• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.62-69
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• 2020

Background Cryolipolysis, a preferred method for minimally invasive body contouring, involves the noninvasive cooling of adipocytes to induce lipolysis without damaging other tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cryolipolysis for the treatment of excessive fat tissue. Methods Between May 2014 and December 2017, 231 patients with 448 areas of interest were enrolled and their records were retrospectively reviewed. We used five different vacuum applicators, and the best-fitting applicator was used for each area. One cycle of cryolipolysis was applied at a cooling intensity factor of 41.6. The efficacy was evaluated 12 weeks after treatment via review of clinical photographs, the pinch test, and ultrasonographic measurements of fat thickness. The occurrence of any complications was also assessed. Results The volume was reduced in all of the areas to which cryolipolysis was applied. The rate of reduction of the fat layer as measured via the pinch test was 19.2%, and the rate of the decrease in fat layer thickness as measured via ultrasonography was 22.8%. Fat reduction of the upper arm differed significantly from that of the abdomen and flank, but no significant difference was found between sexes. The side effects were limited to erythema, edema, bruising, and numbness at the treatment site and resolved without treatment. Conclusions Cryolipolysis, with new and better-fitting applicators, is safe, fast, and effective for the reduction of excessive fat tissue on the abdomen, back, flank, and extremities. It is a good option for treating excess adipose tissue in Asian patients.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.257-263
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• 2017

Background Rituximab (RTX) can be used as a rescue therapy for steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS). However, the efficacy and safety of long-term, repeated use of RTX are not established. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of long-term, repeated RTX treatment in children. Methods Eighteen consecutive child patients with SDNS who were treated with three or more cycles of RTX for one year or longer were recruited, and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results The patients were followed for $4.7{\pm}1.9years$ and received $5.2{\pm}2.3cycles$ of RTX over $2.8{\pm}1.1years$. Approximately 70% of the additional RTX cycles were administered due to recovery of B-cells without relapse. The relapse rate decreased from $3.4{\pm}2.0per$ year initially to $0.4{\pm}0.8per$ year at the third year after RTX treatment. Approximately 10% of the RTX infusions were accompanied by mild infusion reactions. Eight patients showed sustained remission without any oral medication after the last cycle of RTX, while 10 patients had one or more episodes of relapse after the last cycle of RTX. The relapse rate in the latter group decreased from $2.8{\pm}1.5per$ year before RTX treatment to $1.3{\pm}0.8per$ year after cessation of RTX treatment. No significant differences in clinical parameters were found between the two groups. Conclusion This retrospective study showed that pre-emptive and long-term, repeated RTX treatment is relatively effective and safe in children with SDNS. However, well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권52호
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• pp.331.1-331.17
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• 2018

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection and is associated with the development of cervical cancer. The purpose of this report is to provide the literature evidences on selecting the HPV vaccine for national immunization program (NIP) in Korea. To complete these tasks, we reviewed domestic and foreign literature on the current status of HPV infection, efficacy and effectiveness of HPV vaccine, safety of vaccine and cost effectiveness analysis of vaccination business. Given that the median age of first sexual intercourse is continuing to fall, this may have serious implications for HPV infection and cervical cancer incidence at the age of 20s. The World Health Organization recommends that the HPV vaccination should be included in the NIP being implemented in each country. Both the bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines have a 90% or greater preventive efficacy on cervical intraepithelial lesion 2-3 and cervical cancer by the HPV 16 or HPV 18. In the future, if HPV vaccination rate as part of NIP increases, it is expected that the incidence of HPV infection, genital warts, and cervical precancerous lesions will be decreased in the vaccination age group. Therefore, in order to increase the HPV vaccination rate at this point in Korea, social consensus and efforts such as the introduction and promotion of HPV vaccine to the NIP according to appropriate cost-effectiveness analysis are required.

