Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2015
Comparative StudyEfficacy of percutaneous epidural neuroplasty does not correlate with dural sac cross-sectional area in single level disc disease.
Percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN) is a minimally invasive treatment. The efficacy of PEN has been relatively well investigated; however, the relationship between the clinical effectiveness of PEN and the severity of spinal canal stenosis by disc material has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of PEN according to the dural sac cross-sectional area in single level disc disease. ⋯ PEN is an effective procedure in treating single level lumbar disc herniation without affecting dural sac cross-sectional area.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2015
Comparative StudyMortality, length of stay, and inpatient charges for heart failure patients at public versus private hospitals in South Korea.
This study compared in-hospital mortality within 30 days of admission, lengths of stay, and inpatient charges among patients with heart failure admitted to public and private hospitals in South Korea. ⋯ We recommend that government agencies and policy makers continue to monitor quality of care, lengths of stay in the hospital, and expenditures according to type of hospital ownership to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce spending.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2015
The utility of three screening questionnaires for obstructive sleep apnea in a sleep clinic setting.
The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of three screening questionnaires in identifying Korean patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a sleep clinic setting in Korea. ⋯ The STOP-Bang questionnaire may be useful for screening OSA in a sleep clinic setting, but its specificity is lower than the acceptable level for this purpose. A new screening questionnaire with a high sensitivity and acceptable specificity is therefore needed in a sleep clinic setting.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2015
Mean platelet volume is elevated in patients with psoriasis vulgaris.
This retrospective study was done to investigate the mean platelet volume (MPV) level in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and its relationship with disease severity. ⋯ We have shown that MPV is increased in psoriasis patients and correlates with disease severity. Therefore, MPV levels may be considered as a marker of disease severity of psoriasis.
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Yonsei medical journal · May 2015
Detection of plasma BRAF(V600E) mutation is associated with lung metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinomas.
The BRAF(V600E) mutation represents a novel indicator of the progression and aggressiveness of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of free circulating mutant BRAF(V600E) in predicting the advanced disease of PTC. ⋯ These findings suggest that the BRAF(V600E) mutation can be detected using a PNA clamp real-time PCR in the blood of PTC patients with lung metastasis. Future studies are warranted to determine clinical significance of serum BRAF(V600E) mutation in large prospective studies.