• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2022

Background In recent years, the number of people riding stand-up electric scooters in South Korea has increased rapidly. This study analyzed the facial injury patterns associated with stand-up electric scooter-related trauma in patients who visited our emergency center. Methods In this retrospective review, we collected data from patients who had visited our emergency center for stand-up electric scooter-related trauma between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. Results The average age of the patients was 26.7 years. Of the 73 patients, 47 were male and 26 were female, highlighting a male predominance. Seven patients were injured after alcohol consumption. None of the patients had worn helmets. Additionally, upon comparing the frequency of facial injuries according to the quarter of the year, the facial injury rate was higher in the second and third quarters than in the first and fourth quarters. Facial soft tissue injuries were classified into facial cosmetic subunits and analyzed according to their location. The highest number of injuries was on the chin (n=18, 20.9%). Of the 73 patients with stand-up electric scooter-related facial injuries, 16 had acute facial osseous fractures. The commonest acute facial osseous fractures were those of the orbit (n=7, 26.9%). Conclusions The patterns of facial trauma reported here can be helpful for quickly evaluating and treating patients with facial trauma related to stand-up electric scooters. Additionally, people riding stand-up electric scooters should be aware of the risks associated with facial trauma and the importance of wearing protective devices, such as helmets and masks.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2018

Purpose: The Korean government approved selected nonprescription drugs (Over-The-Counter drug; OTC drug) to be distributed in convenience stores from 15. Nov. 2012. This study examined the changes in the incidence and the clinical outcome of acute pharmaceutical drug poisoning after the deregulation of OTC drug sales. Methods: This study analyzed the data of Emergency Department based Injury In-depth Injury Surveillance (EDIIS), Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2011 to 2014. The following items were examined: age, gender, intention, alcohol association, pharmaceutical drugs resulting acute poisoning, the clinical outcomes in emergency department, and the admission rate of intensive care unit (ICU). This is a retrospective cross section observational study. Results: A total of 10,162 patients were subject to pharmaceutical drug poisoning. Acute poisoning by acetaminophen and other drugs were 1,015 (10.0%) and 9,147 (90.0%) patients, respectively. After the deregulation of OTC drug sales, acute poisoning by other drugs increased from 4,385 to 4,762 patients but acute poisoning by acetaminophen decreased from 538 to 477 patients (p<0.05). The rate of admission of acetaminophen poisoning increased from 36.1% (194/538) to 46.8% (223/477). The admission rate to the ICU by acetaminophen poisoning increased from 4.6% (25/538) to 11.3% (54/477) after the deregulation of OTC drug sales (p<0.05). Conclusion: Since the deregulation of OTC drugs sales, pharmaceutical drug poisoning has increased but acetaminophen poisoning has decreased. The rate of hospitalization and ICU admission by pharmaceutical drug poisoning with or without acetaminophen has also increased.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.412-420
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the effect of fermented Hovenia dulcis Thunb fruit water extract on biomarkers for acute (a) ethanol-induced hangover and chronic (c) ethanol-induced liver injury in rats. For acute ethanol-induced hangover, the rats were administered distilled water (D.W., 10 mL/kg body wt.), Hovenia dulcis Thunb fruit water extract (HWE, 400 mg/10 mL/kg body wt.) and fermented HWE (FHWE, 400 mg/10 mL/kg body wt.), respectively, before 40% ethanol (5 g/kg body wt.) was administered. For chronic ethanol-induced liver injury, the rats were randomly divided into the normal control (cNC), ethanol (cET), cET-HWE and cET-FHWE groups. The cNC and cET groups were administered D.W. (10 mL/kg body wt.) before 40% alcohol (5 g/kg body wt.) was administrered for 21 days. The cET-HWE and cET-FHWE groups were administered HWE (400 mg/10 mL/kg body wt.) and FHWE (400 mg/10 mL/kg body wt.), respectively before 40% ethanol (5 g/kg body wt.) administration for 21 days. For acute ethanol-induced hangover, the serum alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations were more significantly reduced in the aHWE and aFHWE groups than in the aET group. Moreover, the effect of FHWE was greater than that of HWE. For chronic ethanol-induced liver injury, the serum ethanol, acetaldehyde, ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GTP) levels and the hepatic lipids concentration more significantly dropped in the cET-HWE and cET-FHWE groups than in the cET group. The FHWE administration showed faster recovery of the serum glucose concentration than in the cET and cET-HWE groups. The body weight reduction tended to normalize in the cET-HWE and cET-FHWE groups, which is ideal for chronic ethanol administration. These results suggest that FHWE has a protective effect against ethanol-induced liver damage, as evidenced by its ability to lower the serum ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations after alcohol administration, and by its ability to decrease the level of ${\gamma}$-GTP and hepatic lipids. FHWE also elevated serum glucose concentration. Therefore, FHWE is effective in reducing ethanol-induced hangover and can play a beneficial role in the treatment of ethanol-induced liver damage as well as body weight reduction.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2023

