• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.348-358
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is estimate the effects of treatment program as it stands for drug abusers in prison. For this study, 46 drug-related prisoner were surveyed in January, 2008 at Jinju prison which has provided special treatments for drug-related offenders. This study shows that the present treatment systems or programs don't work effectively than expected. Prisoner feel present programs won't be very helpfully after release. And they feel correction officers don't have enough concern about prisoners or treatment to them. The result also emphasizes that family members or friends' support and belief is essential to prevent recidivism and to decrease such a possibility. According to this survey result, special concern to youth abuser is necessary. And it can give more effectiveness when authorities provide more medical or physical treatments than just based on routine lecturing. Furthermore, small group treatments would be more successful comparing with large member group based program. Drug abusers want more experience study or work study programs. Finally authority's, family's, friends's and colleague's interest or concern toward prisoners could contribute to raise up the possibility of rehabilitation.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.481-488
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• 2005

Purpose: Functional imaging of dopamine transporter (DAT) defines integrity of the dopaminergic system, and DAT is the target site of drugs of abuse such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Functional imaging the DAT may be a sensitive and selective indicator of neurotoxic change by the drug. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical implications of qualitative/quantitative analyses of dopamine transporter imaging in methamphetamine abusers. Materials and Methods: Six detoxified methamphetamine abusers (abuser group) and 4 volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this study. Brain MRI was performed in all of abuser group. Abuser group underwent psychiatric and depression assessment using brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD), respectively. All of the subjects underwent I-123 IPT SPECT (IPT SPECT). IPT SPECT image was analysed with visual qualitative method and quantitative method using basal ganglia dopamine transporter (DAT) specific/non-specific binding ratio (SBR). Comparison of DAT SBR between abuser and control groups was performed. We also performed correlation tests between psychiatric and depression assessment results and DAT SBR in abuser group. Results: All of abuser group showed normal MRI finding, but had residual psychiatric and depressive symptoms, and psychiatric and depressive symptom scores were exactly correlated (r=1.0, p=0.005) each other. Five of them showed abnormal finding on qualitative visual I-123 IPT SPECT Abuser group had lower basal ganglia DAT SBR than that of control ($2.38{\pm}0.20\;vs\;3.04{\pm}0.27$, p=0.000). Psychiatric and depressive symptoms were negatively well correlated with basal ganglia DAT SBR (r=-0.908, p=0.012, r=-0.924, p=0.009). Conclusion: These results suggest that dopamine transporter imaging using I-123 IPT SPECT may be used to evaluate dopaminergic system of the basal ganglia and the clinical status in methamphetamine abusers.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 1992

The abuse of zipeprol, an antitussive agent, is prevalent among young people. Ten fatal cases of zipeprol concentration in blood after its abuse had caused death are disscussed. GC equipped with TSD was used to quantify the drug in postmortem blood and GC/MS to identify the metabolites in urine after preliminary test. The calibration curve of zipeprol was linear (r = 0.998) and the recoveries of zipeprol 5, 10 and $20\;{\mu}g$ added to 1 ml postmortem blood were $97.2{\pm}3.9$, $92.5{\pm}3.9$ and $86.9{\pm}4.6%$ respectively. The blood zipeprol concentration varied 2.9 to $24.69\;{\mu}g/ml$ in 10 fatal cases. All the deaths were young adults with the age of 16-21. Three metabolites were identified in drug abuser's urine, 2-methoxy-2-phenyl ethylpiperazine, 2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-3-phenyl propylpiperazine and a demethylated zipeprol.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.275.1-275.1
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• 2003

Because people who take more than two drugs have increases, a simple and sensitive method for the simultaneous analysis of amphetamine, methamphetamine and nalbuphine in urine was developed. After alkalinization of the urine samples with 6 N-NaOH, the analytes were extracted using ethyl acetate, derivatized with MSTFA : TSIM : TMCS (= 100 : 2 : 5) prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) analysis with selected ion monitoring. (omitted)

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.130-147
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• 1990

