본 연구는 B형 및 C형 간염에 대한 한약 치료의 효과를 평가하기 위해 무작위 임상연구를 대상으로 체계적 문헌고찰 및 메타분석을 시행하였다. 검색엔진은 EMBASE, Pubmed, NDSL, KMBASE, KISS, KISTI, Koreamed, Koreantk, Oasis database를 이용하였으며 국내의 검색 엔진 키워드는 '간염' 또는 '바이러스성간염', '한약', '무작위 배정 임상시험'을, 국외 검색 엔진 키워드는 'hepatitis' or 'viral hepatitis' and 'herbal medicine' or 'traditional chinese medicine' and 'randomized controlled trial'을 이용하였다. 연구 결과 15개의 무작위배정 임상시험을 선택되었으며, 그 중 통계적으로 유의미한 결과를 나타낸 연구는 한약과 양약 복합치료군이 양약을 투여한 대조군에 비해 HBV DNA loss에서 높은 효과를 보였다. 한약과 양약 복합치료군이 양약을 투여한 대조군에 비해 HBeAg loss에서 통계적으로 유의한 효과를 보였으며, 한약과 양약 복합치료군이 양약을 투여한 대조군에 비해 ALT가 감소하였다. 본 연구는 B형 및 C형 간염환자를 대상으로 한약의 효과를 확인하기 위해 기존에 시행된 RCT 연구를 대상으로 체계적 문헌고찰을 시행하였으며, 한약과 양약의 복합치료가 양약 단독치료에 비해 치료효과가 더 높은 것으로 나타났다.

목적: 본 연구는 대전대학교 부속 한방병원에서 암을 주소로 입원치료를 받은 환자를 대상으로 내원 동기 및 만족도를 평가하고자 한다. 방법: 총 100명의 입원환자를 대상으로 의료서비스 만족도 측정을 위한 설문조사를 실시하였다. 통계분석은 독립표본 T검정(Independent t-test), 분산 분석(ANOVA)을 사용하였다. 결과: 암환자들이 한방병원에 내원한 주된 동기는 '암의 전이 및 재발을 예방하기 위해서'로 조사되었다. 환자들은 한방 치료 중 침과 뜸에 대해 가장 높은 만족도를 보였다. 5점 척도로 구성된 만족도 조사에서 한의사 서비스와 관련된 만족도는 평균 4.80점, 의료서비스 이용 관련 만족도는 4.68점으로 나타났다. 결론: 대부분의 암환자는 한방병원의 의료서비스에 만족하는 것으로 나타났고 성별, 연령 및 직업에 따른 한방 의료서비스 만족도에는 유의한 차이가 없었다.

Purpose: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic syndrome accompanied by repetitive digestive symptoms that appear in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are not caused by specific diseases. Psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and somatization are frequently observed in FD. The purpose of this study was to review the effect of herbal medicine on the psychological symptoms that accompany FD. Methods: Database search (PubMed, EMBASE, KISS, Kmbase, KoreanMed, NDSL, OASIS, CNKI) was performed on February 24, 2021; a total of 1825 studies were searched. After the screening, 22 studies were included. Results: The studies were assessed by Cochrane RoB 2 and sorted into a table according to psychological symptoms. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the effect of herbal medicine. Twenty of the twenty-two studies reported that herbal medicine was significantly more effective than the control group. Only three of the studies did not have a high risk of bias. Conclusion: Herbal medicine was significantly effective with or without Western medicine and had fewer adverse effects. Severe adverse effect was not reported. Psychological symptoms in FD affect onset and duration of FD, and some FD patients want to be treated for their anxiety before other symptoms. Reliable information about treatment for the psychological symptoms of FD is lacking. We reviewed the effect of herbal medicine treatment in this study, the results of which could be selected for primary or secondary treatment for FD.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to review the status of numeric rating scale (NRS) usage and suggest the potential for use in multicenter retrospective studies of various diseases. Methods: Articles published from 2011 to 2021 that used the keywords "NRS", "Multi-center", and "RCT" were identified in foreign databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, CENTRAL. The articles were analyzed according to their use of "NRS" by symptoms and by disease group using the major classifications of the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD-7). Results: Classification by symptom in a total of 288 articles illustrates that the NRS was not only commonly used in pain evaluation but also for non-pain symptoms. In usage with non-pain symptoms, chief complaint of patients was the most common at 79%, and other factors included treatment satisfaction, evaluation of daily life, and sleep quality. In disease classification according to the KCD-7, the NRS was commonly used in connection with musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases but was also utilized in various other disease groups. Conclusions: This study confirms usage of the NRS in multi-center RCTs, as the NRS was widely used in all types of diseases and symptoms. Considering the result and the advantages of the NRS, it is recommended for use as a daily evaluation tool for the collection of common data in multicenter retrospective studies.

