• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2023

Background: Globally, the number of patients with aspergillosis is increasing, and the mortality rate remains high. This study aimed to investigate prescribing patterns of antifungal drugs for patients with aspergillosis in South Korea using real-world data. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using National Patient Sample (NPS) data collected by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) during 2011-2020. The use of antifungal drugs in patients with aspergillosis was investigated. Results:A total of 1374 patients were identified: 333 patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) (24.2%), 436 patients with other PA (31.7%), 73 patients with other forms of aspergillosis (5.3%), and 532 patients with unspecified aspergillosis (38.7%). The odds of receiving an antifungal prescription were higher for IPA than for other PA (aOR, 0.233; p<0.001), and higher for hematologic malignancies than for respiratory disorders other than cancer or infections (aOR, 10.018; p<0.001). During each hospitalization period, 56.1% (97/173) and 6.4% (11/173) of IPA hospitalizations received voriconazole and itraconazole monotherapy, respectively, whereas 44.3% (27/61) and 27.9% (17/61) of other PA hospitalizations received itraconazole and voriconazole monotherapy, respectively. Among outpatients with IPA, 67.5% (85/126) and 26.2% (33/126) received voriconazole and itraconazole alone, respectively, whereas among outpatients with other PA, 86.1% (68/79) and 12.7% (10/79) received itraconazole and voriconazole alone, respectively, during the year. Conclusion: In Korea, voriconazole monotherapy was preferred in IPA inpatients, and itraconazole monotherapy was preferred in other PA inpatients. In the ambulatory care settings for IPA and other PA, itraconazole monotherapy was preferred.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2021

Glycyrrhiza species (Licorice) are one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in Asian countries such as China, India and Korea. It has been traditionally used to treat many disease including cough, cold, asthma, fatigue, gastritis and respiratory tract infections. Glycyrrhiza new variety, Wongam (WG), have been developed by Korea Rural Development Administration and revealed several pharmacological effects. However, limited data are available on the potential adverse effects of the WG. Here, we evaluated the general toxicity of the WG extract through single oral dose toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats. After single oral dose administration, there was no mortality up to 5000 mg/kg during experiment period. In addition, there was no clinical signs including body weight change, gross findings and necropsy findings up to 5000 mg/kg during experiment period. To conclude, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of WG was higher than 5000 mg/kg and no target organs were identified in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.31-56
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• 2024

Pig farming, a vital industry, necessitates proactive measures for early disease detection and crush symptom monitoring to ensure optimum pig health and safety. This review explores advanced thermal sensing technologies and computer vision-based thermal imaging techniques employed for pig disease and piglet crush symptom monitoring on pig farms. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-invasive and efficient technology for measuring pig body temperature, providing advantages such as non-destructive, long-distance, and high-sensitivity measurements. Unlike traditional methods, IRT offers a quick and labor-saving approach to acquiring physiological data impacted by environmental temperature, crucial for understanding pig body physiology and metabolism. IRT aids in early disease detection, respiratory health monitoring, and evaluating vaccination effectiveness. Challenges include body surface emissivity variations affecting measurement accuracy. Thermal imaging and deep learning algorithms are used for pig behavior recognition, with the dorsal plane effective for stress detection. Remote health monitoring through thermal imaging, deep learning, and wearable devices facilitates non-invasive assessment of pig health, minimizing medication use. Integration of advanced sensors, thermal imaging, and deep learning shows potential for disease detection and improvement in pig farming, but challenges and ethical considerations must be addressed for successful implementation. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art technologies used in the pig farming industry, including computer vision algorithms such as object detection, image segmentation, and deep learning techniques. It also discusses the benefits and limitations of IRT technology, providing an overview of the current research field. This study provides valuable insights for researchers and farmers regarding IRT application in pig production, highlighting notable approaches and the latest research findings in this field.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.136-139
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• 2024

