• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.27-33
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• 2005

This study was intended to contribute towards the development of proper drug use system for pediatric patients by investigationg problems related to their medication and identifying drugs that need to be developed into low dosage tab-lets or syrups for pediatric use based on our analysis on the prescriptions for pediatric inpatients from 22 hospitals in South Korea on a day of Feb. 2003. The usage rates in the proportion of less than 0.5 and 1 per unit of oral solid formulation were $29.9{\%}$ and $54.3{\%}$ in hospitals with 1000 beds or more, 36.5 and $60.6{\%}$ in hospitals with 500 to less than 1000 beds, $60.8{\%}$ and $81.6{\%}$ in hospitals with less than 500 beds. Of the 63 oral solid formulation products that were used two or more times in the proportion oi less than 0.5 units, 34 products ($54.0{\%}$) were used as such despite the fact that syrups and lower dosage tablets or capsules were available in the market, and 24 products ($38.1{\%}$) so even when syrup formulations were available. Therefore, it would be desirable that pharmacist communities in charge of dispensing identify the most frequently crushed drugs or those that require special attention in choosing dispensing powders or solutions and develop dispensing guidelines that can be adopted by pharmacists in practice. Moreover government-led policies are needed to encourage development and manufacture of the formulations for pediatrics and to correct unsound prescription and dispensing practices such as using crushed forms of certain oral solid formulations although alternative formulations are available in the market.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.89-93
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• 2007

Many countries such as The Republic of Korea have established their own nutritional standards, collectively termed Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs), and they vary due to the science which was reviewed, the purposes for which they are developed, and issues related to nutrition and food policy in the country. The current effort by the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CNFSDU) to update the NRVs that were established following the Helsinki Consultation in 1988 represents an opportunity to develop a set of reference values reflecting current scientific information to be used or adapted by many countries. This paper will focus on possible approaches to selecting or developing reference values which would serve the intended purpose for nutrition labeling to the greatest extent possible. Within the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) is currently reviewing regulations on nutrition labeling to better address current health issues, and is expected to enter into a process in the next few months to begin to explore how best to update nutrient Daily Values (DVs), most of which are still based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of the Food and Nutrition Board, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, last reviewed and revised in 1968. In this presentation, I review the current purposes in the U.S. for nutrition labeling as identified in the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended, the scientific basis for current nutrition labeling regulations in the United States, and the recommendations made by the recent Committee on Use of Dietary Reference Intakes in Nutrition Labeling of the Institute of Medicine (2003) regarding how to use the DRIs in developing new DVs to be used on the label in the United States and Canada. Based on these reviews, I then provide examples of the issues that arise in comparing one approach to another. Much of the discussion focuses on the appropriate role of nutrient labeling within the Nutrition Facts panel, one of the three major public nutrition education tools in the United States (along with MyPyramid and Dietary Guidelines for Americans).

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.56-65
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• 2006

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are the most common type of adverse events in medical practice. Hospital admissions related to ADEs cost high and should be monitored to prevent them. While concerns about the ADEs are increasing, the frequency and characteristics of admissions related to ADEs have not been reported in Korea. The objective of the study was to assess the rate of hospital admission related to ADEs and their characteristics through ADE signal-based retrospective reviews of medical records. As results, a total of 1,420 patients had ADE signals suggesting potential ADEs from 3,494 patients who discharged from an academic medical center over one month period. Six pharmacists independently assessed the presence of ADEs after the review of patients' medical records. Among the 3,494 discharges, 62 admissions (1.8%) were found to be realted to ADEs. Of admissions with ADEs, 83.9% were moderate (category F by the NCC MERP classification), 37.2% were preventable, and 85.5% were type A reaction. The most frequent suspected drugs causing ADEs were antineoplastics (48.9%), and the most frequent ADE signal detecting hospital admissions related to ADEs was white blood cell count (24.2%). Hospital admissions related to ADEs were found through screening the ADE signals. The ADE signal-based retrospective review could be a practical approach for identifying hospital admissions related to ADEs.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.233-242
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• 2009