• 산업식품공학
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.122-129
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• 2009

자외선 살균소독기의 유효성을 검정하기 위하여 스테인리스스틸 컵 바닥에서 E. coli를 대상으로 살균력을 측정하고 살균패턴을 조사하였다. 스테인리스스틸 컵 바닥의 자외선 강도는 컵의 위치에 따라 큰 차이를 보였다. 중앙부에 놓인 컵의 바닥에서는 높은 자외선 강도를 보인 반면 외곽으로 갈수록 자외선 강도는 급격하게 약화되었으며, 이러한 편차는 상단 선반에서 가장 심하였고 중단 및 하단선반으로 갈수록 완화되었다. E. coli를 대상으로 한 스테인리스스틸 컵 바닥에서 살균효과는 컵 바닥의 자외선 강도와 살균시간에 비례하였다. 자외선에 의한 E. coli 살균패턴은 tailing을 수반하는 의사 1차반응으로 나타났으며 각 구간의 살균속도상수를 산출한 결과 초기 살균속도상수 ($K_{1}$)는 위치에 따라 큰 차이를 보인 반면 후기 살균속도상수($K_{2}$)는 위치에 따른 차이가 크지 않았다. 현장에서 자외선 살균소독기를 용이하게 사용할 수 있도록 일정 살균치를 얻는데 필요한 자외선 조사시간을 산출하는 방정식을 제시하였다.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.141-155
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• 2021

Objective The purpose of this study is to gather information from clinical studies conducted in China and analyze the effects of herbal medicine treatment for childhood vitiligo. Methods The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with herbal medicine treatment for childhood vitiligo from the Chinese Academic Journal (CAJ) from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched. Then, each study was analyzed by demographics, disease durations, interventions, treatment periods, outcomes, adverse events, and compositions of the herbal medicine used. Result A total of 6 RCTs were included. All the trials except for one used a combination of Chinese herbal medicine with Western medicine as their treatment groups. The total efficacy rate was used to measure the effectiveness, and the treatment groups reported a significantly higher total efficacy rate compared to the control groups in all studies. In one study, a control group treated with compound glycyrrhizin capsule and topical compound kaliziran tincture combination treatment was compared with a treatment group which used the same treatment that the control group received in addition to oral herbal medicine. This study also showed higher total effectiveness in the treatment group than the control group. Conclusions In pediatric vitiligo, a combination of herbal medicine treatment rather than Western medical treatment alone can improve symptoms. In addition, it was suggested that the therapeutic effect can be enhanced when oral herbal medicine is used in combination with other herbal medicine treatments.

• 대한한의학방제학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.285-295
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• 2021

Objective : This systematic review was conducted to investigate the effect of herbal medicine on Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection compared to amoxicillin included synthetic drugs. Methods : Relevant randomized controlled trials(RCTs) which were published prior to December 26, 2020, were collected using PubMED database. Risk of bias evaluation and data extraction were done independently by two reviewers, and the third reviewer reassessed mismatching parts. Results : Two RCTs testing two different herbal medicines against synthetic drugs solitary treatment or synthetic drugs with placebo for herbal medicine were included. One study reported that there was no significant difference between the eradication rate of synthetic drugs and the herbal medicine. The other study did not report the eradication rate of the herbal medicine. One study reported histologic severity, the other reported dyspepsia score as efficacy indicators. There was no adverse event reported in all studies. However, the number of included RCTs was too small, the quality of reported data was not enough to verify efficacy of herbal medicine, and there were some methodological problems. Conclusion : It was difficult to conclude that solitary treatment of herbal medicine was as effective as amoxicillin included synthetic drugs for H. pylori infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권4호
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• pp.299-316
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• 2021

Background: The lack of effective medications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a trend of drug repurposing such as the case of azithromycin which shows immunomodulatory and anti-viral effect. Several clinical trials have shown conflicting results. It is currently unclear whether the available evidence is in favor or against the use of azithromycin in COVID-19 patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of azithromycin in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Four independent reviewers selected relevant studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, and ProQuest published prior to March 2021. The protocol used in this study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020224967). Results: We included 17 studies and found that the mortality rate (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-1.19), need of respiratory support (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.98-1.73), hospitalization rate (standardized mean difference, 0.12; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.27), and intensive care unit transfer (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.79-1.86) of azithromycin-treated group did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from those of the control group. Azithromycin treatment did not significantly increase the risk of getting secondary infection (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.83-1.82), hypoglycemia (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38-1.40), gastrointestinal problems (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.73-1.45) or electrocardiogram abnormalities (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.94-1.42). The overall quality of evidence ranged from low to very low. Conclusion: Azithromycin did not result in a superior clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients, although it was well-tolerated and safe to use.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.451-459
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• 2021

