BACKGROUND: Family physicians should actively carry out adult immunization. DM is a common risk factor of influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia related complications, so DM patients should receive influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. The authors investigated recognition and performance of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among DM patients. METHODS: We surveyed knowledge and performance of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among the 203 diabetic patients living in Seoul and responding to telephone interview, who visited one DM center in general hospital from March 3, to March 7, 1997. RESULTS: Among 203 DM patients, the risk factors for influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia other than DM were old age of 65 or over(35.0%), cardiovascular diseases(5.9%) and chronic pulmonary diseases(4.9%). The recognition rate and performance rate of influenza vaccination were 27.6% and 21.2% respectively, there was a statistically significant relationship between these rates(P<0.01). Those vaccinated 43 patients for influenza knew the need of vaccination through family members and relatives(58.1%) and through medical doctors(32.6%). Although 85.2% of 203 DM patients answered that they received education about need of vaccination through DM education program conducted at hospitals, but only 9 patients(4.4%) recognized well. The reasons for not performing influenza vaccination were lack of knowledge(63.1%), no experience of influenza(12.5%), 'forget for the moment(5.0%) and regard injection as a nuisance(2.5%) in descending order. The recognition rate and performance rate of of pneurnococcal vaccination were all zero percents. The reasons for not performing pneumococcal vaccination were lack of knowledge(91.1%) no experience of pneumococcal pneumonia(6.4%), regard injection as a nuisance(1.5%) and forget for the moment(1.0%) in descending order. CONCLUSIONS: The recognition and performance rates of influenza vaccination were low and those of pneumococcal vaccination were all zero percents among DM patients because they did not recognize well the need of these vaccinations. Therefore, the doctors who see DM patients should actively recommend influenza and pneumococcal vaccination and DM educational programs must include education for these vaccinations.
Adult ; Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Immunization ; Influenza, Human* ; Interviews as Topic ; Physicians, Family ; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Vaccination*

In order to investigate the factors influencing QOL and life satisfaction of the physically disabled, the author interviewed, by using structuralized questionnaire, 440 individuals among the physically disabled who were participated in Health Examination from April to July, 1997. The questionnaire consisted of the general characteristics(sex, age, marital status, family number, etc), the Reintegration to Normal Living Index(RNLI) to assess QOL, and the single item of five-likert scale to evaluate life satisfaction. The means of RNLI were 16.2+/-4.8 in total score, 12.2+/-3.4 in daily functioning and 4.0+/-2.1 in perception of self. The respondents were less reintegrated toward social activities and relationships than impairments or disabilities. While the satisfied group was 47.3%, the dissatisfied group was 52.7%. As the results of multiple regression and logistic regression analysis, the significant predictors of QOL were age, education, job, grade of disability and subjective health status. The life satisfaction were related to economic status, job and subjective health status. To improve QOL and life satisfaction of the physically disabled, it is important that we improve their basic socioeconomic status by getting a job through rehabilitation education and induce them to have positive self-assessment by extending the opportunity of social participation.
Daegu* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Disabled Persons* ; Education ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Self-Assessment ; Social Class ; Social Participation

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mesenteric Veins* ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Thrombosis*

A 59-year-old female was admitted with left flank pain. She had heat intolerance and dyspnea for the last 3 years. She was diagnosed as having renal and splenic infarction. 2 phase computed tomography (CT) scan on abdomen and pelvis showed a non-enhancing portion at the anterior aspect of the left kidney and multifocal low density at the spleen. Laboratory examinations revealed TSH 0.0004 uIU/mL, Free T4 2.69 ng/dL, T3 1.67 ng/mL, anti TPO antibody 207 U/mL (positive), anti TG antibody 52.7 U/mL (positive) and TSH receptor antibody >40 U/mL. A diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was made. Factor VIII activity increased over 160% (normal range 60-140), which has been known to increase in the cases of hyperthyroidism. Except for an increased factor VIII activity there were no thrombogenic abnormalities. She recovered well after the treatment with methimazole in addition to warfarin followed by intravenous heparin. This case is consistent with the assumption that hyperthyroidism, probably through a factor VIII-mediated hypercoagulability, may be a predisposing factor for the development of renal and splenic infarction.
Abdomen ; Dyspnea ; Factor VIII ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Heparin ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating ; Infarction ; Kidney ; Methimazole ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Spleen ; Splenic Infarction ; Thrombophilia ; Warfarin

