• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2010

Background: The increasing rate of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a threat to the public health and TB control. In Korea, about 75~80% of TB patients are treated in private hospitals and the rate has been continuously increasing since 2000. Methods: On a retrospective basis, we enrolled 170 newly diagnosed with or retreated for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in 2004 from 21 private hospitals. We extracted the following demographics and treatment history from patient medical records: initial treatment outcomes, cumulative survival rates, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors. Results: Of the 170 patients, the majority were male (64.1%), the mean age was 44.5 years old, and mean body-mass-index was $20.2kg/m^2$. None of the patients tested positive for HIV. Eleven (6.5%) were confirmed to have extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) at treatment initiation. Treatment success rates were not different between XDR-TB (36.4%, 4/11) and non-XDR MDR-TB (51.6%, 82/159). Default rate was high, 21.8% (37/170). Far advanced disease on X-ray was a significant negative predictor of treatment success; advanced disease and low BMI were risk factors for all-cause mortality. Conclusion: In private hospitals in Korea, the proportion of XDR-TB in MDR-TB was comparable to previous data. The treatment success rate of MDR-/XDR-TB remains poor and the failure rate was quite high. Adequate TB control policies should be strengthened to prevent the further development and spread of MDR-/XDR-TB in Korea.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.29-34
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still a serious public health problem. COVID-19 causes various symptoms not only in the respiratory system but also in various parts of the body and has a significant effect on sleep. Insomnia and poor sleep quality were observed at high rates in patients with COVID-19 as well as in the uninfected general population. Obstructive sleep apnea is also considered a risk factor in patients with severe COVID-19. Virus-induced central nervous system damage is likely to be the cause of many sleep disorders in COVID-19, but psychosocial influences also seem to have played a significant role. Sleep problems persisted at high rates for a considerable period after the infection phase was over. More attention and research on the effect of COVID-19 on sleep is needed in the future.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.302-308
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• 2024

In cases where pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is not microbiologically diagnosed via sputum specimens, bronchoscopy has been the conventional method to enhance diagnostic rates. Although the additional benefit of bronchoscopy in diagnosing PTB is well-known, its overall effectiveness remains suboptimal. This review introduces several strategies for improving PTB diagnosis via bronchoscopy. First, it discusses how bronchoalveolar lavage or an increased number of bronchial washings can increase specimen abundance. Second, it explores how thin or ultrathin bronchoscopes can achieve specimen acquisition closer to tuberculosis (TB) lesions. Third, it highlights the importance of conducting more sensitive TB-polymerase chain reaction tests on bronchoscopic specimens, including the Xpert MTB/RIF assay and the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay. Finally, it surveys the implementation of endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for tuberculomas, collection of post-bronchoscopy sputum, and reduced use of lidocaine for local anesthesia. A strategic combination of these approaches may enhance the diagnostic rates in PTB patients undergoing bronchoscopy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.8
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• pp.400-405
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• 2021

The development of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which features high mortality and morbidity rates, has progressed at an unprecedented rate, and vaccines are currently in use worldwide. Thrombotic events after vaccination are accompanied by thrombocytopenia, and this issue was recently termed vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia. This manuscript describes recently published guidelines and other related issues and demonstrates characteristic cases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.267-273
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• 2013

Multiplex RT-PCR was used to detect respiratory viruses in 5,318 clinical samples referred to the laboratory of a tertiary teaching hospital from December 2006 to November 2010. The acquired data were analyzed with respect to types, ratio, and co-infection trends of infected respiratory viruses. Trends in respiratory viral infection according to sex, age, and period of infection were also analyzed. Of the 5,318 submitted clinical samples, 3,350 (63.0%) specimens were positive for at least one respiratory virus. The infection rates were 15.8% for human rhinovirus, 14.4% for human respiratory syncytial virus A, 9.7% for human respiratory syncytial virus B, 10.1% for human adenovirus, 5.4% for influenza A virus, 1.7% for influenza B virus, 4.7% for human metapneumovirus, 2.3% for human coronavirus OC43, 1.9% for human coronavirus 229E/NL63, 3.7% for human parainfluenza virus (HPIV)-1, 1.1% for HPIV-2, and 5.3% for HPIV-3. The co-infection analysis showed 17.1% of double infections, 1.8% of triple infections. The median age of virus-positive patients was 1.3 years old, and the 91.5% of virus-positive patients were under 10 years old. Human respiratory syncytial virus was the most common virus in children < 5 years of age and the influenza A virus was most prevalent virus in children over 5 years of age. These results help in elucidating the tendency of respiratory viral infections.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 1991

