• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2011

Objective: Classical markers of infection cannot differentiate reliably between inflammation and infection after neurosurgery. This study investigated the dynamics of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in patients who had elective spine surgeries without complications. Methods: Participants were 103 patients (47 women, 56 men) who underwent elective spinal surgery. Clinical variables relevant to the study included age, sex, medical history, body mass index (BMI), site and type of surgery, and surgery duration. Clinical and laboratory data were body temperature, white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT, all measured preoperatively and postoperatively on days 1, 3, and 5. Results: PCT concentrations remained at <0.25 ng/mL during the postoperative course except in 2 patients. PCT concentrations did not correlate with age, sex, DM, hypertension, BMI, operation time, operation site, or use of instrumentation. In contrast, CRP concentrations were significantly higher with older age, male, DM, hypertension, longer operation time, cervical operation, and use of instrumentation. Conclusion: PCT may be useful in the diagnosing neurosurgical patients with postoperative fever of unknown origin.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2008

Protein-energy malnutrition is regarded as one of the public health problems in developing countries as a result of poor feeding practices due to poverty. This study, therefore, aimed at evaluating nutritional quality of a potential weaning food formulated from locally available food materials. The cooking banana fruit(CB) and bambara groundnut seeds(BG) were purchased from local market in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. The CB and BG were processed into flours, mixed in ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40 and subjected into proximate, sensory and biochemical analyses using standard procedures. Nutrend(a commercial formula) and ogi(corn gruel, a traditional weaning food) were used as control. The nutritient composition(g/100 g) of the food samples were ranged as follows: moisture 2.94-6.94, protein 7.02-16.0, ash 1.76-2.99, fat 0.76-8.45, fibre 1.52-3.75, carbohydrate 63.84-88.43 and energy 1569.8-1665.7 kcal. The biological value(BV), net protein retention(NPR), protein efficiency ratio(PER) and feed efficiency ratio(FER) of the experimental food samples were significantly(p<0.05) lower than nutrend, but higher than ogi. The haematological variables of rats fed with formulated food samples, commercial formula(nutrend) and traditional weaning food(ogi) were not significantly(p>0.05) influenced by the dietary treatment. However, the values obtained for red blood cell(RBC), white blood cell(WBC), pack cell volume(PCV) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) were higher in the experimental food samples than the commercial food. The growth rate of animals fed with experimental food samples were lower than those fed with the nutrend, but higher than those fed with ogi. In conclusion, the nutritional quality of CB and fermented BG mix of 60:40 ratio was better than ogi; and comparable to the nutrend. This implies that it can be used to replace low quality traditional weaning food and the expensive commercial weaning formula.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.456-466
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the effects of pre-warming on core body temperature (CBT) and hemodynamics from the induction of spinal anesthesia until 30 min postoperatively in surgical patients who undergo total hip replacement under spinal anesthesia. Our goal was to assess postoperative shivering and inflammatory response. Methods: Sixty-two surgical patients were recruited by informed notice. Data for this study were collected at a 1,300-bed university hospital in Incheon, South Korea from January 15 through November 15, 2013. Data on CBT, systemic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate were measured from arrival in the pre-anesthesia room to 3 hours after the induction of spinal anesthesia. Shivering was measured for 30 minutes post-operatively. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were measured pre-operatively, and 1 and 2 days postoperatively. The 62 patients were randomly allocated to an experimental group (EG), which underwent pre-warming for 30 minutes, or a control group (CG), which did not undergo pre-warming. Results: Analysis of CBT from induction of spinal anesthesia to 3 hours after induction revealed significant interaction between group and time (F=3.85, p=.008). In addition, the incidence of shivering in the EG was lower than that in the CG ($x^2=6.15$, p=.013). However, analyses of SBP, heart rate, CRP, and ESR did not reveal significant interaction between time and group. Conclusion: Pre-warming for 30 minutes is effective in increasing CBT 2 and 3 hours after induction of spinal anesthesia. In addition, pre-warming is effective in decreasing post-operative shivering.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1531-1533
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• 2016