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the usefulness of tracheostomy scoring system in the decision of postoperative airway management in oral cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients were reviewed in this retrospective study, who underwent radical resection with or without neck dissection and free flap reconstruction due to oral cancer. The patients were classified into three groups according to the timing of the extubation; extubated groups (n = 51), overnight intubation group (n = 45), and tracheostomy group (n = 8). Cameron's score was used to evaluate the relation between the state of the patient's airway and the type of the operation. RESULTS: Tracheostomy was performed in eight patients (8/104, 7.7 %). A total of 22 patients (21.2 %) had more than 5 points of which 17 patients (77.3 %) did not have a tracheostomy and any postoperative emergency airway problems. The tracheostomy scores were significantly different among the three groups. Hospital stay showed a significant correlation with the tracheostomy score. CONCLUSIONS: The scoring system did not quite agree with the airway management of the authors' clinic; however, it can be one of the clinical factors predicting the degree of the postoperative airway obstruction and surgical aggressiveness for recovery. The further studies are needed for clinically more reliable scoring systems.
Airway Management* ; Airway Obstruction ; Emergencies ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Mouth Neoplasms* ; Neck Dissection ; Retrospective Studies ; Tracheostomy

Patients who have complex endocarditis with involvement of both the aortic and mitral valves and intervalvular fibrous skeleton are among the most difficult to treat and still have the highest surgical mortality and morbidity rates. We report one case of aortic and mitral valve replacement with reconstruction of the fibrous skeleton performed in a 55-year-old female patient who had an aortic annular abscess and both the aortic and mitral prosthetic valve endocarditis with destruction of the fibrous skeleton. Previously, she had undergone redo double valve replacement. Transesophageal echocardiogram showed the paravalvular defect at the noncoronary aortic sinus and abnormal sinus tract along the fibrous skeleton. Emergent operation was performed due to positive blood cultures of staphylococcus epidermidis and persistent sepsis despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. After aortotomy extended to the roof of left atrium, both prosthetic valves and destroyed fibrous skeleton were completely resected and the aortic annular abscess was debrided and closed with a bovine pericardial patch. Reconstructions of both aortic and mitral annuli and the fibrous skeleton were done by using two separate bovine pericardial patches in triangular shape and mechanical valves were implanted. Postoperatively, adequate antibiotic therapies were continued and the patient was discharged at the postoperative 72 days without evidence of recurrence of endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiogram of the postoperative 8 months shows no paravalvular leakage or recurrence of endocarditis and the patient has been followed up with no symptom.
Abscess ; Endocarditis* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve* ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Sepsis ; Sinus of Valsalva ; Skeleton* ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

PURPOSE: This study was performed in order to determine the changes over time in preventable and potentially preventable traumatic death rates, and to assess the factors that affected the deaths of trauma patients which occurred in Korean pre-hospital and hospital settings. METHODS: All trauma deaths occurring either in the emergency department (ED) or after admission at twenty Korean hospitals between August 2009 and July 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The deaths were initially reviewed by a team of multidisciplinary specialists and classified into non-preventable, potentially preventable, and preventable deaths. Only preventable and potentially preventable deaths were the subject of our analysis. Structured data extraction included patient demographics, vital signs, injury severity, probability of survival, preventability of mortality, reported errors in the evaluation and management of the patient, and classification of error types (system, judgment, knowledge). RESULTS: During the study period, 446 trauma victims died in the ED or within 7 days after admission. The mean age was 52 years, 74.1% were men and the mean time from injury to death was 35.6 hours. The most common cause of death was head injury (44.7%) followed by hemorrhage (30.8%) and multi-organ failure (8.0%). The rates of preventable/potentially preventable deaths were 35.2% overall and 29.8% when limited to patients surviving to admission. Of all death classifications, 31.2% were potentially preventable and 4.0% were preventable. Errors leading to preventable death occurred in the emergency department (51.2%), pre-hospital setting (30.3%) and during inter-hospital transfer (60.8%). Most errors were related to clinical management (48.4%) and structural problems in the emergency medical system (36.5%). CONCLUSION: The preventable death rates for Korean trauma victims were higher than those found in other developed countries, possibly due to poorly established emergency medical systems for trauma victims in pre-hospital and hospital settings. A system wide approach based on the emergency medical system and well-developed in-hospital trauma teams should be adopted in order to improve the quality of care of trauma victims in Korea.
Cause of Death ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Demography ; Developed Countries ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Judgment ; Korea ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Specialization ; Vital Signs