• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.147-159
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• 2016

In South Korea, many cases of humidifier disinfectant-associated lung injury (HDLI) have been reported among people who used humidifier products containing humidifier disinfectant (HD). The objective of this study is to characterize exposure to HD among a total of 221 HDLI patients who used HD. Information and data on the HDs used were collected through a structured questionnaire and home environmental investigations. The conditions of these 221 HDLI patients were clinically confirmed to be caused by the use of HD. Children aged under 5 years old made up the highest proportion of HDLI cases (n=125, 56.6 %), followed by pregnant women (n=35, 15.8%). Forty-three percent (n=95) of the victims died. There were three cases of fetuses and 35 pregnant women among the victims. The number of HDLI patients who used only the Oxy Saksak brand of HD was found to be 85 (38.5%), followed by the HD brands Cefu (n=24, 10.9%), Lottemart Wiselect (n=9, 4.1%) and Aekyung (n=3). Patients who exclusively used HD brands containing polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG) (n=13, 55.7%) as an active ingredient made up the largest share, followed by those who exclusively used HD containing only oligo(2-(2-ethoxy) ethoxyethyl guanidinium (PGH) (n=24, 10.9%) and by those who only used a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) (n=3, 1.4%). HD products containing PHMG were found to be the most commonly used among the confirmed HDLI patients. Three exposed fetuses who never used HD after birth developed lung injuries, indicating a probability of exposure to HD during gestation. All HDLI patients responded that they used HD while sleeping and for longer than 10 hours per day. In conclusion, the development of HDLI was clinically found to be associated with the use of several HD products containing PHMG, PGH and CMIT/MIT.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.938-943
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• 2009

Purpose : We performed this study in order to investigate the effect of direct renin inhibition on an experimental animal model with nephrotoxic serum nephritis and tried to give useful information for clinical research and renin inhibitor treatment. Methods : Thirty BALB/c 6-week-old male mice were divided into 4 groups: control group (CO, n=5), control-treatment group with aliskiren (CT, n=5), disease group (DO, n=10), and disease treatment group with aliskiren (DT, n=10). Nephritis was induced by an intravenous injection of 0.25 mg/g weight of rabbit anti-GBM immunoglobulin G. Model 2002 Alzet mini-osmotic pumps (Durect Corp.) for aliskiren infusion were implanted into CT and DT. Each group strain was sacrificed serially one at a time on day 14. We estimated the protein-creatinine ratio in 12-hour-collected urine (UP/Cr) and measured the mesangial matrix score in the PAS-stained kidney of each strain. Results : One strain at CT and DT died on day 6 and 7, respectively. Each group strain was sacrificed serially at a time on day 10 because DO were seriously ill. The UP/Cr of each group is as follows: CO, $31.24{\pm}6.54mg/mg$, CT, $23.38{\pm}13.60mg/mg$, DO, $112.72{\pm}10.97mg/mg$, DT $114.07{\pm}32.30mg/mg$. There was no significant difference between DO and DT. The mesangial matrix score of each group was CO, $0.23{\pm}0.10$; CT, $0.13{\pm}0.03$; DO, $1.90{\pm}0.48$; and DT, $1.28{\pm}0.41$, respectively, and there was a significant difference between DO and DT in the extent of mesangial matrix expansion (P=0.008). Conclusion : We found that renin inhibition was able to suppress the mesangial matrix expansion in experimental mice with acute nephritis, although there were no significant differences in UP/Cr.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2012

Air-borne pollen, biogenically created aerosol particle, influences Earth's radiative balance, visibility impairment, and human health. The importance of pollens has resulted in numerous experimental studies aimed at characterizing their dispersion and transport, as well as health effects. There is, however, limited scientific information concerning the optical properties of airborne pollen particles contributing to total ambient aerosols. In this study, for the first time, optical characteristics of pollen such as aerosol backscattering coefficient, aerosol extinction coefficient, and depolarization ratio at 532 nm and their effect to the atmospheric aerosol were studied by lidar remotes sensing technique. Dual-Lidar observations were carried out at the Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology (GIST) located in Gwagnju, Korea ($35.15^{\circ}E$, $126.53^{\circ}N$) for a spring pollen event from 5 to 7 May 2009. The pollen concentration was measured at the rooftop of Gwangju Bohoon hospital where the building is located 1.0 km apart from lidar site by using Burkard trap sampler. During intensive observation period, high pollen concentration was detected as 1360, 2696, and $1952m^{-3}$ in 5, 6, and 7 May, and increased lidar return signal below 1.5km altitude. Pollen optical depth retrieved from depolarization ratio was 0.036, 0.021, and 0.019 in 5, 6, and 7 May, respectively. Pollen particles mainly detected in daytime resulting increased aerosol optical depth and decrease of Angstrom exponent.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.152-161
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• 2006

