• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.19.1-19.7
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• 2016

A large portion of the Korean population has been exposed to toxic humidifier disinfectants (HDs), and considering that the majority of the victims are infants, the magnitude of the damage is expected to be considerably larger than what has currently been revealed. The current victims are voicing problems caused by various diseases, including but not limited to lung, upper respiratory tract, cardiovascular, kidney, musculoskeletal, eye, and skin diseases, etc. However, there has been difficulty in gaining validation for these health problems and identifying causal relationships due to lack of evidence proving that toxic HD is the specific causes of extrapulmonary diseases such as allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, the victims and bereaved families of the HD case have not received any support for psychological distress such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, feelings of injustice, and anger caused by the trauma. In addition, because the underlying mechanisms of the toxic materials within the HDs such as polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate, poly(oxyalkylene guanidine) hydrochloride, chloromethylisothiazolinone /methylisothiazolinone have yet to be determined, the demand for information regarding the HD issue is growing. The victims of the HD cases require support that goes beyond financial aid for medical costs and living expenses. There is a desperate need for government-led integrated support centers that provide individualized support through health screenings; in other words, we need an integrated facility that provides the appropriate social support to allow the victims to recover their physical and mental health, so as to well prepare them to return to a normal life. The implementation of such a plan requires not only the close cooperation between those departments already directly involved such as the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, but also active support on a national scale from pan-governmental consultative bodies.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.237-246
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• 1998

Objectives and Methods：This study investigated clinical characteristics, treatment modality, outcome of 57 children and adolescent inpatients(male 53, female 4) who were diagnosed as pervasive developmental disorder(PDD) by DSM-Ⅳ criteria recent five years. Results：1) The mean age at admission was $96{\pm}28.2$ months, and the mean age at which they first visited treatment facility was $52{\pm}26.6$ months. The mean hospitalization period was $43.7{\pm}31.3$ days. 2) Diagnosis：Twenty-seven(47.4%) of subjects met DSM-Ⅳ criteria for PDD NOS. Fifteen (26.3%) met for autistic disorder, nine(15.8%) met for Asperger's syndrome, and two(3.5%) met for childhood disintegrative disorder. 3) Comorbid diagnosis：The most common comorbid dignosis was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(23.8%). 4) IQ test：IQ test for twenty-eight subjects was possible. The Average of the subjects was $70{\pm}27.5$. Fifteen(53.6%) of the subjects were approximate or under 70. 5) Neurology Abnormality：EEG findings of eleven(21.2%) subjects were abnormal, brain CT or MRI findings of eight subjects(21.6%) were abnormal. 6) Family Hx：Depressive disorder were found in Eight mothers(14%). Familial loading was found in twenty families(35.1%), and familial loading of PDD was found in three(5.3%). Conclusion：The most important thing for the management of PDD is early detection and early treatment. To do so, multidisciplinary team approach should be emphasized.