• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.159-172
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• 2017

Asthma deaths in Seoul peaked on the third, fifth, and second days after the PM concentration exceeded the daily average concentration standard. We classified the synoptic meteorological conditions, based on the days involving such cases, into three categories. Type 1 included the meteorological condition likely to cause high air pollution concentrations in the leeward region, the dominant wind direction of which is the northwest. Type 2 included the meteorological condition likely to cause high air pollution concentrations due to the weak wind velocity under stable atmospheric conditions. Type 3 was when the passage low atmospheric pressure and the expansion of high atmospheric pressure occurred at the rear, indicating a meteorological condition likely to cause high air pollution, in certain regions. Type 1 occurred 11 times, with high concentrations of over $100{\mu}g/m^3$ being observed in the southeastern part of Seoul. Type 2 occurred 24 times, often accompanied by a PM concentration of $100{\sim}400{\mu}g/m^3$. Type 3 occurred 11 times, and was accompanied by several days of yellow dust that accounted for the highest concentrations.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.22-34
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• 2021

The coronavirus pandemic, known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an infectious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus first identified in patients from Wuhan, China. Since December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has spread swiftly around the world, infected more than 25 million people, and caused more than 800,000 deaths in 188 countries. Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) appear to be risk factors for COVID-19, however, their prevalence remains controversial. In fact, studies in China reported lower rates of chronic respiratory conditions in patients with COVID-19 than in the general population, while the trend is reversed in the United States and Europe. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms of a possible interaction between COVID-19 and chronic respiratory diseases remain unknown, some observations can help to elucidate them. Indeed, physiological changes, immune response, or medications used against SARS-CoV-2 may have a greater impact on patients with chronic respiratory conditions already debilitated by chronic inflammation, dyspnea, and the use of immunosuppressant drugs like corticosteroids. In this review, we discuss importance and the impact of COVID-19 on asthma and COPD patients, the possible available treatments, and patient management during the pandemic.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.528-535
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• 2013

Air pollution in large cities is reduced through the environmental health policies, but due to increased population and automobile, some pollutants are still a problem. These air pollutants are known to cause asthma and respiratory diseases. According to an OECD report, the number of premature deaths will increase. Hazardous air pollutants should be managed through a systematic monitoring, risk assessment, and many studies are in progress. In order to manage hazardous air pollutants, transformation of policy for the protection of human health is required. management policy through the calculation of the excess number of deaths that occur from hazardous air pollutants for the public health is necessary. Korea has put a lot of efforts for air quality, but health risk assessment should be more considered.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.125-136
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• 2011

Ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), damages human health by irritating the respiratory system, reducing lung function, damaging lung cells, and aggravating asthma and other chronic conditions. In March 2008, the EPA strengthened ozone standards by lowering acceptable limits from 84 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion. Here epidemiologic data is used to study the effects of ozone regulation on human health and assessed how various regulatory standards for ozone may affect nonaccidental mortality, including respiratory-related deaths during ozone season. The assessment uses statistical methods based on hierarchical Bayesian models to predict the potential effects of the different regulatory standards. It also analyzes the variability of the results and ho they are impacted by different modeling assumptions. We focused on the technical an statistical approach to assessing relationship between new ozone regulations and mortality while other researches have detailed the relationship between ozone and human mortality. We shows a statistical correlation between ozone regulations and mortality, with lower limits of acceptable ozone linked to a decrease in deaths, and projects that mortality is expected to decrease by reducing ozone regulatory standards.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.5
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• pp.416-422
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• 2011

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are the most essential medication for asthma control. Many reports suggest that the usage of ICSs improves not only the control of asthma symptoms but also prevents exacerbation. We investigated whether increases in ICS prescriptions are associated with decreases in asthma exacerbation in the clinical practice setting. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of adult asthma patients who had visited a tertiary referral hospital, the Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2009. The number of emergency department (ED) visits, admissions, intensive care unit (ICU) care, deaths, and ICS prescriptions were analyzed to evaluate the time trend of asthma exacerbation as a function of the ICS prescription rate during the ten years. Results: The numbers of ED visits, admissions, and episodes of ICU care decreased during the ten years (p<0.001, p=0.033, p=0.001, respectively) while the number of ICS prescriptions increased (p<0.001). We found a correlation between the number of ICS prescriptions and the number of ED visits, admissions, or ICU care. For these outcomes, the correlation coefficients were r=-0.952, p<0.001; r=-0.673, p=0.033; r=-0.948, p<0.001, respectively. Conclusion: The number of ICS prescriptions increased during the past ten years while the number of asthma exacerbations decreased. Our results also showed a negative correlation between the ICS prescription rate and asthma exacerbation in the clinical practice setting. In other words, an increase in ICS prescription may be a major cause of a decrease in asthma exacerbations.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2023

Introduction: Biological risks are a major global problem in the workplace. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the biological risks at work. This study presents data on both communicable infectious biological agents and noncommunicable factors leading to death and disability for the year 2021. Methods: We followed the methodology established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in their past global estimates on occupational accidents and work-related diseases. We used relevant ILO estimates for hazardous substances and related population attributable fractions derived from literature, which were then applied to World Health Organization mortality data. The communicable diseases included in the estimates were tuberculosis, pneumococcal diseases, malaria, diarrheal diseases, other infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, influenza associated respiratory diseases and COVID-19. Noncommunicable diseases and injuries considered were Chronic Obstructive Diseases (COPD) due to organic dusts, asthma, allergic reactions and risks related to animal contact. We estimated death attributable to biological risk at work and disability in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Results: We estimated that in 2022, 550,819 deaths were caused by biological risk factors, with 476,000 deaths attributed to communicable infectious diseases and 74,000 deaths caused by noncommunicable factors. Among these, there were 223,650 deaths attributed to COVID-19 at work. We calculated the rate of 584 DALYs per 100,000 workers, representing an 11% increase from the previous estimate of the global burden of work-related disabilities measured by DALYs. Conclusion: This is a first update since previous 2007 ILO estimates, which has now increased by 74% and covers most biological risks factors. However, it is important to note that there may be other diseases and deaths are missing from the data, which need to be included when new information becomes available. It is also worth mentioning that while deaths caused by major communicable diseases including COVID-19 are relatively rare within the working population, absences from work due to these diseases are likely to be very common within the active workforce.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

Objectives: Ephedrae herba, also known as Ma-huang, is a traditional Korean medicinal herb. It has been used to treat asthma, nose and lung congestion, and fever with anhidrosis for centuries. Recently, Ma-huang was used as a source of ephedrine in many dietary supplements for weight reduction in the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate the subacute toxicity of ephedrae herba extract in rats. Methods: SPF Sprague-Dawley male rats were administered orally with ephedrae herba extract for 4 weeks as several doses(0, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg). We examined number of deaths, clinical signs, body weights and gross findings for experimental period. Results: No dead animals were found during the experimental period. In addition, no differences were found between control and treated groups in clinical signs, hematology, serum biochemistry, and other findings. Conclusions: In conclusion, above data suggest that no observed adverse effect level of ephedrae herba extract in SD rats might be over 2,000 mg/kg/day in this study.