Red yeast rice, also known as Hong Qu and red Koji, has been used for a long time in Asian functional food and traditional medicine. It consists of multiple bioactive substances, which can potentially be used as nutraceuticals. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) can range from simple steatosis or inflammation to fibrosis and cirrhosis, possibly through leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. This study examined the liver and gut effects of red yeast rice (RYR) (Monascus purpureus) ethanol extract against binge ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. RYR extract was orally administered to C57BL/6N mice at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 days. Then, mice were administered binge alcohol (5 g/kg/dose) three times at 12 hr intervals. Binge alcohol exposure significantly elevated the endotoxin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) activity of plasma, as well as hepatic triglyceride levels; however, RYR treatments reduced these levels. In addition, RYR pretreatment significantly reduced the alcohol-induced oxidative maker protein and apoptosis maker in binge alcohol-induced gut and liver injuries. These results suggest that RYR may prevent alcohol-induced acute leaky gut and liver damage.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.176-180
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• 2018

Drug abuse and its related problems are increasing continuously in Korea. One of the most frequently abused drugs is methamphetamine, but there are few medical report in Korea. This is the first report of the identification of methamphetamine in the blood of a patient who had a return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest and survived discharge. A 33-year-old male arrived at the emergency department presenting with chest pain and dyspnea. He had ingested methamphetamine and alcohol approximately 7 hours before arrival. One hour after arrival, he had seizure followed by cardiac arrest. Spontaneous circulation was recovered after 4 minutes of CPR. An analysis of the National Forensic Service identified plasma methamphetamine with an estimated average concentration of plasma methamphetamine at the time of arrival of 0.6 mg/L, a lethal dose. He had rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury but survived after continuous renal replacement therapy. Since then, he has suffered chronic kidney disease, and he is being followed up at the out-patient department. In Korea, although drug abuse is still uncommon, it is on the increase. Therefore, emergency physicians should be aware of the clinical characteristics of methamphetamine poisoning.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2016

Chronic or acute alcohol abuse often leads to liver injury associated with alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In addition to the liver, alcohol abuse also induces a variety of other tissue injuries including pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, neurotoxicity and muscle loss. Chronic skeletal muscle myopathy, independent of peripheral neuropathy, is well recognised in alcoholic patients. Several mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholic myopathy. Ethanol is a potent inhibitor of muscle protein synthesis. Gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles are Type II fiber-predominant and usually considered representative of the musculature as a whole. Whereas, soleus muscle is Type I fiber predominant. Shihosogan-san is a traditional Korean medicine that is widely employed to treat indigestion and liver diseases. Muscle diseases are often related to liver diseases and conditions. We therefore tested the hypothesis that treatment with Shihosogan-san could ameliorate the ethanol-induced changes in muscle protein synthesis. Young male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally given 25% ethanol (5ml/kg, body weight) daily with Ethanol for 28 days. Normal group was similarly administrated with saline. In Shihosogan-san treated group, rats were orally administrated Shihosogan-san extract, and rats of EtOH group were given with the vehicle only. After 4 week, the morphology of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. For comparative purposes, liver function was also investigated. The muscles from rats of EtOH group displayed a significant reduction in average cross section area compared to Normal group. Shihosogan-san treated group had increased fiber compared to the EtOH group. Moreover, Shihosogan-san treated group compared with EtOH group showed significantly decreased pro-apoptotic BAX expression and increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression. In conclusion, Shihosogan-san extract showed ameliorating effects on chronic alcohol toxicity in skeletal muscle.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Methods: We retrospectively surveyed data from the Emergency Department based Injury In-depth Surveillance of 20 hospitals (2011-2014). We included patients whose mechanism of injury was acute CO poisoning caused by inhalation of gases from charcoal or briquettes. We surveyed the annual frequency, gender, age, result of emergency treatment, rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, result of admission, association with alcohol, and place of accident. We also surveyed the cause and experience of past suicide attempts by intentional poisoning. Results: A total of 3,405 patients were included (2,015 (59.2%) and 1,390 (40.8%) males and females, respectively) with a mean age of $39.83{\pm}18.51$ year old. The results revealed that the annual frequency of CO poisoning had increased and the frequency of unintentional CO poisoning was higher than that of intentional CO poisoning in January, February and December. The mean age of intentional CO poisoning was younger than that of unintentional CO poisoning ($38.41{\pm}13.03$ vs $40.95{\pm}21.83$) (p<0.001). The rates of discharge against medical advice (DAMA), ICU care and alcohol association for intentional CO poisoning were higher than for unintentional CO poisoning (36.4% vs 14.0%, 17.8% vs 4.7%, 45.2% vs 5.6%) (p<0.001). The most common place of CO poisoning was in one's residence. Conclusion: The annual frequency of total CO poisoning has increased, and unintentional CO poisoning showed seasonal variation. DAMA, ICU care, and alcohol association of intentional CO poisoning were higher than those of unintentional CO poisoning.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2006

