Identifying Adverse Events Using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Y Codes in Korea: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: The use of administrative data is an affordable alternative to conducting a difficult large-scale medical-record review to estimate the scale of adverse events. We identified adverse events from 2002 to 2013 on the national level in Korea, using International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) Y codes. METHODS: We used data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC). We relied on medical treatment databases to extract information on ICD-10 Y codes from each participant in the NHIS-NSC. We classified adverse events in the ICD-10 Y codes into 6 types: those related to drugs, transfusions, and fluids; those related to vaccines and immunoglobulin; those related to surgery and procedures; those related to infections; those related to devices; and others. RESULTS: Over 12 years, a total of 20 817 adverse events were identified using ICD-10 Y codes, and the estimated total adverse event rate was 0.20%. Between 2002 and 2013, the total number of such events increased by 131.3%, from 1366 in 2002 to 3159 in 2013. The total rate increased by 103.9%, from 0.17% in 2002 to 0.35% in 2013. Events related to drugs, transfusions, and fluids were the most common (19 446, 93.4%), followed by those related to surgery and procedures (1209, 5.8%) and those related to vaccines and immunoglobulin (72, 0.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on a comparison with the results of other studies, the total adverse event rate in this study was significantly underestimated. Improving coding practices for ICD-10 Y codes is necessary to precisely monitor the scale of adverse events in Korea.

Korean red ginseng slows depletion of CD4 T cells in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients.

We have previously showed that long-term intake of Korean red ginseng (KRG) delayed disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients. In the present study, to investigate whether this slow progression was affected by KRG intake alone or in combination with HLA factor, we analyzed clinical data in 68 HIV-1-infected patients who lived for more than 5 years without antiretroviral therapy. The average KRG intake over 111.9 +/- 31.3 months was 4,082 +/- 3,928 g, and annual decrease in CD4 T cells was 35.0 +/- 28.7/microl. Data analysis showed that there are significant inverse correlations between the HLA prognostic score (0.29 +/- 1.19) and annual decrease in CD4 T cells (r = -0.347; P < 0.01) as well as between the amount of KRG intake and annual decrease in CD4 T cells (r = -0.379; P < 0.01). In addition, KRG intake significantly slowed the decrease in CD4 T cells even when influence of HLA class I was statistically eliminated (repeated-measure analysis of variance; P < 0.05). We also observed significant correlation between KRG intake and a decrease in serum-soluble CD8 antigen level (r = 0.62; P < 0.001). In conclusion, these data show that KRG intake independently and significantly affected the slow depletion of CD4 T cells irrespective of HLA class I.

Knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experience of complementary and alternative medicine in Western medicine- and oriental medicine-trained physicians in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: We compared knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experience with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Western medicine-trained doctors (WMDs) and Oriental medicine-trained doctors (OMDs). METHODS: In Korea, 502 WMDs and 500 OMDs were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: OMDs held more favorable attitudes toward CAM than did WMDs. OMDs possessed a deeper understanding of and greater experience with CAM. OMDs more readily endorsed health beliefs congruent with CAM. CONCLUSIONS: In the future, CAM can be more readily used by OMDs than by WMDs. Because evidence for the effectiveness of CAM remains sparse, more research is needed for the prudent use of CAM in Korea. An education and training system for potential CAM providers remains to be developed.