- Factors associated with the timely diagnosis of malaria and the utilization of types of healthcare facilities: a retrospective study in the Republic of Korea
-
HyunJung Kim, Sangwoo Tak, So-dam Lee, Seongwoo Park, Kyungwon Hwang
-
Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2024;15(2):159-167. Published online April 16, 2024
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0349
-
-
 Graphical Abstract
 Abstract
 PDF
 - Objectives
This study aimed to analyze trends in the timely diagnosis of malaria cases over the past 10 years in relation to the utilization of different types of healthcare facilities.
Methods
The study included 3,697 confirmed and suspected cases of malaria reported between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022, in the national integrative disease and healthcare management system. Some cases lacking a case report or with information missing from the case report were excluded from the analysis. A generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution was constructed to estimate rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for other variables, such as distance.
Results
When cases involving diagnosis >5 days after symptom onset in confirmed patients (5DD) were examined according to the type of healthcare facility, the rate ratio of 5DD cases was found to be higher for public health facilities than for tertiary hospitals. Specifically, the rate ratio was higher when the diagnosis was established at a tertiary hospital, even after a participant had visited primary or secondary hospitals. In an analysis adjusted for the distance to each participant’s healthcare facility, the results did not differ substantially from the results of the crude analysis.
Conclusion
It is imperative to improve the diagnostic capabilities of public facilities and raise awareness of malaria at primary healthcare facilities for effective prevention and control.
- Risk factors associated with death due to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in hospitalized Korean patients (2018–2022)
-
Jia Kim, Hyo-jeong Hong, Ji-hye Hwang, Na-Ri Shin, Kyungwon Hwang
-
Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2023;14(3):151-163. Published online June 8, 2023
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0048
-
-
Graphical Abstract
Abstract
PDF
 - Objectives
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has no vaccine or treatment and an extremely high fatality rate. We aimed to analyze and evaluate the risk factors for death associated with SFTS.
Methods
Among reports from 2018 to 2022, we compared and analyzed 1,034 inpatients aged 18 years or older with laboratory-confirmed SFTS who underwent complete epidemiological investigations.
Results
Most of the inpatients with SFTS were aged 50 years or older (average age, 67.6 years). The median time from symptom onset to death was 9 days, and the average case fatality rate was 18.5%. Risk factors for death included age of 70 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 4.82); agriculture-related occupation (OR, 2.01); underlying disease (OR, 7.20); delayed diagnosis (OR, 1.28 per day); decreased level of consciousness (OR, 5.53); fever/chills (OR, 20.52); prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (OR, 4.19); and elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (OR, 2.91), blood urea nitrogen (OR, 2.62), and creatine (OR, 3.21).
Conclusion
The risk factors for death in patients with SFTS were old age; agriculture-related occupation; underlying disease; delayed clinical suspicion; fever/chills; decreased level of consciousness; and elevated activated partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine levels.
|
