Western Medical Care Research Articles

Effectiveness and Safety ofBlending Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Medicine for Enhanced Secondary Stroke Prevention: AMeta-Analysis of RCTs

BackgroundTo conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of combining Traditional Chinese medication (TCM) with Western medication to improve secondary stroke prevention. Through meticulous analysis, we investigate the combined approach's potential to yield superior outcomes compared to stand-alone Western medical treatments. MethodsWe carefully searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on secondary stroke prevention using TCM and Western medicine from database inception to October 2023. We found relevant studies using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, SinoMed, WanFang, and VIP. Comprehensive meta-analyses were conducted using Stata 16.0 software, with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. ResultsOur comprehensive study included 40 RCTs with 3478 treatment and 3396 control individuals. Our meta-analysis shows that integrating TCM and Western medicine significantly improves secondary stroke prevention rates compared to Western medicine alone (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.55-1.12, p< 0.001). Significantly, the integrated strategy reduced the NIHSS score compared to Western medical treatment for secondary stroke prevention (OR=-0.62, 95% CI: -0.89, -0.35, p< 0.001). Additionally, this combined technique reduced stroke recurrence rates more effectively than Western medical care alone (OR=-0.94, 95% CI: -1.10, -0.76, p< 0.001). The rate of adverse reactions was not statistically different between Western medical treatment and integrated TCM (OR=0.01, 95% CI: -0.18, 0.05, p = 0.131). ConclusionThe evidence shows that combining TCM and Western therapy improves secondary stroke prevention. Besides improving clinical effectiveness, this integrated approach may reduce stroke recurrence. These findings strongly support the widespread use of this integrated approach in clinical practice.

Exploring the preferences of traditional versus Western medicine in the Spiti Valley region of India: A qualitative approach

BackgroundTraditional healing practices are prevalent in rural and mountainous areas of India where Western medicine is not accessible. WHO guidelines recommend integration of traditional and Western medicine to meet rural primary care needs. We explored three dimensions of rural patients' decision-making and satisfaction with their medical care: pregnancy-related concerns, pediatric care for children under five, and acute injuries. MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach in India's Spiti Valley between August and October 2023. Sixteen individuals, age 18 years and older, participated in one-on-one interviews. The interviews were transcribed from Hindi into English, reviewed for accuracy by a native speaker, and imported into Dedoose software. Data were analyzed using inductive coding. FindingsMultiparous women aged 35–44 were concerned about pregnancy complications, leading them to choose Western medicine despite access and cost barriers. Pediatric illness requiring urgent care at night was a concern for women with children under five. Those in the injuries group reported having to travel for care beyond basic first aid. Overall, concerns were about limited access to some services locally, as well as costs of travel, medical procedures, and medications when services were obtained beyond the local area. InterpretationAll participants considered their traditional healer their first point of contact for medical care. A number of Western medical services were not available locally. These findings suggest a need to strengthen access to and integration of Western and traditional medical care in rural settings in India.

Efficacy and safety of Tongxin formula after stent implantation for acute coronary syndrome: A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate both the efficacy and safety profile of integrating the Tongxin formula with optimal medical therapy (OMT) for patients experiencing acute coronary syndromes subsequent to coronary stenting, over the course of one year. MethodsWe enrolled 150 patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndromes who had received stent placement within one month and exhibited a TCM syndrome characterized by Qi deficiency and blood stasis. This group comprised patients with unstable angina, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The participants were divided equally, allocating 75 to the Tongxin formula group and 75 to a placebo-controlled group. After undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) surgery, both groups received conventional Western medical care, including dual antiplatelet therapy and lipid-lowering medications. The placebo-controlled group received a placebo, while the Tongxin formula group were administered Tongxin formula granules orally. Both study cohorts were monitored for a duration of 6 months. The primary endpoints included the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events and the rate of lumen diameter reduction post-treatment in both groups, with the Seattle Angina Scale serving as a secondary assessment tool. Safety evaluations encompassed the measurement of liver and kidney function, coagulation parameters, and other relevant indicators. ResultsThe rate of adverse cardiovascular events in the placebo-controlled group was 42.46 % within a year of surgery, whereas it was 16.90 % in the Tongxin formula group (P < 0.05). Comparing the Tongxin formula group to the placebo-controlled group, there was a decrease in the frequency of unstable angina and readmission due to cardiovascular events (P < 0.05). Coronary angiography performed 6 months after surgery revealed that the Tongxin formula group had considerably less lumen loss than the placebo-controlled group in a number of segments, including the entire segment, within the stent, at the proximal end, and at the distal end (P < 0.05). Six months after surgery, the Seattle angina score was higher in the Tongxin formula group than in the placebo-controlled group (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in indicators such as liver and renal function as well as coagulation indexes in both groups within the first 12 months after surgery (P > 0.05). ConclusionTongxin formula has been shown to lower the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events, minimize narrowing of blood vessel lumen, enhance clinical symptoms, and enhance the quality of life of patients following PCI surgery, all while maintaining a good safety profile.

