Given the nature of a meticulous thoracoscopic bullectomy followed by coverage with cellulose mesh and fibrin glue, good surgical results can be expected without the need for a pleural adhesive procedure.

This study analyzed factors influencing clinical symptoms and treatment of patients with traffic accident injuries. It used a retrospective chart review and questionnaire survey obtained from 560 patients (266 men and 294 women). It also conducted follow-up observations of progress after car insurance settlements and investigated the usefulness of and patient satisfaction with integrative Korean medicine treatment for traffic accident injuries. Retrospective data of patients admitted for traffic accident injury were obtained. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data regarding the degree of traffic accident damage, severity of pain at settlement, any treatment after settlement and duration and cost of such treatment, and patient satisfaction with car insurance services and Korean medicine treatment for traffic accident injury. The results showed no significant association between pain and the degree of damage to the car at the time of traffic accident (P = 0.662), although the degree of damage to the car was more significantly associated with time to reach a car insurance settlement than severity of pain in the patient (P = 0.003). There was no significant association between the degree of damage to the car in a traffic accident and pain after a traffic accident. Greater severity of pain at the time of the car insurance settlement was associated with greater cost and longer time spent in treatment after the car insurance settlement.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate electric moxibustion on patients with back pain caused by road traffic accidents. Methods: This was a retrospective study (n = 112) comparing treatment with Korean medicine combined with electric moxibustion (n = 56), and Korean medicine alone (n = 56). Patient gender, age, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) was recorded for each group at the time of hospital admission. Mean NRS measured weekly, mean ODI and EQ-5D scores were measured 2 weeks post-treatment, and evaluated by paired sample t test. using the Statistical Program for Social Science v. 25.0 for Windows. An independent, two-sample t test was used to test for a significant difference in the decrement of NRS, ODI and increment EQ-5D scores between groups. Results: NRS scores decreased in both groups after 1 week of treatment (electric moxibustion, from 5.13 ± 0.79 to 3.86 ± 0.67; Korean medicine alone, from 5.18 ± 0.92 to 4.30 ± 0.94; both p < 0.001). There was a significantly greater reduction in NRS score in the electric moxibustion group (1.27 ± 0.59) than in the Korean medicine alone group (0.88 ± 0.61; p = 0.001). After 2 weeks of treatment, EQ-5D scores increased significantly in the moxibustion group (0.19 ± 0.12) compared with the Korean medicine alone group (0.13 ± 0.20; p = 0.043). After 2 weeks of treatment, NRS and ODI scores decreased in both groups. EQ-5D increased in both groups. Conclusion: We suggest that electric moxibustion treatment may be effective for reducing early-stage back pain in patients with road traffic accident injuries.

The purpose of this study is to investigate recent clinical studies on the effects of acupuncture on dementia. Method: We searched RCTs (randomized controlled trials) using the database PubMed (2000-2018). Clinical RCT studies of acupuncture used to treat dementia in humans were included. Nine randomized controlled trials were included. Results: Various acupoints such as Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Fengchi (GB20), and Shenting (GV24) were used to treat symptoms. The studies reported a decrease in evaluation criteria, such as the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and activities of daily living (ADL), for measuring cognitive ability. The acupuncture process, the results for outcome measure, and the effectiveness of studies were analyzed. We then assessed "risk of bias." Conclusions: Through this review, we found that acupuncture is applicable for the treatment of dementia. This can be used for future study.

randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which investigated the safety and effectiveness of combined Korean medicine/complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and Western medicine, to indicate the direction for integrative medical practice. The Korean Medicine Convergence Research Information Center evidence-based medicine database (KMCRIC EBM DB) was used to retrieve relevant RCTs indexed in the last 3 years. Study design, country, sample size, disease/condition with the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code, interventions, direction of outcomes, and adverse events were extracted and summarized. A total of 93 RCTs were included in this review. Acupuncture/moxibustion was the most commonly used intervention (n = 47; 51%), and 19% (n = 18) of the studies treated musculoskeletal disorders, followed by circulatory disorders (n = 16; 17%), and mental and behavioral disorders (n = 9; 10%). Integrative treatment was reported as more effective than monotherapy in approximately 83% of these studies. Adverse events were poorly reported in most studies. This review suggests that integrative treatments are feasible, effective, and safe for various diseases/conditions, based on the evidence from recently published RCTs. Future studies on integrative healthcare are warranted.