• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 2024

Background: The purpose of this study was to detect signals of adverse events (AEs) of DPP-IV inhibitors using the KIDs-Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS) database. Methods: This study was conducted using AEs reported from January 2009 to December 2018 in the KIDs-KAERS database. For signal detection, disproportionality analysis was performed. Signals of DPP-IV inhibitor that satisfied the data-mining indices of reporting odds ratio (ROR) were detected. Results: Among the total number of 10,364 AEs to all oral hypoglycemic agents, the number of reported AEs related to DPP-IV inhibitors was 1,674. Analysis of reported AEs of DPP-IV inhibitors at the SOC levels showed that Respiratory system disorders were the highest at 4.31 (95% CI 3.01-6.17), followed by Skin and appendages disorders at 2.04 (95% CI 1.74-2.38). When analyzing AEs reported at the PT level, pharyngitis was the highest at 73.90 (95% CI 17.59-310.49), followed by arthralgia at 6.08 (95% CI 2.04-18.11), and coughing at 5.21 (95% CI 2.07-13.15). Conclusions: Based on the result of the study, deeper consideration is required according to the characteristics of the patients in prescribing DPP-IV inhibitors among oral hypoglycemic agents, and continuous monitoring of the occurrence of related Adverse Drug Reactions during administration is also required.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

Background: Recognizing the seriousness of the misuse and abuse of medical narcotics, the South Korean government introduced the world's first narcotic management system, the Narcotics Information Management System (NIMS). This study aimed to explore the recent one-year opioid prescribing patterns in South Korea using the NIMS database. Methods: This study analyzed opioid prescription records in South Korea for the year 2022, utilizing the dispensing/administration dataset provided by NIMS. Public data from the Korean Statistical Information Service were also utilized to explore prescription trends over the past four years. The examination covered 16 different opioid analgesics, assessed by the total number of units prescribed based on routes of administration, type of institutions, and patients' sex and age group. Additionally, the disposal rate for each ingredient was computed. Results: In total, 206,941 records of 87,792,968 opioid analgesic units were analyzed. Recently, the overall quantity of prescribed opioid analgesic units has remained relatively stable. The most prescribed ingredient was oral oxycodone, followed by tapentadol and sublingual fentanyl. Tertiary hospitals had the highest number of dispensed units (49.4%), followed by community pharmacies (40.2%). The highest number of prescribed units was attributed to male patients in their 60s. The disposal rates of the oral and transdermal formulations were less than 0.1%. Conclusions: Opioid prescription in South Korea features a high proportion of oral formulations, tertiary hospital administration, pharmacy dispensing, and elderly patients. Sustained education and surveillance of patients and healthcare providers is required.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2010

Fomesafen is a selective herbicide, and used to control annual and perennial broad-leaf grass on soybean and fruit fields in USA and China, but not introduced in Korea yet. So, MRL (Maximum Residue Level), and analytical method of fomesafen were not establishment in Korea. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to establish a determination method for fomesafen residue in crops using HPLC-UVD/MS. Fomesafen residue was extracted with acetone from representative samples of five raw products which comprised hulled rice, soybean, apple, green pepper, and Chinese cabbage. The extract was diluted with saline water, and dichloromethane partition was followed to recover fomesafen from the aqueous phase. Florisil column chromatography was additionally employed for final clean up of the extract. The fomesafen was quantitated by HPLC with UVD, using a Shiseido CAPCELL-PAK UG C18 column. The crops were fortified with fomesafen at 3 levels per crop. Mean recovery ratio were ranged from 87.5% for a 0.4 ppm in hulled rice to 102.5% for a 0.4 ppm in apple. The coefficients of variation were ranged from 0.6% for a 2.0 ppm in hulled rice to 7.7% for a 0.04 ppm in green pepper. Quantitative limit of fomesafen was 0.04 mg/kg in representative 5 crop samples. A LC/MS with selected-ion monitoring was also provided to confirm the suspected residue. Therefore, this analytical method was reproducible and sensitive enough to determine the residue of fomesafen in agricultural commodities.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.202-206
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• 2014

