No abstract available.
Immobilization* ; Rib Fractures* ; Ribs*

Over twenty per cent of adult knees have a synovial plica which always has possibility of changes into pathologic synovial plica symptomes and signs resembling those of other common internal derangement of the knee joint. Especially the young active patient who has a history of trauma to the knee should once be suspected incarcerated synovial plica not only the possibility of internal derangement. Four cases of symptomatic synovial plica experienced by authors are reported with available references.
Adult ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Patella

No abstract available.
Blood Transfusion, Autologous*

Background/Aims: The objective of this study was to determine the more appropriate wound-closure method by comparing the effectiveness of two methods in a group of patients who underwent ileostomy repair. Methods: The study conducted after obtaining the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) included 58 patients ≥19 years of age who underwent ileostomy at the Department of Surgery at the Presbyterian Medical Center. This was a retrospective, single-center trial. Patients who underwent ileostomy closure between January 2011 and September 2017 were assigned to the primary wound-closure (PC, n=25) group and the purse-string wound-closure (PSC, n=33) group. Post-repair complications, such as wound infection, delayed healing, and patient satisfaction related to wound management, were investigated and compared according to the wound-closure method. Results: The PSC group had a significantly lower surgical site infection rate than the PC group (0% vs. 44%, p<0.001). The wound-healing period was also significantly different between the PC and PSC groups (mean 27.18 days vs. 20.96 days, p=0.023). However, the postoperative wound-healing delay of >30 days was not significantly different (39% vs. 20%, p=0.114). In addition, there were no significant differences in the response to questionnaires on patient satisfaction between the two groups. Conclusions PSC has a lower surgical site infection rate and the wound-healing delay was not very different from that of PC. Therefore, if patients are at risk of wound infection, such as in severe wound contamination, long operating time, and immunocompromised conditions, we should consider PSC as a wound closure method of choice.

Background: Little is known about the surgical discipline in North Korea from the perspective of the outside world. This study aimed to examine the disease entities covered by articles published in the major medical journal in North Korea, “Surgery.” Methods: Content and frequency analyses of 2,132 articles published in “Surgery” from 2006 to 2017 were conducted. Two medical doctors who majored in Surgery and anesthesiology perused the articles and compiled the diseases being elucidated in each article. The diseases described in each article were stratified into 13 surgical subspecialties. Results: Articles from “Surgery,” similar to articles from the Western surgical community, also covered a wide variety of surgical diseases from different subspecialties, and the number of publications continued to grow consistently. Moreover, a number of studies focused on the fields of orthopedics and general Surgery dealing with benign diseases. Some articles focused on minimally invasive surgeries using laparoscopy. Conclusion The studies published in the North Korean journal “Surgery” encompass various clinical areas, but their quality is unclear.

Background: Little is known about the surgical discipline in North Korea from the perspective of the outside world. This study aimed to examine the disease entities covered by articles published in the major medical journal in North Korea, “Surgery.” Methods: Content and frequency analyses of 2,132 articles published in “Surgery” from 2006 to 2017 were conducted. Two medical doctors who majored in Surgery and anesthesiology perused the articles and compiled the diseases being elucidated in each article. The diseases described in each article were stratified into 13 surgical subspecialties. Results: Articles from “Surgery,” similar to articles from the Western surgical community, also covered a wide variety of surgical diseases from different subspecialties, and the number of publications continued to grow consistently. Moreover, a number of studies focused on the fields of orthopedics and general Surgery dealing with benign diseases. Some articles focused on minimally invasive surgeries using laparoscopy. Conclusion The studies published in the North Korean journal “Surgery” encompass various clinical areas, but their quality is unclear.

This article evaluates the overall current disease burden of North Korea through the recent databases of international organizations. It is notable that North Korea as a nation is exhibiting a relatively low burden from deaths and that there is greater burden from deaths caused by non-communicable diseases than from those caused by communicable diseases and malnutrition. However, the absolute magnitude of problems from communicable diseases like TB and from child malnutrition, which will increase the disease burden in the future, remains great. North Korea, which needs to handle both communicable and nutritional conditions, and non-communicable diseases, whose burden is ever more increasing in the nation, can now be understood as a country with the 'double-burden' of disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child Nutrition Disorders/epidemiology ; Child, Preschool ; Communicable Diseases/epidemiology/*mortality ; Databases, Factual ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology/mortality ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: The incidence and survival rate of colorectal cancer in Korea are increasing because of improved screening, treatment technologies, and lifestyle changes. In this aging population, increases in economic cost result. This study was conducted to estimate the economic burden of colorectal cancer utilizing claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. METHODS: Economic burdens of colorectal cancer were estimated using prevalence data and patients were defined as those who received ambulatory treatment from medical institutions or who had been hospitalized due to colorectal cancer under the International Classification of Disease 10th revision codes from C18-C21. The economic burdens of colorectal cancer were calculated as direct costs and indirect costs. RESULTS: The prevalence rate (per 100 000 people) of those who were treated for colorectal cancer during 2010 was 165.48. The economic burdens of colorectal cancer in 2010 were 3 trillion and 100 billion Korean won (KRW), respectively. Direct costs included 1 trillion and 960 billion KRW (62.85%), respectively and indirect costs were 1 trillion and 160 billion (37.15%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer has a large economic burden. Efforts should be made to reduce the economic burden of the disease through primary and secondary prevention.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*economics/epidemiology ; *Cost of Illness ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Humans ; Subclavian Vein*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of epilepsy and to estimate the cost of epilepsy in Korea, 2010. METHODS: This study used a prevalence based approach to calculate the cost of epilepsy. Claims data from the Korean national health insurance and data from the Korea health panel, the Korea National Statistical Office's records of causes of death, and labor statistics were used to estimate the cost of epilepsy. Patients were defined as those who were hospitalized or visited an outpatient clinic during 2010 with a diagnosis of epilepsy (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision codes G40-G41). Total costs of epilepsy included direct medical costs, direct non-medical cost and indirect costs. RESULTS: The annual prevalence of treated epilepsy was 228 per 100 000 population, and higher in men. The age-specific prevalence was highest for teenagers. The total economic burden of epilepsy was 536 billion Korean won (KW). Indirect cost (304 billion KW) was 1.3 times greater than direct cost (232 billion KW). By gender, the male (347 billion KW) were more burdened than the female (189 billion KW). The estimated cost in young age younger than 20 years old was 24.5% of the total burden of epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: A significant portion of the economic burden of epilepsy is borne by people in young age. To reduce the economic burden of epilepsy, effective prevention and treatment strategies are needed.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Cost of Illness ; Epilepsy/*economics/epidemiology ; Female ; Health Care Costs/*statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; National Health Programs/economics ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Young Adult