• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2002

Objectives : To review the drug prescription pattern of antiulcerative agents for elderly inpatients, Methods : The study population comprised inpatients of community hospitals who were members of the Korean Elderly Pharmacoepidemiologic Cohort (KEPEC), aged 65 years or over, beneficiaries of the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC) and residing in Busan city in 1993. The drug prescription information was collected from the claims data of hospitals where the cohort members received medical care between January 1993 and December 1594. The information included personal identification, age, gender, diagnosis, drug dosage, date of hospital admission and name of medical institutions where the study subjects received drug prescriptions. The data analysis produced outcomes in terms of distribution of antiulcerative agents by class and by medical institution and trend of relative prescription, Analysis was also performed in terms of combined prescriptions of antiulceratives and drugs that could induce risk from drug interaction with antiulceratives. Results : The number of patients prescribed antiulcerative agents was 1,059 (64,9%) male and 1,724 (65.5%) female among the total inpatients. An antacid and composite agent was the most frequently prescribed antiulcerative agent (70.8%), followed by $H_2$ antagonist (16.0%), Among the potential drugs that could induce risk from drug interaction with the antiulcerative agents, diazepam was the most frequently prescribed. The proportion of diazepam co-prescription was 22.5% of the total cimetidine prescriptions and 14.5% of the fetal omeprazole prescriptions. Conclusions : Antiulcerative drugs were frequently prescribed in the elderly inpatients. The adverse drug reaction could possibly be due to drug interaction. The study results could be used as fundamental data for further drug utilization review of antiulceratiye agents.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.209-213
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• 2008

Following the Anthrax bioterrorism attacks in the US in 2001, the Korean government established comprehensive countermeasures against bioterrorism. These measures included the government assuming management of all infectious agents that cause diseases, including smallpox, anthrax, plaque, botulism, and the causative agents of viral hemorrhagic fevers (ebola fever, marburg fever, and lassa fever) for national security. In addition, the Korean government is reinforcing the ability to prepare and respond to bioterrorism. Some of the measures being implemented include revising the laws and guidelines that apply to the use of infectious agents, the construction and operation of dual surveillance systems for bioterrorism, stockpiling and managing products necessary to respond to an emergency (smallpox vaccine, antibiotics, etc.) and vigorously training emergency room staff and heath workers to ensure they can respond appropriately. In addition, the government's measures include improved public relations, building and maintaining international cooperation, and developing new vaccines and drugs for treatments of infectious agents used to create bioweapons.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.20 no.1 s.21
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• pp.1-9
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• 1987

Sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) observed by means of bromodeoxyuridine substitution and fluorescence plus Giemsa (FPG) technique were proposed as a sensitive and quantitative assay for mutagenicity and cytotoxicity in short-term cultures of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human lymphocytes. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the relation between anticancer agents and cytotoxic effects. Chromosomal analysis was performed on metaphase cells that had divided one, two, or three or more times after treatment for SCEs, mitotic indices (MI) and cell cycle kinetics by FPG technique. The results indicate that anticancer agents led to a dose dependent increase in SCE frequency except methotrexate. But, highly inhibited mitotic indices and delayed cell cycle kinetics were observed except for cyclophosphamide. The author suggest that the difference of SCE frequency is due to the differences in the cytotoxic action of anticancer agents, but although the induction of SCEs has a correlation with cell cycle delay, in some cases the induction of SCEs is not always related to cell cycle delay because of different cytotoxic action of anticancer agents.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.317.2-318
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• 2001

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 1996

This study was performed to compare the anticarious effects of different fluoride agents(NaF, $NH_4F, TIF_4,$ APF gel, Elmex gel ) on artificial carious lesion. Enamel samples treated with 5 kinds of fluoride agents by pH cycling method were evaluated for fluorine uptake, enamel solubility, and microhardness. The results were as follows : 1. Greater fluoride uptakes were obtained in carious lesion treated with APF gel and $TiF_4$ solution than in that treated with other fluoride solutions. 2. TiF4 group was more resistant to acid than otter groups, but it was not significantly different with APF gel group. 3. Surface of enamel specimen was harkened by fluoride application and pH cycling. APF gel was more effective on enhancing surface hardness than control group. 4. APF gel, $NH_4F, TIF_4,$ solution were effective on fluoride uptake, enamel solubility, and microhardness.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.377-381
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• 1974

