• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.210-216
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• 2021

Background: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of acute herpes zoster. The treatment of PHN remains a challenge for clinical pain management. Despite the effectiveness of anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and lidocaine patches in reducing PHN, many patients still face intractable pain disorders. In this randomized controlled study, we evaluated whether hydromorphone through intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) was effective in relieving PHN. Methods: Patients with PHN were randomly divided into two groups, one group received oral pregabalin with IV normal saline, another group received oral pregabalin with additional IV PCA hydromorphone for two weeks. Efficacy was evaluated at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the end of the treatments. Results: Two hundred and one patients were followed up for 12 weeks. After treatment, numerical rating scale (NRS) score of patients in the hydromorphone group was significantly lower than that of the control group, and the difference of NRS scores between the two groups was statistically significant at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. The frequency of breakthrough pain in the hydromorphone group was significantly lower than that in the control group 1 and 4 weeks after treatment. After treatment, the quality of sleep in the hydromorphone group was significantly improved compared with the control group. The most common adverse reactions in the hydromorphone group were dizziness and nausea, with no significant respiratory depression. Conclusions: IV PCA hydromorphone combined with oral pregabalin provides superior pain relief in patients with PHN, which is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.636-645
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was performed to find phytoncide (monoterpene) emission characteristics and weather factors for application in prediction modeling for phytoncide weather services. Methods: From 2017 to 2019, one coniferous forest and one deciduous forest were selected to investigate the monthly emission characteristics and identify the correlation with weather factors. Research items were analyzed for 11 species known to be emitting the most monoterpenes. Results: Phytoncide (monoterpene) began to increase in April when trees were activated and continued to be released until November. The concentration range of monoterpene in deciduous forests was 0.0 to 427.4 ng/S㎥ and coniferous forests was 0.0 to 1,776.8 ng/S㎥. Phytoncide emission concentrations in deciduous forests were 20 to 90 percent of those in coniferous forests, and averaged 39 percent overall. The correlation between monoterpene and temperature was very close, with 0.835 for the broadleaf forest and 0.875 for the coniferous forest. Monoterpene and humidity were found to be 0.731 for the broadleaf forest and 0.681 for the coniferous forest, while wind speed showed a negative correlation of -0.482 and -0.424, respectively. Regression of temperature with phytoncide showed that the coefficient of determination (r2) was highly correlated with 0.75 for the broadleaf forest and 0.80 for the coniferous forest. Not only is phytoncide concentration affected by temperature, humidity, and wind speed, but also rainfall over the preceeding one to three days. Nearby rainfall on the day of sampling was found to have a direct effect on the physiological activities of the trees. Conclusions: Overall, if the values of monoterpene and temperature, humidity, and wind speed are used as basic factors, and rainfall from one to three days previous is replaced with complementary values, it is believed that the numerical analysis and modeling of daily and monthly phytoncide will be possible.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2021

Background: Many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receiving monotherapy continue to experience symptoms, exacerbations and poor quality of life. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of direct switch from once-daily tiotropium (TIO) 18 ㎍ to indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) 110/50 ㎍ once daily in COPD patients in Korea. Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, parallel group, 12-week trial in mild-to-moderate COPD patients who received TIO 18 ㎍ once daily for ≥12 weeks prior to study initiation. Patients aged ≥40 years, with predicted post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) ≥50%, post-bronchodilator FEV₁/forced vital capacity <0.7 and smoking history of ≥10 pack-years were included. Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either IND/GLY or TIO. The primary objective was to demonstrate superiority of IND/GLY over TIO in pre-dose trough FEV₁ at week 12. Secondary endpoints included transition dyspnea index (TDI) focal score, COPD assessment test (CAT) total score, and rescue medication use following the 12-week treatment, and safety assessment. Results: Of the 442 patients screened, 379 were randomized and 347 completed the study. IND/GLY demonstrated superiority in pre-dose trough FEV₁ versus TIO at week 12 (least squares mean treatment difference [Δ], 50 mL; p=0.013). Also, numerical improvements were observed with IND/GLY in the TDI focal score (Δ, 0.31), CAT total score (Δ, -0.81), and rescue medication use (Δ, -0.09 puffs/day). Both treatments were well tolerated by patients. Conclusion: A direct switch from TIO to IND/GLY provided improvements in lung function and other patient-reported outcomes with an acceptable safety profile in patients with mild-to-moderate airflow limitation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.99-112
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• 2022