The effect of traditional Chinese medicine fumigation and washing combined with Western medical care on resting pain in elderly males with lower extremity arterial occlusion

The effect of traditional Chinese medicine fumigation and washing combined with Western medical care on resting pain in elderly males with lower extremity arterial occlusion

Acupuncture for ventilator-dependent patients at a hospital-based respiratory care center: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn intensive care units, mechanical ventilation is an important therapy to help patients with dyspnea. However, long-term ventilator dependence would consume huge medical resources and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of the acupuncture combined with western medical care on ventilator parameters in ventilator-dependent patients. MethodsIn this clinical trial, 80 ventilator-dependent patients aged 20 to 80 years old were randomly assigned to acupuncture group and control group in the respiratory care center (RCC) of Changhua Christian Hospital. Besides regular medical care and therapy, participants in the acupuncture group received acupuncture therapy at the same 17 acu-points for 20 minutes once a day, a total of 12 sessions. The ventilator parameters were recorded to evaluate the respiratory efficiency for all participants. The primary outcome was rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), and secondary outcomes were respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV) and ventilation per minute (MV), ResultsThough there was no significant difference in the parameter between the acupuncture group and the control group, we found the trend of decreasing RSBI in the acupuncture group. In subgroup analyses, the mean of RSBI significantly decreased 16.02 (with the SD in 60.84) in acupuncture group, while it increased 17.84 (with the SD in 39.38) in control group (p=0.036) after 12 sessions. ConclusionAcupuncture treatment can improve breathing ability of patients with respirator dependence in respiratory care center.

Let it Grow (Back): A Call for the Conservation of Secondary Forests as Medicinal Plant Habitat

Costa Rica is widely regarded as a global leader in conservation practices. In the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge (MNWLR), within Costa Rica’s Northern Zone, a strong commitment to conservation has led to protecting highly biodiverse mature forests. However, a significant opportunity to strengthen conservation in this region is being overlooked at a great cost to the local community and environment: the protection of regenerating secondary forests. Secondary forests account for over 50% of global tropical forests and serve vital ecological and cultural functions. Within the MNWLR, many species in the secondary forests provide medicinal value to the rural communities where western medical care is difficult to access. Recent research, however, has shown that secondary forests in Costa Rica are re-cleared within 20 years, before they have accumulated the previously lost biomass and biodiversity. In this paper, we call for conservation and management strategies to incorporate community held knowledge about culturally significant species, and for there to be economic incentives for keeping secondary forests intact and for determining which forests are designated as Protected Areas. We discuss previous research with two trees that are common in secondary forests in the MNWLR (Vismia macrophylla and Pentaclethra macroloba), recognizing that these are some of the many species that have great potential to both the ecological and social communities. While our focus area is in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica, the integration of community use and local knowledge into conservation should be a global priority.

Locked Within.

