• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2007

Conductive rubber material was molded in a belt shape to measure respiration. Its resistivity was approximately $0.03{\;}{\Omega}m$ and the resistance-displacement relationship showed a negative exponent. The temperature coefficient was approximately $0.006{\;}k{\Omega}/^{\circ}C$ negligible when practically applied on the abdomen. The conductive rubber belt was applied on a normal male's abdomen with the dimensional change measured during resting breathing. The abdominal signal was differentiated ($F_{m}$) and compared with the accurate standard air flow rate signal ($F_{s}$) obtained by pneumotachometry. $F_{m}$ and $F_{s}$ differed in waveform, but the start and end timings of each breaths were clearly synchronized, demonstrating that the respiratory frequency could be accurately estimated before further processing of $F_{m}$. $F_{m}-F_{s}$ loop showed a nonlinear hysteresis within each breath period, thus 6 piecewise linear approximation was performed, leading to a mean relative error of 14 %. This error level was relatively large for clinical application, though customized calibration seemed feasible for monitoring general variation of ventilation. The present technique would be of convenient and practical application as a new wearable respiratory transducer.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.256-263
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• 2015

Background: Initial treatment of acute upper respiratory infection (AURI) should not include antibiotics because most AURIs are caused by virus. However, the prescription rate of antibiotics in Korea is higher than in any other countries. Inappropriate use of antibiotics in Korea accelerated the emergence of antibiotics resistance and increased the social and economic burden. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors related to antibiotics use for the AURI among children-adolescents and adults. Methods: This study analyzed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Sample data which was nationally representative sampling stratified by sex and age. Results: The influencing factors of antibiotics use for AURI are gender, age, types of medical security, primary disease, existence of concomitant disease, treatment seasons, first visit or revisit, indicated specialty, types of medical institution, and location of medical institution. Conclusion: The results showed health policy makers are required to place more efforts to resolve inappropriate antibiotics use. Especially they need to establish a health policy to reduce the gap between areas and specialties and recommend standardized clinical guidelines according to the subgroup code of AURI and the age group of patients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the Compare the effects of inspiratory muscle strengthening training and expiratory muscle strengthening training of normal adult respiratory function. Method : In this study, we want to compare the effect of inspiratory muscle strengthening training(n=8) and expiratory muscle strengthening training(n=8) to target the normal adult 16 people. expiratory muscle strengthening training, was 25 minutes of training on the basis of the breathing image program that has been pre-recorded. inspiratory muscle strengthening training, use the power-breathe plus on the measured resistance value, was carried out for 25 minutes. Using the spirometer in order to examine the ability to breathe, FVC, FEV1, FEV1 / FVC, MVV was measured. Result : The results showd that in the breath muscle strengthening training FVC, FEV1, MVV increased statistically significantly. The inspiration muscle strength training FVC, FEV1, MVV was a statistically significant increase, FEV1/FVC decreased. There was no statistically significant difference between. Conclusion : In conclusion, both methods give the result of increasing the effective respiratory function. Inspiratory muscle strengthening training, the function of the lung is very limited to be used when and by us effectively and expiratory muscle strengthening training to increase the capacity of the lung is an effective way that will increase the volume.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2019

The pathogen Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is the most common cause of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease worldwide. The decision to initiate long-term antibiotic treatment is difficult for the physician due to inconsistent disease progression and adverse effects associated with the antibiotic treatment. The prognostic factors for the progression of MAC pulmonary disease are low body mass index, poor nutritional status, presence of cavitary lesion(s), extensive disease, and a positive acid-fast bacilli smear. A regimen consisting of macrolides (clarithromycin or azithromycin) with rifampin and ethambutol has been recommended; this regimen significantly improves the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease and should be maintained for at least 12 months after negative sputum culture conversion. However, the rates of default and disease recurrence after treatment completion are still high. Moreover, treatment failure or macrolide resistance can occur, although in some refractory cases, surgical lung resection can improve treatment outcomes. However, surgical resection should be carefully performed in a well-equipped center and be based on a rigorous risk-benefit analysis in a multidisciplinary setting. New therapies, including clofazimine, inhaled amikacin, and bedaquiline, have shown promising results for the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease, especially in patients with treatment failure or macrolide-resistant MAC pulmonary disease. However, further evidence of the efficacy and safety of these new treatment regimens is needed. Also, a new consensus is needed for treatment outcome definitions as widespread use of these definitions could increase the quality of evidence for the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2021

