Cohort Profile: National health insurance service-senior (NHIS-senior) cohort in Korea.

Purpose: The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-Senior was set up to provide high-quality longitudinal data that can be used to explore various aspects of changes in the socio-economical and health status of older adults, to predict risk factors and to investigate their health outcomes.

Participants: The NHIS-Senior cohort, a Korean nationwide retrospective administrative data cohort, is composed of older adults aged 60 years and over in 2002. It consists of 558 147 people selected by 10% simple random sampling method from a total of 5.

Analysis of caudal epidurogram in single center: A preliminary study of lumbar radiculopathy management.

A caudal epidural block involves placing a needle through the sacral hiatus and delivering medication into the epidural space. The procedure is safe and simple, but failure rates can be as high as 25%. The purpose of this study was to investigate the success rate of caudal epidural block by analyzing needle placement and dye flow pattern.

Development of the Geop-Pain questionnaire for multidisciplinary assessment of pain sensitivity.

Background: To assess the multidisciplinary aspects of pain, various self-rating questionnaires have been developed, but there have not been sufficient relevant studies on this topic in South Korea. The aim of this study was to develop a new pain sensitivity-related questionnaire in the Korean language that would be simple and would well reflect Koreans' senses.

Methods: A new pain assessment questionnaire was developed through a pre-survey on "geop", which is the Korean word expressing fear, anxiety, or catastrophizing.

A Pilot Study of the Correlation between the Numeric Rating Scale used to Evaluate "Geop" and Questionnaires on Pain Perception.

Background: The word "geop" is a unique Korean term commonly used to describe fright, fear and anxiety, and similar concepts. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the correlation between the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score of geop and three different questionnaires on pain perception.

Methods: Patients aged 20 to 70 years who visited our outpatient pain clinics were evaluated.

The Effect of Low-dose Ketamine on Post-caesarean Delivery Analgesia after Spinal Anesthesia.

Background: Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, might play a role in postoperative analgesia, but its effect on postoperative pain after caesarean section varies with study design. We investigated whether the preemptive administration of low-dose intravenous ketamine decreases postoperative opioid requirement and postoperative pain in parturients receiving intravenous fentanyl with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following caesarean section.

Methods: Spinal anesthesia was performed in 40 parturients scheduled for elective caesarean section.

Economic analysis of measles elimination program in the Republic of Korea, 2001: a cost benefit analysis study.

Background: In this study, we modeled the cost benefit analysis for three different measles vaccination strategies based upon three different measles-containing vaccines in Korea, 2001. We employed an economic analysis model using vaccination coverage data and population-based measles surveillance data, along with available estimates of the costs for the different strategies. In addition, we have included analysis on benefit of reduction of complication by mumps and rubella.

Alcohol consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: effect modification by hypercholesterolemia: the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005).

Objective: While the protective nature of moderate alcohol consumption against diabetes mellitus is well known, inconsistent findings continue to be reported. The possibility of different mixes of effect modifiers has been raised as a reason for those inconsistent findings. Our study aim was to examine potential effect modifiers that can change the effect of alcohol consumption on type 2 diabetes.

Differences in obesity rates between people with and without disabilities and the association of disability and obesity: a nationwide population study in South Korea.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the differences in obesity rates among people with and without disabilities, and evaluate the relationship between obesity rates and the existence of disabilities or characteristics of disabilities.

Methods: Mass screening data from 2008 from the National Disability Registry and National Health Insurance (NHI) are used. For analysis, we classified physical disability into three subtypes: upper limb disability, lower limb disability, and spinal cord injury.

Factors affecting public prejudice and social distance on mental illness: analysis of contextual effect by multi-level analysis.

Objectives: While there have been many quantitative studies on the public's attitude towards mental illnesses, it is hard to find quantitative study which focused on the contextual effect on the public's attitude. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect the public's beliefs and attitudes including contextual effects.

Methods: We analyzed survey on the public's beliefs and attitudes towards mental illness in Korea with multi-level analysis.

A questionnaire study investigating the prevalence of chronic postoperative pain.

Background: Chronic postoperative pain (CPOP) is defined as pain of at least 2 months duration after a surgical procedure. Until recently, it has been a neglected topic, because it can occur after a wide spectrum of operations; however, little is known regarding its underlying mechanism, prevalence, risk factors, and treatments. We investigated characteristics of CPOP after various operations via a questionnaire.

Ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided interscalene block: 5 mL provides similar analgesia but less phrenic nerve paralysis than 10 mL.

Purpose: Interscalene brachial plexus block (interscalene block) complications usually depend on the dose administered. The objective of this study was to determine whether ultrasound-guided interscalene block with a 5-mL dose of 0.75% ropivacaine would have sufficient analgesic efficacy after shoulder arthroscopic surgery when compared with a 10-mL dose.

The effect of target-controlled infusion of low-dose ketamine on heat pain and temporal summation threshold.

Purpose: We investigated the heat pain threshold (HPT) and temporal summation threshold (TST) before and after target-controlled infusion (TCI) of ketamine with an effect-site concentration (Ce) of 30 and 60 ng/ml.