Description In this work, Locked Within, I examine my relationship with Western and alternative medicines, exploring how both areas can provide holistic treatment when used together. Seen here through the medium of photography, my illness relates to common experiences in Western medical care. Through images that consider themes of time, choice, faith, the effects of illness, the medical gaze, and health as a commodity, this series provides commentary on medical experiences and the influence of the American healthcare system. With a nod toward scientific documentation, this photographic study documents my journey toward health. The element of typology in my work forms a narrative account of a journey through different medicines to find the ideal state of healthiness. By considering each medicine, I gain a new understanding of myself.

On the Scheme for Obtaining a Better Knowledge of Endemic Skin Diseases of India by Tilbury Fox (1836-1879): A Medico-Historical Overview.

With the presence of western nations in India, a change started appearing in the medical scenario. The civilians and soldiers had to suffer from many endemic diseases like fever, cholera, plague, small pox etc. prevalent in India and it caused great loss to the new comers. To protect the life and properties and to gain a firm ground in the Indian soil, Europeans established various medical institutions that provided western medical care. In the course of time British got hold of the power in most part of this country. As the administrators were more engaged with the fatal endemic diseases, cutaneous disorders with lower mortality got less importance. Tilbury Fox, a distinguished British physician accompanied the Earl of Hopetoun in a tour to the East and reached India in 1864. Fox noticed the chaotic situation in the systematic study of dermatological disorders. He proposed a scheme to study the proper situation in this country which laid the beginning of systematic study of dermatology in India. Though his study was the steppingstone of Indian dermatology, but Fox got little attention in the history of dermatology in India. This article discusses about a brief overview of the scheme and the contribution of Tilbury fox.

Negotiating medical services in the Madras Presidency: the subordinate perspectives (1882–1935)

AbstractThe historiography of western medicine in colonial India has predominantly been analysed from the perspectives of the elite services – the Indian Medical Service (IMS) and their recruits. Unfortunately, perceiving colonial medical practices through the lens of the IMS has remained inadequate to provide a nuanced understanding of the role played by Indians in the semi-urban and rural areas of colonial India. This article examines the contributions of local administration and the role played by the recruits of the Subordinate Medical Service. This article uses the Madras Presidency as its case study and focusses on the medical subordinates who were pivotal in establishing a western medical tradition in the region. This will shift the urban-centric focus and examine mostly the rural parts of the presidency, in particular, the district hospitals and dispensaries located in the districts,taluksand villages. The article analyses the transformation in the Madras medical administration from the late nineteenth century until 1935 to argue how subordinates were the ones controlling the local medical services, and thus pulling the strings of health administration in the presidency. This will also demonstrate the uniqueness of Madras and how it disseminated western medical care with an active participation and involvement of the local residents.

385 Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with cutaneous lymphoma

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a group of rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas that can cause significant morbidity and adversely affect patients’ quality of life (QoL). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes therapies that are not part of traditional Western medical care. CAM therapies have demonstrated potential benefits in both cancer and skin disease, however, there are few studies examining patterns of CAM use among patients with cutaneous lymphoma (CL). We performed a cross-sectional study assessing CAM use and QoL in patients with CL via an electronic survey administered to patients via the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation from February-April 2019. A total of 300 patient responses (67% female, mean age 57y) were included in analysis. The most common type of CL among respondents was mycosis fungoides (84%, n=246), followed by Sézary Syndrome (12%, n=35). A majority (58%) of patients reported using CAM for their CL, with 48% using CAM to treat their disease and 46% using CAM to manage their symptoms. The most commonly used CAM in our cohort were vitamins/minerals (32%), prayer/meditation (26%), diet (24%), and exercise/yoga (22%). QoL as assessed by the Skindex-16 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) was worse among patients who reported CAM use; Skindex scores were 51 ± 27 among CAM users compared to 38 ± 26 for non-CAM users (p<0.001). Higher itch scores were reported by patients using CAM compared to non-users (37 ± 29 and 26 ± 26 respectively; p=0.002). CAM use is common among patients with CL, and CAM use is higher among those with worse itching and worse QoL.

Kampo for the Treatment of Pain in Japan: A Review.