Bioequivalence (BE) studies provide important information in the overall set of data that ensure the availability of safe and effective medicines to patients and practitioners. Thus its determination of proper criterion for assessing BE is very important. BE is frequently expressed or measured by estimating area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum concentration ($C_{max}$) that are reflective of systemic exposure. In all countries except Canada, the acceptance criteria of BE is that the 90% confidence interval of difference in the average values of logarithmic AUC and $C_{max}$ between test and reference products is within the acceptable range of log(0.8) ${\sim}$ log(1.25). In Canada, unlike other countries, point estimation instead of applying 90% confidence interval is applied to assess $C_{max}$ which is, in essence, more variable than AUC. We also compared other parts of BE guidelines which include a fed study, average BE (ABE), scaled-ABE, population BE (PBE), individual BE (IBE), dropout & withdrawal, sampling frequency & time and number of subjects. This article reviews the most recent BE guidelines of Korea, USA, Europe, Canada and Japan, highlighting the differences focused on Korean BE guidelines compared to other countries. It will help us to revise BE guideline of Korea reflecting international trends. Finally, it is strongly recommended that the extended acceptance criterion for the highly variable drug among all the considering aspects for the revision of current BE guideline has to be adopted into Korea BE guideline in the nearest future.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제83권3호
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• pp.201-210
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• 2020

Background: North Korea is one of the 30 countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB burdened. To understand the medical issues and research trends associated with TB in North Korea, we performed a comprehensive review of articles related to clinical and laboratory research on TB published in North Korean medical journals. Methods: We reviewed all types of TB-related articles published in nine North Korean medical journals (Yebang ŭihak: Preventive medicine; Koryo ŭihak: Korea Medicine; Chosŏn ŭihak: Chosun Medicine; Naekwa: Internal Medicine; Soa, sanbuinkwa: Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, Surgery; Ŭihak: Medicine; Kich'o ŭihak: Basic Medicine; and Chosŏn yakhak: Chosun Pharmacy). We classified the articles according to the type and field of study and analyzed the data qualitatively to gain insights. Results: We reviewed 106 articles (one- or two-page length) written in Korean, including reviews (n=43), original articles (n=52), and case reports (n=8). They were classified as follows: articles on diagnosis (n=52, 49%) and treatment (n=39, 37%). None of the studies investigated the commercialized molecular diagnosis systems such as Xpert MTB/RIF. Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course was reported as the basic treatment approach. Furthermore, six studies used Korean traditional medicines for treating TB, with one of them containing snake venom. Conclusion: The articles were not sufficiently detailed. Original articles on the treatment of multi-drug resistant TB were not found, and those on latent tuberculosis infection and nontuberculous mycobacteria were limited. To understand the current medical issues associated with TB in North Korea, articles from these nine journals were not sufficient.

• Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

Recently, in Korea, the importance of preparation and use of injectable drugs has been emphasized due to successive fatal accidents caused by injection infections. Parenteral nutrition (PN) has also been identified as a cause of infection. Cases of infection due to PN have been reported not only in Korea, but also abroad, and contamination occurs mainly during the preparation of PN. Because sterile preparation and compounding of injections are very important for infection control and patient safety, this article reviews the major guidelines outlined thus far. The Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2006 published guidelines and the KSHP (Korean Society of Health-System Pharmacists) recently issued guidelines for the aseptic preparation of injections. In addition, as US guidelines, the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) guidelines and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <797> are also reviewed. The recent guidelines published by the KSHP have significance in that they were adopted in accordance with the domestic reality, even though they conform to foreign guidelines, and are expected to be guidelines for hospital pharmacists performing aseptic preparation work. In addition, the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare is considering appropriate guidelines for the safe management of medications, training staff for infection prevention and strengthening staff capacity. Furthermore, the gradual expansion of aseptic compounding facilities and human resources, as well as the provision of adequate medical costs are also considered. Based on the establishment and standardization of injectable drugs compounding guidelines for Korean hospitals, it is believed that if human resources and facilities are supported and medical charges are improved, it will be possible to expect the safer preparation and use of injections.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.11-50
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• 2023