Determination of lead in urine is important in industrial hygiene and toxicology. Dithizone method has been principally used for the determination of lead in urine, which gives accurate results in skilful hands but is usually complex and time-consuming. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry is a new simple method and several procedures have been described. However, the influences of pH and the presence of chelating agents during treatment of lead poisoning are not clear. The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of pH and chelating agents on the determination of lead using Shimadzu atomic absorption/flame spectrophotometer, model AA-610. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The atomic absorption spectrophotometry(AAS) could be applied without prior acid digestion to specimens in the absence of chelating agents. The absorbance at $2,170\;{\AA}$, though more sensitive, was more noisy electronically. Therefore, we selected the wavelength of $2,833\;{\AA}$ plus scale expansion. 2. The optimal pH was in the range from 2 to 3. 3. The sensitivity was $0.075{\mu}g/ml/%$ and detection limit was about $0.2{\mu}g/ml$. 4. In the presence of EDTA, lead could not be completely determined without prior acid digestion. 5. On specimens from patients receiving penicillamine therapy, a comparison was made between the values obtained with dithizone method and AAS method with prior acid digestion. The results of comparison showed a very good agreement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.22-23
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• 2001

Based on the success of green tea as a cancer preventive, herbal medicines are now also attracting attention as potential sources of cancer preventive agents. Using inhibition of TNF-$\alpha$ release assay, we studied Acer nikoense (Megusurino-ki in Japanese): Inhibitory potential was found in the leaf extract, and the main active constituents were identified as geraniin and corilagin. The $IC_{50}$/ values for TNF-$\alpha$ release inhibition were 43 $\mu$M for geraniin and 76 $\mu$M for corilagin, whereas that for (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)was 26 $\mu$M.(omitted)

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1998

This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effort of Lulianwendang on number of white blood cells and blood platelets in anti-neoplastic agents treated mice. The results were as follows; 1. The group of adriamycine treated and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in WBC as compared with control group.: 2. The group of cyclophosphamide injected and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in WBC as compared with control group. 3. The group of vincristin injected and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in W5C as compared with control group. 4. The group of adriamycine treated and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in blood platelets as compared with control group. 5. The group of cyclophosphamide injected and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in blood platelets as compared with control group. 6. The group of vincristin injected and Lulianwendang administered mice were increased significantly in blood platelets as compared with control group. According to the results, we can suggest that Lulianwendang has the hematopoiesis effects against anti-neoplastic agents treated mice.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.44.1-44.11
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• 2023

Background: A series of breast cancer cases were recently reported in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Nurses are generally exposed to risk factors for breast cancer such as night shift work, antineoplastic agents, and job strain. However, the epidemiological evidence of excess incidence among nurses remains lacking. This study aims to investigate the excess incidence of breast cancer among nurses in a tertiary university hospital and provide epidemiological evidence of occupational risk factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort was developed using personnel records of female workers in the nursing department who worked from January 2011 to June 2021 in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Sick leave records were used to identify cases of breast cancer. The standardized incidence ratio of breast cancer among nurses was compared to the general population. Results: A total of 5,509 nurses were followed up for 30,404 person-years, and 26 breast cancer cases were identified. This study revealed a significantly increased breast cancer incidence among all included nurses, with a standardized incidence ratio of 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.41), compared to the general population. Workers, who handle antineoplastic agents in their representative department and current and/or former department, had significantly elevated breast cancer standardized incidence ratios of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.008-5.94) and 3.39 (95% CI: 1.46-6.68), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides significant evidence of increased breast cancer risk among nursing staff in a hospital setting, particularly those who handle antineoplastic drugs. Measures that reduce exposure to risk factors should be implemented, especially anticancer drugs, to protect healthcare professionals. Further research at a national level that focuses on healthcare workers is necessary to validate breast cancer incidence and its contributing factors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.4 s.51
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• pp.911-923
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• 1995

With increased use of neurotoxic agents in manufacturing industries, hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents pose significant problems in protecting health of workers who work in these industries. A normal range of neurobehavioral performance is required to study hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents among workers. However, such reference for Korean population is not available yet. The objective of this study is to estimate a normal range of neurobehavioral test performance of female workers in Korea. Data for neurobehavioral test performance developed by the World Health Organization were obtained from 165 female workers. Study subjects, 140 production workers and 25 clerks, who voluntarily participated in this study were not occupationally exposed to neurotoxic agents. The mean age and the mean education years of them were 32 years and 10.9 years, respectively Santa Ana dexterity, pursuit aiming, digit symbol, simple reaction time, and Benton visual retention tests among the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery(NCTB) were included in the evaluation. Subjects were interviewed by a trained interviewer for their detailed occupational history $Mean({\pm}SD)$ performance of the participants were: $45.7{\pm}7.1\;and\;41.9{\pm}6.4$ in the Santa Ana dexterity test of the preferred and non-preferred hands; $45.7{\pm}7.1\;and\;41.9{\pm}6.4$ in correct dot of the pursuit aiming test; $57.7{\pm}16.0$ in the digit symbol test; $274.8{\pm}44.6$ msec in the mean simple reaction time and $70.5{\pm}69.0$ msec in the mean standard deviation of it; and $7.8{\pm}1.7$ in the Benton visual retention test. Most neurobehavioral performance scores were correlated significantly with age and educational level. Educational level was found to be a significant independent variable which was associated with all test scores. Age was significantly associated with scores of pursuit aiming and digit symbol tests.