• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2006

Finasteride $[N-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-3-oxo-4-aza-5{\alpha}-androst-1-ene-17{\beta}-carboxamide]$ is a 4-aza-3-oxosteroidal inhibitor of human $5{\alpha}-reductase$. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two finasteride tablets, $Proscar^{\circledR}$ (MSD Korea Ltd.) and Procare (Hana Pharm. Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The release of finasteride from the two finasteride formulations in vitro was tested using KP VIII Apparatus II method with various dissolution media (pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 buffer solution and water). Twenty six healthy male subjects, $23.7\;{\pm}\;2.24$ years in age and $67.2\;{\pm}\;8.55\;kg$ in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2\;{\time}\;2$ cross-over study was employed. After two tablets containing 5 mg as finasteride was orally administered, blood samples were taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of finasteride in serum were determined using HPLC with UV detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar in all tested dissolution media. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t,\;C_{max},\;and\;T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t,\;C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the reference drug, $Proscar^{\circledR}$, were 6.39, 4.65 and -13.9% for $AUC_t,\;C_{max},\;and\;T_{max},$ respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log 0.800 to log 1.25 $(e.g.,\;log\;0.990{\sim}log\;1.14\;and\;log\;0.977{\sim}log\;1.13 for\;AUC_t\;and\;C_{max},\;respectively)$. Thus, the criteria of the KFDA bioequivalence guideline were satisfied, indicating Procare tablet was bioequivalent to $Proscar^{\circledR}$ tablet.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.139-153
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• 2021

Background: In anesthetic techniques, touching bones can cause needle bending. Theoretically, a needle should support such deflection without fracturing. However, it is possible that a needle may fracture depending on the quality and type of needle used. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and micromorphological characteristics of long and short dental anesthetic needles, as well as the mechanical properties of flexural load and bending resistance when needles are subjected to different bending angles. Methods: Long and short needles (30G, Jets, Misawa, Selekto, Terumo, Unoject and 27G, Dencojet, Injex, Jets, Misawa, Procare, Setoject XL, Terumo) were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the needle bevels and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used for the chemical analysis of needle compositions. Flexural loading and bending strength assessments were performed using a universal testing machine by bending the needles (n = 5) to angles of 30°, 60°, or 90°, or until fracture occurred. Results: The Injex 27G, Jets 27G, and Septoject XL 27G needles were all less than 30 mm in length. There were small percentage variations in the chemical compositions of the needles. Superior smoothness was observed for the Unoject 30G needle, which exhibited the highest fracture resistance at 60°. The Jets 30G needle exhibited greater resistance to fractures at 90°. The Procare 27G needle exhibited the highest load resistance to bending, followed by the Septoject XL 27G needle, and both needles were tied for the lowest fracture resistance. No needle fractured when bent to 30° or at less than three bends to 60° or 90°. Conclusions: Greater needle resistance to bending increases the probability of early fracturing. Thinner and shorter needles are more resistant than longer and thicker needles. Performing a single bend does not result in any significant risk of fracture or obliterate the lumen, allowing for the continued passage of anesthetic liquid.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2008

Purpose : It is now understood that blood pressure (BP) measurement in the routine pediatric examination is very important because of the relevance of childhood BP to pediatric health care and the development of adult essential hypertension. There hasn't been a reference table of BP for Korean children and adolescents up to now. This study was to make normative BP references and to provide criteria of hypertension for Korean children and adolescents. Methods : BP measurements were done on 57,433 Koean children and adolescents (male: 29,443, female: 27,990), aged 7 to 20 years, in 2005. Heights and weights were measured simultaneously. Oscillometric devices, Dinamap Procare 200 (GE Inc., Milwaukee, Wi, USA), were used for the measurements. BPs were measured 2 times and mean levels were gathered for the analysis. Outliers of 2,373 subjects with overweight per height, over ＋3SD, were excluded for the analysis. For the BP centiles adjusted by sex, age and height, fixed modified LMS method which was adopted from the mixed effect model of 2004 Task Force in NHLBI (USA) was used. Results : Normative BP tables for Korean children and adolescents adjusted for height percentiles (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 95th), gender (male, female) and age(7 to 18 years) were completed. Height centiles of Korean children and adolescents are available from Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention homepage, http://www.cdc.go.kr/webcdc/. Criteria of hypertension (95th, 99th percentile) and normal range of BP (50th, 90th) adjusted for height percentiles, age and gender were made. Conclusion : This is the first study to make normative BP tables and define hypertension for the Korean children and adolescents. Reliability and accuracy of Dinamap Procare 200 oscillometer for BP measurements remains debatable.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.408-415
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• 2018

Background: Nursing home resident care is an ongoing topic of public discussion, and there is great interest in improving the quality of resident care. This study investigated the association between nursing home employees' job satisfaction and residents' satisfaction with care and medical outcomes. Methods: Employee and resident satisfaction were measured by questionnaire in 175 skilled nursing facilities in the eastern United States from 2005 to 2009. Facility-level data on residents' pressure ulcers, medically unexplained weight loss, and falls were obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set. The association between employee satisfaction and resident satisfaction was examined with multiple and multilevel linear regression. Associations between employee satisfaction and the rates of pressure ulcers, weight loss, and falls were examined with simple and multilevel Poisson regression. Results: A 1-point increase in overall employee satisfaction was associated with an increase of 17.4 points (scale 0-100) in the satisfaction of residents and family members (p < 0.0001) and a 19% decrease in the incidence of resident falls, weight loss, and pressure ulcers combined (p < 0.0001), after adjusting for staffing ratio and percentage of resident-days paid by Medicaid. Conclusion: Job satisfaction of nursing home employees is associated with lower rates of resident injuries and higher resident satisfaction with care. A supportive work environment may help increase quality of care in the nation's nursing homes.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.998-1006
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• 2008

Purpose : Hypertension is defined as average systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure that is ${\geq}95^{th}$ percentile for gender, age, and height on ${\geq}three$ occasions. Knowing that blood pressure values increase in children as they grow older, the purposes of this study were to measure blood pressure by an oscillometric device and to determine normal values and percentile curves for children. Methods : Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured twice with an oscillometric device in 3,545 boys and 3,145 girls under six years of age, in Seoul. Using this data, we determined average blood pressure values and percentile curves based on gender and age; we subdivided these values into blood pressures of $50^{th}$, $90^{th}$, $95^{th}$, and $99^{th}$ percentiles, by percentile of height. The regression coefficients and standard deviations of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were obtained from linear regression models. Results : Older boys and girls had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Older boys and girls in the same percentile of height for age had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Taller boys and girls within the same age group had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Conclusion : Blood pressure standards based on gender, age, and height were obtained via an oscillometric method. Llimitation of this study is that the study population was not from the whole country, but exclusively from Seoul. Nonetheless, the data from this study will be helpful in diagnosing and managing hypertension in Korean children.