Objective: This study investigated the perception, diagnosis, and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the general population, in patients, and in Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) in order to provide basic information for the development of Korean medicine clinical practice guidelines for IBS. Methods: A questionnaire was developed in two versions, one for the general population/patients and one for KMDs. The questions were about the general perception, diagnosis, and treatment of IBS. Both online and offline surveys were conducted using these questionnaires. Results: In total, 213 general population/patients and 435 KMDs responded to the survey. The results of the analysis were as follows. Most of the KMDs diagnosed IBS based on clinical aspects. Acupuncture was the most common treatment, followed by prescription herbal medicine, moxibustion, and manufactured herbal medicine. 34.3% of KMDs used clinical practice guidelines for IBS patient treatment. 57.8% of patients were diagnosed with IBS by doctors at primary medical institutions, and 53.1% were diagnosed with colonoscopy. More than half of the IBS patients who have been treated with Korean medicine said they experienced improvement of symptoms and prevention of recurrence, but more than 70% of the respondents said future safety and effectiveness studies of Korean medicine were needed. Conclusions: In spite of the positive perception of IBS treatment with Korean medicine, actual utilization was relatively low. The development and promotion of, as well as education about, appropriate and reasonable Korean medicine practice guidelines for IBS is necessary.

Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of Sayeok-san for treating insomnia. Methods: We conducted a search using keywords, such as "Sayeoksan", "Si-ni-san", and "insomnia" in eight databases (CNKI, Wanfang, Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, NDSL, OASIS, RISS) on July 17, 2012. There was no limit placed on the publication period of the papers, and we used Cochrane's risk of bias tool to assess their quality. Meta-analysis was classified according to the outcome measurements, such as total effective rate and PSQI. Results: Nine RCTs were selected. Meta-analysis showed that the treatment group, which used Sayeok-san, had a higher total effective rate than did the control group that used only Western medicine. The treatment group also had a lower average of PSQI and TSS (TCM symptom score) than did the control group. Conclusion: This study suggests that Sayeok-san is effective in treating insomnia. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to unknown or high risk of bias of the included trials.

Objectives: This pilot study aimed to confirm the possibility of applying our design to the main study, a retrospective medical record analysis of the diseases which have most frequently been treated with collaborations of Korean and Western medicine, and to identify what corrections and statistical models are needed to conduct the main study. Methods: Data were collected from a case report form developed for patients who received treatment in the medical institutions. Appropriate statistical techniques, like Propensity Score (PS) and Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE) models, were used to compare the indicators of collaboration and non-collaboration groups for patients in comparable diseases. Results: Using PS matching for each M and S disease group, the indicators were compared by balancing the collaboration and non-collaboration group, and the GEE models compared indicators between groups in each disease over follow-up. Through this process we identified two limitations, insufficient samples and a large deviation of the follow-up period. Conclusion: This pilot study confirmed that the study design and case report form are applicable. The main study will be conducted by collecting sufficient samples and reflecting deviation of follow-up period.