Kampo, a branch of traditional Japanese herbal medicine, has been the backbone of Japanese medicine for more than 1500 years. The health insurance system in Japan allows patients to access both Western and Kampo medical care at the same time in the same medical institution. Kampo has been used for the treatment of not only acute but also chronic pain in Japan. In this review, we will elaborate on the short history of Kampo, its basic concepts, and use for the treatment of pain.

Early intervention combining Chinese and Western medicine in traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal injury: A report of three cases

BackgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a specific type of TBI leading to prolonged consciousness impairment and disability. There is still no standard treatment for DAI, so we introduced traditional Chinese medicine into the treatment of these patients. Case summariesThree patients had TBI after traffic accidents. Their Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in the intensive care unit (ICU) were E1VEM2-3, E1VEM2-3, and E1VEM2 respectively. All of them were diagnosed with DAI based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Because of continuing consciousness disturbances, their families agreed to combine traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine treatments through inpatient consultation in Taoyuan General hospital. Two patients took Buyang Huanwu Decoction, and one Tianma Gouteng Decoction twice a day. All of them received 20 min of acupuncture treatments 5 times per week. Acupuncture points included Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shuigou (GV26), Hegu (LI4), and Taichong (LR3). All of them started Traditional Chinese medicine treatment within 2 weeks after TBI. The GCS of all three patients recovered to E4M5V6. ConclusionsThe early addition of traditional Chinese medicine treatments to Western medical care can improve the prognosis of patients with diffuse axonal injury.

An ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal survey of traditionally used medicinal plants in Seymour, South Africa: An attempt toward digitization and preservation of ethnic knowledge

Introduction: Medicinal plants have been used for the treatment of both infectious and noninfectious diseases by the majority of the world's population for many years. The low socioeconomic standing of Eastern Cape population suggests that the majority of people use traditional methods of health care. Many of the rural communities in this province have no access to Western medical health care and rely on traditional medicine for their primary health-care needs. Materials and Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from February 2013 to December 2015 to investigate the use of medicinal plants by the people of Seymour in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Information was gathered from nine traditional healers, seven herbalists, and 18 elderly villagers. Results: The information collected revealed six ailment categories that were treated with a wide range of medicinal plants. A total of 50 plant species belonging to 29 families were reported to be used in the treatment of various ailments. Members of the family Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, and Rutaceae had the highest number of species used in traditional healing. Leaves were reported to be the most frequently used plant part, followed by roots, bark, stem, and then corms and rhizomes. The survey indicated that the most prominent method of herbal administration used is orally via extracts that were obtained by boiling, either as a decoction or concoction. Conclusions: This study has documented important information on medicinal plants used by people, traditional healers, and herbalists of Seymour region in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to treat various ailments. Abbreviations used: ACE: Angiotensin-converting enzyme; CNS: Central nervous system; ENT: Ear, nose and throat; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency virus; ICF: Informant consensus factor; Nur: Total number of use report; Nt: Number of taxa; TB: Tuberculosis

“A complex interface: Exploring sickle cell disease from a parent’s perspective, after moving from Sub-Saharan Africa to North America”

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited, multi-system, chronic disease with the highest prevalence affecting people of Sub-Saharan African descent. While major advances in SCD care have occurred over the last few decades in many African countries these advances are not readily available. Prior literature from Ghana and Kenya describe stigma, despair, and economic burden as well as hope when a child has SCD. When people migrate to North America with a child with SCD it is unknown whether their perception of the disease changes. We asked, “How do immigrant parents of children with SCD from Sub-Saharan Africa perceive, and manage the disease in the context of western medical care?”Methods: The research question was explored with qualitative methodology, specifically focused ethnography. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parent(s). The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and open coded. Rigor was determined through methodological coherence, appropriate and sufficient sampling, and iterative data collection and analysis.Results: Twelve interviews were conducted. Identified themes are as follows: memories of SCD in Africa, the emotional journey towards acceptance, and parental approach to care for their child.Conclusions: Healthcare providers should be responsive to an immigrant families’ needs and not expect linear progression of emotional acceptance to the diagnosis. Healthcare providers patience with the process helps establish trust, works to facilitate and encourage hope and acknowledges the strength of the families, and their dedication to their family member. Healthcare providers should acknowledge parents’ sources of support (religion/family) and ensure parents are aware of medical advances.

