• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.37-46
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• 2021

Objective : This study aims to examine the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines in upper respiratory tract infection by conducting systematic review against amoxicillin. Methods : Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published by December 2020 were searched in PubMED database. Study selection was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. The Risk of Bias of the RCTs were evaluated based on the Cochrane criteria. Study selection and bias assessment were conducted independently by two researchers, and the third party was involved if there is a disagreement. Results : Three RCTs were included. Meta-analysis was not performed due to different specific disease and outcome measurements among the included studies. Herbal medicine showed statistically significant improvement in symptoms and endoscopic findings compared to amoxicillin in acute rhinosinusitis. In addition, herbal medicine showed statistically significant improvement in symptoms and a smaller dose of additional antibiotics in acute tonsillitis. However, herbal medicine showed no significant effects compared to amoxicillin in chronic sinusitis patients after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. In terms of adverse events, no significant difference was observed between the herbal medicine group and the amoxicillin group in all studies. Conclusion : Herbal medicine might be more effective than amoxicillin in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection. Nevertheless, it is hard to clear that conclusion due to the fact that the collected studies were conducted on different specific diseases and herbal medicine, and that the included studies had flaws in the research methodology.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.71-83
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• 2019

Purpose: This meta-analysis aimed to analyze to the effects of aquatic exercise programs in children with cerebral palsy and identify directions for future research. Methods: A systematic search based on the PRISMA guidelines was undertaken for studies conducted between 2006 and 2018 on aquatic exercise programs in children with cerebral palsy. A total of 10 studies were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality was assessed using the Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Controlled Trials (RoB) and Risk-of-Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS). A meta-analysis software (CMA 3.0) was used to calculate the mean effect size, effect size by intervention (Halliwick and Watsu Aquatic methods), and effect size by outcome. Results: The mean effect size was 0.457. The effect size by intervention was largest for the Halliwick method, followed by the Watsu method. The effect size by outcome was largest for range of motion, followed by the gross motor function measure, the Pediatric Berg Balance Scale, and the Modified Ashworth Scale. Meta-regression analysis showed effect size increased when sample size, number of sessions, and length of sessions increased. Conclusion: The results show that aquatic exercise programs have a positive effect on children with cerebral palsy. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a guideline that recommends the appropriate intervention and the identifies the direction of future studies on aquatic exercise programs.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.311-319
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• 2021

The use of aromatherapy for the reduction of anxiety levels during dental treatment procedures has been well established in the literature; however, there is limited evidence regarding its efficacy. The present meta-analysis is an attempt to assess the association between the use of aromatherapy and anxiety levels among dental patients. A comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO host, Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar for studies evaluating aromatherapy and anxiety level among dental patients. PRISMA guidelines were followed for the meta-analysis. Randomized and cluster-randomized trials comparing aromatherapy with controls were included. The random-effects model was used to assess the mean differences in anxiety levels of patients visiting dental OPD. The significance value was set at P < 0.05. Six studies were identified that met the requirements for inclusion. Aromatherapy was significantly associated with reduction in patient anxiety levels during dental treatment (pooled mean difference: -3.36 [95% CI, -3.77 - -2.95, P = 0.00001). Low heterogeneity was noted between studies (I² = 1%, P = 0.41) analyzed in the meta-analysis. High certainty of the evidence was obtained from the association between the use of aromatherapy and dental anxiety. This meta-analysis suggests that aromatherapy is effective in reducing dental anxiety. When used judiciously, the results of this work should encourage the use of aromatherapy to reduce patient anxiety levels during dental procedures