Background and Objectives Tracheostomy lead to persistent bacterial colonization of the respiratory tract. Surgical site infection and restenosis by the pathogenic bacteria is the most fatal complication after open airway surgery. The aim of this study is to describe the culture results of larynx and tracheostoma in patients with tracheostomy and the preoperative, intraoperative culture results in patients underwent open airway surgery. Materials and Method A retrospective review was performed on 18 patients who underwent culture between 2017 and 2019. Results Pseudomonas or antibiotic resistance bacteria were identified in 11 patients out of 18 patients (61.1%); Ceftriaxone-resistant Streptococcus (38.9%), Pseudomonas (33.3%), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (16.7%), extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.1%). Among 18 patients, 6 patients showed the different culture result between larynx and tracheostoma. In 4 out of 10 patients who underwent open airway surgery, the bacteria were not identified before surgery, but the bacteria were isolated in the intraoperative culture. In one patient, the bacteria detected intraoperatively were different from those detected before surgery. Conclusion Preoperative respiratory tract culture and usage of perioperative antibiotics according to the culture are necessary. It is crucial to verify the bacterial culture in both tracheostoma and larynx. And it should be performed immediately before open airway surgery.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

Background: Surveillance of TB drug resistance (DR) is essential for providing information on the magnitude and trends in resistance, for developing treatment guidelines and for monitoring the effect of interventions. Up to now national surveys of drug resistance of M. tuberculosis have been conducted four times since 1994 among patients registered at health centers. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of primary drug resistance among new cases identified in private sector, and to compare it with the previous national drug resistance surveys. Methods: The study collected results of drug susceptibility testing (DST) performed at the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis by the request of private sector from January 2003 to December 2005, and then finally selected new cases for the analysis from the database of Korean TB Surveillance (KTBS) by matching patients' name and social identification numbers. Results: Of the 5,132 new patients included in the study, 689 (13.4%) patients were found to have drug resistance at least one drug, 530 patients (10.3%) were isoniazid resistant, 195 patients (3.8%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR), and 21 patients (0.4%) were extensively drug resistant (XDR). The rate of drug resistance tended to decrease annually but it was not statistically significant. When compared with previous national DR surveys in 2003 and in 2004 respectively, they were not significantly different. Conclusion: The prevalence of DR among new cases managed in the private sector did not show significant difference from that of new patients registered in the public sector in the same year.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.6
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• pp.431-437
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• 2011

Background: We tried to examine the small airway diseases which can be found early, in workers exposed to inorganic dusts. This is measured in normal breath by using the impulse oscillometry (IOS). Methods: The Pulmonary function test (forced vital capacit [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [$FEV_1$], forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity [$FEF_{25-75}$]), IOS resistance (Rrs at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35 Hz) and reactance (Xrs at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35 Hz) were measured for 454 workers. The subjects were classified into 173 workers of normal (38.1%) and 281 patients with pneumoconiosis (61.9%). Results: There were significant differences between normal and patients with FVC ($3.82{\pm}0.61$ vs. $3.53{\pm}0.56L$), $FEV_1$ ($2.67{\pm}0.63$ vs. $2.35{\pm}0.48L$), and $FEF_{25-75}$ ($1.88{\pm}0.95$ vs. $1.47{\pm}0.80L/sec$) between groups (p<0.05). And as for IOS, there was no significant difference in resistance (Rrs) (p>0.05), and there were significant differences between normal and patients with reactance (Xrs) 15 Hz ($0.003{\pm}0.05$ vs. $-0.006{\pm}0.04kPa/L/s$), 20 Hz ($0.043{\pm}0.05$ vs. $0.031{\pm}0.04kPa/L/s$), and 35 Hz ($0.141{\pm}0.05$ vs. $0.131{\pm}0.05kPa/L/s$) between groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: We could find out that 15 Hz, 20 Hz, and 35 Hz values of reactance were significantly influenced by pneumoconiosis. When usefulness and reproducibility to carry out the IOS are considered, it is thought that in future work will be required to draw the reference values for normal Korean persons.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2000