In order to evaluate health status of dental technicians as an individual and a group, this study was conducted with Todai Health Index Questionaire on randomly sampled 277 persons(236 males and 41 females) from Aug. 20 to Oct. 6, in 1990 obtained Following conclusions were drawn. 1. Age composition of the subjects was 136 males(57.6%) in the age of 20$\sim$29 and 28 females(68.3%) in the age of 20$\sim$24. As for working places, 215 males(91.1%) and 38 females (92.7%) were working for dental laboratories and rest of them were at clinics and hospitals. In working years, male technicians who have been working for 5$\sim$10 years amounted to 80 (33.8%) and 12 females(29.3%) were working for 1$\sim$3years. 2. Responses to psychosomatic subjective symptom complaints rated as the highest in multiple subjective symptom(males : 40.00%, females : 41.98%) and those in physical items and mental irritability(male : 24%, female : 25%) and in mental items came next in order. The rate of complaint in depression was higher in female group than in male group (p<0.05). 3. Resonses to psychosomatic subjective symptom complaints in male group were high in the age of 20$\sim$29 and in the age of 20$\sim$24 in female group. The rates of complaint were higher in multiple subjective symptom, respiratory, eye and skin(p<0.05) and digestives(p<0.01) complaints. 4. Responses to psychosomatic subjective symptom complaints were higher among persons working at dental laboratories than at other working places : dental clinics and hospitals in all the items except for respiratory, depression and aggressiveness. Rates of complaints in eye and skin showed significant difference between working places(p<0.05). 5. Those who are engaged in polishing part tended to complain more about psychosomatic subjective symptoms. 6. The higher the level of education is the more they complained the psychosomatic subjective symptoms both in male and female group. In the difference of complaint respones, male group showed high rates of complaint in depression and female group in aggressiveness(p<0.05). 7. Responses to psychosomatic complaints by the length of working service were moderate in males who were working less than 10 years, and they decreased after 10 years of service. Females showed the highest response rate in the group of 3$\sim$5 years service and the lowest response in the group of 5 years service. Male complained more in aggressiveness and female in respiratory and aggressiveness(p<0.05). 8. Responses to psychosomatic subjective symptom complaint varied according to working hours of a day both in male and female group, showing high complaint rates in multiple subjective symptom, respiratory, eye and skin, mouth and anus, digestive, mental irritability and irregular life in male group(p<0.05).