This study intended to investigate the characteristics of adolescent drug user in Korea. A questionnaire on adolescent drug use was administered to 1st or 2nd grade 898 students (465 males, 433 females) from 9 senior high schools in Seoul area. The extent of current using six representative drugs such as cigarettes, alcohol, chemical substance inducing hallucination(e,g., thinner, bond etc.), psychostimulant, hypnotic and minor tranqulizer was self-reported. Also their psychological distress, self-concept and individual-related variables such as academic grade, deviant behavior, drug-using peers, the perceived availability of drugs, the degree of family discipline, and the perceived parents' attitude for drinking and smoking were surveyed. Subjects were grouped into six(male) or five(female) subgroups (nonuser, simple experiencer, one kind of drug user, two kinds of drugs user, three kinds of drugs user(male only), minor tranqulizer user) to their extent of drug use. Then ANOVA procedure performed for group comparison of their psychological distress, self-concept and individual-related variables. The results showed that the most popular drugs among adolescents in Korea were cigarettes and alcohol. Minor tranqulizer was used by about 2.8% of male and 7.41% of female subjects. In general abusers showed lower academic grade, more deviant experiences, having more drug-using peers, higher degree of psychological distress, and lower postitive self-concept than nonuser group. According to the results of discriminant analysis, hostility and deviant behavior were reliable predictive variables that distinguished abuser group from nonuser group among the associated variables in this study. These results suggest that some common factors affect drug use of Korean high school students : high school students who have many common risk factors could be abusers more easily. These findings supported risk factor theory that the extent of drug use of adolescents might be associated with general maladjustment in everyday life.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.180-184
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• 2012

Fungal arthritis is a rare joint infection that occurs in immunosuppressant patient, intravenous drug abuser and long term antibiotics user, and is especially rare in a healthy adult. Two case reports of fungal arthritis have been demonstrated in the country, but those in healthy adults have not been reported yet. Here, we experienced an antifungal treatment following successful arthroscopic debridement of fungal arthritis with a popliteal cyst in a healthy adult who got repetitive intraarticular steroid injections and report the case with review of relevant literatures. Surgeons should consider the possibility of fungal arthritis although it is rare and demonstrates nonspecific clinical features.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.553-556
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• 2004

Bacillus species are aerobic, gram-positive, spore forming rods, and they are usually found in the surrounding environment. If they are isolated in the clinical specimen, they are generally considered as contaminants rather than a true pathogen. Infection with Bacillus licheniformis is usually associated with the immunocompromised state, trauma, an indwelling intravenous catheter or an intravenous drug abuser. This infection is easily controlled by removal of the catheter and surgical debridement of the local infected tissue as well as an appropriate antimicrobial therapy. We reported here on a case of Bacillus licheniformis bacteremia associated with a bronchoscopic procedure in an immune competent patient.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2014

Objective : Infectious spinal disease is regarded as an infection by a specific organism that affects the vertebral body, intervertebral disc and adjacent perivertebral soft tissue. Its incidence seems to be increasing as a result of larger proportion of the older patients with chronic debilitating disease, the rise of intravenous drug abuser, and the increase in spinal procedure and surgery. In Korea, studies assessing infectious spinal disease are rare and have not been addressed in recent times. The objectives of this study are to describe the epidemiology of all kind of spinal infectious disease and their clinical and microbiological characteristics as well as to assess the diagnostic methodology and the parameters related to the outcomes. Methods : A retrospective study was performed in all infectious spinal disease cases presenting from January 2005 to April 2010 to three tertiary teaching hospitals within a city of 1.5 million in Korea. Patient demographics, risk factors, clinical features, and outcomes were assessed. Risk factors entailed the presence of diabetes, chronic renal failure, liver cirrhosis, immunosuppressants, remote infection, underlying malignancy and previous spinal surgery or procedure. We comparatively analyzed the results between the groups of pyogenic and tuberculous spinal infection. SPSS version 14 statistical software was used to perform the analyses of the data. The threshold for statistical significance was established at p<0.05. Results : Ninety-two cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Overall, patients of tuberculous spinal infection (TSI) and pyogenic spinal infection (PSI) entailed 20 (21.7%) and 72 (78.3%) cases, respectively. A previous spinal surgery or procedure was the most commonly noted risk factor (39.1%), followed by diabetes (15.2%). The occurrence of both pyogenic and tuberculous spondylitis was predominant in the lumbar spine. Discs are more easily invaded in PSI. At initial presentation, white cell blood count and C-reactive protein levels were higher in PSI compared to TSI (p<0.05). Etiological agents were identified in 53.3%, and the most effective method for identification of etiological agents was tissue culture (50.0%). Staphyococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated infective agent associated with pyogenic spondylitis, followed by E. coli. Surgical treatment was performed in 31.5% of pyogenic spondylitis and in 35.0% of tuberculous spondylitis cases. Conclusion : Many previous studies in Korea usually reported that tuberculous spondylitis is the predominant infection. However, in our study, the number of pyogenic infection was 3 times greater than that of tuberculous spinal disease. Etiological agents were identified in a half of all infectious spinal disease. For better outcomes, we should try to identify the causative microorganism before antibiotic therapy and make every effort to improve the result of culture and biopsy.