Objectives: The sensitivity and accuracy of thermistor airflow signal has been debated. The purposes of this study were to compare apnea-hypopnea index(AHI) detected from a conventional thermistor signal and a nasal pressure transducer of airflow(NPT), to evaluate the value of NPT for the diagnosis of upper airway resistance syndrome(UARS), and to measure airway pressure fluctuations which produced respiratory arousals in UARS by naso-oro-esophageal manometer catheter. The subjects were 30 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [mild(540), 10), and 6 UARS patients. Airway resistance arousal in this study was defined as arousals which were not associated with apnea or hypopnea of thermistor signal, but showed significant decrease of nasal airflow pressure just before arousal and a prompt recovery of nasal airflow pressure after arousal. The airway pressure fluctuations were measured during 260 airway resistance arousals observed in 10 patients with OSAS, 2 with UARS. Results: Mean AHIs of patients with OSAS were 33.4 by thermistor and 48.4 by NPT. The AHIs of mild, moderate and severe OSAS groups were 10.2, 32.1, 65.4 respectively by thermistor and 23.1, 45.9, 76.4 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with UARS was 3.2 by thermistor and 10.8 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with nonspecific arousals was 2.7 by thermistor and 4.4 by NPT. The mean airway pressure changes during respiratory arousals of different groups were $8.7\;cmH_2O$ in mild OSAS, $11.4\;cmH_2O$ in moderate OSAS, $24.7\;cmH_2O$ in severe OSAS and $6.6\;cmH_2O$ in UARS. Conclusion: The nasal pressure transducer of airflow was more sensitive and accurate for assessing respiratory disturbances of patients with OSAS and was extremely helpful for the diagnosis of UARS without esophageal pressure monitoring. From the results, we would like to propose carefully the NPT diagnostic criteria for sleep disordered breathing as follows: NPT-AHI 5-15 $\rightarrow$ UARS, 15-35 $\rightarrow$ mild OSAS, 35-55 $\rightarrow$ moderate OSAS and >55 $\rightarrow$ severe OSAS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2006

Background : Despite the emerging danger of MDR-TB to human beings, there have only been a limited number of drugs developed to treat MDR-TB since 1970. This study investigated the cross-resistance rate between rifampicin (RFP) and rifabutin (RBU) in order to determine the efficacy of rifabutin in treating MDR-TB. In addition, the results of rifabutin were correlated with the rpoB mutations, which are believed to be markers for MDR-TB and RFP resistance. Methods : The MICs of RBU were tested against 126 clinical isolates of MDR-TB submitted to the clinical laboratory of National Masan TB Hospital in 2004. Five different concentrations ($10-160{\mu}g/ml$) were used for the MICs. The detection of the rpoB mutations was performed using a RFP resistance detection kit with a line probe assay(LiPA), which contains the oligonucleotide probes for 5 wide type and 3 specific mutations (513CCA, 516GTC, and 531TTG) The rpoB mutation was determined by direct sequencing. Results : The rate of cross-resistance between RFP and RBU was 70.5%(74/105) at $20{\mu}g/ml$ RBU(ed note: How much RFP?) Most mutations (86.3%) occurred in the 524~534 codons. The His526Gln, His526Leu, Leu533Pro, Gln513Glu, and Leu511Pro mutations(Ed note: Is this correct?) were associated with the susceptibilty to RBU. Conclusion : Based on the cross-resistance rate between RFP and RBU, RBU may be used effectively in some MDR-TB patients. Therefore, a conventional drug susceptibility test for RBU and a determination of the critical concentration are needed. However, rpoB gene mutation test may be have limited clinical applications in detecting RBU resistance.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2005

Background : Fluoroquinolone drugs are an important anti-tuberculous agent for the treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. However, many drugs belonging to the fluoroquinolones have different cross resistance to each other. Methods : Sixty-three ofloxacin (OFX) resistant and 10 pan-susceptible M. tuberculosis isolates were selected, and compared for their cross resistance using a proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen media, containing ofloxacin (OFX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), levofloxacin (LVX), moxifloxacin (MXF), gatifloxacin (GAT) and sparfloxacin (SPX), at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to $3{\mu}g/ml$. DNA extracted from the isolates was directly sequenced after amplifying from the gyrA and gyrB genes. Results : The 63 OFX resistant M. tuberculosis isolates showed complete cross resistance to CIP, but only 90.5, 44.4, 36.5 and 46.0% to LVX, MXF, GAT, and to SPX, respectively. Fifty-one of the isolates (81.0%) had point mutations in codons 88, 90, 91 and 94 in gyrA, which are known to be correlated with OFX resistance. The Gly88Ala, Ala90Valand Asp94Ala mutations in gyrA showed a tendency to be susceptible to MXF, GAT and SPX. Only 4 isolates had mutations in the gyrB gene, which did not affect the OFX resistance. Conclusion : About 60% of the OFX resistant M. tuberculosis isolates were susceptible to GAT, SPX and MXF. These fluoroquinolones may be useful in the treatment of TB patients showing OFX resistance.