Purpose : In Korea, the school urine screening program is a useful tool for screening urine abnormalities. It is particularly useful in early detection of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(MPGN) I, which frequently progresses to chronic renal failure. In this study, we studied the medical history, laboratory findings, and histologic findings of MPGN to gain helpful information on early detection and treatment. Methods : The subjects were 19 children, who were diagnosed with MPGN from kidney biopsies that were performed in ten nationwide university hospitals because of abnormal urine findings from school urine screening programs conducted from July 1999 to April 2004. We divided the patients into 2 groups, a nephrotic range proteinuria group(n=8) and a non-nephrotic proteinuria group(n=11), and retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, laboratory findings, histologic findings, treatment, and clinical course. Results : The mean age at the first abnormal urinalysis was $10.6{\pm}2.2$ years in the nephrotic proteinuria group and $9.6{\pm}3.2$ years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group. The mean age at the time of kidney biopsy was $11.3{\pm}2.3$ years in the nephrotic range proteinuria group and $10.4{\pm}3.2$ years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean age and sex between the two groups. In the nephrotic proteinuria group, 6 children had a low plasma C3 level and in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group, 8 children had a low plasma C3 level, but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in the laboratory test results(including WBC count, RBC count, platelet count and other serologic tests) between the 2 groups except for 24 hour urine protein secretion. There was no difference between the 2 groups with regard to the acute and chronic changes in the glomerulus on light microscopic findings, IgG, IgA, Ig M, C1q, C3, C4, fibrogen deposition on immunofluoroscence findings, and mesangial deposits, subendothelial deposits, and subepithelial deposits on electron microscopic findings. The children were treated with corticosteroids, ACE(angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, dipyridamole and other immunosuppressive agents. During the course of treatment, there were no children whose clinical condition worsened. Among 19 children, 3 children went into remission(2 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 1 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) and 9 children went into a partial remission(4 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 5 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) on urinalysis. There was no significant difference in the treatment results between the two groups. Conclusion : The 73.7% of children who were incidentally diagnosed with MPGN by the school urine screening program had reduced C3. 42.1% of the children had nephrotic range proteinuria. There were no significant differences in clinical features, laboratory test results, light microscopic, immunofluorescence microscopic, and electron microscopic findings between the nephrotic proteinuria group and the non-nephrotic proteinuria group except for the 24 hour urine protein secretion. Therefore, for early detection of MPGN during the school urine screening program, we strongly recommend a kidney biopsy if children have abnormal urine findings such as persistent proteinuria and persistent hematuria, or if the serum C3 is reduced.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.25-53
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• 1999

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community residents' consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 1999 to May 31, 1999. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, 52.3% of the subjects was 'female'; 25.0% 'fifties of age'; 21.4% 'forties of age'; 20.9% 'thirties of ages'; 69.1% 'married'; 60.1% 'resident in a big city'; 12.1% 'residents in a small town or village'; 39.0% 'highschool graduate'; 35.9% 'above college graduate'; 23.4% 'housewife'; 23.4% 'professional' 34.1% 'Buddhist'; 81.1% 'middle class'. 2. The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 3. In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. Taking herb medicine as a curative medicine appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'thirties of age', 'resident in a town or village', 'above college graduate', 'professional technician', 'Christian', and 'the upper class'. 4. 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 5. According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it. because persons around them recommended it. The preference for the herb medicine displayed significantly higher rate in the groups 'sixties of age', 'the unmarried', 'resident in a big city', 'office clerk', and 'the lower class'. 6. 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain foods should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 7. In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 8. 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 9. 14.2% of the respondents thinks health foods which contain herbs are good, while 16.8% thinks it is bad. 76.7% thinks that medicinal herbs in packages must be included in health insurance coverage, while only 3.0% thinks it needs not be included in health insurance coverage. 10. 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 11. According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 12. According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 1999