Background: Polycythaemia rubra vera (PV) is a Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by increased red cell production, independent of the mechanisms that regulate normal erythropoiesis. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinico-epidemiological profile of Pakistani patients with PV. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cross sectional study, 26 patients with PV were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014. They were diagnosed based on WHO criteria. Results: The mean age was $53.4{\pm}9.31years$ (range 36-72) and the male to female ratio was 2:1. Overall 30.7% of patients were asymptomatic. In symptomatic patients, major complaints were headache (30.8%), abdominal discomfort (23.1%), blurred vision (15.3%), pruritus (11.5%) and vascular incidents (11.5%). Physical examination revealed plethoric face and splenomegaly as predominant findings, detected in 34.6% and 30.7%, respectively, with the mean splenic span of $15.9{\pm}2.04cm$. The mean hemoglobin was $18.1{\pm}1.9g/dl$ with the mean hematocrit of $55.6{\pm}8.3%$. The mean total leukocyte count was $12.8{\pm}7.1{\times}10^9/l$ and the platelet count $511{\pm}341.9{\times}10^9/l$. Mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate was $3.5{\pm}1.22mm/hr$. Serum lactate dehydrogenase, serum creatinine and uric acid were $552.7{\pm}309.2$, $0.8{\pm}0.17$ and $6.60{\pm}1.89$ respectively. Conclusions: PV in Pakistani patients, unlike in the West, is seen in a moderately young population. The disease is frequently seen in male gender and primarily patients present with symptoms related to hyperviscosity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of pain release through the four weeks aquatic exercise among the female subjects aged above 50 and who suffered from arthritis. Methods : The assessment was validated by blood analysis which measured the fluctuations of Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), C-reactive protein(CRP) and Rheumatoid factor(RF). Among the 50 subjects of this experiment, the control group has only taken a regular treatment from the clinic and the other experimental group has done aquatic exercise. The experimental group has practiced the aquatic exercise 50 minutes a day for one month excluding the weekends. Results : Blood analysis revealed that ESR was decreased in both the control group and the experimental group and the major effect of CRP was diminished only in the experimental group. No significance of RF was found in both the control group and the experimental group. Conclusion : These results indicate that the aquatic exercise is an effective treatment for arthritis that is compatible with the similar results from the previous studies. In line with this, the aquatic exercise program can provide an effective treatment and control of the disease with the arthritis patient. Accordingly, the regular basis aquatic exercise proved to be quite satisfactory treatment in this regard and we contend that it is vital for the arthritis patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2014

Objectives: The study aimed to determine changes in laboratory data for cancer patients receiving Korean medicine (KM) care, with a focus on patients' functional status, cancer-coagulation factors and cancer immunity. Methods: We conducted an observational study of various cancer patients in all stages admitted to the East-West Cancer Center (EWCC), Dunsan Korean Hospital of Daejeon University, from Mar. 2011 to Aug. 2011. All patients were under the center's multi-modality Korean-medicine-based inpatient cancer care program. The hospitalization stay at EWCC ranged from 9 to 34 days. A total of 80 patients were followed in their routine hematologic laboratory screenings performed before and after hospitalization. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the status of their treatment: prevention of recurrence and metastasis group, KM treatment only group, and combination of conventional and KM treatment group. The lab reports included natural killer cell count (CD16 + CD56), fibrinogen, white blood cell (WBC), lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophil, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin, platelet, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status. Results: With a Focus on patients' functional status, cancer-coagulation factors and cancer immunity, emphasis was placed on the NK cell count, fibrinogen count, and ECOG scores. Data generally revealed decreased fibrinogen count, fluctuating NK cell count and decreased ECOG, meaning improved performance status in all groups. The KM treatment only group showed the largest decrease in mean fibrinogen count and the largest increase in mean NK cell count. However, the group's ECOG score showed the smallest decrease, which may be due to the concentration of late-cancer-stage patients in that particular group. Conclusions: Multi-modality KM inpatient care may have positive effect on lowering the cancer coagulation factor fibrinogen, but its correlation with the change in the NK cell count is not clear.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.83-93
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• 2008

