• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.90-99
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• 2011

Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) claims database has a high potential to detect signals of new drug interactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of information component (IC) and relative risk (RR) as a tool for signal detection, and to analyze the possible drug interactions caused by clopidogrel using HIRA claims database. This study was performed in elderly patients over 65 years of age who administered clopidogrel from January 2005 to June 2006 in South Korea. Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) as drug interactions of clopidogrel were defined as any ambulatory hospitalization for ischemic diseases within comcomitant medication period of clopidogrel. Information Component (IC) and Relative Risk (RR) were calculated to compare the proportion of drug-SAE pairs in order to select drug specific SAEs. IC and RR signals of clopidogrel drug interaction were screened when IC's 95% confidence interval was greater than 0 and RR's 95% confidence interval was greater than 1 respectively. All detected signals were compared to references such as $Micromedex^{(R)}$ and 2010 Drug Interaction $Facts^{TM}$. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value and negative predicted value were used to evaluate usefulness of this method. Among 13,252,930 cases of elderly patients who co-administered clopidogrel and other drugs, 47,485 cases were detected as SAE. Of these, one-hundred nine cases were detected by the IC-based data-mining approach and ninety one cases were detected by the RR-based data-mining approach. Total One-hundred sixty three unrecognized signals were detected by IC or RR. Twelve signals from IC-based data-mining (57.1%) were corresponded with drug interactions from references and eight signals from RR-based data-mining (38.1%) were corresponded with drug interactions from references. These signals include proton pump inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and HMG CoA reductase Inhibitors, which were known to affect CYP450 metabolism. Further studies using HIRA claims database are necessary to develop appropriate data-mining measure.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.116-135
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze how purpura and vasculitis have been treated with Korean medicine and potentially to present with future direction of research and treatment. Methods : We searched clinical studies from the Korean databases including Oriental medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS), Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal(KTKP), National Discovery for Science Leader(NDSL), Research Information Sharing Service(RISS), using keywords related to "Purpura" and "Vasculitis" from January 2000 to May 2019. Results : A total of 20 studies were selected for analysis. More than half of the patients provided with detailed information were under 19 year-olds, and upper respiratory infection, stress and fatigue, seasonal factor were among the most frequently stated as predisposing factors. Among many treatment modalities, herbal medicine was the most frequently used, followed by acupuncture and herbal acupuncture. 23 basic herbal medicine formulas were retrieved from 20 articles, most frequently used being Guibi-tang(歸脾湯加味), Samul-tang(四物湯加味) and Yukmijihwang-tang(六味地黃湯加味). In total, 122 Korean medicine herbs were used, most frequently used herbs being Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(甘草), Angelicae Gigantis Radix(當歸), Poria Sclerotium(茯?) and Paeoniae Radix(芍藥). By its category, herbs were mostly classified into Tonyfying and replenishing medicinal(補益藥), Heat-clearing medicinal(淸熱藥) and Exterior-releasing medicinal(解表藥). Patients with total treatment period of 3 months or under were 2/3 of all cases provided with detailed information. Follow up periods were short in general with only 6 cases of over 6 months. The primary motive of patients to receive Korean medicine treatments was unresponsiveness or adverse effects of western medication. Conclusion : Through this literature review, we could find out tendencies of Korean medicine treatments of purpura and vasculitis up to date and some points that may have clinical significance.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 1998

Intramuscular injection(IM) into the gluteal muscles is a common route of medication, but may lead to complications. A retrospective review of 32 patients who required surgical treatment for local complications of buttock injections in children was made at the Taegu Fatima Hospital during a seven-year nine-month period (March 1990 to December 1997). Local complications included acute inflammation, cellulitis and abscess(71.9 %), and fat necrosis(21.9 %), and injection granuloma(6.2 %). Over the half of injections were on the upper and outer quadrant of the buttock, but the other 43.7 % were in the upper and inner or lower and outer quadrant which are considered unsuitable sites for intramuscular injection. The majority of complications developed within fat tissue(90.6 %) rather than within muscle(9.4 %). Two-thirds of the patients were under 2 years of age, this suggests that it is technically difficult to accurately administer IM injections in small children because muscle mass is smaller compared to subcutaneous. In addition subcutaneous fat is more susceptible to chemical irritation. Staph. aureus was the predominant organism, isolated in 84.6 % of the patients with abscesses. Treatment consisted of needle aspiration, incision and drainage, curettage, or surgical excision. In conclusion, the major factor that contributes to complications following IM of the buttock appears to be the inadvertent intrafat rather than of IM injection. Accurate injection into the muscles based on a knowledge of pelvic anatomy as well as the potential complications is necessary to prevent complications.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-6
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• 2010

