• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.203-211
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of integrative Korean Medical treatments for patients with L-spine disk herniation that showed no response to Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI). Methods : In this study, we reviewed the medical records of ten patients who showed no improvement or relapsed after ESI. The patients each received more than three weeks of integrative treatments at Mokhuri Neck&Back Hospital. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was measured before and after treatment. A statistical analysis to compare before and after treatments was assessed using paired t-test the SPSS 12.0 Windows program. Results : After three weeks of treatment, patients showed a significant decrease in VAS and ODI scores compared to before receiving treatment. VAS scores decreased from $5.3{\pm}1.25$ to $1.9{\pm}0.99$ (p<0.001), and ODI scores decreased from $59.8{\pm}22.2$ to $32.7{\pm}14.11$ (p<0.001). Conclusions : Complex Korean Medical treatment showed effectiveness in the treatment of L-spine HIVD patients that showed no response to ESI, and more objective research is needed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2016

Objective: Direct current cardioversion for atrial fibrillation could be associated with the risk of thromboembolic events. Anticoagulation therapy with warfarin (INR 2.0-3.0) is recommended 3 weeks before and 4 weeks after cardioversion to reduce the risk of thromboembolism. This study evaluated warfarin therapy in pharmacist-managed anticoagulant services (ACS). Methods: This retrospective study was performed in 106 patients with atrial fibrillation from 2012 to 2013. The primary efficacy endpoint was the composite of stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death. The primary safety measure was major bleeding. To evaluate the peri-procedural effects of warfarin treatment, we studied whether target INR was maintained, as well as the maintenance period of the therapeutic range. Quality of treatment was measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR) by using the Rosendaal method. Results: There were no thromboembolic events, but TEE examination at time of cardioversion showed a left atrial thrombus in three patients (2.8%). Bleeding complications after cardioversion occurred in 2 patients (1.9%). The average INR value at the time of cardioversion was $2.59{\pm}0.8$, and was within the therapeutic range in 83 patients (78%). Analysis of the patients in whom the value was within the therapeutic range twice consecutively showed that the ratio of TTR was 80% and the therapeutic range was maintained in 67 patients (63%) for an average of 4.90 weeks prior to cardioversion. Similarly, 76 patients (72%) had a stable INR within the therapeutic range for an average of 5.70 weeks and a mean TTR of 83%. Conclusion: Pharmacists significantly contributed to appropriate warfarin treatment with close monitoring during cardioversion. Likewise, active pharmacist monitoring and systemic management should be considered to reduce thromboembolism and bleeding complications in the peri-cardioversion period.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1107-1111
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• 2003

Purpose : Neuroblastoma is a malignant neoplasm which arises from primitive sympathetic neuroblasts, and occasionally can matured from a malignant neuroblastoma into a benign ganglioneuroma. It has the highest rate of spontaneous regression of any pediatric tumor. We performed a retrospective study of pathologic features after combination therapy in advanced neuroblastoma. Prognostic effects of the individual morphologic feature and prognostic groupings according to modified Shimada classification systems were analyzed. Methods : The treatment results for six patients with neuroblastoma seen at Keimyung University from Jan. 1991 to June 2000 were analyzed. Patients were treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, and classified by two major prognostic criteria based on morphological features of neuroblastoma, such as modified Shimada classification and histologic grading. Results : Three cases were classified to a good histologic group; among them, two cases survived, but one case was lost in follow-up. There were three cases classified in a poor histologic group. All of these patients expired due to sepsis and hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Conclusion : Prognostic classification due to pathologic findings had significant value in evaluating the survival rate of neuroblastoma patients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.574-582
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• 2020

