• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2015

Background & Object: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes ankylosis and deformation of axial joints. Since current medicine cannot cure the disease yet, alleviating pain and preventing deformation with medications are the main therapy for patients with AS. The key medications for these purposes include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) inhibitors. This study aims to analyze prescribing patterns of AS patients in South Korea. Method: National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2013 was analyzed. Patients with AS were identified with Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code-6, which was M45. The rates of prescription, discontinuation, and switching ingredients were calculated for each medication during 2013. Results: Total number of patients was 655, and most of them were male (n = 514, 78.5%). Of all age groups, the proportion of 30-40 year old patients was the greatest (35.1%). The most utilized drug class was NSAIDs (82.4%). Less than half of patients were prescribed $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors (n = 212, 32.4%). Meloxicam, aceclofenac, and celecoxib were the most frequently prescribed NSAIDs. In case of $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab were the top three most prescribed drugs. Although not recommended by the current practice guideline, significant proportions of patients were identified using disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Conclusion: Considering the current practice guideline and previous studies about the efficacy, the use of DMARDs should be reduced and medical insurance term in South Korea should be re-examined.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.393-399
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• 2018

The aim of this review is to introduce about the issue of benzocaine and methemoglobinemia. Through blocking the pain during dental treatment, fear and anxiety of patients will be reduced. Thus, anesthetic agent containing benzocaine is commonly used while controlling the pain of patients during treatment. However, on May 28, 2018, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reported a medication safety report about restricting the use of benzocaine-containing agents in infants under 24 months and children. Also, they recommended a cautious use to adolescents and adults to prevent methemoglobinemia (MHb). This report was published due to an advice from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 23, 2018. When using agents containing benzocaine, dentists must consider the probability of MHb and prepare for early diagnosis and appropriate action. Since 1930s, methylene blue is known to cure MHb patients. Therefore, the proper use of methylene blue for emergencies and diagnosis methods for early diagnosis of MHb should be familiar to dentists planning for the use of topical anesthetic agents. Dentists should be trained for emergency situation of MHb caused by the use of benzocaine.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2011

Objectives Many studies have suggested different neurobiological findings and clinical courses in alcoholism. Recently, subtyping in alcohol dependence has become essential to overcome the heterogeneity of patients. Among several criteria of subtypes, Lesch's typology is proposed to integrate biological, social, and psychological factors. This review provides neurobiological findings and treatment-responses of alcohol dependence according to Lesch's typology. Method We searched the international published medical literature using the search terms 'Lesch's typology' and 'alcohol dependence' and using the limits 'human'. Results We identified 17 studies with subjects of alcohol dependence according to Lesch's typology. Conclusion They indicated that each subtype of Lesch's typology can have specific neurobiological factors and different clinical responses as follows. Lesch's subtype 1 is characterized by severe withdrawal symptoms and associated with elevated glutamate and homocysteine. Lesch's subtype 2 is defined by individuals who drink alcohol as self-medication for anxiety. Their craving has significant positive correlations with prolactin, leptin level, or intake-volume (vasopressin). Lesch's subtype 4 is related to cerebral dysfunction and associated with increased glutamate and left-handedness. Clinical trials showed that naltrexone was effective in Lesch's subtype 3 and 4 patients, while acamprosate was effective in the subtypes 1 and 2.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 2002

Dyskinesia can occur as a neurological abnormality due to stroke, and its incidence in stroke patients is reported to be about 1%. It is possible to classify dyskinesia into one of the morphologic types already classified clinically. However, a specific type of dyskinesia can occur; one which does not fall into the existing morphologic types. We experienced such a case of specific type dyskinesia, which couldn't be classified into the existing classification system. A 50-year-old man visited our hospital due to rhythmic dyskinesia of the right hand, which appeared during the resting state, and had developed one month after left subcortical infarction. Flexion and extension movements of the fingers at 3Hz appeared due to the impatient impulse to move. However, this abnormal movement could be easily suppressed under the patients will. We suggested that the abnormal movement was similar to akathisia from the fact that it occurred due to the internal desire to move and that the patient could suppress dyskinesia. However, the rhythmic tendency and lack of medication history of antipsychotics suggested that the movement was not the typical form of akathisia. The present case may represent a new clinical type of movement disorder developed after stroke. Considering the clinical pattern of the present case and following a review of the literature, we believe that it can be labeled, post-stroke rhythmic akathisia.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.228-237
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• 2017