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are major public health concerns. This is linked to the injury of many organs, especially liver. Experiments were peformed to know the acute effects of LeeKwaDoo (LKD) induced by two-third partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. In liver samples, regeneration parameters and histological assessment were performed. For the blood biochemical study, the blood were assayed with AST, ALT. The portal branch of liver lobes was ligated in the male Sprague-Dowley rats, two-thirds partial hepatectomies were also performed. It was estimated bodyweight and relative liver weight for the index of liver mass. For the marker of blood chemistry, we investigate the serum sample of rats and demonstrated the level of AST, ALT. Remaining tissues of liver developed as microscopic structures. Resection of the lobes in PH+LKD group resulted in a marked change of liver weight, blood chemistry and histological changes. The initiation of the proliferative response in PH group stimulated as well as reduction of the liver mass. On the other hands, the Initiation of the proliferative response in PH+LKD group delayed. Eventually, both PH group and PH+LKD group was restored relative liver weigh after 7 day. In conclusion, the acute adminstration of LKD seems to inhibit the initial response of liver regeneration through alcohol effects.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1450-1455
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• 2005

Tremor is an most common abnormal movements disease which is to-and-fro shaking. It is caused by problems -with the nerves supplying certain muscles. It can affect the whole body or just certain areas. Parkinson's disease, Brain disease like injury of Frontal lobe, Cerebellum and Brainstem, drug and alcohol caused this symptom. It could be occured by physiological and Essential cause. In this paper, authors report three cases who showed tremor after Cerebral infarction. And we suggest that 'Ssanghwa-Tang' should be helpful for tremor patients.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.300-306
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• 2014

Ethanol consumption causes psychomotor alterations. Hovenia Semen seu Fructus (HS), widely distributed in Korea, China, and Japan, has been reported to have beneficial effects on acute alcohol-induced liver injury. The present study sought to assess the effects of HS extract on ethanol-induced psychomotor alterations in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were orally (p.o.) given ethanol (4 g/kg) (ethanol group) to induce psychomotor alterations. A separate group (HS-treated groups), were treated with different dosages of HS (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.), 30 minutes before ethanol treatment. The control group received only the vehicle (saline). Ethanol-induced psychomotor alterations were evaluated in the open-field, rota-rod, hanging wire, and cold swimming test. In addition, blood ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations were also measured. Behavioral evaluations and blood analysis were carried out 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours after ethanol administration. Pre-treatment of HS ameliorated ethanol-induced alterations in the open-field, rota-rod, and cold swimming test, significantly evident in 2 and 4 hours after ethanol treatment. These improvements coincided with decrease in blood ethanol and acetaldehyde concentration. Based on these results, the present study suggests that HS may have ameliorating effects against ethanol-induced psychomotor alterations.