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Jeju is the largest island in Korea and one of its key tourist attractions. As the number of foreign tourists steadily increases, so does the number of injuries incurred there. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe and compare the characteristics of injuries suffered by foreign tourists versus those of domestic tourists. As a cross-sectional study of a retrospective medical record survey, the study was conducted with reference to the Jeju Injury Surveillance System from the 11-year period of January 2008 to December 2018. The following factors were investigated: demographic data, mechanism of injury, place of occurrence, activity when injured, patient outcome, and mortality. A total of 92,095 injured Jeju Island visitors was recorded during this time, a number that included 88,050 Koreans and 4,045 foreigners. The gender ratio showed similar patterns between the two groups and there were no significant age differences. In both groups, the most common mechanism of injury was collisions/cuts. Also, more foreigners experienced falls than Koreans. Regarding the location, Koreans had the most road accidents, while foreigners were most likely to be injured at outdoor locations, such as seas and rivers. Furthermore, more foreigners experienced severe injuries requiring hospitalization. Notably, this study showed the differences in injury between foreign and Korean tourists visiting Jeju Island and its findings lend support to targeted safety promotion programs.

Although ERCP is a therapeutic endoscopic procedure in pacreatico-biliary diseases, its rare complications, including pancreatitis, duodenal perforation, and bleeding, can be fatal. An 87-year-old woman with a history of gallbladder cancer presented with jaundice and general weakness. Her skin color was yellowish and epigastric tenderness was confirmed on a physical examination. On abdomen CT, the gallbladder cancer directly invaded the duodenum, common bile duct, and liver parenchyma. Enlarged portocaval lymph nodes obstructed the extrahepatic bile duct. ERCP was performed for bile duct decompression. When shortening of endoscopy was achieved, the duodenal lateral wall was perforated because of the endoscopic tip pressure. After inserting endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage and endoscopic nasobiliary drainage, endoclips were placed evenly around the defect, and a detachable snare was tightened around the endoclips. Three days later, the duodenal wall was not sealed on the abdomen CT scan. Repeat endoscopy was achieved, and the endoscopic nasobiliary drainage, endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage, endoclips, and detachable snare were removed. From the distal margin of the perforation, band ligation was performed, and a detachable snare was applied. The patient's condition improved after the second procedure. A percutaneous biliary stent was inserted, and she was discharged. This case highlights the successful endoscopic management of ERCP-related duodenal perforation.

The aim of this case report was to observe the effects of intra-articular hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP). Based on the medical records patients who received intra-articular treatment or received acupoint pharmacopuncture treatment, a comparison was made. There were 35 patients who were hospitalized for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee joint from the 1st October 2019 to 26th September 2020. There were 14 patients who were treated with HPP in the intra-articular joint space (Group A), and 14 patients who were treated with HPP at specific acupoints (Group B). The outcome effects were measured using the Korean Western Ontario and Mc (KWOMAC) the visual analog scale (VAS) before the first treatment, and after the fifth treatment. The KWOMAC (p < 0.001) and the VAS scores (p < 0.001) in Groups A and B significantly improved after treatment compared with before treatment. When comparing Group A improvement with Group B improvement using the KWOMAC there was no statistically significant difference however, when using the VAS scores, Group A treatment was statistically more effective compared with Group B (p = 0.002). This study indicated that HPP may be an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Moreover, intra-articular HPP may be more effective than acupoint HPP for knee osteoarthritis.

Background Several Korean medical doctors have been practicing applied kinesiology (AK), invented in 1964 by Dr. George J Goodheart, USA. Although the efficacy of traditional acupuncture (TA) and pharmacopucture treatment for lumbar conditions/diseases has been examined, the possible benefits of combining TA and AK have not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to report the effects of combining TA and AK treatment for lumbar disorders using the Japanese Orthopedic Association lumbar score (JOALS) assessment. Methods There were 21 outpatients treated at Samse Korean Traditional Hospital between March 2018 and September 2018, who presented with L4/L5 or L5/S1 root radiculopathy associated with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar herniation of intervertebral disk (LHID). They were treated 10×(2 sessions per week, for 5 weeks) with TA and AK approaches that included a category block, manipulation or strain/counterstrain treatments. The primary outcome was mainly assessed using the JOALS score which was used before (0 ×), during (5 ×), and after treatment (10 ×). Results There were 19 patients diagnosed with LSS and 2 were diagnosed with LHID. Using the JOALS assessment, TA and AK combined approaches improved the lumbar conditions of all 21 patients after 5 × treatmentsand continued to improve after 10 × treatments (p < 0.001). Conclusion Combined TA and AK treatment was effective in treating spinal conditions/diseases. Prospective, relevant, well-controlled protocols for TA and AK therapies for various conditions are needed.

Phlegmonous gastritis is a disease caused by a bacterial infection of the gastric wall. This condition is rare, but when it does occur, its prognosis appears to be poor. The underlying etiology is largely unknown, but an immunocompromised state is considered an important risk factor. An 85-year-old woman presented with a confused mentality, fever, epigastric pain, and melena. There was no history of alcohol drinking or smoking, nor of previous gastric surgery. On the other hand, there was a history of senile dementia and cognitive impairment. Initial contrast-enhanced abdominal CT revealed gastric wall edema at the antrum with mucosal hyper-enhancement and an abscess in the thickened antrum. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy on the fourth hospital day showed dark-colored fluid retention in the stomach. The gastric mucosa was inflamed and friable, with several ulcerative lesions showing purulent discharge. A toothpick was found in the process of identifying the base of the ulcerative lesion and was removed. Eventually, phlegmonous gastritis due to the penetration of a toothpick was diagnosed. After endoscopic toothpick removal, the patient's symptoms improved dramatically. Serial endoscopy revealed improvement in the gastric mucosa. This case is an example of phlegmonous gastritis caused by a foreign substance in the gastric wall of a patient with senile dementia. During upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in this case, identification of the base of ulcerative lesion played a critical role in the diagnosis.