In this study, the bacteriological survey was examined on ice creams at manufacturing factories in Korea during the summer season of 2011. The nineteen selected among 166 samples by preliminary test were collected from 11 different manufacturing factories in four major manufacturers in May 2011. Samples from ice milk, ice creams, sherbets, and non milk fat ice creams were tested for the total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and five food borne pathogens, respectively. The results showed that the coliforms including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected on all the ice creams. The total aerobic bacteria of the packed samples examined ranged between $2.5{\times}10^3$ and $5.5{\times}10^5cfu/g$. One ice cream, two sherbets, and four ice milk samples exceeded the acceptable limits of total aerobic bacteria according to the Korean standards for ice cream ($1.0{\times}10^5cfu/g$) and others ($5.0{\times}10^4cfu/g$). The levels of these microorganisms from ice creams were higher in three original equipment manufacturers than seven self-manufacturers. Three of ten ice creams (30.0%), three of six ice milks (50.0%), and one of two sherbets (50%) exceeded the acceptable limits of total aerobic bacteria, respectively. The personnel hygiene procedures with chocolate and vanilla chip addition from the manufacturing process were the main sources of the microbial contamination of stick-bar type ice creams when being produced in a factory. Improvement of the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system should be introduced into the ice cream factory to improve the microbial quality of the ice cream products in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2007

The kinds and quantity of antimicrobial agents used for cattle (animal industry) may be considerable, suggesting the possibility that pathogenic bacteria which cannot be extirpated by the existing antimicrobial agents could appear. Ten cattle, pig and chicken farms, respectively, were randomly selected from 5 provinces in Korea and the samples were collected from excrement, manure, underground water, farmers' hands and the neishboring environment. h total of 299 samples were examined and 197 of Escherichia coli, 13 of Campylobacter jejun/coli, 223 of Enterococcus faecium/faecalis and 42 of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were collected. All isolates were screened for antimicrobial resistance: 69.4% of E. coli (137/197 strains), 78.6% of S. aureus (33/42 strains), and 82.1% of E. faecium/faecalis (183/223 strains) were resistant to one antimicrobial agent and all of C. jejuni/coli Isolates showed the resistance to one antimicrobial agent. Meanwhile, the multiple resistance ratio for more than 4 lines of antimicrobial agent was 19.2% of E. coli (38/197 strains), 11.9% of S. aureus (5/42 strains), 15.4% of C. jejuni/coli (2/13 strains) and 6.2% of E. faecium/faecalis (14/223 strains). The antimicrobial resistance ratio of bacteria isolated from the cattle farm showed lower than that of bacteria isolated from the pig or chicken farm, which might be related to the quantify of antimicrobial agents consumed. And one strain of vancomycin resistant E..faecium (VREF) were isolated from the excrement of chicken and stream, respectively. Generally, the ratio of VREF collected in animal farm environments is lower than that of VREF collected in medical environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.158-162
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• 2007

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of a major nosocomial pathogen worldwide and the emergence of this strain has become a major clinical problem. This study was performed for 13 hospitals with more than 400 beds in the country by collecting samples including hands and nasal cavities of doctors, nurses, guardians and patients. Also, additional 320 samples of hands and nasal cavities of 160 community resident in different locations and regions were collected. In all of medical environments and community resident, 625 strains of S. aureus were detected. Among 625 strains of S. aureus, 585 strains(93.6%) showed the resistance to at least one kind of antimicrobial and 112 strains (17.9%) showed multi-drug resistance with the resistance to 4 different types of antimicrobial. Total 152 MRSA strains (24.3%) were isolated from medical environment and community resident. In nasal cavity and hand, 49 MRSA (19.4%) and 103 (27.6%) MRSA were isolated, respectively Minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) test is used to measure for susceptibility of MRSA isolated to oxacillin. At a concentration $16{\mu}g/ml$ of oxacillin, 11 strains were inhibited. 32 strains at $32{\mu}g/ml$, 41 strains at $64{\mu}g/ml$, 3 strains at $128{\mu}g/ml$, 25 stains at $256{\mu}g/ml$ and 40 strains at over $256{\mu}g/ml$ were inhibited. It was considered that medical environment showed higher than livestock and marine environments in MRSA detection rate.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2023

Urinary incontinence (UI), affecting 3%-11% of males and 25%-45% of females globally, is expected to rise with an aging population. It significantly impacts mental health, causing depression, stress, and reduced quality of life. UI can exacerbate psychiatric conditions, affecting treatment compliance and effectiveness. It is categorized into transient and chronic types. Transient UI, often reversible, is caused by factors summarized in the acronym DIAPPERS: Delirium, Infection, Atrophic urethritis/vaginitis, Psychological disorders, Pharmaceuticals, Excess urine output, Restricted mobility, Stool impaction. Chronic UI includes stress, urge, mixed, overflow, functional, and persistent incontinence. Drug-induced UI, a transient form, is frequently seen in psychiatric treatment. Antipsychotics, antidepressants, and other psychiatric medications can cause UI through various mechanisms like affecting bladder muscle tone, altering nerve reflexes, and inducing other conditions like diabetes or epilepsy. Specific drugs like lithium and valproic acid have also been linked to UI, though mechanisms are not always clear. Managing UI in psychiatric patients requires careful monitoring of urinary symptoms and judicious medication management. If a drug is identified as the cause, options include discontinuing, reducing, or adjusting the dosage. In cases where medication continuation is necessary, additional treatments like desmopressin, oxybutynin, trihexyphenidyl, or amitriptyline may be considered.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.307-315
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• 2013