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this scoping review is to investigate the trends and gaps in existing research on neural mobilization in Korea and to suggest further directions for study. Methods A scoping review was sequentially conducted according to the five steps outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. We searched five domestic databases (RISS, DBpia, KISS, ScienceON, and KMBASE) and identified relevant literature reported until April 15, 2021. The key search terms used were "Neural mobilization" and "Neurodynamic". Results Of the 1383 studies identified in the search, 50 were finally selected. Of these, 45 studies were in the field of medicine and pharmacy and physical therapy as the most common sub-field. Thirty-eight of the 50 studies (76%) were randomized controlled trials. Neural mobilization was most frequently used in the treatment of stroke (n = 13) and of various neuromusculoskeletal diseases such as cervical radiculopathy (n = 8) and low back pain (n = 5). The main targets of neural mobilization were the median nerve (n = 20) and sciatic nerve (n = 14). The most commonly used technique for neural mobilization was that developed by Butler and Jones in 1991 (n = 10). Conclusions This is the first scoping review of neural mobilization in Korea. We believe that further research on neural mobilization with other types of research design is necessary to investigate the utility of neural mobilization and to establish standard protocols. Our findings indicate that neural mobilization can be considered as an intervention for neuromusculoskeletal diseases in Korean medicine.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.41-53
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• 2021

Objectives: Cesarean sections are one of the common surgical procedures around the world. Management of cesarean section side effects, including pain, hematoma, delayed wound healing, is of particular importance in maintaining maternal health and ability to care for the baby. The tendency to use complementary medicine strategies is on the rise because of the easy treatment with low side effects. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of clinical trials performed in Iran and worldwide on the effect of complementary medicine on pain relief and wound healing after cesarean section. Methods: PRISMA checklist was followed to prepare the report of this systematic review. The search process was carried out on databases on databases of Magiran, SID, Iran Medex, Scopus, Pub Med, Science direct, Medline and Cochrane library using keywords of cesarean, pain, wound healing, Herbal medicine, acupressure, massage, complementary medicine and their Persian equivalent and all possible combinations, from inception until February 2020. We used the Jadad scale to assess the quality of the searched articles. According to the Jadad scale, the articles with a score of at least 3 were included in the study. Results: Finally, 28 clinical trials (with a sample size of 3,245) scored at least 3 on the Jadad scale were included into the analysis. This article reviewed 13 articles on medicinal herbs, 4 articles on massage, 1 article on reflexology, 2 articles on acupressure. Conclusion: According to the present review, the use of medicinal herbs was the most common method of complementary medicine in pain relief and wound healing after cesarean section.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2021

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chuna manual therapy for rhinitis. Methods We performed a literature search using ten electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Academic Journals(CAJ), Research Information Sharing Service(RISS), Dbpia, National Digital Science Library(NDSL), Koreanstudies Information Service System(KISS), Korean Medical database(KMbase), and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS)) and two academic journals up to the end of April 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which appraised the effect of chuna manual therapy (CMT) in the treatment of rhinitis. The risk of bias was evaluated from the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Results 4 appropriate RCTs were included and analyzed. The efficacy rate of the CMT group was statistically higher compared to the control group treated with medicine[RR 1.14 (95%CI 1.06 1.22), P<0.01]. Conclusions Based on results, CMT could be effective in rhinitis. However, evidence were limited due to small number of studies, lack of well-designed RCT and regional bias. Further well-designed research should be required to obtain stronger evidence.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-78
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• 2021

