• Title/Summary/Keyword: alternative medicine

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Status of Hypertensive Patients' Drug-taking in Health Center and Its related Factors (보건소 방문 고혈압환자의 약물복용 실태와 관련요인)

  • 서성희;박재용
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.23-42
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    • 1998
  • The purpose of this study is to show that, before registration of chronic degenerative diseases and enforcing management system in health centers, the management of hypertension could achieved comprehensively and continuously by knowing the realities of drug-taking and its related factors those who are being cared for in health centers. For one year, a questionnaire about drug-taking realities of hypertensive patient was distributed at 8 health centers in Taegu from March 24. 1997 to April 24. 1997. The questionnaires were then collected and analysed. The results are as follows: Of 691 patients, 77.4% of patient were taking medicine regularly every day. The reasons why patients weren't taking medicine every day was as follows: the blood pressure became normal(34%, the highest of the group), patients forgot(28.2%), it was difficult to buy the medicine(15.4%), there was no effect even though the patient took medicine continuously. The experience of medical treatment outside of health centers was 28.9%. The types and percentages of alternative medicine are herbs (50.5%), health food(24.5%), folk remedy(13.7%). Among them, 44.6% of patients didn't know if the medicine was effective. Medical treatment places excluding health centers was pharmacies(63.5%-the highest rate). In simple analysis, the older one was the more regularly one took the medicine, but there was no statistical relations. Of health activities, patients eating low-salt diet showed that they took the medicine regularly. Nonsmoking patients and those who experienced drug side-effect and those who doubted doctor's prescriptions and instructions showed that they took alternative, excluding modem medicine. Anti-hypertensive drug medication status according to recognition, attitude, experiences of hypertension showed that patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time took the medicine regularly(82.3%). The reasons for patients turning to alternatives varied. In case of having subjective symptom(34.1%), those who thought they knew the hypertension well(36.6%), they decided to use alternatives. In multiple logistic regression analysis the key statistics were as follows: The older patients, patients who ate low-salt diet, patients who thought that they should take anti-hypertensive drug during the whole life time, all showed that they took medicines regularly. And also patients who experienced drug side-effect, doubted prescriptions and instructions, and patients who had subjective symptoms, patients who thought that he knew the hypertension very well, all showed higher rate of using alternative medicine. In the future, at the health centers, to register and manage hypertension patients effectively, we must educate patients about regular drug-taking, and alternatives without doctor's prescriptions.

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Nurses' Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Therapies (간호사의 보완대체요법에 대한 태도)

  • Son, Haeng-Mi
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.62-72
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    • 2002
  • Purpose: This study was performed to develop a scale for evaluation of attitudes toward complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) and to investigate nurses' attitudes toward CAT. Method: The subjects were 263 nurses working at a university hospital in Seoul and Inchon. The personally designed questionnaire was tested for its reliability and validity. Nurses' attitudes to CAT were evaluated using the questionnaire. Results: Cronbach's $\alpha$ coefficient was 0.7405. 23 items were selected by item analysis and 4 factors including application, therapeutic effect, social interest and communication about CAT were classified by factor analysis. The mean score of attitudes and its subcategories were high, especially that of communication was very high. Nurses had a positive response to CAT in several items; acceptance as nursing intervention, its therapeutic value, complement for conventional medicine, and open communication about CAT. Attitudes were different significantly according to education and number of working years. There were high relationships between attitudes and its subcategories except communication. Conclusion: The Scale of attitudes toward CAT was proven to be reliable and valid. Positive nurses' attitudes toward CAT will help the patients be provided with a proper and safe way to take CAT.

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Older Adults in the United States: Current Evidence and Future Directions

  • Yoon, Saun-Joo L.
    • Perspectives in Nursing Science
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.73-89
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    • 2006
  • Complementary and alternative medicine has gained popularity and respectability in recent years in the United States. Since aging is often associated with chronic health conditions that commonly lead to physical and psychosocial disabilities (e.g., depression, functional and/or cognitive disabilities, and decreased quality of life), older adults often seek options to maintain health and treat chronic conditions as an adjunct to conventional medical care. Herbal products, the most commonly used among various complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), should be used with caution due to potential herbal-drug interactions (related to polypharmacy) and herbal-disease interactions (related to comorbidities). Five of the most common chronic conditions in older adults are chronic pain, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic lung problems. A high rate of falls or risk of falling is also a problem unique to this older population. For these conditions, only a few types of CAM (e.g., acupuncture, qi gong, tai chi) were tested, with promising results. However, in spite of evidence supporting the use of certain types of CAM to alleviate some common chronic conditions, findings are limited in terms of other types of CAM tested and both short and long-term effects. More rigorous clinical trials of various CAM types are thus warranted to advance scientific knowledge and establish evidence-based practices to care for the growing number of older adults who deserve to have a better quality of life.