Background Several oncoplastic approaches have been implemented in recent years to enhance cosmetic results and to reduce complications. The round block technique is a volume displacement technique for breast reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). However, its indications are currently limited according to tumor location, and its cosmetic results and complications have not been clearly established. We hypothesized that the round block technique could produce favorable cosmetic results without major complications regardless of tumor location or nipple-tumor distance, below a certain resected tumor volume and tumor-breast volume ratio. Methods All breast reconstructions using the round block technique after BCS were included in this analysis. Patients' data were reviewed retrospectively to investigate complications during follow-up, and clinical photos were used to evaluate cosmetic results. The relationships of tumor location, nipple-tumor distance, tumor volume, and the tumor-breast volume ratio with cosmetic results were investigated. Results In total, 108 breasts were reconstructed. The mean resected tumor volume was 30.2±15.0 mL. The cosmetic score was 4.5±0.6 out of 5. Tumor location, nipple-tumor distance, tumor volume, tumor-breast volume ratio, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy had no significant effects on cosmetic results or complications. There were no major complications requiring reoperation. Conclusions Breast reconstruction using the round block technique after BCS can lead to good cosmetic results without major complications regardless of the tumor location, nippletumor distance, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Below the maximum tumor volume (79.2 mL) and the maximum tumor-breast volume ratio (14%), favorable results were consistently obtained.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.199-207
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture therapy with Hominis Placenta pharmacopncture therapy in hospitalized patients with peripheral facial paralysis. Methods : We investigated 34 cases of patients with peripheral facial paralysis who were admitted into the Dept. of Acupuncture & Moxibustion of Dongshin University Suncheon Oriental Hospital from February 1, 2014 to June 31, 2015. Subjects were divided into two groups, Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture group(HR group), and Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture group(JH group). HR group was treated by Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture five times a week and JH group was treated by Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture five times a week. And both groups were treated by acupuncture, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine therapy, western drug therapy equally. To investigate the effectiveness of treatment, we used House-Brackmann Grading System, Yanagihara's unweighted grading system and Sunnybrook facial grading scale at before admission and after admission. Results : Each scores by 3 evaluation methods improved both in two groups. However, there were no significant differences in improvement between two groups. Conclusions : These results suggest that the Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture therapy is as effective as Hominis Placenta pharmacopuncture therapy to improve symptoms of peripheral facial paralysis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2015

Objectives : To evaluate the long-term survival effects of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) on refractory metastatic lung cancer and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which have historically poor survival rates. Methods : A retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of two patients in Daejeon University hospital. The first patient, with SCLC, was treated from January 2000 to December 2009 and the other, with metastatic pulmonary cancer from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was treated from September 2004 to February 2014. The patients were treated with herbal medicines at one-month intervals. During hospitalization, acupuncture and indirect moxibustion were performed concurrent with the administration of Western therapy. Treatment efficacy was assessed monthly using chest radiography, chest computed tomography, and laboratory examination data, and by measuring patient performance status. Results : Both patients exhibited a stable disease course for more than 9 years after the initial diagnosis of intractable lung cancer, suggesting that their disease status was controlled by TKM. Conclusions : We suggest that a combination of TKM with conventional Western therapy for refractory lung cancer patients is effective in controlling various symptoms related to lung cancer and improving quality of life, and may potentially prolong overall survival.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.283-291
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• 2014

Patients with extreme anxiety who are unable to cope with dental treatment under non-pharmacological behavioral management method may require sedation, or other forms pharmacological behavioral management method. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effect of concomitant administration of 0.1 mg/kg intramuscular midazolam with or without sevoflurane insufflation sedation on sedation depth and cardiopulmonary function in pediatric patients. We analysed the records of anesthesia on patients who received dental treatment under deep sedation using sevoflurane insufflation from January 2013 to March 2014. Thirty-six children, aged 3 to 6 years, undergoing dental treatment were sedated using either sevoflurane insufflation alone (Group S, n = 18) or a combination of intramuscular injection of 0.1 mg/kg midazolam plus sevoflurane insufflation (Group SM, n = 18). Upon comparison, the average entropy value of group SM was lower than that of group S, but there were no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The average heart rate and mean arterial pressure of group SM were higher than those of group S (p < 0.05). Concomitant intramuscular injection of 0.1 mg/kg midazolam with sevoflurane insufflation sedation is not sufficient to enhance the quality of sedation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1935-1941
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• 2012