Indigenous Medical Plants: Of what Value to Primary Health Care in Rural Ghana?

Ghana was colonised in 1482 when Europeans, accompanied by a number of missionaries, arrived at a small coastal town called Edina in the present day Central Region. Colonialism brought with it Western education, religious values, and medical care. The missionaries opened schools, clinics, and hospitals in several parts of the country but these facilities were not available in many remote areas. Before colonisation Ghanaians made medicines from plants to cure sicknesses and diseases. Although the missionaries and the colonisers regarded African medicine as fetish and attempted to annihilate it—Ghanaians—especially those living in areas without hospital facilities, continued to rely on local medicines for curing illnesses. Medicinal plants such as the neem tree, lemon, moringa, ginger etc., are used as concoctions to alleviate the symptoms of malaria, headaches, boils, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stomach pains. When the government recently introduced primary health care, indigenous medicines became a de facto partner in health care delivery, particularly in the rural areas where hospitals and medical facilities are inadequate. This study employed qualitative methods to explore the value of indigenous medicinal plants in the country’s primary health care programme. The study found that indigenous medicine plays an important role in health care delivery because it is accessible and affordable. Even people who visit hospitals still use indigenous medicines side by side with the pharmaceutical drugs offered by medical practitioners.

Ifa Therapeutic Practices among Yoruba People in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the Ifa therapeutic system with a view to describing the method, use of herbs and sacrifice employed in treatment process. Although several studies highlighted the importance of traditional healing methods among Yoruba people, none has fully described the systematic process involved in the Ifa practice. Ethnomethodological theory provided the framework. Moniya and Iseyin were purposively selected as study areas. A survey study of 134 respondents was employed through snowballing technique. Twelve In-depth Interviews and two Focus Group Discussions were conducted among Ifa priests in study areas. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data were content analyzed. Ifa, being a word of God containing therapy, was performed through divination. Its systematic method relied on procedures and measures domiciled in the 256 corpuses interpreted by Ifa priests. The system is applied to combating illness linked to both physical and spiritual causal agents. The steps involved in the process of providing cure included consultation (68.7%), making herbal mixtures in combination of many organic and inorganic elements (71.6%) and use of sacrifice (67.9%). Ifa therapeutic system is procedural and mainly includes use of herb and sacrifice. In conclusion, Ifa therapy should be formalized to complement western medical care

A Case of Corrosive Esophagitis in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Introduction: Corrosive esophagitis is often caused by the intake of alkaline or acidic substances. Esophageal stenosis is the most important late complication of corrosive esophagitis. In Laos, where Western medical care is available in few locations, treatment for esophageal stenosis is challenging. We report on a patient who was treated in Laos. Case Presentation: In Laos, an 18-year-old woman attempted to commit suicide by drinking an acidic detergent. Sixteen months later, she consulted a district hospital in Laos, which is supported by a Japanese nonprofit organization, with a chief complaint of dysphagia. An upper gastrointestinal series demonstrated severe stenosis of her thoracic esophagus. She underwent open laparotomy for gastrostomy with a urinary catheter to improve her nutritionally poor condition; the operation was performed by a Japanese surgeon with Lao medical staff. Through the gastrostomy, she injected liquid food by herself. Gradually she became unable even to drink water. Because we could not obtain any devices for esophageal dilatation in Laos, balloon dilatation catheters were donated from Japan. Twenty-three months after the injury, the endoscopic balloon dilatation for esophageal stenosis was performed by a Japanese physician, who also taught local physicians how to use the device. The patient's esophagus was as narrow as a pinhole at 20 cm from the incisors. Repeated balloon dilatation by local physicians enabled her to consume solid food orally. Conclusion: Corrosive esophagitis combined with stenosis is often difficult to treat. The Lao patient was successfully treated by a combination of local and foreign medical staff.