As the field of interventional pain management (IPM) grows, the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) is increasing. SSI is defined as an infection of the incision or organ/space that occurs within one month after operation or three months after implantation. It is also common to find patients with suspected infection in an outpatient clinic. The most frequent IPM procedures are performed in the spine. Even though primary pyogenic spondylodiscitis via hematogenous spread is the most common type among spinal infections, secondary spinal infections from direct inoculation should be monitored after IPM procedures. Various preventive guidelines for SSI have been published. Cefazolin, followed by vancomycin, is the most commonly used surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in IPM. Diagnosis of SSI is confirmed by purulent discharge, isolation of causative organisms, pain/tenderness, swelling, redness, or heat, or diagnosis by a surgeon or attending physician. Inflammatory markers include traditional (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and white blood cell count) and novel (procalcitonin, serum amyloid A, and presepsin) markers. Empirical antibiotic therapy is defined as the initial administration of antibiotics within at least 24 hours prior to the results of blood culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Definitive antibiotic therapy is initiated based on the above culture and testing. Combination antibiotic therapy for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria infections appears to be superior to monotherapy in mortality with the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance rates. The never-ending war between bacterial resistance and new antibiotics is continuing. This article reviews prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infection in pain medicine.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제51권10호
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• pp.1031-1037
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• 2008

Macrolide antimicrobial agents including erythromycin, roxithromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin are commonly used in the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children. Newer macrolides that have structural modifications of older drug erythromycin show improved change in the spectrum of activity, dosing, and administration. However, recent studies reported that increasing use of macrolide antibiotics is the main force driving the development of macrolide resistance in streptococci. In particular, azithromycin use is more likely to select for macrolide resistance with Streptococcus pneumoniae than is clarithromycin use, a possible reflection of its much longer half life. Recently, erythromycin resistance rates of S. pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes are rapidly increasing in Korea. Two main mechanisms of acquired macrolide resistance have been described, altered binding site on the bacterial ribosome encoded by the ermB gene and active macrolide efflux pump encoded by the mef gene. Relationship between the susceptibility of S. pneumoniae and the response to macrolides has been shown in studies of acute otitis media, but less clear in cases of pneumonia. This article reviews the spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetic properties, mechanisms of action and resistance, and clinical implication of resistance on the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children.

• 한국학교보건학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.85-92
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• 2005

Purpose： This study reviews the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in the United States. This review focuses on the purposes, questionnaires, survey methods, and use of survey results. The author also discussesthe establishment and use of Korean Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Results：The YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. The purpose of YRBSS is to determine the prevalence of health risk behaviors, to assess the trend of health risk behavior prevalence, provide comparable data, monitor progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2010. The questionnaires inquire about health-related behaviors, including tobacco use, unhealthydietary behaviors, inadequate physical activity, alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence. The results of YRBS have been used to estimate the prevalence of risk behaviors among youth, to set goals for school health programs, for training and development of health program personnel, for the development of health education curriculum, to support enactment of health-related regulations, and to support funding for futher research. Conclusions： The YRBSS represents a potentially valuable program that can be applied in Korea. Assessment of risk behaviors among Korean youths will provide invaluable insight for many potential purposes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

Male factors account for 20%-50% of cases of infertility and in 25% of cases, the etiology of male infertility is unknown. Effective treatments are well-established for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, male accessory gland infection, retrograde ejaculation, and positive antisperm antibody. However, the appropriate treatment for idiopathic male infertility is unclear. Empirical medical treatment (EMT) has been used in men with idiopathic infertility and can be divided into two categories based on the mode of action: hormonal treatment and antioxidant supplementation. Hormonal medications consist of gonadotropins, androgens, estrogen receptor blockers, and aromatase inhibitors. Antioxidants such as vitamins, zinc, and carnitines have also been widely used to reduce oxidative stress-induced spermatozoa damage. Although scientifically acceptable evidence of EMT is limited because of the lack of large, randomized, controlled studies, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses have shown that the administration of gonadotropins, anti-estrogens, and oral antioxidants results in a significant increase in the live birth rate compared with control treatments. Therefore, all physicians who treat infertility should bear in mind that EMT can improve semen parameters and subsequent fertility potential through natural intercourse.