Introduction: Uterine sarcomas are a group of heterogenous and rare malignancies of the female genital tract and there is a lack of consensus on prognostic factors and optimal treatment. Objective and Methodology: To perform a retrospective evaluation of clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of 93 patients with uterine sarcomas who were diagnosed and treated at 4 different centers from November 2000 to October 2010. Results: Of the 93 patients, 58.0% had leiomyosarcomas, 26.9% malignant mixed Mullerian tumors, 9.7% endometrial stromal sarcomas, and 5.4% other histological types. According to the last International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, 43.0% were stage I, 20.4% were stage II, 22.6% were stage III and 14.0 % were stage IV. Median relapse free survival (RFS) was 20 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 12.4-27.6 months), RFS after 1, 2, 5 years were 66.6%, 44.1%, 16.5% respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 56 months (95% CI, 22.5-89.5 months), and OS after 1, 2, 5 years was 84.7%, 78%, 49.4% respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age ${\geq}60$ years and high grade tumor were significantly associated with poor OS and RFS; patients administered adjuvant treatment with sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy had longer RFS time. Among patients with leiomyosarcoma, in addition to age and grade, adjuvant treatment with sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy after surgery had significant effects on OS. Conclusion: Uterine sarcomas have poor progrosis even at early stages. Prognostic factors affecting OS were found to be age and grade.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.101-108
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• 2016

Objectives : Among the assessment tools for evaluating facial function, the House-Brackmann scale is used as a standard tool, but it has some shortcomings. The Sunnybrook Facial Grading System can assess the after effects of facial palsy and facial movement by each part of the face. By understanding the application state of this Sunnybrook Facial Grading System, we intend to analyze the relationship between House-Brackmann scale score and Sunnybrook Facial Grading System score so that we can examine the advantages of the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System as a more accurate tool. Methods : We screened both inpatients and outpatients who visited the Facial Palsy Center at Kyung Hee University Hospital for Korean medical treatment and were evaluated with the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System from December 2015 to October 2016. A total of 159 out of 166 patients were studied, including basic characteristics and missing data. We used descriptive statistics for general features of patients and SPSS Ver.18 for statistical analysis. Results : House-Brackmann scale and Sunnybrook Facial Grading System have high negative correlation through Pearson Correlation Coefficient with a score of -0.884. Analyzing outlier data resulting from relation analysis between the House-Brackmann scale and the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System showed many outliers when the damaged state of each part of the face is different. Conclusion : Sunnybrook Facial Grading System can make up for faults of the House-Brackmann scale, which is inferior in accuracy when each damage status of each part of the face is different. Sunnybrook Facial Grading System performs a detailed assessment of facial function and sequelae of facial palsy easier than the House-Brackmann scale.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2011

Objective: Hyperprolactinemia is common side effect associated with antipsychotics use. Nevertheless, hyperprolactinemia is relatively neglected by clinician. Especially, there is no study related to amisulprideinduced hyperprolactinemia in korea. This study aimed to determine whether amisulpride can be induced hyperprolactinemia in Korean psychiatric patients. Methods: This study methodology consisted of a retrospective review of medical charts and prolactin levels. Serum prolactin levels were measured in 24 Korean patients(12 males and 12 females) with psychosis who were treated over 400mg of amisulpride per day. Results: All patients had hyperprolactinemia. Prolactin levels significantly increased after receiving amisulpride(z=-3.702, p=0.000). The prolactin level was significantly higher in females($156.29{\pm}63.75$ng/mL) than in males($69.04{\pm}39.91$ng/mL) after administering amisulpride(p=0.000). There was a correlation between dosage and prolactin levels(r=0.61, p=0.002). However, there was no correlation between duration of treatment and prolactin levels. Conclusions: Antipsychotics, especially amisulpride can increase serum prolactin levels and may results in short and long term side effects. Routine clinical assessment of initial and additional prolactin level and associated symptoms should be done