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome that causes various complications due to the release of substances from muscle cells, often associated with preceding infectious diseases. We report the case of a 7-year-old Korean boy with recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, presenting with fever, chills, and generalized body aches, diagnosed as rhabdomyolysis. Additionally, we conducted a systematic review with the aim of delineating the disease spectrum, treatment, and outcomes. We identified seven reports that met the inclusion criteria. Among the cases, 5 had fever, with creatine kinase levels ranging from 3,717 and 274,664 IU/L. Two individuals received treatment in intensive care unit, 2 underwent renal replacement therapy, and 1 case has deceased. For children with coronavirus disease 2019 infection and muscle pain, a thorough examination of urine color and an assessment of muscle enzymes through blood tests can help diagnose and treat rhabdomyolysis, a condition that might otherwise be overlooked.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2004

Background : The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score can help to assess organ failure over time and is useful to evaluate morbidity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of SOFA score as a descriptor of multiple organ failure in critically ill patients in a local unit hospital, and to compare with APACHE III scoring system. Methods : This study was carried out prospectively. A total of ninety one patients were included who admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) in Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital from May 1 through June 30, 2000. We excluded patients with a length of stay in the ICU less than 2 days following scheduled procedure, admissions for ECG monitoring, other department and patients transferred to other hospital. The SOFA score and APACHE III score were calculated on admission and then consecutively every 24 hours until ICU discharge. Results : The ICU mortality rate was 20%. The non-survivors had a higher SOFA score within 24 hours after admission. The number of organ failure was associated with increased mortality. The evaluation of a subgroup of 74 patients who stayed in the ICU for at least 48 hours showed that survivors and non-survivors followed a different course. In this subgroup, the total SOFA score increased in 81% of the non-survivors but in only 21% of the survivors. Conversely, the total SOFA score decreased in 48% of the survivors compared with 6% of the non-survivors. The non-survivors also had a higher APACHE III score within 24 hours and there was a correlation between SOFA score and APACHE III score. Conclusion : The SOFA score is a simple, but effective method to assess organ failure and to predict mortality in critically ill patients. Regular and repeated scoring enables patient's condition and clinical course to be monitored and better understood. The SOFA score well correlates with APACHE III score.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.1153-1160
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• 2009

Purpose:To evaluate the risk factors for mortality and prognostic factors in pediatric hemato-oncology patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric hemato-oncology patients admitted at the PICU of the Asan Medical Center between September 2005 and July 2008. Patients admitted at the PICU for perioperative or terminal care were excluded. Results:Total 88 patients were analyzed. Overall ICU mortality rate was 34.1%. Mean age at PICU admission was $7.0{\pm}5.7$ years and mean duration of PICU stay was $18.1{\pm}22.2$ days. Hematologic diseases contributed to 77.3% of all the primary diagnoses, and the primary cause of admission was respiratory failure (39.8%). The factors related to increased mortality were C-reactive protein level (P<0.01), ventilation or dialysis requirement (P<0.01), and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (P<0.05). In all, 3 scoring systems were investigated [Number of Organ System Failures (OSF number), the Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM III) score, and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score]; higher score correlated with worse outcome (P<0.01). The Oncological Pediatric Risk of Mortality (O-PRISM) scores of the 21 patients who had received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were higher among the non-survivors, but not statistically significant (P=0.203). Conclusion:The PRISM III and SOFA scores obtained within 24 hours of PICU admission were found to be useful as early mortality predictors. The highest OSF number during the PICU stay was closely related to poor outcome.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.266-271
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• 2008

