한국의 5개 한의과대학 부속한방병원 재활의학과의 요통 입원 환자에 대한 후향적 기술통계분석 - 입원 기간, 상병명, 치료 방법을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Objectives Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reason for people in Koreato visit Korean medical institutions. To assess actual amounts of use in the treatment ofLBP in Korean medicine and to provide objective base line data for policy decision making,research regarding the current state of LBP patients' treatment in Korean medical institutionsare in need. Methods The current study was designed as a retrospective chart review to investigatedescriptive characteristics of LBP patients. The clinical records of 304 patients who werehospitalized for the treatment of LBP in Korean rehabilitation medicine inpatient clinics offive different Korean medicine hospitals were analyzed. The percentage of patient characteristicssuch as sex, age, average duration of admission, insurance type, diagnosed LBPrelated disease code, and rates of interventions applied were assessed. Results 1. The female sex was significantly predominant among patients with LBP : 105patients (34.5%) were male and 199 patients (65.5%) were female. Percentage of the patients'age appeared as followed : 76 people (25.0%) were in their 50s, 64 people (21.1%)were in their 40s, 51 people (16.8%) were in their 30s, 37 people (12.2%) were in their 60s,and 33 people (10.9%) were in their 70s. Approximately half of the total LBP patients investigatedwere older than 50. 2. The average duration of admission was 16.2 days. Approximately one third (30.3%) of the patients were hospitalized for 8 to 14 days. 3. Female patients tended to stay admitted in hospitals slightly longer than male patients. Elderly (age 60~79) patients stayed in hospitals longer (17.8 days) compared to younger(age 20~39) patients (13.5 days). 4. More than half of the patients (171 cases, 56.3%) hadtheir hospital bills covered with automobile insurance. 40.1% (122 cases) of the patientshad medical insurance to cover their hospital bills. The average duration of admission ofpatients who had automobile insurance was 14.2 days, while that of the patients who hadmedical insurance was 18.4 days. 5. "Sprain and strain of the lumbar spine and pelvis"was the most commonly used (195 cases, 64.1%) disease code in patients with LBP. Patients diagnosed as "lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy"required the longest admission duration (22.1 days). 6. Herbal medication was applied toall of the patients during admission. Acupuncture was applied to all of the patients exceptone case diagnosed as spinal stenosis. Physical therapy, cupping therapy, moxibustiontherapy, chuna therapy, and pharmacopuncture therapy were applied to 94.7, 92.8, 85.2,83.9, and 49.7% of the patients, respectively. 7. There were certain differences amongKorean medicine hospitals in terms of the LBP patients' duration of admission, type of insurance,frequency of the disease code use, type of intervention applied. Conclusions It is thought that the current study can be used as reference data in assessingthe current state of LBP treatment in Korean rehabilitation medicine and a basisfor future research. Provided improvements of certain limitations of the current study in futureresearches, such data would act as better base line data in policy decision making.