Objective: Colistimethate was first became available in 1950s and used until the early 1980s to treat infections caused by gram-negative bacteria and was abandoned due to its nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. However, it was recently reintroduced into the clinical practices due to emergence of multidrug-resistance gram-negative bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanii. Therefore, it is increasingly used in the intensive care unit settings as a salvage therapy. This study was designed to investigate the incidence rates and risk factors of acute kidney injury associated with colistimethate by using the standardized definition in critically ill patients. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 71 adult patients above 18 years old receiving intravenous colistimethate at least 48 hours at intensive care unit, university-affiliated hospital from Nov 2012 to Aug 2013 and excluded patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and required renal replacement therapy before initiation of the colistimethate therapy. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was determined by using the standardized RIFLE criteria, classified with risk, injury, failure, loss and ESRD according to serum creatinine (Scr) levels. Results: Among the 71 patients included in the analysis, AKI developed in 40 patients (56.3%) and 6 patients (8.4%) had irreversible kidney injury. AKI occurred within 5 days in 20 patients (50.0%). Maximum Scr level showed a significant increase in the patients with AKI ($1.92{\pm}0.86mg/dL$ vs. $1.12{\pm}0.46mg/dL$ p=0.001), maximum BUN also increased ($64.2{\pm}28.7mg/dL$ vs. $48.4{\pm}24.9mg/dL$ p=0.017) and minimum creatinine clearance (CLcr) was significantly decreased in the patients with AKI than non-AKI ($34.5{\pm}18.6ml/min$ vs. $64.4{\pm}33.7ml/min$ p=0.185). The patients with AKI had significantly longer duration of colistimethate therapy ($21.1{\pm}17.0$ days vs. $13.0{\pm}11.5$ days, p=0.020) and larger cumulative doses of colistimethate ($6465.9{\pm}4717.0mg$ vs. $4438.1{\pm}3426.7mg$, p=0.040). Conclusion: The incidence and severity of AKI associated with colistimethate in critically ill patients was high and serious. Drug monitoring program should be performed to shorten duration of therapy and reduce cumulative dose from initiation of colistimethate therapy for minimizing AKI of colistimethate.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2018

An analytical method for the determination of cephalexin (CEX) in bovine tissues (muscle, liver, kidney and fat tissues) was developed and validated using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Tissue samples were extracted by the liquid-liquid extraction based on 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse phase $C_{18}$ column with gradient elution using a mobile phase of 20 mM hexafluroacetylacetone (HFAC)/50% acetonitrile (40:60). The procedure was validated according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety guideline determining accuracy, precision, and limit of detection. Mean recoveries of CEX from spiked edible tissues ($6{\sim}1,500{\mu}g/kg$) were 83.9~106.8%, and the relative standard deviation was between 2.3 and 14.8%. Linearities were obtained with the correlation coefficient ($r^2$) of > 0.999. Limit of detection and limit of quantification for the investigated CEX were 2~10 and $6{\sim}30{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. This method was reliable, sensitive, economical and suitable for routine monitoring of CEX residues in bovine edible tissues.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.291-299
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• 2016

Human hydatid disease (cystic echinococcosis, CE) is a chronic parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. As the disease mainly affects the liver, approximately 70% of all identified CE cases are detected in this organ. Optical molecular imaging (OMI), a noninvasive imaging technique, has never been used in vivo with the specific molecular markers of CE. Thus, we aimed to construct an in vivo fluorescent imaging mouse model of CE to locate and quantify the presence of the parasites within the liver noninvasively. Drug-treated protoscolices were monitored after marking by JC-1 dye in in vitro and in vivo studies. This work describes for the first time the successful construction of an in vivo model of E. granulosus in a small living experimental animal to achieve dynamic monitoring and observation of multiple time points of the infection course. Using this model, we quantified and analyzed labeled protoscolices based on the intensities of their red and green fluorescence. Interestingly, the ratio of red to green fluorescence intensity not only revealed the location of protoscolices but also determined the viability of the parasites in vivo and in vivo tests. The noninvasive imaging model proposed in this work will be further studied for long-term detection and observation and may potentially be widely utilized in susceptibility testing and therapeutic effect evaluation.