From early 2000, many researchers in the groundwater and soil environment remediation project tried to calculate the pollution level and pollution remediation cost and reflect it in the design. In addition, by identifying the movement characteristics of oil pollutants in the underground environment, many researchers tried to derive design factors necessary for pollution purification. However, although the test should be conducted in an area contaminated with oil, the toxicity and risk are too great for testing by deliberately leaking pollutants that are harmful to the human body. And as oil-contaminated areas are promoted by military units such as returned US military bases, there is a limit to access by the general public. In addition, since the indoor simulation test and the field application test have been carried out separately from each other, it was difficult to compare and review various simulation tests Therefore, in this study, PITT (Partitioning Interwell Tracer Test) and analysis methods were specifically presented through actual tests so that field workers could easily use them with the help of the military base and the Korea Rural Community Corporation Soil Environment Restoration Team. However, in order to directly reflect the distribution tracer test results in the pollution remediation design, it is necessary to reduce the analysis errors by comparing the analysis results of the existing soil pollution survey, physical exploration, and numerical modeling. In addition, it is judged to be cautious in the analysis because errors can easily occur due to various factors such as the type of oil at the polluted site, the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer, and the skill of the researcher.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2022

Objectives : This study is to report a case of otitis media with effusion accompanied by atopic dermatitis improved by Korean medicine monotherapy. Methods : A 31-year-old woman patient visited our clinic for aural fullness, hearing loss, and tinnitus of the left ear on August 14th, 2021. She also had abdominal pain, diarrhea, and general weakness because of side effects of antibiotics. Besides, she had nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and dry skin. Through otoscopy, her tympanum was fully filled with yellow effusion. She only took Korean medicine therapy including acupuncture and herbal medicine weekly. The treatment continued for about 4 months(total 14 visits) until December 4th, 2021. Otoscopy, numerical rating scale(NRS), scoring atopic dermatitis(SCORAD) index were used to assess the symptoms. Results : On August 30, 2021, her intestinal symptoms improved. The left tympanum was recovered to normal condition as the treatment continued. The effusion disappeared on October 16th, 2021. On November 6th, 2021, peritympanic blood congestion also almost alleviated. Subjective symptoms including aural fullness, hearing loss, and tinnitus disappeared on October 16, 2021. Nasal symptoms and dry skin also improved. The SCORAD index dropped from 15 to 4. Conclusions : These results suggests that otitis media with effusion can be sufficiently managed by Korean medicine therapy. Further, active application of Korean medicine therapy to common otolaryngological diseases is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.123-138
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• 2022

Objectives This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the chuna combination treatment for patients who complain of functional impairment and pain even 3 months after total knee arthroplasty. Methods 24 patients who had 3 months of surgery and who had knee joint pain with a score of 4 or higher on the numerical rating scale (NRS) for more than a week were selected as subjects. The test group received usual care and Chuna treatment and the control group received the administration of drugs as usual care. And then the clinical efficacy and safety were compared and evaluated. Follow-up was performed 1 month after the end of treatment. Results As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the primary parameter Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (K-WOMAC) showed statistical significance in the amount of change in visit 2-visit 10 (V2-V10) in the pain domain and in the amount of change in visit 2-follow 1 (V2-FU1) in the functional domain and total score domain. The secondary parameter (NRS, risk of fall, and range of motion) showed a tendency to decrease in the degree of discomfort, but statistical significance could not be confirmed. Conclusions Because this study did not have enough study subjects, it is difficult to use the results as confirmatory evidence. However, it was confirmed that the 4-week Chuna treatment had a significant effect and safety in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. Therefore, this study is meaningful as a prior research data to prepare confirmatory evidence in the future.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2020

Purpose: Symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) include tremors, bradykinesia, and rigidity. The purpose was to explore the effects of breathing, meditation and qigong on the improving of insight, behavior, mood discomfort, depression, anxiety, and olfactory dysfunction, which are PD non-motor symptoms. Methods: Three stages of An's-4444 healing breathing, An's Gwanjeong healing meditation, and healing qigong performed 12 times for 80 minutes at a time in subjects with PD (11 patients), and pre- and post-measurements compared and evaluated. Results: The Integrated Parkinson's Rating Scale (UPDRSI) for mood discomfort after 12 healings was 69%. The Depression Scale (61%) for HAMD, and 64% for Anxiety (HAMA)), and the smell identification test (TSI) for a trial for olfactory dysfunction, improved to 82%, respectively. However, the numerical values after one month after 12 healing were almost same in all four scales. This means that the healing effect maintained until after one month. Conclusions: An's healing breathing, meditation and qigong therapy significantly improved insight, behavior, and mood discomfort, and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and olfactory dysfunction. These results suggest that An's breathing, meditation and qigong therapy are valuable as a primary therapy to improve and heal non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients. Further research in biomedical science is needed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.834-840
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• 2022