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Merging the old with the new: a cybermedicine marriage for oncology interactions with traditional herbal therapies and complementary medicines

  • Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern;Lim, Ken Juin
    • CELLMED
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    • v.2 no.2
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    • pp.18.1-18.16
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    • 2012
  • An oncology-specific database called OncoRx (http://bit.ly/cancerRx) was previously set up in cyberspace to aid clinicians in identifying interactions of anticancer drugs (ACDs) and chemotherapy regimens with traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Since then, users have requested the drug-CAM interactions (DCIs) of 5 specific CAMs (cranberry, melatonin, co-enzyme Q10, huachansu, reishi mushroom) to be updated in the database. Pharmacokinetic properties (metabolism, enzyme induction/inhibition, elimination), TCM properties and DCIs of each CAM were collated with 117 ACDs using 9 hardcopy compendia and online databases as resources. Additionally, individual ACDs and CAMs were used as keywords for PubMed searches in combination with the terms 'anticancer drugs', 'drug interactions', 'herb-drug/drug-herb interactions', 'pharmacokinetic interactions' and 'pharmacodynamic interactions'. DCI parameters consisted of interaction effects, evidence summaries, proposed management plans and alternative non-interacting CAMs, together with relevant citations and update dates of the DCIs. OncoRx is also used as a case to introduce the "Four Pharmaco-cybernetic Maxims" of quality, quantity, relationship and manner to developers of digital healthcare tools. Its role in Hayne's "5S" hierarchy of research evidence is also presented. OncoRx is meant to complement existing DCI resources for clinicians and alternative medicine practitioners as an additional drug information resource that provides evidence-based DCI information for ACD-CAM interactions.

Predictive Factors for Use of Complementary·Alternative Therapies in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients (류마티스 관절염 환자의 보완대체요법 이용에 대한 예측 요인)

  • Lee, Eun-Nam;Son, Haeng-Mi
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.184-193
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    • 2002
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of the user of complementary alternative therapies(CAT) and to identify the important predictive factors associated with them. Method: This study included 142 patients attending outpatient rheumatology clinics of D Hospital in Busan between July and August in 2001. The multiple logistic regression model was developed to estimate the likelihood of user or nonuser of CAT. Result: The duration of illness and chance score of health locus of control were found to be significant factors through the estimated coefficients of using CAT. Duration of illness is longer and chance score of health locus of control is higher in patients who have used CAT in past than that of nonuser. When the model performance was evaluated by comparing the observed outcome with predicted outcome, the model correctly identified 95% of user of CAT and 31% of nonuser. Conclusion: In this survey, duration of illness and chance score of health locus of control are found to be significant factors in predicting utilization of CAT. Nurses who care for rheumatoid arthritis patients should take consideration into health locus of control in planning health education programs.

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Comparative Study of Text Entry Speed and Accuracy Using the Three Different Keyboard Type in Students with Cerebral Palsy: Case Study (키보드 유형에 따른 뇌성마비 학생의 문자입력 속도 및 정확도 비교: 사례연구)

  • Jeong, Dong-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.23-35
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    • 2015
  • PURPOSE: People with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy usually experience obstacles when interacting with computer through conventional keyboard because of their motor disabilities. The purpose of this study is empirically compare of text entry(alphabet and word) speed and accuracy using the three different keyboard type on four students(male 2 and female 2) with cerebral palsy. METHODS: This research design used a replicated single-case experimental approach to compare the individual performance. An alternating treatments design was used to examine the effectiveness of standard QWERTY keyboard and alternative keyboard(mini and big keyboard) on computer access for students with cerebral palsy. To avoid changes in posture that influence a keyboard character entry training and evaluation was carried out using his sitting in a wheelchair. Compass software program used in this study as an assessment tool to measure speed and accuracy when performance of text entry(alphabet and word). This was repeated until the stable status of reaction time. RESULTS: As a result, the alternative keyboard seems to be the most effective device for students with cerebral palsy to perform text entry. But various factors such as peculiarity of motor disabilities, experience and preferences of the user are heavily related. CONCLUSION: Thus, we must perform the objective and systematic assessment for computer access and if sustained training is accomplished, it could to improve speed and accuracy of text entry(alphabet and word).