In order to study the Effects of yindong(LC) on the variation of blood and joint value the gout induced by microcrystalline sodium urate in rats, for LC is one of the important medicine on gout. After pretreatment of LC(50, 500mg/kg) for 5days, the Effects of LC was evaluated on Serum albumin, Serum globulin, glutamate dxalacetate transminase(AST), glutanate pyruvate transminase(ALT), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), Serum creatitine, Serum uric acid, xanthine oxidase activity, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate(ESR), WBC, platelet were measured. The results were obtained as follows : Joint value Increase ratio was not significantly decreased in all LC taken groups compared with the control group. Serum albumin was significantly different in all LC taken groups compared with the control group and Serum globulin was significantly dicreased in 500mg/kgLC taken group compared with the control group. Serum AST, ALT were significantly dicreased in 500mg/kgLC taken group compared with the control group. Serum BUN was significantly decreased in all LC taken groups and Serum creatinine was significantly decreased in 500mg/kgLC taken group compared with the control group. Serum uric acid was significantly different in 500mg/kgLC taken group, and changes in xanthine oxidase activity was significantly decreased in 500mg/kg, 50mg/kgLC taken group. ESR was significantly decreased in all LC taken groups compared with the control group. WBC, platelet count were significantly decreased in 500mg/kgLC taken group compared with the control group. From above results it may be concluded that Yindong can be used for treatment and preventive medcine of gout induced by microcrystalline sodium urate in clinic.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2015

Purpose: To determine clinically useful biochemical markers reflecting disease activity and/or gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement in Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP). Methods: A total of 185 children with HSP and 130 controls were included. Laboratory data indicating inflammation, standard coagulation, and activated coagulation were analyzed for the HSP patients, including measurements of the hemoglobin level, white blood cell (WBC) count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen, D-dimer, and fibrin degradation product (FDP) levels. The clinical scores of the skin, joints, abdomen, and kidneys were assessed during the acute and convalescence phases of HSP. Results: The WBC count, ANC, ESR, and CRP, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and FDP levels were significantly higher in the acute phase compared with the convalescent phase of HSP (p<0.05). The total clinical scores were more strongly correlated with the D-dimer (r=0.371, p<0.001) and FDP (r=0.369, p<0.001) levels than with inflammatory markers, such as the WBC count (r=0.241, p=0.001), ANC (r=0.261, p<0.001), and CRP (r=0.260, p<0.001) levels. The patients with GI symptoms had significantly higher ANC (median [interquartile range], 7,138.0 [4,446.4-9,470.0] vs. 5,534.1 [3,263.0-8,153.5], p<0.05) and CRP (0.49 [0.15-1.38] vs. 0.23 [0.01-0.67], p<0.05), D-dimer (2.63 [1.20-4.09] vs. 1.75 [0.62-3.39]), and FDP (7.10 [0.01-13.65] vs. 0.10 [0.01-7.90], p<0.05) levels than those without GI symptoms. Conclusion: D-dimer and FDPs are more strongly associated with disease activity and more consistently reflect GI involvement than inflammatory markers during the acute phase of HSP.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2016

Purpose: We investigated whether serum levels of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are valuable in predicting clinical outcomes or are correlated with other laboratory findings in children with Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP). Methods: We examined 27 children who were consecutively admitted to our hospital with HSP between January 2011 and February 2012. Blood tests (C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin, immunoglobulin A, complement C3, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, IGF-1, IGFBP-3) and urine tests were performed upon admission. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were resampled in the recovery phase. Controls included 473 children whose IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were sampled for evaluating their growth, at the outpatient department of pediatric endocrinology in our hospital. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were compared between the HSP children and controls, and between the acute and recovery phases in HSP children. The ability of these values to predict clinical outcomes including renal involvement was analyzed using bivariate logistic regression analysis (BLRA). Results: IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were not different between the HSP children and controls ($148.7{\pm}117.6$ vs. $69.2{\pm}96.9$, P=0.290: $3465.9{\pm}1290.9$ vs. $3597.2{\pm}1,127.6$, P=0.560, respectively). There was no significant difference in IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 between acute and recovery phases. Based on the BLRA, no variable, including IGF-1 and IGFBP-3, could predict clinical outcomes including the presence of nephritis Conclusion: We concluded that IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 do not predict clinical outcomes of HSP, including renal involvement, in this study.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.163-174
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the improvement of paralytic ileus caused by ovarian cancer after integrative Korean Medicine treatment. Methods: The patient who complained paralytic ileus caused by ovarian cancer was treated by acupuncture, electroacupunture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine for 13 days. The effect of treatment was evaluated by abdominal X-ray, dietary change of patient, Numeral Rating Scale (NRS) and blood examination including white blood cell (WBC), creactive protein(CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and electrocytes. Results: After the treatment, the patient could have taken with her mouth. In addition, the clinical symptoms were improved with no adverse event. Conclusions: This case shows that paralytic ileus caused by ovarian cancer was improved after the integrative Korean Medicine treatment. Therefore, it can be effective an complementary option for paralytic ileus caused by ovarian cancer.