The British guideline for early management of persistent low back pain, published in 2009, indicated that physicians should offer exercise or medication, rather than radiological interventions or injections, as first choice of treatment in the patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, there had been great controversies regarding the effectiveness of interventional treatment of patients with CLBP. Both somatic (discogenic, instability, etc) and psychosocial factors contribute to the pathophysiology of chronic low back pain (CLBP). Although it can be difficult in many occasions, thorough interview with the patients and specific diagnostic approaches can help us to identify which is the main etiology in individual patient. With the recent progress in medical radiology and development of new therapeutic modalities, some subgroups of patients of CLBP caused by somatic factors appear to be good candidates of interventional therapy. Interventional therapy can be considered in patients with CLBP caused by annulus rupture, facet joint degeneration, disc degeneration, and vertebral column instability. Among other subgroups of CLBP, carefully selected patients with disc degeneration show the most favorable result by interventional therapy. In this regard, discogenic pain, either as a form of CLBP or acute discogenic radiculopathy, seems to be a good indication of interventional therapy. Because many spine specialists generally consider those with radiculopathy are easier to be treated, patients with CLBP tend to be subjects of conventional conservative therapy. For these reasons, clinicians should make their best effort to identify every possible somatic cause in patients with CLBP before regarding them as hypochondriacs. In this review, some of the recent evidence on the role of interventional treatment in patients with CLBP will be discussed, and some of our cases who showed favorable results by interventional therapy will be presented.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 2002

Objectives: Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is a frequently recurring disease when treated with chemotherapy alone without enough surgical removal of the tuberculous lesions. Authors reviewed retrospectively the treatment result of antituberculous chemotherapy following almost complete surgical removal of tuberculous foci in the neck. Materials and Methods: A retrospective clinical review and analysis was made in 127 cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis patients treated during the past 10 years from 1989 to 1998 at the Department of General Surgery, Inje University Paik Hospital, Pusan. Results: 1) The peak age incidence was the 2nd decade(37.8%), and female was predominated over male by 2.3:1. 2) The time interval from the onset of symptoms to the first visit was less than 3 months in 60.6% of the patient. 3) The location of lymphadenitis was the right neck in 60%, the left neck 34%, and bilateral in 6% of the patient. 4) Signs on the first visit showed solitary masses(60%), abscess(25%) and both mixed(15%). 5) 25 patients(19%) had present or past history of tuberculosis; pulmonary tuberculosis 12 patients, tuberculous lymphadenitis 10 patients, and others 3 patients. 6) Locations of tuberculous lymphadenitis were posterior cervical triangle 70, supraclavicular 51, submandibular 19, anterior triangle 16 and others 4 cases. 7) The principle of treatment of cervical lymphadenitis was surgical management followed by chemotherapy. Surgical procedures were excision(s), curettage and drainage of abscess, combination of both, and biopsy in 60%, 22%, 12% and 6% respectively. Mean duration of antituberculous medication was 9 months after surgery. 8) The rate of recurrent and persistent tuberculous lymphadenitis was 9% in 4 years follow up. Conclusion: Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is a frequently recurring disease in young adult when only antituberculous chemotherapy was employed without almost complete removal of the lesions. It is considered that antituberculous medications for 6-9 months after removing the foci at a maximal extent by surgical excision and curettage will reduce the recurrence rate or persistence of tuberculous lymphadenitis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.38
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• pp.6.1-6.8
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• 2016

Background: Intravenous bisphosphonates have been used in metastatic breast cancer patients to reduce pathologic bone fracture and bone pain. However, necrosis of the jaw has been reported in those who received intravenous bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is caused by dental extraction, dental implant surgery, and denture wearing; however, it occurs spontaneously. The purpose of this study was to report BRONJ in metastatic breast cancer patients. Methods: Consecutive 25 female patients were referred from the Department of Oncology from 2008 to 2014 for jaw bone discomfort. Staging of breast cancer, history of bisphosphonate infusion, etiology of BRONJ, and treatment results were reviewed. Average age of the patients was 55.4 years old (38-74). Twelve maxillae and 16 mandibles were involved. Conservative treatments such as irrigation, antibiotic medication, analgesics, and oral gargle were applied for all patients for the initial treatment. Patients who had sequestrum underwent debridement and primary closure. Results: The etiologies of BRONJ were dental extraction (19 cases), dental implant (2 cases), and endodontic treatment (1 case). However, three patients did not have any risk factors to cause BRONJ. Three patients died of progression of metastasis during follow-up periods. Surgical debridement was performed in 21 patients with success in 18 patients. Three patients showed recurred bone exposure and infection after operation. Conclusions: Prevention of the BRONJ is critical in metastatic breast cancer patients. Conservative treatment to reduce pain, discomfort, and infection is recommended for the initial therapy. However, if there is a sequestrum, surgical debridement and primary closure is the key to treat the BRONJ.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2015