Background: Estimation of the probability of a patient having an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) for patients with a suspected PE are well established in North America and Europe. However, an assessment of the prediction rules for a PE has not been clearly defined in Korea. The aim of this study is to assess the prediction rules for patients with a suspected PE in Korea. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 210 inpatients or patients that visited the emergency ward with a suspected PE where computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed at a single institution between January 2005 and March 2007. Simplified Wells rules and revised Geneva rules were used to estimate the clinical probability of a PE based on information from medical records. Results: Of the 210 patients with a suspected PE, 49 (19.5%) patients had an actual diagnosis of a PE. The proportion of patients classified by Wells rules and the Geneva rules had a low probability of 1% and 21%, an intermediate probability of 62.5% and 76.2%, and a high probability of 33.8% and 2.8%, respectively. The prevalence of PE patients with a low, intermediate and high probability categorized by the Wells rules and Geneva rules was 100% and 4.5% in the low range, 18.2% and 22.5% in the intermediate range, and 19.7% and 50% in the high range, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the revised Geneva rules had a higher accuracy than the Wells rules in terms of detecting PE. Concordance between the two prediction rules was poor ($\kappa$ coefficient=0.06). Conclusion: In the present study, the two prediction rules had a different predictive accuracy for pulmonary embolisms. Applying the revised Geneva rules to inpatients and emergency ward patients suspected of having PE may allow a more effective diagnostic process than the use of the Wells rules.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.276-283
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• 2007

Background: A national health care initiative recommends routine spirometry screening of all smokers over age 45 or patients with respiratory symptoms. In response to the recommendation, new, simple, and inexpensive desktop spirometers for the purpose of promoting widespread spirometric screening were marketed. The performance of these spirometers was evaluated in vivo testing with healthy subjects. However, the clinical setting allows spirometric assessment of various pathologic combinations of flow and volume. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of a desktop spirometer to a standard laboratory spirometer, in a clinical setting with pathologic pulmonary function. Method: In a health check-up center, where screening pulmonary funct test was performed using the HI-801 spirometer. Subjects who revealed the ventilation defect in screening spirometry, performed the spirometry again using the standard Vmax spectra 22d spirometer in a tertiary care hospital pulmonary function laboratory. Pulmonary function test with both spirometer was performed according to the guidelines of the American Thoracic Society. Results: 109 patients were enrolled. Pulmonary function measurements (FVC, $FEV_1$, PEFR, FEF25%-75%) from the HI-801 correlated closely (r=0.94, 0.93, 0.81, 0.84, respectively) with those performed with the Vmax spectra 22d and showed the good limits of agreement and differences between the 2 devices; FVC +0.35 L, $FEV_1$ +0.16 L, PEFR +1.85 L/s, FEF25%-75%-0.13 L/s. With the exception of $FEV_1$, FEF25%-75%, these differences were significant(p<0.05) but small. Conclusion: The HI-801 spirometer is comparable to the standard laboratory spirometer, Vmax spectra 22d, with high accurary for $FEV_1$ and FVC and acceptable differences for clinical use.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.86-96
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• 2017

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze causality among sleep apnea, depression and cognitive function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 105 patients with sleep apnea and snoring who underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). We analyzed various biological data, sleep variables (sleep duration and percentage) and respiratory variables [arousal index (AI), periodic leg movement index (PLM index), snoring Index (SI), mean SpO2, minimum SpO2, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and respiratory disturbance index (RDI)]. We also analyzed various data by sleep, cognition, and mood related scales: Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), snoring index by scale (SIS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean (Moca-K), Mini-mental State Examination-Korean (MMSE-K), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We analyzed causation among sleep, and respiratory, mood, and cognition related scales in obstructive sleep apnea patients. We analyzed the mediating effects of depression on sleep apnea patient cognition. Results: As Duration N1 increased and Total sleep time (TST) decreased, MOCA-K showed negative causality (p < 0.01). As BDI and supine RDI increased, causality was negatively related to MOCA-K (p < 0.01). As PSQI (p < 0.001) and SIS (p < 0.01) increased and as MMSE-K (p < 0.01) decreased, causality was positively related to BDI. BDI was found to mediate the effect of age on MOCA-K in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Conclusion: Duration N1, total sleep time, BDI, and supine RDI were associated with cognitive function in obstructive sleep apnea patients. Depression measured by BDI partially mediated cognitive decline in obstructive sleep apnea patients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 1980

