MEDICAL ENGLISH ARTICLES

Smartphone diseases identified by the state health insurance program include text neck syndrome, dry eye syndrome, insomnia and carpal tunnel syndrome. In 2018, medical expenses for the four diseases amounted to 433.4 billion won ($372.3 billion), a 46.8 percent jump from 2014’s 295.3 billion won. The number of patients in need of treatment for these conditions totaled 5,462,746, an increase of 14.8 percent over the same period. Roh Young-hak, an orthopedic surgeon at Ewha Womans University Medical Center, said while using handheld devices was not the sole cause of “text neck,” it may be more common among mobile users. “More people spend time hunched over a smartphone, than say, a book,” he said. According to the data presented by the lawmaker, insomnia was the condition that saw the most drastic surge, from 461,790 in 2014 to 597,529 in 2018. Lee Hyang-woon, a neurologist at the same hospital’s sleep center, said exposure to light in the evening “severely inhibits sleep” by interferin...

  WASHINGTON — Teens who have good, supportive relationships with their teachers enjoy better health as adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Perhaps surprisingly, although friendships are important to adolescents, the study did not find the same link between good peer relationships and students’ health in adulthood. “This research suggests that improving students’ relationships with teachers could have important, positive and long-lasting effects beyond just academic success,” said Jinho Kim, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Korea University and author of the study. It was published in the journal  School Psychology . “It could also have important health implications in the long run.” Previous research has suggested that teens’ social relationships might be linked to health outcomes in adulthood—perhaps because poor relationships can lead to chronic stress, which can raise a person’s ...

   Air pollution  has been linked to an increased risk of progressive and irreversible vision loss, a large, long-term study found. University College London researchers hypothesized that air pollution might heighten the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD),  Science Daily  reported. It described how scientists drew on data from 115,954 study participants aged 40-69 with no eye problems at the start of the study in 2006. Follow-ups with 52,602 of the participants in 2009 and 2012 measured structural changes in retina thickness and/or the number of light receptors present — both indicators of AMD. Ambient air pollution measures were combined with official traffic, land use and topography information to estimate the annual average air pollution levels at participants' home addresses during this same time period. Comparing that data, the findings, published in the  British Journal of Ophthalmology , showed that all air pollutants — except ...

  March 2021, George Griffin, M.D. of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for illegally distributing controlled substances. Late last year, Dr. Griffin pled guilty to one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. As part of his sentence, he is required to surrender his medical license and never seek reinstatement of the license. Dr. Griffin owned and operated Greater Cincinnati Orthopedic Physicians, LLC. As a physician, Dr. Griffin prescribed controlled substances including opioids. He was registered with federal and state authorities to prescribe controlled substances. Dr. Griffin was initially charged in a 2019 indictment that listed 20 counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances. The indictment listed 20 prescriptions dated from 2014 through 2019, each of which constituted a separate count. Under the law, valid prescriptions for controlled substances must be issued “…for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual ...

  UK-based firm Moodbeam has developed a wristband that can track employees’ well-being. Moodbeam One is a wearable device designed for companies who want to track their staff’s emotional state. The device can be worn on the wrist or clipped onto  lanyards  and has two buttons. The yellow button  corresponds  to feeling happy, and the blue one corresponds to feeling sad. Moodbeam One comes with an app where users can see their emotions throughout the day, take notes, log sleep and other activities, set reminders to check moods, and share their profile with other people. Employers or managers can also check how their employees are feeling through an online dashboard. The wristband is made of silicone, which makes it  sturdy  and water-resistant. Moodbeam One can be worn even while taking a bath or walking outdoors. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization reported that the global economy lost around $1 trillion every year because of m...

Korean Medical Association chief Choi Dae-zip speaks during a virtual meeting with senior members of the group at KMA headquarters in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji A doctors' association has threatened to launch a strike and boycott the government's COVID-19 vaccination plan to protest the ruling party's attempt to revise the Medical Act, revoking the medical licenses of doctors who are sentenced to prison or receive heavy punishment for felony crimes. The threat marks the latest clash between the government and the Korean Medical Association (KMA). During the previous clash last August and September, trainee doctors held a strike to protest the government's plan to increase admissions quotas at medical schools. The government was forced to put the plan on hold as it was essential for doctors to return to work as coronavirus infections continued to grow. The KMA, which represents 130,000 doctors, issued a statement Saturday, expressing anger and saying it would...

A screen shows surveillance camera footage from an operating room at the Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center’s Ansung Hospital. (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) Note: This article was published on : Jul 29, 2020 Debate has resurfaced over the need for surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms, with strong support from the ruling party for the mandatory use of cameras to protect the rights of patients. Rep. Kim Nam-kuk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and 12 other lawmakers submitted a bill on July 9 that would obligate hospitals to deploy security camera systems inside operating theaters in a bid to prevent medical mistakes, ghost surgeries by underqualified or untrained hospital staff, and sexual assaults on patients under anesthetic. The current operating room rules and system create an imbalance in information between surgeons and patients, Rep. Kim argues. Patients are unconscious while under anesthesia, and no one else is allowed to enter the operating room to support...