Background: Lignocaine with adrenaline is routinely used as a local anesthetic for dental procedures. Adrenaline was added to increase the duration of anesthesia. However, epinephrine containing a local anesthetic solution is not recommended in conditions such as advanced cardiovascular diseases and hyperthyroidism. Recently, ropivacaine has gained popularity as a long-acting anesthetic with superior outcomes. The goal of this study was to assess and compare the effectiveness of 0.75% ropivacaine alone and 2% lignocaine with adrenaline (1:80,000) in the removal of bilateral maxillary wisdom teeth using the posterior superior alveolar nerve block technique. Methods: This was a single-blind, randomized, split-mouth, prospective study assessing 15 systemically sound outpatients who needed bilateral removal of maxillary third molars. We randomly allocated the sides and sequences of ropivacaine and lignocaine with adrenaline administration. We evaluated the efficacy of both anesthetics with regard to the onset of anesthesia, intensity of pain, variation in heart rate, and blood pressure. Results: The onset of anesthesia was faster with lignocaine (138 s) than with ropivacaine (168 s), with insignificant differences (p = 0.001). There was no need for additional local anesthetics in the ropivacaine group, while in the lignocaine with adrenaline group, 2 (13.3%) patients required additional anesthesia. Adequate intraoperative anesthesia was provided by ropivacaine and lignocaine solutions. No significant difference was observed in the perioperative variation in blood pressure and heart rate. Conclusion: Ropivacaine (0.75%) is a safe and an adrenaline-free local anesthetic option for posterior superior alveolar nerve block, which provides adequate intraoperative anesthesia and a stable hemodynamic profile for the removal of the maxillary third molar.

• International journal of thyroidology
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.130-136
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: Intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) in thyroid surgery has been employed worldwide to identify and preserve the nerve as an adjunct to visual identification. The aims of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of IONM and difficulties in the learning curve. Materials and Methods: We studied 63 patients who underwent thyroidectomy with IONM during last 2 years. The standard IONM procedure was performed using NIM 3.0 or C2 Nerve Monitoring System. Patients were divided into two chronological groups based on the success rate of IONM (33 cases in the early period and 30 cases in the late period), and the outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: Of 63 patients, 32 underwent total thyroidectomy and 31 thyroid lobectomy. Failure of IONM occurred in 9 cases: 8 cases in the early period and 1 case in the late period. Loss of signal occurred in 8 nerves of 82 nerves at risk. The positive predictive value increased from 16.7% in the early period to 50% in the late period. The mean amplitude of the late period was higher than that of the early period (p<0.001). Conclusion: IONM in thyroid surgery is effective to preserve the RLN and to predict postoperative nerve function. However, failure of IONM and high false positive rate can occur in the learning curve, and the learning curve was about 30 cases based on the results of this study.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제62권2호
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• pp.201-208
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• 2019

Objective : In patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion, collateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow has a protective role against ischemia. However, some of these patients may experience initial major neurological deficits and major worsening on following days. Thus, we investigated the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment (EVT) for ICA occlusion with collateral MCA flow by comparing clinical outcomes of medical treatment versus EVT. Methods : The inclusion criteria were as follows : 1) acute ischemic stroke with ICA occlusion and presence of collateral MCA flow on transfemoral cerebral angiography (TFCA) and 2) hospital arrival within 12 hours from symptom onset. The treatment strategy was made by the attending physician based on the patient's clinical status and results of TFCA. Results : Eighty-one patients were included (30 medical treatment, 51 EVT). The EVT group revealed a high incidence of intracranial ICA occlusion, longer ipsilesional MCA contrast filling time, and a similar rate of favorable clinical outcome despite a higher mean baseline the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. By binary logistic regression analysis, intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and EVT were independent predictors of favorable clinical outcome. In subgroup analysis based on stroke etiology, the non-atherosclerotic group showed a higher baseline NIHSS score, higher incidence of EVT, and a higher rate of distal embolization during EVT in comparison with the atherosclerotic group. Conclusion : In patients with ICA occlusion and collateral MCA flow, decisions regarding treatment strategy based on TFCA can help achieve favorable clinical outcomes. EVT strategy with respect to etiology of ICA occlusion might help achieve better angiographic outcomes.