The Diagnosis Distribution in Health Examination of Old Aged People and Associated Sociodemographic Factors

BACKGROUND: According as old aged people have an increased interest in early detection of disease and health promotion, old aged people who take health examinations are increased. So this study is aimed to survey common problems about geriatric health in community and their frequency by way of investigation on diagnosis in health examination data and to evaluate the effects of health risk factors on each disease patterns. METHODS: The medical records of the clients who have taken health examinations for the first time from March 1995 to February 2000 at a health examination center of a university hospital in Seoul were reviewed. The category and number of judged diagnosis, sociodemographic factors are compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The selected medical records accounted to 22,393. The study subjects consist of 11,544(51.6%) male. Mean age is 52.0+/-10.5 years(range 16~90). 65 years or more old aged people of them are 2,612(11.7%), the number of judged diagnosis per one old person is 4.84+/-2.22(range 0~9) and young people took less diagnosis is 35.7%, functional diagnosis is 7.9%. The common diagnoses are liver disease(7.07%), decreased physical strength(6.68%), hyperlipidemin(6.53%),obesity(5.90%), osteoporosis or postmenopausal syndrome(4.72%), need for immunization against viral hepatitis(4.69%), hypertension(4.20%) functional gastrointestinal disease(3.93%). The number of total diagnosis and organic diagnosis is larger in older age, no exercise, female,smoker, no-spouse, lower education(p<0.05). The number of other diagnosis is larger in no exercise, smoker, female, younger age(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: According to health examination, total diagnosis and organic diagnosis are more in old aged group than in young. Functioinal diagnosis and other diagnosis is less in old aged group than in young.

The diagnosis distribution in health examination and associated sociodemographic factors

BACKGROUND: According as people have an increased interest in early detection of disease and health promotion, people who take health examinations are increased. So this study is aimed to survey common problems about health in community and their frequency by way of investigation on diagnosis in health examination data and to evaluate the effects of health risk factors on each disease patterns. METHODS: The medical records of the clients who have taken health examinations for the first time from March 1995 to February 2000 at a health examination center of a university hospital in Seoul were reviewed. The category and number of judged diagnosis, sociodemographic factors are compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The selected medical records accounted to 22,393. The study subjects consist of 11,544(51.6%) male. Mean age is 52.0+/-10.5 years(range 16~90). Mean number of judged diagnosis is 4.04+/-2.13(range 0~9) per one person and female took more diagnosis than male on an average(4.09+/-2.17 Vs 3.99+/-2.09). The organic diagnosis(56.4%) is most in total and other diagnosis is 35.7%, functional diagnosis is 7.9%. The common diagnoses are liver disease(7.07%), decreased physical strength(6.68%), hyperlipidemia(6.53%), obesity(5.90%), osteoporosis or postmenopausal syndrome(4.72%), need for immunization against viral hepatitis(4.69%), hypertension(4.20 %), functional gastrointestinal disease(3.93%). The number of total diagnosis and organic diagnosis is larger in older age, no exercise, female, smoker, no spouse, lower education(p<0.05). The number of functional diagnosis is larger in female, younger age, non smoker, lower education(p<0.05). The number of other diagnosis is larger in no exercise, smoker, female, younger age(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: According to health examination, total diagnosis and organic diagnosis are influenced by age, exercise, sex, smoking, spouse, education, functional diagnosis is influenced by sex, age, smoking, education and other diagnosis is influenced by exercise, smoking, sex, age.

A study of medical utilization and health status for migrant workers in Korea

BACKGROUND: The number of illegal migrant workers has been increasing in Korea since late 1997 in what was called the IMF era. This study was conducted to evaluate and to recognize the medical utilization and health Status for migrant workers in Korea. The goal of this study was to understand the epidemiological characteristics of the migrant workers and family physician's role as a health provider and gate keeper to them and to provide basic data for public health policy. METHODS: In September 1999, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the migrant workers in Seoul, Sung-Nam, Pucheon and An-Yang. We classified the reasons for clinical encounters and the prescribed drugs by reviewing the medical records of all patients who visited a clinic of shelter for migrant workers in Sung-Nam from January to December 1998 and analysed the report according to death certification of the shelter for migrant workers in Sung Nam from 1994 to September 1999 RESULTS: The major distribution of nationality were from China, Mongo, and Bangladesh (86.9 %). They were mostly between 30 and 39 years old, males are, and unmarried. Most had high school education. The average income was 756,700 won and the average working hours were 11.5 hours per day in migrant workers being in worse condition than those of Korean workers. Classified according to systems, the respiratory(21.2%), musculoskeletal (20.6%), digestive(15.8%), and cardiovascular(12.5%) symptoms were common. Repayment for death was different between before (87.7%) and after IMF era (13.0%), in late 1997. Average medical expenditure was 43,552 won comprising 5% of the total income of subjects only. Most of them did not benefit from medical insurance. CONCLUSION: Migrant workers' situation seemed poor. The patterns of the disease' were similar to those who visit family medicine clinics in general. Family physicians should take more interest in providing a more effective and better care to migrant workers.

The Clinical study for Efficacy and Safety of Amezinium methylsulfate

BACKGROUND: Amezinium methylsulfate(Risumic) is the useful drug in the treatment of essential hypotension. This drug elevate blood pressure by stimulating sympathetic nervous system and improve symptoms related hypotension. This study was designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of Risumic for patients with essential hypotension. METHODS: This study was performed in patients with systolic blood pressure less than 100mmHg from June, 1999 to December, 1999. Risumic blood pressure response, improvement of symptom and side effect were examined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. RESULTS: Total of 54 patients participated in this study and only 55.6% of them were finished and the rest of them(44.4%) was stopped. 6 patients of this patients were stopped because of side effects. But there was no difference in side effects in Risumic and placebo periods. In diastolic BP, Risumic group is 5mmHg higher than placebo group. And then there was significant difference in statistics. CONCLUSIONS: In essential hypotensive patients, Risumic is elevater DBP than SBP, side effects frequency was no significance difference in Risumic and placebo group.