Purpose : Today, people usually die in hospitals and institution-sterile and strange, and equipped with a complex range of technology capable of supporting and prolonging life, frequently only biological one, when a return to health and vitality is no longer possible. Consequently, 'dying with dignity' has become a slogan of opposition to useless and degrading prolongation of life when a patient's organ, though still minimally functional, can no longer support or permit the exercise of self-fulfilling personal control over life's events. Dying with dignity, however, means entirely different things to different people. This study is to investigate the college students' attitude on terminal care and passive euthanasia. Methods : During June 1997, 337 college students participated in this study by responding to the pre-made questionnaire. It deft with the attitude to passive euthanasia, hospice, the most suffering fear facing the death, the preferred place and person to be with if dying. Results : 63.2% of subjects agreed to passive euthanasia. Only 14.2.% of college students can explain the concept of hospice, exactly They got the information about hospice by TV(43%), book(33.5%), religious group(12%) in order. The preferred death place was home(76.6%) and hospital(11.9%) in order. The Most suffering fear facing the death were about unknown(41.5%), loosing colleague(13.6%), pain(11%), isolation(6.5%) in order. Conclusion : About two-thirds of college students agreed to passive euthanasia. But euthanasia is dangerous and unnecessary. We should vigorously promote programmes of education in hospice and palliative medicine and care.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 1999

Purpose : Cancer, one of the major causes of death in Korea, tends to become chronic due to the rapid development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods. As a result, the number of home-based cancer patients is in the increasing trend. However, on account of the insufficiency of continuous and comprehensive cancer patient management system, a number of cancer patients are left in a defenseless state. This study was designed for need assessment of home-based cancer patient to establish the community-based health care system for the comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce rare burdens of their families. Methods : Through making a survey for needs assessment toward the health care service, the 455 respondents among home-based cancer patients answered the given enquetes to analyze the management status and problems of home-based cancer patients Results : 1) Unsatisfaction rates of pain control is 25.5 percent for mild cases, 46.5 percent for severe cases. 2) According to the needs assessment of home-based cancer patients, most of the respondents want to receive economical support, alleviation for the pain and symptoms, and the information of health care and consultation. So these needs account for the main contents of the home-based cancer patient management plan. 3) In the aspect of the satisfaction rate for basic care need, most items account for $20{\sim}30%$ of satisfaction. And the proportion of need for special case is under 5%, satisfaction rate for special care need is about 50% of satisfaction. So the home-based cancer patients are not being cared sufficiently. Conclusion : According to the result of need assessment, many home-based cancer patients received inadequate pain and symptom management. And Satisfaction rate for basic and special care need is low. So development of comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce care burdens of their families is very necessary.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2008

Purpose: Undertreatment of canter pain, especially due to the differences in the perception of pain between the patients and caregivers, is a well recognized problem. The purpose of this study were to determine if there exist differences in communication about pain intensity scores between patients and their family caregivers in Korea. Methods: A total of 127 patient-family caregiver dyads who have experienced canter pain participated in this study at a hospital in Seoul for six months. The data were obtained by fare to face interview with a structured questionnaire based on Brief Pain Inventory-Korean version and other previous researches. The clinical information for all patients was compiled by reviewing their medical records. Results: Patients' 'worst-pain for 24-hour' and 'right-now-pain' scores estimated by family caregivers were significantly higher than those by patient themselves. The degree of agreement between patients and family caregivers in the estimate of patients' 'worst-pain for 24-hour' intensity categories was 78.7% for 'severe pain', 40% for 'no pain', 27.5% for 'mild pain' and 22.9% for 'moderate pain'. In case of 'right-now-pain' intensity categories, the agreement was 50% for 'severe pain', 47.2% for mild pain, 46.3% for 'no pain', and 26.3% for 'moderate pain'. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the degree of agreement between patients and family caregivers in the estimate of patients 'pain intensity categories was less than 50% except for 'severe pain'. The results indicate that Korean family caregivers tend to overestimate the canter pain intensity of their caring patients, especially, when a lancer patient has 'moderate' or 'mild pain'. Health Providers are advised to educate patient-family caregiver dyads to use a pain measurement scale to promote their agreement in pain Intensity stores. Further analyses and studies are needed to identify the factors and differences that influence their communication about pain intensity scores between patients and their family caregivers.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.40-48
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• 2010

