A Study Concerning Patients Who Visited the Korean Medicine Hospital due to Dizziness


Jeong-min Oh
Dept. of Internal Medicine of Korean Medicine
Graduate school, Daejeon University
(Directed by Prof. Yoon-Sik Kim, O.M.D., Ph.D.)


Abstract
Objective :
The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of patients who were visited to Korean medicine hospital due to dizziness and vertigo.

Methods :
328 dizziness and vertigo patients who were visited to Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital, Daejeon University from 1st, November, 2012 to 31th, October, 2014 were analyzed according to medical charts.

Results :
1. In the distribution according to sex, female outnumbered male patients in all the types of dizziness except presyncope dizziness group. There was statistical significance regarding the type of dizziness and sex.
The average age of male was 60.87 and female was 57.9. The average age of the central dizziness group was highest compared to the other type of dizziness.

2. Outpatients were more than inpatients. Half of the patients with peripheral dizziness were admitted. Central dizziness were admitted as well. 25% of the patients with presyncope dizziness and 18.7% of the patients with functional dizziness were admitted. There was significant difference between inpatient group and outpatient group according to the type of dizziness.
The average admission days of the central dizziness group was 37.31 days, followed by the presyncope dizziness group(17 days), functional dizziness group(14.21 days) and peripheral dizziness group(13.5 days). The average admission days according to the type of dizziness were significantly different.

3. The distribution of all types of dizziness patients was analyzed by symptom differentiation. The following numbers of patients showed the distribution of each symptom differentiation ; 193 patients (58.8%) of for the deficiency of qi and blood, 53 patients (18.0%) for the plegm-dampness syndrome, 47 patients (14.3%) for the hyperactivity of liver yang and 29 patients (8.8%) for the deficiency of kidney essence. The deficiency of qi and blood was the most major symptom differentiation in the distribution analysis. On the other hand, the distribution of symptom differentiation for type of dizziness, did not show any significance in statistical point of view.

4. The number of patients available to be categorized by sasang constitution was 295 and there was a distribution; 200 (67.8%) for soeumin, 64(21.7%) for soyangin and the rest (10.51%) for taeumin. As well as the patients distribution by sasang constitution, the distribution by the type of dizziness showed identical ranking. But the statistical significance was not revealed in the relationship between the type of dizziness and the saang constitusion.

5. The deficiency of qi and blood was most frequently observed in the symptom differentiation distribution examined by the sasang constitution and the distinctivedistribution was commonly observed in every sasang constitution. Specifically in the group of Soeumin the deficiency of qi and blood was outstanding (71.5%) and the deficiency of kidney essence was observedas identifiable symptom differentiation (25%) in the group of soyangin. And both of hyperactivity of liver yang(35.5%) and plegm-dampness syndrome (19.4%), comparing to other groups of the sasang differentiation, were exceptionally high. The significant difference was examined in the symptom differentiation distribution by the sasang constitution of patients.

6. In the focus of herbal medicine for dizziness, the following distribution was observed; 123 patients (50.4%) for Jayumkeonbitang(滋陰健脾湯), 25 (10.2%) for Banhabaekchulcheonmatang(半夏白朮天麻湯) and 10 (4.1%) for Bojungikgitang(補中益氣湯). The sequence of Jayumkeonbitang(滋陰健脾湯), Banhabaekchulcheonmatang(半夏白朮天麻湯), Bojungikgitang(補中益氣湯) shows the prescribing rate in the examination regards to peripheral and functional dizziness. Meanwhile, the rate of Bangpungtongseongsan(防風通聖散) was distinctively high compared to other groups.

7. In the case of the comparison of improving group and no improving group, the condition of 178 patients (86.0%) of the total has improved; the total number of patients was 207. The all member of the group of the peripheral dizziness patients showed improvement in their condition. However, the tendency of less improvements (75%) was observed in the case of the central dizziness. The meaningful result was revealed through the statistical analysis for the difference in improving rate by the type of dizziness.

Conclusion :
The most common type of dizziness in the Korean medicine hospital was functional dizziness. There was statitical difference in sex, average admission days and improvement according to the type of dizziness. and The significant difference was examined in the symptom differentiation distribution by the sasang constitution of patients as well. However, There was no significant differnce in the distribution of the symptom diffrentiation and the sasang contribution according to the type of dizziness.
In the study of patients with various type of dizziness who visited Korean medical institution, this report would be provided as reference data.

Key words : Dizziness, Vertigo, Korean medicine hospital