A Study on the Effectiveness of Korean Medicine Treatment for Patients’ Involved in Traffic Accidents and the Analysis of Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Korean Medicine Treatment - A Retrospective Review

• Published in: Journal of acupuncture research Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 12 - 20
• Main Authors: Kim, Seon-Hye, Kim, Hye-Ryeon, Sung, Won-Suk, Cho, Hyun-Seok, Moon, So-Ri, Keum, Dong-Ho, Lee, Seung-Deok, Kim, Eun-Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MEDrang Inc 01.02.2019; 대한침구의학회
• Subjects: Korean traditional medicine; traffic accident; 한의학
• ISSN: 2586-288X; 2586-2898
• DOI: 10.13045/jar.2018.00220

Background This study was conducted to verify the effectiveness and effectiveness-related factors of Korean medicine (KM) treatment for patients who have been involved in traffic accidents (TA). Methods The medical records of 150 TA patients hospitalized in Dongguk University Bundang Oriental Medicine Hospital from September 2017 to May 2018 were reviewed. Medical records included information on patient demographic characteristics, TA situations, use of KM treatment, clinical characteristics, 4 scales [numeric rating scale (NRS), visual analogue scale (VAS), EuroQol-visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and neck disability index (NDI)]. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the effectiveness and effectiveness-related factors of treatment. Results The 150 patients (almost 1:1 gender ratio) were typically in their 40’s (26.67%), had rear impact to their vehicle (37.33%), were in the driver’s seat (70.00%), and without head trauma and loss of consciousness (83.33%). The main symptoms were neck pain (60.66%) and lower back pain (54.00%). All 150 patients showed significant improvement after KM treatment. 4 scales significantly improved when the treatment started within 3 days from the accident and patients were hospitalized longer and took more diverse treatments. The patients experiencing a higher initial pain level (NRS 8-10, VAS ≥70) showed significant improvement of NRS and VAS scores with faster and longer inpatient treatments than the other patients. The patients with higher initial pain levels (VAS ≥70) also showed significant improvement in EQ-VAS scores. Conclusions KM treatment was effective for TA patients in this study. Treatment initiation time, hospitalization period, treatment diversity and initial pain level are related to the degree of improvement of a patient’s symptoms.