Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Case ReportsInjury to the Left Sciatic and Right Common Peroneal Nerves Combined With Multifocal Rhabdomyolysis in a Survivor of the Itaewon Crowd Crush: A Case Report.
We report the case of a 27-year-old survivor of the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul, Korea who was diagnosed with left sciatic neuropathy and right common peroneal neuropathy accompanied by multifocal rhabdomyolysis. The patient presented to the emergency room complaining of pain from her lower back to her whole lower extremities with paraparesis and paresthesia. Her blood test showed the marked elevation of creatine kinase and liver enzymes. ⋯ After comprehensive rehabilitation and conservative treatment for three months, her muscle strength improved, and she could walk independently. Although several previous studies have reported peripheral neuropathy in immobilized patients, to the best of our knowledge, no case associated with a crowd crush has been reported. Therefore, we report the case of multifocal neuropathy combined with rhabdomyolysis in a victim of a crowd crush incident with good recovery.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
A Three-Year Longitudinal Study of Risk Factors for Suicidality in North Korean Defectors.
This longitudinal study examined risk factors for future suicidality among North Korean defectors (NKDs) living in South Korea. ⋯ Resilience, a previous history of suicidality, and the presence of lifetime depressive disorder and anxiety disorder should be given consideration in mental health support and suicide prevention in NKDs.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Risk Factors for the Occurrence and Severity of Vertebral Fractures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.
The risk of vertebral fractures is increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. However, whether the severity of vertebral fractures differs between IBD patients and the general population, or between patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is unknown. ⋯ Vertebral fractures occur frequently and more severely in IBD patients, particularly those with CD. Therefore, we suggest monitoring of bone density, regular vitamin D supply, and reducing the use of corticosteroids to prevent vertebral fractures in IBD patients who are older, female, or have comorbidities.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
The Impact of Entry Restrictions on the Spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Variants Between 2021 and 2022.
To contain the surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the South Korean government has implemented non-pharmacological interventions as well as border restrictions. The efficacy of entry restrictions should be evaluated to facilitate their preparation for new variants of SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ The results showed that the outbreak gap of delta variants between international and domestic cases was 10 weeks, while that of omicron variants was approximately 2 weeks, meaning that the quarantine policy helped contain delta variants rather than more transmissible variants. It is recommended that countries implement quarantine policies based on particular purposes accounting for the specific features of different variants to avoid potential negative impacts on the economy.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jul 2023
Trends in the Prevalence of Blindness and Correlation With Health Status in Korean Adults: A 10-Year Nationwide Population-Based Study.
Contemporary data on vision impairment form an important basis for public health policies. However, most data on the clinical epidemiology of blindness are limited by small sample sizes and focused not on systemic conditions but ophthalmic diseases only. In this study, we examined the ten-year trends of blindness prevalence and its correlation with systemic health status in Korean adults. ⋯ Our ten-year Korean nationwide population-based study suggested a gradual decrease in the prevalence of blindness and its association with specific systemic health status. These conditions might be the cause or consequence of blindness and can be used as a reference for the prevention and/or rehabilitation of blindness to establish public health policies.