KMID : 0384320070280050339
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Korean Journal of Family Medicine 2007 Volume.28 No. 5 p.339 ~ p.345
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Recognition of Family Practitioners on Cold Hands/Feet Syndrome and Raynaud¡¯s Disease
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Kim Chul-Min
Ock Sun-Myeong Chung Ju-Hye Jang Hong-Seok Yoo Dong-Jin Lee Jung-Bok Choi Whan-Seok
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Abstract
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Background: Many patients with ¡°cold hands/feet syndrome¡± have been taking herbal medicine or medicine to improve blood circulation without proven evidence. Raynaud¡¯s disease had been neglected in primary care. This study was conducted to investigate the recognition for Raynaud¡¯s disease and ¡°cold hands/feet syndrome¡± by family doctors.
Methods: A questionnaire was posted to 905 family doctors who were in practice from January to July 2003.
Results: Among the 274 respondents, 58 (21%) reported that they have seen patients with ¡°sensitive to cold¡± frequently and 208 (76%) doctors have seen such patients sometimes. Only 8 (3%) doctors answered that they have never seen patients with such symptoms. When such patients see a doctor and complain of ¡°cold hands/feet syndrome¡±, most doctors (60%) prescribed medicine that improved blood circulation (83%) or calcium channel blockers (9%). In case of questions like ¡®Do you suspect ¡°cold hands/feet syndrome¡± or ¡°sensitive to cold¡± contain Raynaud¡¯s disease?¡¯, 132 (48%) doctors answered ¡®yes¡¯. And among the 132 doctors, only 15 (11.2%) doctors thought that those patients with ¡°cold hands/feet syndrome¡± had Raynaud¡¯s disease. In addition when the doctors diagnosed the condition as Raynaud¡¯s disease, 54% prescribed medicine that improved blood circulation (52%) or calcium channel blockers (40%).
Conclusion: Most doctors prescribe medicine that improves blood circulation for cold hands/feet syndrome. Many doctors also prescribe medicine to improve blood circulation for Raynaud¡¯s disease frequently. The result of our study suggests that there is a need to train doctors so that recognized and diagnosed Raynaud¡¯s disease can be correctly. (J Korean Acad Fam Med 2007;28:339-345)
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KEYWORD
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Raynaud¡¯s disease, cold hands/feet syndrome, recognition
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