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2005

Respiratory tubes with a length of 35mm and diameters of 10, 15, and 20mm were made for experimental purpose, and both the static$(P_s)\;and\;dynamic(P_D)$ pressures were simultaneously measured for steady flow rates ranging 1-12//sec. Least squares analysis resulted successful fitting of $P_s\;and\;P_D$ data with quadratic equations with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99(P<0.0001). The spirometric measurement standards of the American Thoracic Society(ATS) were applied to $P_s$ data, which demonstrated the smallest tube diameter of 15mm to satisfy the ATS standards. The maximum $P_D$ value of the velocity type transducer(the functional single use respiratory air flow tube) with the diameter of 15mm was estimated to be approximately $75cmH_2O$, implying more than 7 times larger sensitivity than the widely used pneumotachometers. These results showed that the velocity type respiratory air flow transducer is a unique device accomplishing miniaturization with the sensitivity increased, thus would be of great advantage to develop portable medical devices.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.345-349
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of needle-acupuncture (needle-AP) at PC06 and BL15 on xylazine induced bradycardia in dogs. Total 12 dogs were divided into control (4 dogs), PC06 (4 dogs) and BL15 (4 dogs) groups, respectively. As for the treatments in each group, control group was injected with xylazine only. PC06 and BL15 groups were treated by needle-AP during 20 minutes at the same time of xylazine injection. The changes of heart rates, R-R intervals and respiratory rates were investigated on pre, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes after xylazine injection. The change of heart rates in experimental PC06 and BL15 groups revealed significant increase on 10 (p<0.05) and 20 minutes (p<0.05) after xylazine injection, compared with those of control group. In addition, heart rates in PC06 group showed increased value on 30 minutes (p<0.05) after xylazine injection, comparing with those of BL15 group. The changes of respiratory rates in experimental PC06 and BL15 groups revealed significant increase on 20 minutes (p<0.05) after xylazine injection, compared with those of control group, however, significance was not found between experimental groups. In conclusion, needle-AP at PC06 and BL15 were effective for improvement of xylazine induced canine bradycardia and needle-AP at PC06 was more effective than that at BL15.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2014

In stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), the accurate location of treatment sites should be guaranteed from the respiratory motions of patients. Lots of studies on this topic have been conducted. In this letter, a new verification method simulating the real respiratory motion of heterogenous treatment regions was proposed to investigate the accuracy of lung SBRT for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy. Based on the CT images of lung cancer patients, lung phantoms were fabricated to equip in $QUASAR^{TM}$ respiratory moving phantom using 3D printer. The phantom was bisected in order to measure 2D dose distributions by the insertion of EBT3 film. To ensure the dose calculation accuracy in heterogeneous condition, The homogeneous plastic phantom were also utilized. Two dose algorithms; Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) and AcurosXB (AXB) were applied in plan dose calculation processes. In order to evaluate the accuracy of treatments under respiratory motion, we analyzed the gamma index between the plan dose and film dose measured under various moving conditions; static and moving target with or without gating. The CT number of GTV region was 78 HU for real patient and 92 HU for the homemade lung phantom. The gamma pass rates with 3%/3 mm criteria between the plan dose calculated by AAA algorithm and the film doses measured in heterogeneous lung phantom under gated and no gated beam delivery with respiratory motion were 88% and 78%. In static case, 95% of gamma pass rate was presented. In the all cases of homogeneous phantom, the gamma pass rates were more than 99%. Applied AcurosXB algorithm, for heterogeneous phantom, more than 98% and for homogeneous phantom, more than 99% of gamma pass rates were achieved. Since the respiratory amplitude was relatively small and the breath pattern had the longer exhale phase than inhale, the gamma pass rates in 3%/3 mm criteria didn't make any significant difference for various motion conditions. In this study, the new phantom model of 4D dose distribution verification using patient-specific lung phantoms moving in real breathing patterns was successfully implemented. It was also evaluated that the model provides the capability to verify dose distributions delivered in the more realistic condition and also the accuracy of dose calculation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2015

Background: In sepsis patients, target mean arterial pressures (MAPs) greater than 65 mm Hg are recommended. However, there is no such recommendation for patients receiving mechanical ventilation. We aimed to evaluate the influence of MAP over the first 24 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission on the mortality rate at 60 days post-admission in patients showing acute hypoxemic respiratory failure under mechanical ventilation. Methods: This prospective, multicenter study included 22 ICUs and compared the mortality and clinical outcomes in patients showing acute hypoxemic respiratory failure with high (75-90 mm Hg) and low (65-74.9 mm Hg) MAPs over the first 24 hours of admission to the ICU. Results: Of the 844 patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, 338 had a sustained MAP of 65-90 mm Hg over the first 24 hours of admission to the ICU. At 60 days, the mortality rates in the low (26.2%) and high (24.5%) MAP groups were not significantly different. The ICU days, hospital days, and 60-day mortality rate did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: In the first 24 hours of ICU admission, MAP range between 65 and 90 mm Hg in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure under mechanical ventilation may not cause significantly differences in 60-day mortality.