Objectives: This study examines the effect of Banhabaekchulcheonma-tang on Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) through a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI). Methods: RCTs were included that tested the effect of Banhabaekchulcheonma-tang on BPPV. A study of the literature in the CNKI was performed for papers published from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2021. Results: A total of eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria. All studies identified the effect of Banhabaekchulcheonma-tang in the treatment of BPPV. The effectiveness of treatment was higher in the intervention group than in the control group, as shown through evaluation indicators, including the total effective rate, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), and blood lipids. Conclusion: Treatment with Banhabaakchulcheonma-tang was found to be effective in treating BPPV. However, due to the low quality of available studies, the significance of this conclusion is somewhat limited. Further clinical studies are needed on the development of diagnosis and treatment methods for BPPV based on Korean medicine.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the safety of Korean medicine treatment in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222). Methods: We investigated patients at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital who were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine between June 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The safety of Korean medicine treatment was evaluated by examining adverse events that occurred within seven days of vaccination, including liver function and kidney function testing, assessment of the severity of adverse events, and examination of causality to vaccines and Korean medicine treatment. Results: Eleven patients vaccinated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were included. A total of 19 adverse events were reported: 15 systemic adverse events, three local adverse events, and one alanine aminotransferase increase. The most commonly reported systemic adverse events were fatigue (4 cases, 36.4%), headache (4 cases, 36.4%), and myalgia (4 cases, 36.4%). All adverse events were rated below moderate (grade 2) in severity. Systemic and local adverse events were evaluated as definitely related to vaccination and unlikely to be related to Korean medicine treatment, while alanine aminotransferase increase was evaluated as unlikely to be related to either the vaccine or Korean medicine treatment. Aspartate transaminase, Blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were measured within the reference range after vaccination. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the severity and frequency of adverse events in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine did not increase after Korean medicine treatment.

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to assess the efficacy and safety of Hwangryunhaedok-tang for type 2 diabetes without complications by systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: We searched the following up to March 31. 2021: PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CiNii, KISS, KMBASE, OASIS, ScienceON. Data extraction and assessment of Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool were performed by two independent authors, and if there was disagreement between two researchers, it was resolved through the intervention of a third researcher. Results: A total of seven trials are included in this systemic review. The treatment group (Hwangryunhaedok-tang plus conventional treatment) showed more statistically significant effects than did the control group (conventional treatment only) in fasting plasma glucose level, 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose level, glycated hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin level, and HOMA-IR. There was no significant difference between the treatment group (Hwangryunhaedok-tang alone) and the control group (metformin alone). Conclusion: Hwangryunhaedok-tang might have efficacy and safety in controlling blood sugar level and improving insulin-resistance. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was insufficient, and the Hwangryunhaedok-tang used in the included studies was not standardized. Also, the quality of the involved studies was generally low. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of Hwangryunhaedok-tang treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: This study was designed to analyze the utility of routine chest X-ray on Korean medicine hospital admission. Methods: The chest X-ray reports and medical records of 618 patients who were admitted to Daejeon Korean Medicine Hospital from May 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Of the 618 patients newly hospitalized from May 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021, 560 patients (excluding readmission) were analyzed. The mean age of 560 patients was 53.26±17.20 years. There were 52 patients with abnormal findings, and their mean age was 69.62±15.59 years. Many of these patients had chest symptoms and a history of chest disease. There was no case that showed a significant diagnostic result by chest X-ray examination. Conclusion: The diagnostic usefulness of routine chest X-rays in Korean medicine hospital admission is low. But this does not mean that there is no need to perform routine chest X-rays upon admission.

Objectives: This study analyzed, through network analysis and data mining analysis, the relationship between herbs used in osteoporosis prescriptions, diversified the analysis of osteoporosis-related prescriptions, and analyzed the combination of herbs used in osteoporosis-related prescriptions. Methods: The prescriptions used in osteoporosis treatment and experiments were established by conducting a full survey of the papers published by the OASIS site. A database for osteoporosis-related prescriptions was established, herbs were extracted, and the frequency of frequent herbs and prescriptions were investigated using Excel (MS offices ver. 2013). Using the freeware R version 4.0.3 (2020-10-10), igraph, and arules package, network analysis was performed in the first second of prescription composition. Results: Among the osteoporosis-related prescriptions, the most studied prescriptions are as follows.: Yukmijihwang-tang (六味地黃湯) and Samul-tang (四物湯). In the osteoporosis prescription network, herbs with connection centrality, proximity centrality, mediation centrality, and eigenvector centrality appeared in the order of Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Poria Sclerotium, Paeoniae Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. After extracting the herbal combination network, including the corresponding herbs, and clustering it, it can be divided into drugs of the Yukmijihwang-tang (六味地黃湯) series and the Samul-tang (四物湯). Conclusions: This study could assist researchers in diversifyingy formula analysis in future studies. Moreover, the herbal combination used in osteoporosis prescriptions could be used to search for osteoporosis prescriptions in other databases or to create a new prescription.

