• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.265-291
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• 2011

Changes in a drug's availability from prescription only to over-the-counter (OTC) status is of concern to physicians from both public health and individual patient perspectives. Government has generally been supportive of changes in medications from prescription(Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Korea, however, recognizing that there are both benefits and risks to any health care intervention, health care professionals are conservative in implementing changes to either the process or structure of health care. Changes in status of a drug from Rx to OTC can represent a change in both structure and process. Cost and convenience seem to be major factors in determining whether, given the choice, patients purchase a medicine over the counter or obtain it on prescription. With current arrangements, exemption from prescription charges provides an incentive to continue to obtain products on NHS prescription even when they are available over the counter. There is therefore no simple relation between the availability of over the counter medicines and the level of prescribing of deregulated products. The appropriate use of over the counter medicines-particularly those that have only recently been deregulated-places a burden of care on community pharmacists and calls for closer working relationships with general practitioners. In particular, systems for referral and for recording details of both prescribed and over the counter medicines need to be developed, and a direct route needs to be established for community pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions to over the counter products. Reclassification of prescription medicines-by making them available through pharmacies without a prescription-provides the opportunity for consumers to purchase a wider range of medicinal products without making a demand on NHS resources. There is, however, no simple relation between availability of over the counter medicines and demand for NHS prescriptions. In the late 1980s the UK government fuelled the over the counter market by making it easier to reclassify certain medicines from prescription only status to allow over the counter sale in pharmacies. To explore the influence of deregulation of medicines on NHS prescribing, this article presents analyses of consumer behaviour in using medicines and prescribers' attitudes to over the counter medication and collates findings from research. Policy makers should be aware that patients' expectations in relation to OTC medicines may be in conflict with evidence-based practice.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.774-779
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• 2000

Pseudomembranous colitis, although uncommon, is an important complication of antibiotics that is related to a variety of deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Rifampicin is one of the 1st line agents in the treatment of tuberculosis and a large number of patients are exposed to its potential adverse effects. We report upon a patient that had diarrhea due to pseudomembranous colitis after receiving antitubeculous medication, and which was probably caused by rifampicin. A 77-year-old man was admitted with diarrhea of three weeks duration. One month previously, he suffered from left pleuritic chest pain and left pleural effusion was noticed at chest X-ray. One week prior to the onset of diarrhea, he was started on empirically isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazynamide as antituberculous medication. On admission, he complained of diarrhea, left pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea and sputum. On physical examination, breathing sound was decreased in the left lower lung field and bowel sound increased. Pleural biopsy revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation, which was compatible with tuberculosis, Sigmoidoscopy showed whitish to yellowish pseudomembrane with intervening normal mucosa, and his stool was positive for C.difficle toxin. He was diagnosed as pseudomembranous colitis and treated with oral metronidazole and vancomycin. The diarrhea did not recur after reinstitution of the anti-tuberculous medication without rifampicin inpatients with severe diarrhea receiving anti-tuberculous medication, rifampicin induced pseudomembranous colitis should be excluded.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.105-116
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• 1974