Methods: Healthy young volunteers (n = 20) were enrolled. A thermode was applied to the volar side of each volunteer's right forearm, and HPT and TST were measured before and after TCI of ketamine.

Relief of postherpetic neuralgia with transforaminal epidural injection of magnesium -a case report-.

Although postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common chronic pain syndrome, the pathophysiology of this disorder is not well known and management is often very difficult. N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists are known to be effective in PHN, and magnesium, a physiological blocker of NMDA receptors, is widely used to treat various chronic pain disorders. Here, we present a case of the PHN refractory to conventional treatment, which was treated successfully with transforaminal epidural injection of magnesium sulphate at the affected dermatome.

A comparison of sufentanil and fentanyl for patient-controlled epidural analgesia in arthroplasty.

Background: The use of lipid soluble opioids such as fentanyl, alfentanil and sufentanil are recently on the increase for patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). In this study, the effects and adequate dose of sufentanil in arthroplasty were investigated.

Methods: Eighty patients scheduled for arthroplasty were enrolled for the study.

Prophylactic effect of dexamethasone in reducing postoperative sore throat.

Background: This study was performed to compare the effectiveness of prophylactic dexamethasone and postintubation dexamethasone in reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat (POST).

Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The study population consisted of 70 patients between 20 and 60 years old who were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II and were scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

[Patterns of unintentional domestic injuries in Korea].

Objectives: To investigate the patterns of unintentional home injuries in Korea.

Methods: The study population was 12,382,088 people who utilized National Health Insurance services due to injuries (main diagnosis codes S00 to T28) during 2006. Stratified samples(n=459,501) were randomly selected by sex, age group and severity of injury.

The variation in risk adjusted mortality of intensive care units.

Background: This study aimed to estimate risk adjusted mortality rate in the ICUs (Intensive care units) by APACHE (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation) III for revealing the performance variation in ICUs.

Methods: This study focused on 1,090 patients in the ICUs of 18 hospitals. For establishing risk adjusted mortality predictive model, logistic regression analysis was performed.

The effect of rocuronium on heart rate variability in diabetic patients.

Background: Clinically rocuronium, a muscle relaxant, has no significant inhibitory effect on the autonomic nervous system in the healthy population. However, there has been no study done on rocuronium in diabetic patients. Therefore, we used heart rate variability (HRV) as a biomarker to investigate cardiac autonomic function after rocuronium administration to diabetic patients.

Thyroid surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC).

Background: Thyroid surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia, but thyroid surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) has become re-introduced. We report our experiences of 40 cases of thyroid surgery under MAC.

Methods: Forty patients were enrolled in this study.

[Association between the pattern of prophylactic antibiotic use and surgical site infection rate for major surgeries in Korea].

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between the pattern of prophylactic antibiotic use (PAU) and the surgical site infection (SSI) rate for major surgeries in Korea.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent cardiac, colon and gastric surgery, hysterectomies and hip/knee replacements at 20 hospitals, and inclusive of over 500 beds. We randomly sampled 60 cases per surgery type for patients discharged between September and November, 2006.

[The socioeconomic cost of injuries in South Korea].

Objectives: This study was conducted to estimate the socioeconomic cost of injuries in South Korea.

Methods: We matched claims data from national health insurance, automobile insurance and industrial accident compensation insurance (IACI), and mortality data obtained from the national statistical office from 2001 to 2003 by patients' unique identifier. Socioeconomic cost included both direct cost and indirect cost: the direct cost was injury-related medical expenditure and the indirect cost included loss of productivity due to healthcare utilization and premature death.

Disparities between persons with and without disabilities in their participation rates in mass screening.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the number of persons with and without disabilities who participated in the National Health Insurance (NHI) chronic disease mass screening programs in South Korea.

Methods: The data were obtained from mass screening claims submitted to the NHI and National Disability Registry. Factors affecting the participation rate included demographic variables, socioeconomic status, residential region, and disability type and severity.

[Factors affecting social distance toward mental illness: a nationwide telephone survey in Korea].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate impact of knowledge, familiarity, and prejudice about mental illness as well as demographic factors on the social distance from mentally ill people, which is a proxy measure of discrimination.

Method: To assess the impact of knowledge and familiarity, prejudice about mental illness and demographic factors on the social distance from mental illness, we conducted a telephone survey in South Korea with the responders being nationally representative people who were 18 years old or over (n=1040). Independent samples T-tests, one way ANOVA and linear regression analysis were performed to analyze the results of the survey.

[Factors affecting national health insurance mass screening participation in the disabled].

Objectives: As the disabled have higher prevalence rates and earlier onsets of chronic diseases than the non-disabled, their participation in mass screening is important for the early detection and intervention of chronic diseases. Nevertheless, in Korea, the disabled have lower participation rates in mass screening services than the non-disabled. The purpose of the study was to find determinants for the participation in the National Health Insurance (NHI) mass screening program among the disabled.