Objectives: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is strongly related with central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), hyperglycemia, and hypertension. This study reviewed the potential of Chenpi in treatment of MetS through amelioration of co-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Methods: Six electronic databases (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), PubMed, and Embase) were used to search for in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research that discusses the potential effects of Chenpi (Citrus unshiu Markovich, Citrus reticulata Blanco) on diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Results: This review suggests the potential of Chenpi as a candidate for the treatment of metabolic syndrome through improvement of co-related diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. However, comparison of the results of each study was limited by a lack of quantification of the experimental materials.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Baekhogainsam-tang for type 2 diabetes without complications by systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: For a systematic review and meta-analysis, we set a key question in accordance with PICOT-SD. We searched the following up to March 31. 2021: PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CiNii, KISS, KMBASE, OASIS, and ScienceON. A meta-analysis was conducted by synthesizing the results, including fasting plasma glucose level, postprandial 2-hour plasma glucose level, and Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results: A total of five trials are included in this systemic review. The treatment group (Baekhogainsam-tang plus conventional treatment) showed more statistically significant effect than did the control group (conventional treatment only) in fasting plasma glucose level, postprandial 2-hour plasma glucose level, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Conclusions: Baekhogainsam-tang showed statistically significant effects in hypoglycemic effect and in improving insulin resistance. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was insufficient, and the BIT used in the included studies was not standardized. This topic requires further attention and more clinical research.

Objectives: The aim of this case report is to present abdominal pain relief in a patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer with several organ metastases. Methods: The patient was treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion. The effect of the treatment was measured by a numeric rating scale (NRS). Results: The NRS of the patient's abdominal pain was reduced after Korean medicine treatment. Conclusions: This case report suggests that Korean medicine may be effective for treating abdominal pain in cancer patients. However, additional study is needed to confirm interactions between Korean medicine and the control of abdominal pain.

Objectives: This study reports a case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in which the patient experienced improved limb weakness, facial paralysis, paresthesia, and systemic pain after Korean medicine treatment. Methods: A 25-year-old female patient diagnosed with GBS received the herbal medicine Banhasasim-tang Soft Ext., acupuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and rehabilitation treatment. To confirm the change in symptoms, the manual muscle test (MMT), Korean Version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), Yanagihara grading system (Y-score) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) were performed. Results: After Korean medicine treatment, there was a significant improvement in GBS-related clinical symptoms. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatment could be effective in improving symptoms of limb weakness, facial paralysis, paresthesia, and systemic pain related to GBS. However, this study has limitations as a case report, and more studies are needed.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to introduce the normalization effects of stimulation of both ST36 and CV11, 12, 13 meridian points on the abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity in two cases of functional dyspeptic patients with gastric dysmotility. Methods: Gastric myoelectrical activity was recorded by electrogastrography every two weeks until their gastric myoelectrical activity finally reached the normality. Dominant frequency of gastric slow waves in the fasting and postprandial periods and a dominant power ratio were obtained on each occasion. Patients were treated three times each day: 9 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm. The first treatment consisted of manual and immersion stimulation on all used meridian points for 20 min. In the second and third treatments, electrical stimulation of both ST36 was added. It was conducted for 20 min at a strength intensity of 1.2 times the pain threshold at a frequency of 3 Hz. Results: Stimulation of the above meridian points normalized abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity. The time taken to return from abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity to normal was 16-19 weeks. Conclusion: Stimulation of both ST36 and CV11, 12, 13 meridian points normalized the abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity in the functional dyspepsia of gastric dysmotility.

This study presents a case of add-on traditional Korean medical treatments in a 77-year-old male patient with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus with conventional oral hypoglycemic agents. Chief complaints were uncontrolled glucose level and weight loss. The patient was treated with electroacupuncture (on ST36, CV4, and CV12), herbal medication, and lifestyle advice. The conventional oral hypoglycemic medications were maintained. After 12 weeks, the glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) decreased from 11.0% to 8.4%. There were significant abnormalities in the liver function and renal function tests, but no adverse event was reported. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings of this case.