• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.154-164
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• 2003

Background : Until the early 1990's in Korea, treatment outcomes of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the private sector were reported to be inferior to those of the public health center under the National Tuberculosis Programme. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and the treatment efficacy of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis recently diagnosed at a private general hospital. Materials and Methods : The study included all pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed at Samsung Medical Center and notified to the public health center from August 2000 to January 2001. Results : Of the 232 patients included in the study during a 6-month period, 188 were (81.0%) initial treatment cases and 44 (19.0%) were re-treatment cases. Eighty-three (35.8%) patients had smear-positive sputa, and 27 (11.6%) had smear-negative, culture-positive sputa. Initial sputum examinations were not performed in 47 (20.3%) patients. A six-month, short-course treatment using isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide was prescribed for 31.4% of the patients under the initial treatment. The success rate (cured plus treatment completed) of the initial treatment for the smear-positive patients was 69.1%. Eleven (13.3%) of the 83 patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis discontinued their treatment without notice. Conclusions : To improve the treatment efficacy and decrease the default rates of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the private sector, further efforts are required in line with the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Treatment Guidelines and in the implementation of an appropriate model of public-private mix for tuberculosis control in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2007

Objectives : Considering the impact of depressive illness on physical and mental health of both mother and fetus, specification of a treatment algorithm for depressive disorder during pregnancy is legitimated. This article provides a systemic review of treatments for depressive disorder during pregnancy and lactation. Methods : According to the search strategy of the Clinical Research Center for Depression of Korean Health 21 R & D Project, PubMed and EMBASE were searched using terms with regard to the treatment of depressive disorders during pregnancy and lactation. Reference lists of related reviews and studies were searched. In addition, relevant practice guidelines were searched using the PubMed. All identified clinical literatures were reviewed and summarized in a narrative manner. Results : Pharmacotherapy during pregnancy and lactation requires a comprehensive assessment of the risks and benefits of treatment for both mother and fetus or neonate. Recently, there is growing evidence that the use of tricyclic and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and lactation does not result in increased risks of teratogenicity. Treatment strategies are described according to the point of time of pregnancy or lactation. FDA categories for antidepressants during pregnancy and lactation are described. In addition, issues regarding to the electroconvulsive therapy and psychosocial treatment are discussed. Conclusion : The treatment option for depressive disorders during pregnancy and lactation depends on the severity of depressive illnesses of the individual patient. For mild to moderate depression, the non-pharmacological treatment should be considered first. For moderate to severe depression, pharmacotherapy should be administered in addition to the psychosocial treatment. ECT is recommended for depressive disorder of severe intensity. As the research knowledge is limited, the recommendations should based on the best judgement of psychiatrists.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.81-90
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• 2023

Auditory perceptual assessment and acoustic analysis are commonly used in clinical practice for voice evaluation. This study aims to explore the effects of speech task context on auditory perceptual assessment and acoustic measures in patients with voice disorders. Sustained vowel phonations (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /ɯ/, /ʌ/) and connected speech (a standardized paragraph 'kaeul' and nine sub-sentences) were obtained from a total of 22 patients with voice disorders. GRBAS ('G', 'R', 'B', 'A', 'S') and CAPE-V ('OS', 'R', 'B', 'S', 'P', 'L') auditory-perceptual assessment were evaluated by two certified speech language pathologists specializing in voice disorders using blind and random voice samples. Additionally, spectral and cepstral measures were analyzed using the analysis of dysphonia in speech and voice model (ADSV).When assessing voice quality with the GRBAS scale, it was not significantly affected by the vowel type except for 'B', while the 'OS', 'R' and 'B' in CAPE-V were affected by the vowel type (p<.05). In addition, measurements of CPP and L/H ratio were influenced by vowel types and sentence positions. CPP values in the standard paragraph showed significant negative correlations with all vowels, with the highest correlation observed for /e/ vowel (r=-.739). The CPP of the second sentence had the strongest correlation with all vowels. Depending on the speech stimulus, CAPE-V may have a greater impact on auditory-perceptual assessment than GRBAS, vowel types and sentence position with consonants influenced the 'B' scale, CPP, and L/H ratio. When using vowels in the voice assessment of patients with voice disorders, it would be beneficial to use not only /a/, but also the vowel /i/, which is acoustically highly correlated with 'breathy'. In addition, the /e/ vowel was highly correlated acoustically with the standardized passage and sub-sentences. Furthermore, given that most dysphonic signals are aperiodic, 2nd sentence of the 'kaeul' passage, which is the most acoustically correlated with all vowels, can be used with CPP. These results provide clinical evidence of the impact of speech tasks on auditory perceptual and acoustic measures, which may help to provide guidelines for voice evaluation in patients with voice disorders.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 2008

Background: All the patients with mechanical valves require warfarin therapy in order to prevent them from developing thromboembolic complications. According to the ACC/AHA practice guidelines, after AVR with bileaflet mechanical prostheses in patients with no risk factors, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.0 to 3.0. After MVR with any mechanical valve, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.5 to 3.5. But in our clinical experience, bleeding complications (epistaxis, hematuria, uterine bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage etc.) frequently developed in patients who maintained their INR within this value. So, we retrospectively reviewed the patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis and we determined the optimal anticoagulation value. Material and Method: From January 1984 to February 2007, 311 patients have been followed up at a national medical center. We classified the AVR patients (n=60) into three groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II and an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III. We classified the MVR (n=171) and DVR (n=80) patients into four groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II, an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III and an INR from 3.0 to 3.5 in Group III. We compared the groups for their thromboembolic and bleeding complications by means of the Kaplan Meier method. Result: In the AVR patients, 2 thromboembolic complications and 4 bleeding complications occurred and the log rank test failed to identify any statistical significance between the groups for thethromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates than did group III. Thirteen thromboembolic complication and 15 bleeding complication occurred in the MVR and DVR patients, and the log rank test also failed to identify statistical significance between the groups for the thromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates that did groups III and IV. Conclusion: The thromboembolic complication rate was not statistically different between groups I and II and groups III and IV, but the bleeding complication rates of groups I and II were lower than those of groups III and IV. So this outcome encouraged us to continue using our low intensive anticoagulation regime, that is, an INR of 1.5 to 2.5.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2022

Background: Because the etiologies of bronchiectasis and related diseases vary significantly among different regions and ethnicities, this study aimed to develop a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to develop expert consensus statements on a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Initial statements proposed by a core panel, based on international bronchiectasis guidelines, were discussed in an online meeting and two email surveys by a panel of experts (≥70% agreement). Results: The study involved 21 expert participants, and 30 statements regarding a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis were classified as recommended, conditional, or not recommended. The consensus statements of the expert panel were as follows: A standardized diagnostic bundle is useful in clinical practice; diagnostic tests for specific diseases, including immunodeficiency and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, are necessary when clinically suspected; initial diagnostic tests, including sputum microbiology and spirometry, are essential in all patients with bronchiectasis, and patients suspected with rare causes such as primary ciliary dyskinesia should be referred to specialized centers. Conclusion: Based on this Delphi survey, expert consensus statements were generated including specific diagnostic, laboratory, microbiological, and pulmonary function tests required to manage patients with bronchiectasis in South Korea.