This study was made on patients who were Hospitalized due to sickness caused by the abuse of marihuana at the Psychiatric Section of a hospital during the period from Feb. to Oct., 1974. The following conclusion was obtained by reviewing the literature with respect to the nursing, and problem solving of those patients. 1. It appears that marihuana is a comparatively mild intoxicant in ordinary preparation without causing physical dependence or tolerance. 2. According to the status of men who are marihuana smokers, approximately 20% of them were college students, those preparing to retake college entrance examinations, non-employed and pharmacists. The men belong mostly to the middle foreigner′s mistress of higher, income bracket, and in the case of women, most of the smokers were US. servicemen entertainers. 3. Dynamic developmental factors: Case 1. : The patient had a characteristic, hysterical and emotionally unitable character, and was of low intelligence, In addition, to this already existing problem, the added uses of marihuana caused a mental illness to develope. Case 2 : The character, was reserved and introspective, her creative power and sentiment was fading and his ability of self-control was weakened. She used the smoking of marihuana to get rid of her own feeling of inferiority complex and tensions coming from interpersonal relationships. Case 3 : The patient was unconditionally resistive to the authoritativeness of superiors and irresponsible in his relationship with women, in his attitude concerning sex in general. He smoked marihuana because he felt become peace-loving and get enchanted experience through smoking it. 4. The points of issue appearing from the above case; (1) Movement of anti-social feelings against the "established system" by the youngsters. (2) Family problem. (3) Shamelessness, loss of motivation, disorderly attitude toward the sex, (4) Worries concerning the future. (5) Lack of knowledge concerning smoking of cigarette and marihuana. Chronic use of marihuana made, those youngman who had originally been ambitions to achieve something in life, lazy, inefficient, unable to make long-term plans, are such weak mined persons that they did not try to overcome problems when encountered. This will pose a great and important question in the mental health of the society, 5. Treatment and Problem sieving According to the literature, we will have to place importance upon hospitalized treatment The phases of treatment were divided into five parts. (1) Prehospital phase (2) Withdrawal Phase (3) Rehabilitation phase (4) Transitional phase (5) After-care phase The experiments have proved that there was much progress in the recovery of patients through environment therapy, supportive therapy and group psychotherapy. This was the above mentioned 5 phases of treating process in accordance with the weekly schedule of the hospital. It was thought that the patients would require prolonged after care management even after they were released from the hospital and that they will also require periodic visit, to the hospital and doctor′s interview with their family. In conclusion, the question of the young generation and marihuana smoking is becoming a great social problem in which their resistances to the "established system" and society is growing in the from of antiestablishment movements. In our country, the smoking of marihuana is gradually developing, therefore, I think, that it would be a very fortunate thing for us, if this report could be helpful for the motivation of further study on the questions of the young generation and its problems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.759-765
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer of women in Pakistan with the majority presenting with stage III or IV lesionsat initial diagnosis. Patient and health system related factors are well known determinants of delay in presentation and diagnosis. Additionally, breast cancer being a heterogeneous disease, the various molecular subtypes featuring different aggressiveness also need to be considered. The present study evaluated the association of stage at initial diagnosis of breast cancer with these two factors in local women at a tertiary level health care facility in Lahore, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Patient and tumor features were recorded separately during diagnostic workup in Breast Clinics at INMOL and at Services Hospital, Lahore. Data were entered in MS Excel and analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test. Results: Among the 261 patients, 64% were staged as late breast cancer (LBC), the mean age was 46.8 with standard deviation of 13 years. Some 92% had invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 61% had luminal types (LT) of non-aggressive tumor while 39% had the non-luminal types (NLT) of of HER2-enriched or basal aggressive tumors. While 70% of patients presented within one year of symptomatic disease (early report group "ERG"), 30% reported after a mean delay of 4 years with a standard deviation of 3.75 years. The stage distribution among ERG patients was not statistically different from those reporting late (P=0.123). Statistically larger proportion of patients with NLT presented as LBC as compared to the LT (P =0.034). Among the ERG, statistically different stage distribution of disease was observed for the NLT versus LT (P=0.047). Among those presenting late, this difference was insignificant (P=0.416). Conclusions: Breast cancer is a distinct disease in Pakistan with a high frequency of aggressive molecular types affecting younger women, with the majority presenting as LBC. Association of NLT with higher stage at diagnosis is statistically significant whereas time delay in diagnosis is not. Further research is required to define the risk profile and features in local patients. The burden of LBC can be reduced by promoting breast health awareness and by establishing easily accessible dedicated breast care set ups in the hospitals.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 2017

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the volume of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles is abnormally elevated. Hydrocephalus patients may show macrocephaly and delayed development. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt is the most commonly used treatment but ventriculoatrial shunt is another treatment option. This report discusses the dental management process employed for a 7-year, 6-month old patient with ventriculoperitoneal shunt-treated hydrocephalus. This patient showed dental caries on the deciduous molars, facial swelling, macrocephaly and delayed development. Pulpectomy was performed on the deciduous molars under nitrous oxide sedation and mild protective stabilization. This patient did not appear to have any specific complications until the latest follow-up and was scheduled for the management of overall oral hygiene, development of permanent teeth, and craniofacial asymmetry through periodic follow-up. During dental treatment of shunt-treated patients, care should be taken to avoid applying excessive force to the catheter running along the patient's neck to prevent the displacement of the catheter. A referral to a neurosurgeon is recommended for patients with ventriculoatrial shunts for prophylactic antibiotics. As hydrocephalus patients grow, they may show craniofacial asymmetry or differences in the calcification of the permanent teeth, and require periodic oral and craniofacial assessment.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.351-368
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• 1999

The objective and subjective burden was evaluated toward 115 main caregivers in the family with schizophrenic patient by interview with structured questionnaire and self-report using Family Burden Scale (FBS) of family with schizophrenic patient in Korea. The results were as follows : 1) The mean age of onset by schizophrenic patient were 23 years old in male and 26 in female. 2) The mean scales of objective and subjective burden were 1.5 and 1.6. 3) By Logistic regression objective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.001), religion (P<0.05), occupation (P<0.05). 4) Subjective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.01) and family total income (P<0.05). 5) Total objective and subjective burden was significantly affected by family support (P<0.001), religion (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study suggests that main caregivers need family support from other family members. For them religion and social support are also helpful to cope with the burden to take care of the schizophrenic patients.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.195-201
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• 2020

Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a rare disorder characterized by overgrowth of fat in the extradural space, causing spinal stenosis with compression of the neural elements. This study reports on the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment on a patient who was diagnosed on lumbar stenosis with lipomatosis. The patient was treated with Korean traditional medicine including pharmacopucture, acupuncture, Chuna manual treatment, and Korean herbal medicine, cupping. Numerical rating scale (NRS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Euroqol five dimension (EQ-5D) index, lumbar range of motion were used as objective tools for evaluating the patient's progress. Back NRS decreased from 6 to 3. In the case of lower limbl radiation NRS, 5 was reduced to 3 upon discharge. EQ-5D index also increased from 0.751 to 0.766. For ODI, the score dropped from 26.67 to 24.44 on hospitalization. As a result, clinical improvements were found in a patient. In conclusion, this study shows that Korean medicine treatment can be considered as effective conservative care for spinal stenosis with lipomatosis.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2022

The clinical severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children is usually mild. Most of the affected patients completely recovered from COVID-19 before being released from approximately 7-day quarantine. However, children with comorbidities are at risk of more severe disease and adverse outcomes. We report three cases of COVID-19-affected adolescents with underlying chronic respiratory difficulty due to neurologic diseases who showed sudden clinical aggravations at the time of discharge, even after full clinical improvement. Patient 1 is a 17-year-old boy with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy who had cardiopulmonary arrest 9 days after the initial COVID-19 symptoms. Patient 2 is a 17-year-old girl with intracerebral hemorrhage with infarction in bed-ridden status who had cardiopulmonary arrest 11 days after the initial symptoms. Patient 3 is a 12-year-old boy with intraventricular hemorrhage with hydrocephalus in bed-ridden status who showed multiorgan failure 10 days after the initial symptoms. Remdesivir, dexamethasone, and empirical antibiotics were administered with mechanical ventilation and intensive unit care. Among the three patients, two (patients 1 and 3) were alive, and one (patient 2) expired. Clinicians caring for adolescents with chronic neurologic and/or pulmonary disease should keep in mind that these patients could have sudden deterioration after recovery from the acute phase of COVID-19 around or after the time of discharge.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.544-549
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• 2009

Failure to use effective methods of reduction, fixation and immobilization may lead to osteomyelitis with the exposed necrotic bone, as the overzealous use of transosseous wires & plates that devascularizes bone segments in the compound comminuted fractures of mandible. Once osteomyelitis secondary to fractures has become established, intermaxillary fixation should be instituted as early as possible. Fixation enhances patient comfort and hinders ingress of microorganisms and debris by movement of bone fragments. Teeth and foreign materials that are in the line of fracture should be removed and initial debridement performed at the earliest possible time. Grossly necrotic bone should be excised as early as possible ; no attempt should be made to create soft tissue flaps to achieve closure over exposed bone. The key to treatment of chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible is adequate and prolonged soft tissue drainage. If good soft tissue drainage is provided over a long period, sequestration of infected bone followed by regeneration or fibrous tissue replacement will occur so that appearance and function are not seriously altered. Localization and sequestration of infected mandible are far better performed by natural mechanism of homeostasis than by cutting across involved bone with a cosmetic or functional defect. As natural host defenses and conservative therapy begin to be effective, the process may become chronic, inflammation regresses, granulation tissue is formed, and new blood vessels cause lysis of bone, thus separating fragments of necrotic bone(sequestra) from viable bone. The sequestra may be isolated by a bed of granulation tissue, encased in a sheath of new bone(involucrum), and removed easily with pincettes. This is a case report of the long-term conservative drainage care in osteomyelitis associated with mandibular fractures.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.669-671
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• 2006

Purpose: Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis(CIPA) is a rare form of autosomal recessive peripheral sensory neuropathy. Patients with CIPA show loss of pain sensation, which leads to corneal ulcers and opacities, self-mutilation of the tongue and fingertips, as well as fractures with subsequent joint deformities and chronic osteomyelitis. The purpose of this report is to highlight the fact that pressure sores also are a potential complication of CIPA. Methods: This case report describes a patient presenting with pressure sores resulting from CIPA. A 5-year-old boy was referred to our department for the treatment of a $5{\times}5cm$ sacral pressure sore as a result of a hip spica cast applied for the treatment of a left hip joint dislocation. He had a history suggesting CIPA such as multiple bony fractures, mental retardation, recurrent hyperpyrexia, anhidrosis, and clubbing fingers due to oral mutilation. A microscopic examination of the sural nerve showed mainly large myelinated fibers, a few small myelinated fibers and an almost complete loss of unmyelinated fibers. After wound preparation for two weeks, the exposed bone was covered with two local advancement flaps. Results: Two weeks later, complete wound healing was achieved. A 16-month follow-up showed no recurrence. However, the patient presented with a new pressure sore on the left knee due to orthosis for the treatment of the left hip joint dislocation. Conclusion: The early diagnosis of CIPA and special care of pressure sores are important for preventing and treating pressure sores resulting from CIPA.