Background and Objective: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) increases the risk of negative health outcomes, including drug-related admissions. Tools for structured medication review have been developed to ensure optimal medication use and safety. Here, we aimed to evaluate medication use review (MUR) tools for community-dwelling older patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement (PRISMA). We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 1991 to 2020, excluding tools that are specifically applied to hospitalized patients or nursing home residents. We identified the most common inappropriate medications, drug-disease interactions, drug-drug interactions and prescribing omissions presented among tools. Results: From among 9,788 identified reports screened, 60 met our inclusion criteria; finally, 27 were eligible for data analysis considering originality and up-to-dateness. Most tools presented explicit criteria (93%), and only one was specific to community-dwelling elderly. The most common PIM was tricyclic antidepressants. Use of diltiazem and verapamil in patients with heart failure and the combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics and warfarin were the most frequent disease-specific PIM and drug-interaction, respectively. Conclusions: Although several medication review tools have been developed for older adults, specific guidelines for community-dwelling populations remain limited. Furthermore, the list of PIMs differed among available tools. In future, specific but integrating MUR tools need to be developed for clinical practice considering this population.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.277-289
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aims to confirm the clinical usefulness of computerized cognitive therapy program for patients with brain diseases in Korea and to present basic data that can confirm the effectiveness of computerized cognitive therapy program to experts related to rehabilitation in the future. Methods : A systematic review and meta-analysis research method was used to confirm the clinical effectiveness of computerized cognitive therapy applied to patients with brain diseases in Korea. Based on the national institute of health and medical colleges association (NECA) systematic literature manual and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for conducting research through systematic review and meta-analysis methods. Systematic review was PICOST-SD was used to research and select papers. For meta-analysis, the data was input and analyzed separately by literature result using the revman manager 5.3 program and the results were presented visually through tables and forest, funnel plot figure. Results : As a result of comprehensive analysis of the contents of the finally selected literature, it as found that studies on stroke and dementia were mainly conducted. In addition, through the evaluation of the quality of the literature, most of the existing computerized cognitive therapy studies were identified as high-quality studies, but the results were insufficient for randomization and blinding. And through meta-analysis, the clinical effectiveness of computerized cognitive therapy on cognitive function, activities of daily living, and visual perception function of patients with brain disease was found. Conclusion : The research literature that applied computerized cognitive therapy to brain disease subjects was comprehensively analyzed and identified. It is thought that this could be used as basic data on the characteristics of cognitive therapy that should be applied to patients with brain diseases in the future and the usefulness of computerized cognitive therapy program in actual clinical practice.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.757-777
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the outcome variables of nursing unit managers' transformational leadership and to test a hypothetical model using meta-analytic path analysis. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Data analysis, conducted using R version 3.6.2 software, included 49 studies for the meta-analysis and 119 studies for meta-analytic path analysis. Results: In the meta-analysis, four out of 32 outcome variables were selected. These four variables were empowerment, nursing performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, which showed larger effect sizes than the median and more than five k. The hypothetical model for the meta-analytic path analysis was established by using these four variables and transformational leadership. A total of 22 hypothetical paths including nine direct effects and 13 indirect effects were set and tested. The meta-analytic path analysis showed that transformational leadership had direct effects on the four variables. Finally, eight direct effects, 12 indirect effects, and six mediating effects were statistically significant, and the hypothetical model was verified. Conclusion: Nursing unit managers can use the transformational leadership to improve empowerment, nursing performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of nurses. This study empirically showed the importance of transformational leadership of nursing managers. This finding will be used as evidence to develop strategies for enhancing transformational leadership, empowerment, nursing performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in nursing science and practice.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

Platycodon (Platycodon grandiflorum) is used as a food and medicinal ingredient worldwide, particularly in Northeast Asia. Although a large number of studies have been conducted to determine its medicinal efficacy, there is still a paucity of literature summarizing the clinical activity of Platycodon. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarize the clinical efficacy of Platycodon. All literature describing the clinical efficacy of Platycodon was collected from international databases, and relevant papers were carefully evaluated for eligibility. Data were extracted from the selected papers and quality evaluation was conducted in accordance with the standards provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with all procedures being conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2009 checklist guidelines. After the removal of 342 papers, 644 studies were fully screened for their titles and abstracts, among which, 19 studies were finally selected for full summarization. Extraction of data indicated evidence of the effectiveness of Platycodon in the treatment of respiratory system-related diseases and cancer, and in the provision of immunity. However, we found that the quality and objectivity of evaluation, management of variable factors, sample size, and reproducibility were generally poor. Although Platycodon has shown potential antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and antidepressant effects, and promotion of immunity in clinical settings, it was not possible to integrate objective indicators to conduct a meta-analysis due to the lack of literature and insufficient studies. More investigations in the clinical setting should be conducted to confirm the functional effects of Platycodon.