Understanding Factors that Influence Health Care Utilization Among Mixtec and Zapotec Women in a Farmworker Community in California.

This paper examines health care utilization among indigenous immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, who have settled in a farmworker community in southern California. In 2016, two trained Spanish-Mixteco and Spanish-Zapoteco bi-lingual interviewers conducted in-depth interviews with 44 indigenous women residing in Oxnard, California on issues that affect health care utilization. Interviews were conducted in Mixteco, Zapoteco and Spanish and were coded to identify structural, cultural, and provider-related barriers to health care utilization. Five bi-lingual Spanish-Mixteco indigenous interpreters employed at local clinics were also interviewed. Many women reported lack of health insurance, inability to pay, language barriers, long waiting times, rushed encounters with providers, and seeking western medical care only after home remedies did not work. However, several women were able to access routine health care services, often with support from indigenous interpreters employed at clinics. Interviews with five interpreters found that they provided assistance with interpretation during medical encounters and appointment making. They also educated patients about upcoming exams, identified low-cost services and insurance programs available to patients, assisted with paperwork and occasionally educated physicians on behalf of their patients. In addition to addressing barriers to health care access our findings suggest the importance of identifying and leveraging community assets, such as indigenous navigators, when developing programs for such underserved communities. Our findings can inform best practice in settings that provide health care to indigenous populations and may also apply to settings that provide health care to other immigrant communities that have very limited familiarity and contact with western health care.

Beyond the rational choice: The social dynamics of the changing nature of the rural people's health concept

Culture creates an exclusive prototype of the beliefs and perceptions as to what “health” or “illness” actually means. Health culture is the basis for health-seeking and health-promoting behavior. There are institutional arrangements within which heath behavior occurs and the impacts of socioeconomic, political, and physical background for their specific health beliefs and health institutions counts a lot. Further, this prototype of beliefs mainly influences how symptoms are documented, to what they are accredited, and how they are interpreted and how it also affects how and when modern traditional health services are sought by the people. Cultural differences in the recognition and interpretation of symptoms and in the use of health services are the topic of wealthy literature. This paper is based on the author's fieldwork experiences in different occasions about the various cultural aspects of the rural health-care issues in southern Karnataka, India. The fieldwork was done in certain rural parts of Karnataka, South India, using participant observation and data also synthesized using content analysis technique. It concludes that cultural differences among the rural people seeking health care are related to the social structures and relationships and the quantity of belief/disbelief in concerning traditional or Western medical care system. We found that the impediment in seeking suitable and timely health care were indifferently found among the individuals belonging to the various sociocultural groups characterized by the cultural exceptionality and customary and family authority.

Medical costs for patients with Facial paralysis : Based on Health Big Data

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the medical cost of facial paralysis in payer perspective and to estimate the practice pattern of patient using 2011 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patients Sample(HIRA-NPS). Methods: Basic statistical system was used for descriptive analysis of NPS dataset. A table for general information (table20) was extracted by disease code, and social demographic characteristics, distribution of the use among inpatients and outpatients, utilization of each kind of medical care institutions, medical cost were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was conducted for assuming the practice pattern of korean medicine and western medicine. Results: A total of 8,219 people and 64,345 claims data were identified as having facial paralysis. Proportion of outpatient was 95.23%, inpatient 0.84% and patient using both services 3.93%. Mean patient charges was 44,229 won per outpatient, 178,886 won per inpatient and 523,542 won per patient using both services. Utilization of korean medical care institutions was 68.81%(claims), 40.46%(patients), utilization of western medical care institutions was 31.19%(claims), 59.54%(patients). The amount charged by korean medical care institutions was 52.61% and western medical care institutions was 47.39%. Cost per claim was higher than those of the korean treatment and cost per patient of western treatment was lower than those of the korean treatment. Conclusions: The research assessed the medical cost and practice pattern associated with facial paralysis. These findings could be used in health care policy and subsequent studies.