Objectives The purpose of this study is to get the basic information about the actual amount of consumption of the Health supplements and Herbal Medicines. Also, we investigated the consumption differences according to the regions. Methods 500 questionnaires were handed out to parents of elementary students in O O, Gyeonggi-do province, and 331 questionnaires were collected and evaluated for this study. Results Among the 331 students, 58.4% were female, and 41.6% were male. The percentages of the subjects consuming health supplements and herbal medicines were 67.4% and 59.2% respectively. The maximum period of taking the health supplements were from 1 month to 6 month (49.5%), and the maximum period of taking the herbal medicine was within one month (55.6%). The total cost of the health supplements was less than 100,000won (43.7%), which was the most common while herbal medicine cost was between 100,000won and 200,000won (40.6%). The most common age of consuming the health supplements and herbal medicine for the first time was six to ten years old (47.3%); the case of herbal medicine was one to six years old (64.0%). Most of people purchased health supplements from pharmacy (48.0%), and purchased the herbal medicine from the oriental medical clinic (61.8%). Among those people who purchased health supplements, they bought nutritional supplements (82.8%), red ginseng or ginseng products (43.4%), plum extract products (10.9%), and chlorella products (6.8%). The reason for consuming health supplements was to be healthier even though there is no ongoing illness (47.1%), which was the most common reason. The reason for consuming herbal medicine was to cure weakness (39.3%). For the responses about effectiveness after taking medications, people thought herbal medicine seemed to be more effective compare to health supplements (72.3%, 63% respectively). Only 1.4% of the subjects consuming the health supplements showed adverse effects while herbal medicine showed 4.6%. The most common adverse effects were 'general reaction' caused by the health supplements and dermatologic problems caused by the herbal medications. Conclusions Among 331 subjects, the percentage of consuming the health supplements (67.4%) was higher than the Herbal Medicine (59.2%). The total consuming cost of the herbal medications was higher than general health supplements. Also, the maximum period of consuming the health supplements was longer than herbal medications. Therefore, it is shown that herbal medications have no price competitiveness compare to health supplements. The age of using the herbal medicine for the first time was younger than the health supplements. Even though many people can purchase both health supplements and herbal medication from pharmacies and local oriental medical clinic, it is also shown that some people thought that the health supplements should be purchased from oriental medical hospital (13.9%). The most commonly taken forms of the health supplement was nutrition-supplying products, and the second common health supplements were ginseng and red ginseng. The health supplements were commonly consumed for preventing illness and for maintaining healthy life rather than for cure diseases. On the other hand, the herbal medicine was more commonly consumed to be taller or to treat diseases. More than half of the entire people replied as 'satisfied' for their purchase. Some adverse effects and general reaction were common with the subjects consuming health supplements while dermatological adverse reaction was common with the subjects consuming herbal medications.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.865-870
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• 2005

Purpose : The use of growth hormone(GH) to promote growth in normal short children without classical GH deficiency is controversial. Numerous foreign studies have shown the effects of GH therapy in children with idiopathic short stature(ISS) whereas few has been interested in Korea. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the effects of GH therapy on ISS by observing correlations and changes among various growth parameters such as, insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3). Methods : This study was conducted retrospectively with 15 children with ISS in Chungbuk National University Hospital in Korea. Mean age was $11.44{\pm}2.81$ and the children were treated with 0.66 IU/kg/wk dosage of GH for 1 or 2 years. Also, the growth parameters before and after the GH therapy were observed. Results : Height standard deviation score(HT-SDS) was increased from $-1.85{\pm}0.70$ to $-1.58{\pm}0.56$ at 1 year and to $-1.21{\pm}0.37$ at 2 years after GH therapy. Predicted adult height standard deviation score(PAH-SDS) was also increased from $-2.10{\pm}0.52$ to $-1.67{\pm}0.59$ at 1 year, and to $-0.96{\pm}0.60$ at 2 years. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were significantly increased after 1 year and marginally increased after 2 years of GH therapy. Conclusion : It is concluded that GH therapy has growth promoting effect. The significant increase in IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels during the GH therapy suggests that IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are useful predictors of response to the use of GH therapy. It is expected that larger patient samples would provide more reliable information about the effect of GH therapy.