Objective: We conducted a survey to understand the current state of pharmacy services and pharmacists' thoughts in the future of the community pharmacy setting. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 229 pharmacists and gathered from 95 respondents. Results: We asked to pharmacists about what the ideal pharmacy duty should be in the next 10 years at the community pharmacy setting in Korea. For this question, the respondents said drug counselling (19.4%), dispensing (13.8%), long-term care of chronic disease and healthcare education (12.8%), and OTC counselling (11.5%). When asked about how much time they were spending doing certain tasks in the pharmacy, the main tasks were dispensing (23.5%), counselling (17.1%), prescription review (10.1%), and OTC counselling (5.5%). When asked about what the most important duty of a pharmacist was, medication counselling (45.4%) was the most important task that they identified and the reasons for not being able to fulfill this role properly was time shortage (78.9%) followed by the lack of counselling spaces, up-to-date knowledges, and focus on financial gains over patient counselling. Conclusion: Korean pharmacists are mainly focusing on dispensing in their daily work. Their basic responsibilities can be easily mechanized over the next few years, but the social expectations of disease-prevention and public health promotion both in current and future can not be replaced by such mechanical measures. Therefore, pharmaceutical services in Korea should be developed in more diverse and professional ways.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.371-386
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• 2011

Background : Vertigo is a very common complaint in clinical practice. The number of patients who complain of vertigo has been increasing due to rapid growth of the elderly population. This study was designed to review the clinical features and success of oriental medical treatment of positional vertigo. Methods : This observation was made on 70 subjects diagnosed with positional vertigo. They were hospitalized in the Semyung University Oriental Medicine Hospital. Results : The results were as follows 1. Female patients (82.9%) were more than male patients. The most common age group was 8th decade and the patients rapidly increased after the 5th decade of age. 2. The most common past history of positional vertigo was hypertension, the second was cerebral infarction, and the third was hyperlipidemia. 3. In the oriental medicine diagnosis, phlegm-dampness syndrome (痰濕交阻 眩暈) was the most common disease (92.9%), and in western medicine, BPPV was the most (82.9%). 4. In herbal medication, Banhabaekchulchunma-tang gami (45.7%) was the most commonly used, the second being Taeksa-tang (30%). 5. The vertigo score of 94.3% patients improved and none got worse. 6. In general characteristics, men over 64 years improved best. Past history had no effect on the improvement of vertigo. 7. The sooner patients visited hospital after onset, the shorter hospitalization time was. Conclusions : Vertigo attacks patients well in advanced age, with various causative diseases. Oriental medical treatments have considerable effects on positional vertigo, especially treated with Banhabaekchulchunma-tang gami and Taeksa-tang.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.110-123
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to develop a clinical pathway for the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation donor. For this study, a conceptual framework was developed through a review of the literature including six steps which are using in Jones Hopkins Hospital. USA. The researcher reviewed 129 medical re-cords of donor who had bone marrow donation between January 2002 to January 2004, to identify the overall service contents required by these patients and to make a preliminary clinical pathway. A content validity test was done for the preliminary clinical pathway, a professional group screened 51 medical re-cords and adopted with 3 hospitalization days as the clinical pathway framework. In the fifth step, clinical pathway test was also done to 7 donors from April 28th to July, 2004. After these processes the final clinical pathway was developed. The results of this study are as follows: 1. The vertical axis of the clinical pathway Includes the following 9 items: vital signs, nursing assessment, activity, diet, intervention, medication, test, consultation and patient teaching. The duration of the horizontal axis was 3days from admission to discharge 2. Analysis of the 129 medical records indicated that the average length of stay was 3 4 days. The medical performance according to the vertical axis in the preliminary clinical pathway consisted of 51 items After clinical validity test, it steel consisted of 51 items in the final form. 3. Clinical Validity test was done to 7 bone marrow donors. During these process, The first patient was deleted because he was out of the criteria the investigate set and 6 patients were used, finally The result of this study indicated all of 7 donors were discharged on expected day. 4. Clinical pathway enables to improve the quality of care, multidisciplinary team work It also helps nursing bone marrow donor, effective education to donor or medical member. The results of this study suggest that clinical pathway may be able to improve the quality of nursing care for bone marrow transplantation donors.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.101-104
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• 1998

