those, restructuring surveillance systems considering characteristics of notifiable diseases classes must be stressed. Educational approach of physicians needs to be tailored specially to newly-designated diseases such as Group II, Designated Group NNIDs.
Communicable Diseases* ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Logistic Models ; Pediatrics ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trigger finger are representative pathologic conditions of the hand. Although several studies have evaluated the epidemiology of these diseases as nationwide population-based research, they had several limitations including old data and short study period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with CTS or trigger finger between 2009 and 2019 using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The annual incidence of these diseases was standardized based on age and sex. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections or surgery within 1 year of their diagnoses was calculated annually. Results: The mean annual incidence of CTS was 360.26 per 100,000 person-years and that of trigger finger was 63.09 per 100,000 person-years. The annual incidence of CTS (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.972–0.985; p < 0.001) and trigger finger (IRR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.967–0.985; p < 0.001) significantly decreased. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for CTS significantly increased (relative risk [RR], 1.025; 95% CI, 1.020–1.031; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries significantly decreased (RR, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.940–0.957; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for trigger finger significantly increased (RR, 1.021; 95% CI, 1.009–1.033; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries did not change significantly (RR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.988–1.023; p = 0.523). Conclusions In the past 10 years, the incidence of CTS and trigger finger decreased. The portion of patients who received corticosteroid injections increased for both diseases, but the portion of patients who had surgery decreased for CTS within 1 year after diagnosis. This study provides insight into the epidemiology of these diseases in an Asian population and may inform estimates of healthcare costs.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trigger finger are representative pathologic conditions of the hand. Although several studies have evaluated the epidemiology of these diseases as nationwide population-based research, they had several limitations including old data and short study period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with CTS or trigger finger between 2009 and 2019 using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The annual incidence of these diseases was standardized based on age and sex. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections or surgery within 1 year of their diagnoses was calculated annually. Results: The mean annual incidence of CTS was 360.26 per 100,000 person-years and that of trigger finger was 63.09 per 100,000 person-years. The annual incidence of CTS (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.972–0.985; p < 0.001) and trigger finger (IRR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.967–0.985; p < 0.001) significantly decreased. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for CTS significantly increased (relative risk [RR], 1.025; 95% CI, 1.020–1.031; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries significantly decreased (RR, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.940–0.957; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for trigger finger significantly increased (RR, 1.021; 95% CI, 1.009–1.033; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries did not change significantly (RR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.988–1.023; p = 0.523). Conclusions In the past 10 years, the incidence of CTS and trigger finger decreased. The portion of patients who received corticosteroid injections increased for both diseases, but the portion of patients who had surgery decreased for CTS within 1 year after diagnosis. This study provides insight into the epidemiology of these diseases in an Asian population and may inform estimates of healthcare costs.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trigger finger are representative pathologic conditions of the hand. Although several studies have evaluated the epidemiology of these diseases as nationwide population-based research, they had several limitations including old data and short study period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with CTS or trigger finger between 2009 and 2019 using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The annual incidence of these diseases was standardized based on age and sex. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections or surgery within 1 year of their diagnoses was calculated annually. Results: The mean annual incidence of CTS was 360.26 per 100,000 person-years and that of trigger finger was 63.09 per 100,000 person-years. The annual incidence of CTS (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.972–0.985; p < 0.001) and trigger finger (IRR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.967–0.985; p < 0.001) significantly decreased. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for CTS significantly increased (relative risk [RR], 1.025; 95% CI, 1.020–1.031; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries significantly decreased (RR, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.940–0.957; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for trigger finger significantly increased (RR, 1.021; 95% CI, 1.009–1.033; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries did not change significantly (RR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.988–1.023; p = 0.523). Conclusions In the past 10 years, the incidence of CTS and trigger finger decreased. The portion of patients who received corticosteroid injections increased for both diseases, but the portion of patients who had surgery decreased for CTS within 1 year after diagnosis. This study provides insight into the epidemiology of these diseases in an Asian population and may inform estimates of healthcare costs.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trigger finger are representative pathologic conditions of the hand. Although several studies have evaluated the epidemiology of these diseases as nationwide population-based research, they had several limitations including old data and short study period. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with CTS or trigger finger between 2009 and 2019 using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The annual incidence of these diseases was standardized based on age and sex. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections or surgery within 1 year of their diagnoses was calculated annually. Results: The mean annual incidence of CTS was 360.26 per 100,000 person-years and that of trigger finger was 63.09 per 100,000 person-years. The annual incidence of CTS (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.972–0.985; p < 0.001) and trigger finger (IRR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.967–0.985; p < 0.001) significantly decreased. The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for CTS significantly increased (relative risk [RR], 1.025; 95% CI, 1.020–1.031; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries significantly decreased (RR, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.940–0.957; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who received corticosteroid injections for trigger finger significantly increased (RR, 1.021; 95% CI, 1.009–1.033; p < 0.001), while the number of surgeries did not change significantly (RR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.988–1.023; p = 0.523). Conclusions In the past 10 years, the incidence of CTS and trigger finger decreased. The portion of patients who received corticosteroid injections increased for both diseases, but the portion of patients who had surgery decreased for CTS within 1 year after diagnosis. This study provides insight into the epidemiology of these diseases in an Asian population and may inform estimates of healthcare costs.

Passive surveillance (PS) is a traditional approach to communicable disease surveillance. To complement the approach, several countries have adopted active surveillance (AS) systems that involve the voluntary participation of physicians. This study compares AS versus PS systems in Korea based on the systems' reporting propensity of chickenpox. A mail questionnaire survey was conducted with a random sample of physicians involved in the PS system (N=1,955) and all sentinel physicians of the AS system (N=193). Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with reporting propensity. The reporting propensity of physicians in the AS system was significantly higher than that in the PS surveillance system, 2.7 versus 1.9 on a 5-point Likert scale (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that, in addition to the type of the surveillance system, physician knowledge of chickenpox as a notifiable disease and the type of institution with which a physician was affiliated were significant factors for a physician's reporting propensity. For both systems, the common barriers for reporting were 'lack of confidence in diagnosis,' 'burden from interference by the public health department following reporting,' and 'complexity of the reporting system.' In conclusion, AS of communicable diseases appeared to have a significantly better performance compared to PS in Korea in the case of chickenpox reporting. These findings would be useful for countries concerned with developing more effective strategies for improving the reporting rate of notifiable diseases.
Chickenpox ; Communicable Diseases ; Complement System Proteins ; Korea ; Mandatory Reporting ; Postal Service ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea* ; Sentinel Surveillance