HeLa E-Box Binding Protein, HEB, Inhibits Promoter Activity of the Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor Gene Lpar1 in Neocortical Neuroblast Cells

  • Kim, Nam-Ho;Sadra, Ali;Park, Hee-Young;Oh, Sung-Min;Chun, Jerold;Yoon, Jeong Kyo;Huh, Sung-Oh
    • Molecules and Cells
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    • v.42 no.2
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    • pp.123-134
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    • 2019
  • Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an endogenous lysophospholipid with signaling properties outside of the cell and it signals through specific G protein-coupled receptors, known as $LPA_{1-6}$. For one of its receptors, $LPA_1$ (gene name Lpar1), details on the cis-acting elements for transcriptional control have not been defined. Using 5'RACE analysis, we report the identification of an alternative transcription start site of mouse Lpar1 and characterize approximately 3,500 bp of non-coding flanking sequence 5' of mouse Lpar1 gene for promoter activity. Transient transfection of cells derived from mouse neocortical neuroblasts with constructs from the 5' regions of mouse Lpar1 gene revealed the region between -248 to +225 serving as the basal promoter for Lpar1. This region also lacks a TATA box. For the region between -761 to -248, a negative regulatory element affected the basal expression of Lpar1. This region has three E-box sequences and mutagenesis of these E-boxes, followed by transient expression, demonstrated that two of the E-boxes act as negative modulators of Lpar1. One of these E-box sequences bound the HeLa E-box binding protein (HEB), and modulation of HEB levels in the transfected cells regulated the transcription of the reporter gene. Based on our data, we propose that HEB may be required for a proper regulation of Lpar1 expression in the embryonic neocortical neuroblast cells and to affect its function in both normal brain development and disease settings.

The Retrospective Study of Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Integrative Cancer Treatments in single Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine Hospital

  • Jeonghyun Joo;Songha Chon;Kicheul Sohn;Sanghun Lee
    • The Journal of Korean Medicine
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    • v.43 no.3
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    • pp.16-26
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    • 2022
  • Objectives: Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) has been supplied as part of a national health care system in South Korea under a dual medical system, however it has been difficult to mix western medicine and TKM medical practices in existing hospitals. For the objective of innovative integration between them, Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine Hospital were founded in Daegu, South Korea. Here, we discussed the clinical outcomes of cancer patients who received integrative cancer treatment (ICT). Methods: A total of 678 patients previously diagnosed with cancer were retrospectively checked in our institution for 2 years. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 573 patients were eligible for the final analysis. The overall survival (OS) of these patients in the aftercare period were determined. We looked at how clinical factors and treatments including chemotherapy, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and TKM affected the OS. Results: At the first visit, 212 subjects had no evidence of disease after tumor resection and 355 ones with advanced cancer, who receiving ICT including chemotherapy, CAM, and TKM showed better OS compared to the CAM including TKM or the best supportive care (median OS = 216, 78, and 46 days, respectively). The median OS was not reached in TKM only, even though the sample size was small (N=12). Even after adjusting for clinical factors associated to liver, renal, and hematologic manifestation, ICT still remained significant. Conclusions: We demonstrated that ICT might be beneficial for advanced cancer regardless of the performance status, liver and renal function, since it positively affected the OS.

Reconstruction of the Foot Using a Superficial Inferior Epigastric Artery Free Flap

  • Han, Jin Ho;Shin, Hyun Woo;Yoon, Kun Chul;Kim, June-Kyu
    • Archives of Plastic Surgery
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    • v.44 no.6
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    • pp.545-549
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    • 2017
  • When foot reconstruction is performed in the pretibial area, the ankle, or the dorsum of the foot, the need for a reliable flap remains a challenge. We found that the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) free flap can be used as an alternative tool for this purpose, as it helps to solve the problems associated with other flaps. We describe 2 cases in which we reconstructed the foot using an SIEA free flap, which was pliable enough to fit the contours of the area. Postoperatively, the flaps were intact and showed excellent aesthetic results. Thus, the SIEA free flap can be an alternative tool for patients with a low body mass index who undergo reconstructive surgery involving the pretibial area, ankle, knee, or dorsum of the foot, all of which require a soft and flexible flap.