Many studies on refugees suggested that refugees' traumatic events associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is unknown whether refugees' PTSD was caused by their negative experience before or after the entry of their destination country. Thus, a separation of refugees' pre-migration from their post-migration experience is particularly important in understanding the causal impact of trauma. Using a sample from North Korean refugees, this study investigates the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, the impact of tortured trauma, repatriation experiences, on PTSD among North Korean refugees (n = 698). We found that North Korean refugees in our sample (a) demonstrated a high rate of current probable PTSD; (b) were demonstrated a higher frequency of repatriation experiences with a greater risk for PTSD symptoms. The findings suggest that particular types of trauma for populations with particular socio-demographic characteristics may be at a greater risk of PTSD.

PurposeAssessing the immunogenicity of a single dose of hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccines is important because some people receive only a single dose. However, previous studies have shown variable results and have not examined the effects of demographic characteristics other than gender. This study was performed to examine the immunogenicity of a single dose of HAV vaccine according to the vaccine type and demographic characteristics in young adults.Materials and MethodsSeronegative medical school students were randomly allocated to receive either Havrix or Epaxal.ResultsAfter approximately 11 months, the seroconversion rate in 451 participants was 80.7%. In men, the Havrix group showed a significantly higher seroconversion rate (81.9%) than the Epaxal group (69.2%), whereas both vaccine groups showed similarly high immunogenicity in women (Havrix: 90.1%, Epaxal: 92.9%; P for interaction=0.062). According to the results of a multivariate analysis, Epaxal showed significantly lower immunogenicity than Havrix only in men. Age, obesity, drinking, smoking, and follow-up time did not significantly affect seroconversion in either gender.ConclusionThe seroconversion rate of single-dose HAV vaccines was low in men, particularly in those who received Epaxal. Our results suggest that gender effects should be considered when comparing the immunogenicity of different HAV vaccines.

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Fentanyl group showed significantly reduced postoperative pain without serious adverse effects. We suggest that topical fentanyl application to nasal packs can be a useful method to reduce pain during the early postoperative period after endoscopic sinus surgery and septoplasty.

A close association between the duration of sleep and suicide has been reported in previous studies. This study was designed to investigate whether there is a difference in the effects of sleep duration on suicide by gender. This study was conducted based on the results of a volunteer online survey for adolescents in middle and high school in the Republic of Korea. The results showed that the effect of a depressive mood on short sleep time and on suicide was not different between male and female adolescents. It has been reported that the direct effect of short sleep time on increasing suicidal ideation is 2.50 times higher in female than in male adolescents. Differences in the metabolism of sex hormones and sleep-associated neurotransmitters might have affected this result, but further studies are needed to clarify more obvious mechanisms. In addition, this result should be considered when establishing sleep education for adolescents.

The purpose of this study is to assess the association of implementation of PACS with the inpatient and outpatient revenue of a general hospital. The authors analyzed the in- and outpatient revenue data of all general hospitals (212) in South Korea obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation (KNHIC) during the period from 1996 through 1999 using the mixed model for repeated measure data. The following variables were used in the analysis: status of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) implementation, population size, state of competition, inhabitant's income, hospital location, hospital size, whether a tertiary hospital, whether public or private, the effect of year. The revenues from both in- and outpatient departments were significantly higher one year after the introduction of PACS while controlling for the confounding variables. Although the causality needs to be clarified, the implementation of PACS was correlated significantly to the increased amount of inpatient and outpatient revenue.

Background Among the symptoms commonly faced by an increasingly aged population, dementia, preceded by cognitive impairment, most threatens their quality of life. Dementia is a well‐recognized burden, not only for individuals who face the disease and for their families, but also for entire nation. Aims The purpose of this study was to identify associated factors for cognitive impairment in a very elderly population via a screening study design in Sokcho, a rural area in South Korea. Methods Trained nurses screened patients from 75–84 years of age for dementia using the Mini‐Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE‐DS) and conducted interviews to determine their socioeconomic status, education level, and living conditions (i.e., with or without family). Results In total, 4,369 subjects (1,646 males, 2,723 females) were enrolled in this study. Reported MMSE‐DS scores decreased with increasing age and to a greater degree in less educated subjects ( p < 0.001). Subjects requiring medical assistance or living alone exhibited lower MMSE‐DS scores compared to those who did not require medical assistance or who lived alone ( p < 0.001). Conclusion We found that less education, lower socioeconomic status, and living alone were associated factors for cognitive impairment based on this study of an elderly population.

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