Background & Object: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes ankylosis and deformation of axial joints. Since current medicine cannot cure the disease yet, alleviating pain and preventing deformation with medications are the main therapy for patients with AS. The key medications for these purposes include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) inhibitors. This study aims to analyze prescribing patterns of AS patients in South Korea. Method: National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2013 was analyzed. Patients with AS were identified with Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code-6, which was M45. The rates of prescription, discontinuation, and switching ingredients were calculated for each medication during 2013. Results: Total number of patients was 655, and most of them were male (n = 514, 78.5%). Of all age groups, the proportion of 30-40 year old patients was the greatest (35.1%). The most utilized drug class was NSAIDs (82.4%). Less than half of patients were prescribed $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors (n = 212, 32.4%). Meloxicam, aceclofenac, and celecoxib were the most frequently prescribed NSAIDs. In case of $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab were the top three most prescribed drugs. Although not recommended by the current practice guideline, significant proportions of patients were identified using disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Conclusion: Considering the current practice guideline and previous studies about the efficacy, the use of DMARDs should be reduced and medical insurance term in South Korea should be re-examined.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.393-399
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• 2018

The aim of this review is to introduce about the issue of benzocaine and methemoglobinemia. Through blocking the pain during dental treatment, fear and anxiety of patients will be reduced. Thus, anesthetic agent containing benzocaine is commonly used while controlling the pain of patients during treatment. However, on May 28, 2018, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reported a medication safety report about restricting the use of benzocaine-containing agents in infants under 24 months and children. Also, they recommended a cautious use to adolescents and adults to prevent methemoglobinemia (MHb). This report was published due to an advice from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 23, 2018. When using agents containing benzocaine, dentists must consider the probability of MHb and prepare for early diagnosis and appropriate action. Since 1930s, methylene blue is known to cure MHb patients. Therefore, the proper use of methylene blue for emergencies and diagnosis methods for early diagnosis of MHb should be familiar to dentists planning for the use of topical anesthetic agents. Dentists should be trained for emergency situation of MHb caused by the use of benzocaine.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2011

Objectives Many studies have suggested different neurobiological findings and clinical courses in alcoholism. Recently, subtyping in alcohol dependence has become essential to overcome the heterogeneity of patients. Among several criteria of subtypes, Lesch's typology is proposed to integrate biological, social, and psychological factors. This review provides neurobiological findings and treatment-responses of alcohol dependence according to Lesch's typology. Method We searched the international published medical literature using the search terms 'Lesch's typology' and 'alcohol dependence' and using the limits 'human'. Results We identified 17 studies with subjects of alcohol dependence according to Lesch's typology. Conclusion They indicated that each subtype of Lesch's typology can have specific neurobiological factors and different clinical responses as follows. Lesch's subtype 1 is characterized by severe withdrawal symptoms and associated with elevated glutamate and homocysteine. Lesch's subtype 2 is defined by individuals who drink alcohol as self-medication for anxiety. Their craving has significant positive correlations with prolactin, leptin level, or intake-volume (vasopressin). Lesch's subtype 4 is related to cerebral dysfunction and associated with increased glutamate and left-handedness. Clinical trials showed that naltrexone was effective in Lesch's subtype 3 and 4 patients, while acamprosate was effective in the subtypes 1 and 2.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 2002

Dyskinesia can occur as a neurological abnormality due to stroke, and its incidence in stroke patients is reported to be about 1%. It is possible to classify dyskinesia into one of the morphologic types already classified clinically. However, a specific type of dyskinesia can occur; one which does not fall into the existing morphologic types. We experienced such a case of specific type dyskinesia, which couldn't be classified into the existing classification system. A 50-year-old man visited our hospital due to rhythmic dyskinesia of the right hand, which appeared during the resting state, and had developed one month after left subcortical infarction. Flexion and extension movements of the fingers at 3Hz appeared due to the impatient impulse to move. However, this abnormal movement could be easily suppressed under the patients will. We suggested that the abnormal movement was similar to akathisia from the fact that it occurred due to the internal desire to move and that the patient could suppress dyskinesia. However, the rhythmic tendency and lack of medication history of antipsychotics suggested that the movement was not the typical form of akathisia. The present case may represent a new clinical type of movement disorder developed after stroke. Considering the clinical pattern of the present case and following a review of the literature, we believe that it can be labeled, post-stroke rhythmic akathisia.