Objective : C-reactive protein (CRP) level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count are inflammatory markers used to evaluate postoperative infections. Although these markers are non-specific, understanding their normal kinetics after surgery may be helpful in the early detection of postoperative infections. To compliment the recent trend of reducing the duration of antibiotic use, this retrospective study investigated the inflammatory markers of patients who had received antibiotics within 24 hours after surgery according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service guidelines and compared them with those of patients who had received antibiotics for 5 days, which was proven to be non-infectious. Methods : We enrolled 74 patients, divided into two groups. Patients underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at a single institution between 2019 and 2020. Group A included 37 patients who received antibiotics within 24 hours after the PLIF procedure, and group B comprised 37 patients who had used antibiotics for 5 days. A 1 : 1 nearest-neighbor propensity-matched analysis was used. The clinical variables included age, sex, medical history, body mass index, estimated blood loss, and operation time. Laboratory data included CRP, ESR, and WBC, which were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Results : CRP dynamics tended to decrease after peaking on POD 3, with a similar trend in both groups. The average CRP level in group B was slightly higher than that in group A; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed operation time, number of fused levels, and estimated blood loss as significant predictors of a greater CRP peak value (r²=0.473, p<0.001) in patients. No trend (a tendency to decrease from the peak value) could be determined for ESR and WBC count on POD 7. Conclusion : Although slight differences were observed in numerical values and kinetics, sequential changes in inflammatory markers according to the duration of antibiotic administration showed similar patterns. Knowledge of CRP kinetics allows the assessment of the degree of difference between the clinical and expected values.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.175-191
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the medical record of eight cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a local Korean medicine clinic, in order to provide evidence on Korean medicine treatment of PCOS and to suggest the direction of future studies. Methods: The medical records of eight cases diagnosed with PCOS based on 2003 Rotterdam Criteria and whose total testosterone level was 0.53 ng/ml and over were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was total testosterone level, and the secondary outcomes included luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, LH/FSH ratio, weight, last mentrual period (LMP), numerical rating scale (NRS) score of dysmenorrhea, and other associated symptoms pre- and post-treatment. Korean medicine treatment consists of the complex herbal prescription consisting of Yukmijihwang-tang, Baekho-tang, Daesiho-tang, and Gyejibokryeong-hwan, modified according to symptoms; acupuncture and electroacupuncture on 中脘 (CV12), 下脘 (CV10), 關元 (CV4), 石門 (CV5), 合谷 (LI4), 太衝 (LR3), 三陰交 (SP6), and 懸鍾 (GB39); and indirect moxibustion on 神闕 (CV8). Results: The average total testosterone level lowered statistically significantly after the treatment. The average FSH and LH levels lowered with insignificance, while the average LH/FSH ratio and weight lowered statistically significantly. During the treatment period of three to six months, every patient had the menstrual cycle shortened except for one case; and two cases with infertility problem succeeded in being pregnant. There was no adverse event. Conclusions: The Korean medicine treatment was found effective in treating PCOS, especially regarding hyperandrogenism, amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, and infertility.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.255-266
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• 2020

This study conducted a systematic literature review on nursing students to find out the types and composition of patient safety-related education programs. The research was conducted systematically using PRISMA. The patient was a nursing college student, and the intervention was patient safety education. The outcome was either numerical or descriptive reports of the results measured using the tool. The types of research were carried out including randomized design, quasi-experimental design, one-group design, survey and qualitative research. The paper was searched through Medline, Embases, CINAHL, DBpia, Riss and KISS. A total of 2,468 papers were searched in the search results, and nine papers were used for analysis as a result of extracting data according to PICO. The characteristics of patient safety education of nursing college students were classified according to the teaching method, period, result variables and measurement tools. As a result, patient safety education consisted of a variety of subjects, and was being taught through lectures, clinical practice, laboratories, and simulations. The period of education also varied. The resulting variables were mainly checked for knowledge, attitude, and skill, and the tools used to measure them varied. Patient safety education for nursing college students was conducted through various topics, methods and periods at home and abroad. Therefore, continuous research is needed to establish consistent and integrated patient safety education in educational institutions and working institutions to produce nursing personnel with patient safety capabilities.