Backgrouds: Twent five years have passed since the opening of the first pain clinic in korea, in 1973 at Yonsei University Hospital. The number of pain clinics are gradually increasing in recent times. It is important to plan for future pain clinics with emphasis on improving the quality of pain management. Therefore we reviewed the patients in our hospital to help us in planning for the future of our pain clinic. Methods: We analyzed 2656 patients who had visited our Kim Chan Pain Clinic, accordance to age, sex, disease, and type of treatment block, from July 1996 to August 1997. Results: The prevalent age group was in the fifties, 27.3%, seventy years and older compromised 9.2%. The most common disease were as follows: lower back pain(46.2%); cervical and upper extremities pain(23.1%); trigeminal neuralgia(7.2%); and hyperhydrosis(5.8%) Both nerve blocks and medication were prescribed as treatment. Lumbar epidural block(16.3%) and stellate ganglion block(15.6%) were the most frequent blocks performed among various nerve blocks. Among nerve block under C-arm guidance, lumbar facet joint block(24.4%) and lumbar root block(22.5%) were performed most frequently. Trigeminal nerve block(18.4%), thoracic(17.0%) and lumbar sympathetic ganglion block(11.4%) were next most prevalent blocks performed frequent block. Conclusions: Treatments at our hospital were focused on nerve blocks and medications prescriptions. Nerve blocks are of particular importance in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain. However in future, to raise the quality of pain management, we need to fucus on a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary team approach.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6679-6683
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• 2014

Background: Carcinoid crisis is a life-threating syndrome of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) characterized by dramatic blood pressure fluctuation, arrhythmias, and bronchospasm. In the era of booming anti-tumor therapeutics, this has become more important since associated stresses can trigger carcinoid crisis. Somatostatin analogues (SSTA) have been recommended for prophylactic administration before intervention procedures for functioning NETs. However, the efficacy is still controversial. The aim of this article is to review efficacy of SSTA for preventing carcinoid crisis. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Controlled trials Register, and EMBASE were searched using 'carcinoid crisis' as a search term combining terms with 'somatostatin'; 'octreotide'; 'lanreotide' and 'pasireotide' until December 2013. Results: Twenty-eight articles were retrieved with a total of fifty-three unique patients identified for carcinoid crisis. The most common primary sites of NETs were the small intestine and respiratory tract. The triggering factors for carcinoid crisis included anesthesia/surgery (63.5%), interventional therapy (11.5%), radionuclide therapy (9.6%), examination (7.7%), medication (3.8%), biopsy (2%) and spontaneous (2%). No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and two case-control studies were included to assess the efficacy of SSTA for preventing carcinoid crisis by meta-analysis. The overall pooled risk of perioperative carcinoid crisis was similar despite the prophylactic administration of SSTA (OR 0.44, 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.35, p=0.15). Conclusions: SSTA wasnot helpful for preventing carcinoid crisis based on a meta-analysis of retrospective studies. Attentive monitoring and careful intervention are essential. Future studies with better quality are needed to clarify any effect of SSTA for preventing carcinoid crisis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.93-111
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• 2017

Objectives: The aim of this study is to make evidence-based data for developing a traditional Korean medicine clinical practice guideline for acute bronchitis. Methods: We searched 3 international databases(PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL) and 7 domestic databases (KoreaMed, Kmbase, NDSL, KISS, KISTI, OASIS, KoreaTK) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acute bronchitis using medicine in recent 10 years. The chosen trials were analyzed by their study design, age range, intervention group, control group, primary and second outcome measure, inclusion and exclusion of participants and adverse events. Results: 15 RCTs are finally included in this study and most of their medications are herbal medicine. For diagnosis and outcome measure of acute bronchitis, Bronchitis Severity Score(BSS) was mostly used. Other measurements eligible are coughing fits, quality of life scale, sputum viscosity, change of individual symptoms and patient's satisfaction. Test duration was for average 7days and safety assessment was held by recording adverse events. Except for anti-inflammatory and antibiotic trials, all medications are found to be effective and well-tolerated. General risk of bias of chosen trials is evaluated low. Conclusions: A well designed clinical trials for traditional Korean medicine of acute bronchitis is needed and this study is expected to make it available.