The medical care insurance system, being put into practice nearly for three years, seem to have brought about some considerable problems as serious for the government as to consider a revision of that system. As one of the most serious problems of present system, the treatment cost of insurance patients is so remarkably low in comparison with than of non-insurance cases that normal operation of hospitals is threatened and care services of low quality are induced. The researcher carried out this survey to analyze and bring to light several aspects of treatment cost of non-insurance patients as a material for a re-assessment of the cost of insurance cases which shows a a considerable difference in amount at the standpoint of hospitals with than of non-insurance cases and further, hoping the significant blind spot of present insurance system(that is, the absence of regulations' for cost assessment by patterns or types of health care treatment) will be mended in near future. The survey was carried out with the treatment invoice sheets of total 902 in-hospital Patients of a general hospital in Seoul during the period of the 2 nd quarter of the year(1979). Among total 902 patients, 694 cases were used for analysis, because those disease or syndromes shared by less than 10% of the patients were put aside before procession. The data were analyzed by kinds or types of diseases, demographic characteristics of patients, hospitalization patterns, types of nursing treatment, etc. The result of analysis was as follows 1. Among all the non-insurance cases, those who received one or more kinds of nursing treatment mounted up to 96. 7 ％. The invoice issue frequency per person was 7.2 times, while that frequency per day for a person was 0.8, : the treatment cosr per person was ￦22,650 while its daily average was ￦2,430, due to the average 9.3 in-hospital days per person. 2. As to the nursing treatment types by the demographic characteristics of patients and hospitalization patterns. a. The unit cost female patients was generally more expensive them that of males, and independent nursing service was more given than other types of treatment. As to age, higher age groups received independent nursing service most, while the youngest group received instrumental and integrated nursing services. b. As to room grade, the unit cost of I.C.U. cases was the highest : and the cast of private room patients was higher than that of public room patients. By in-hospital days, the curve of function showed L. type : that is, the longer stay, the lower function. 3. State of treatment types by kinds of disease were ; a. Dependent nursing service showed comparatively high availability in surgical and neurologic disease and independent nursing service was most received by medical, obstetrical and urological patients, while instrumental and integrated services were most available for respiratory disease and obstetrical and neurologic diseases next. b. The invoice issue frequency per day for a patient was highest in obstetrical disease 3.8 times, and the unit cost(per one invoice sheet) was also highest in obstertrical disease(￦10,880) and next in neurologic cases(￦ 4,690 ). 4. As to the pertained departments. a. Cost amount per person was highest in department of Psychiatries daily cost was highest in obstetrical cases : while the invoice issue frequency was highest in obstetrics and next in pediatrics. b. In departments in need of surgical operation, dependent nursing care was highly availabl : while in internal medicine and obstetrics, independent service was higher. Psychiatrics showed the highest the of integrate nursing while pediatrics and obstetrics higher of instrumental services. The variation co-efficien of treatment cost came out to be relatively in high in special surgery, opthalmology and internal medicine. 5. State of treatment cost by types of nursing behavior was. a. The average frequency of invoice issue was 3.5 (times). Among the type four types of treatment, instrumetal service (4.3) and independent nursing behavior(3.9) showed higher frequency than average respectively. But as to unit cost (per invoice). dependent (￦5,200) and integrated (￦5,340) nursing care services were higher than average and considerably higher than the other two types. b. In repect patient distribution. independent nursing behavior(80.3% ) was the highest and depend ent nursing (31.7% ) the lowest. The variation co-efficient of treatment cost appeared highest in dependent nursing be havior as a whole, and among that, doctor's diagnosis showed the highest coefficient value (100.7). In conclusion, the variaty of treatment cost(treatment itself ) by various characteristics and treatment types pro- that treatment various sort of patients and treatment cost of various types of nursing behavior cannot be uniform. Therefore, to attain the equalization of health care service and its cost both for insurant and non-insurant patients, a more specific provision for assessment of cost should be added to the present medical care insurance system and, in addition, the cost of nursing treatment is desired to be inserted into the treatment invoice.