• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.39-45
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was undertaken to compare the effect of Foeniculi Fructus and Lonicerae Flos extract on the cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. Methods : Acute pancreatitis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of cerulein. Foeniculi Fructus extract (FE; 300 mg/kg) and Lonicerae Flos extract (LE; 300 mg/kg) were injected 2hr before induction of acute pancreatitis. Rats were sacrificed 6hr after first injection of cerulein. The severity of pancreatitis was assessed by measuring pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, neutrophil, lymphocyte, serum amylase activity, platelet activating factor (PAF) activity, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) activity, interleukin 6 (IL-6) activity and by histological assessments of inflammatory cell infiltration. Results : 1. The pancreatic weight/body weight ratios of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased significantly. 2. The neutrophil content ratio of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased. 3. The lymphocyte content ratio of FE and LE group compared with the control group were increased significantly. 4. The activities of serum amylase of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased significantly. 5. The activities of serum PAF of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased significantly. 6. The activities of TNF-${\alpha}$ of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased significantly. 7. The activities of IL-6 of FE and LE group compared with the control group were decreased significantly. 8. The pancreas injected with FE and LE showed reduction of swelling of acinar cells, inflammation and vacuolization than the control group on light microscopic observation. Conclusions : These results suggest that Foeniculi Fructus and Lonicerae Flos extract have an effect to suppress inflammation on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. But there are no significant differences between Foeniculi Fructus extract and Lonicerae Flos extract.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2014

Purpose: Carbamate insecticides are potent cholinesterase inhibitors capable of causing severe cholinergic toxicity. Use of carbamate rather than organophosphate insecticides has been increasing. Compared with organophosphate poisoning, relatively few studies have investigated carbamate-associated acute pancreatitis. We investigated general characteristics and pancreatitis of carbamate poisoning and the predictors, among those readily assessed in the emergency department. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients, aged over 18 years, who were admitted between January 2008 and April 2012 to an emergency department (ED) of an academic tertiary care center for treatment of carbamate poisoning. Patients who exhibited poisoning by any other material, except alcohol, were excluded. After application of exclusion criteria, patients were divided according to carbamate-induced pancreatitis and non-pancreatitis groups. Results: A total of 41 patients were included in this study. Among these 41 patients, the prevalence of acute pancreatitis was 36.6% (15 patients). Initial blood chemistry tests showed a statistically higher glucose level in the pancreatitis group, compared with the non-pancreatitis group (222, IQR 189-284 vs. 137, IQR 122-175 mg/dL, P<0.05). Regarding clinical courses and outcomes, a significantly higher proportion of patients developed pneumonia [10 (66.7%) vs. 6 (23.1%), P<0.05] and had a longer hospital stay (7 days, IQR 6-12 vs. 5 days, IQR 2-11, P<0.05), but no difference in mortality, in the pancreatitis group vs. the non-pancreatitis group. In multivariate analysis, the initial glucose was showing significant association with the presentation of carbamate-induced acute pancreatitis (odds ratio 1.018, 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.035, P<0.05). Conclusion: Carbamate-induced acute pancreatitis is common, but not fatal. Initial serum glucose level is associated with acute pancreatitis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.548-553
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• 2006

Background : Alcoholic ketoacidosis(AKA) is a metabolic disturbance that is caused by prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption. Though the prognosis is reportedly good, its outcome is unclear in some cases that are combined with multi-organ failure. There are few reports of an analysis of cases admitted to an intensive care unit(ICU) Method: Cases of AKA admitted to the ICU over the last 5 years were retrospectively analyzed. Severe AKA was characterized by multi-organ failure that required treatment in an ICU Results : All patients were males with a history of excessive alcohol consumption. Five of them (50%) mainly complained of gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), showing metabolic acidosis with an increased asmolar and anion gap. Rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure was the most common combined organ failure. Mechanical ventilation was performed in 80%. Six patients died and 4 patients survived. In the surviving patients, the arterial blood gas analysis(ABGA) was normalized within 12 hours after admission. Conclusion : In severe AKA patients, rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure was the most common complication. The mortality rate was high and death from shock occurred within 3 days.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.194-201
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• 2005

Purpose: Gall bladder (GB) stones in children are rarely observed, and so reports of them have been quite limited in Korea. Therefore, we tried to assess the epidemiology and clinical features of children with GB stone diagnosed at Severance Hospital. Methods: A clinical study was performed on 18 patients below 15 years of age diagnosed with GB stone by abdominal ultrasonography or CT scan at Severance hospital from January 1999 to May 2005. Results: Concerning patients' profile, their sex ratio of male to female in total 18 cases was 2 : 1 with the mean age of $6{\pm}4.3years$. 15 patients (83.3%) were asymptomatic. Inducing factors were found in 14 children (77.8%) including ceftriaxone therapy in 6 cases (33.3%), infection in 4 cases (22.2%), spherocytosis in 3 cases (16.7%), Down syndrome and abdominal operation in 1 case (5.6%) respectively. Single stone was found in 13 cases (76.5%) and multiple in 4 cases (23.5%). 15 cases (88.2%) had the stones less than 5 mm in size, and 2 cases (11.8%) between 5 and 10 mm. 17 patients received conservative treatment, and one patient had cholecystectomy due to Meckel diverticulum. Conclusion: In this report, Pediatric GB stones are predominant in male children, without typical symptoms, having inducing factors, single and small. Recently the diagnosis of them has been increased because of the development of imaging study. But the reports for them were still rare in Korea. Therefore the study for them is more necessary to find it's clinical characteristics.