Objectives: Recently several Korean medical doctors have begun practicing applied kinesiology (AK). Although the efficacy of combining traditional acupuncture (TA) and pharmacopuncture (PP) on lumbar diseases such as lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar herniation of intervertebral disk (LHID) has been examined, the possible benefits of combining TA, PP and AK approaches have not been examined. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop effective treatment for lumbar disorders by combining TA, PP, and AK treatments. Methods: Twenty-four patients hospitalized at Samse Korean Traditional Medicine Hospital between March and September 2018 with L5 or S1 root radiculopathy associated with LSS and LHID were included in this study. They were treated for 10 days with TA, PP and AK approaches that included category block, manipulation and strain/counterstrain treatments. The primary outcomes were mainly assessed using Japanese Orthopedic Association lumbar scores (JOALS). JOALS were determined before the start of treatment as well as five and 10 days after treatment started. Results: The treatments improved the lumbar condition of the patients based on JOA pain score. Conclusion: The combined TA, PP and AK treatments were effective in treating spinal diseases of resident patients. Prospective, controlled, and relevant protocols using multimodal strategies to define the role of TA, PP and AK are needed.

Coin batteries are often used in daily life devices and can be easily available. Children can swallow coin batteries, resulting in the need to go to hospital, but this is rare in adults. Adults generally eliminate the swallowed coin battery from the digestive system, unless they have congenital structural abnormalities of the digestive system or complications, such as postoperative stenosis. In this case, a 31-year-old man swallowed three coin batteries, approximately 0.4 cm in diameter emergent endoscopy was unable to find any batteries embedded in the ingested food. An attempt was made to rinse out the batteries by bowel preparation. During the hospital stay, the patient complained of acute abdominal pain and fever. In the abdominal CT scan, impaction of the coin battery into the appendix was confirmed. The patient underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy to prevent appendiceal perforation.

BackgroundThe present study evaluated the efficacy of a combination of ibandronate and cholecalciferol on the restoration of the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and various bone markers in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.MethodsThis was a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, prospective 16-week clinical trial conducted in 20 different hospitals. A total of 201 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were assigned randomly to one of two groups: the IBN group, which received a once-monthly pill containing 150 mg ibandronate (n=99), or the IBN+ group, which received a once-monthly pill containing 150 mg ibandronate and 24,000 IU cholecalciferol (n=102). Serum levels of 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and various bone markers were assessed at baseline and at the end of a 16-week treatment period.ResultsAfter 16 weeks of treatment, the mean serum levels of 25(OH)D significantly increased from 21.0 to 25.3 ng/mL in the IBN+ group but significantly decreased from 20.6 to 17.4 ng/mL in the IBN group. Additionally, both groups exhibited significant increases in mean serum levels of PTH but significant decreases in serum levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) at 16 weeks; no significant differences were observed between the groups. However, in subjects with a vitamin D deficiency, IBN+ treatment resulted in a significant decrease in serum CTX levels compared with IBN treatment.ConclusionThe present findings demonstrate that a once-monthly pill containing ibandronate and cholecalciferol may be useful for the amelioration of vitamin D deficiency in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Moreover, this treatment combination effectively decreased serum levels of resorption markers, especially in subjects with a vitamin D deficiency, over the 16-week treatment period.

Gynecomastia is a benign enlargement of the male breast caused by the proliferation of glandular breast tissue. Determining the various causes of gynecomastia such as physiological causes, drugs, systemic diseases, and endocrine disorders is important. Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a rare endocrine disorder presenting with gynecomastia and is a disorder of male sexual differentiation caused by mutations within the androgen receptor gene. All individuals with AIS have the 46 XY karyotype, although AIS phenotypes can be classified as mild, partial or complete and can differ among both males and females including ambiguous genitalia or infertility in males. We experienced a case of partial AIS presenting with gynecomastia and identified the androgen receptor gene mutation.

The dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity and its accompanying comorbidities are major health concerns in Korea. Obesity is defined as a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 in Korea. Current estimates are that 32.8% of adults are obese: 36.1% of men and 29.7% of women. The prevalence of being overweight and obese in national surveys is increasing steadily. Early detection and the proper management of obesity are urgently needed. Weight loss of 5% to 10% is the standard goal. In obese patients, control of cardiovascular risk factors deserves the same emphasis as weight-loss therapy. Since obesity is multifactorial, proper care of obesity requires a coordinated multidisciplinary treatment team, as a single intervention is unlikely to modify the incidence or natural history of obesity.

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare condition, as the thyroid gland is relatively resistant to infection. Thyroid function tests are usually normal in AST. A few cases of AST associated with thyrotoxicosis have been reported in adults. We report a case of AST that was associated with thyrotoxicosis in a 70-year-old woman. We diagnosed AST with thyroid ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration of pus. The patient improved after surgical intervention and had no anatomical abnormality. Fine needle aspiration is the best method for the difficult task of differentiating malignancy and subacute thyroiditis from AST with thyrotoxicosis. Earlier diagnosis and proper treatment for AST might improve the outcome.