• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.261-269
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• 2023

Background: Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is a common condition encountered in ambulatory practice and is one of the most common reasons for antibiotic prescriptions. This study aimed to evaluate the potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for ARS in South Korea and identify influencing factors. Methods: We analyzed Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Samples data. We selected outpatients aged 20 to 64 with ARS, prescribed antibiotics between February and November 2020. Potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing was categorized as: 1) inappropriate antibiotic selection and 2) inappropriate antibiotic dosage or duration. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to estimate the impact of various factors on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Results: Of 1,210 patients, 80.83% received potentially inappropriate ARS antibiotic prescriptions. Inappropriate antibiotic selection accounted for 43.55%, and inappropriate antibiotic dosage and duration contributed to 37.28%. Otolaryngologists had higher odds ratio (OR) of potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing compared to internal medicine practitioners, while dentists had lower OR. Patients aged 20 to 29 years had a higher OR than other age groups, and those who visited primary care clinics had a higher OR than those who visited hospitals. Conclusion: Potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for ARS is prevalent in South Korea. This study identified physician specialty, patient age group, and the level of healthcare facility as factors influencing potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Addressing this issue through targeted interventions, such as improved guidelines adherence and patient education, is imperative to mitigate the risks associated with antibiotic misuse and antibiotic resistance.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2017

Background: Pain with neuropathic characteristics is generally more severe and associated with a lower quality of life compared to nociceptive pain (NcP). Short form of the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (S-DN4) is one of the most used and reliable screening questionnaires and is reported to have good diagnostic properties. This study was aimed to cross-culturally validate the Hindi version of the S-DN4 in patients with various chronic pain conditions. Methods: The S-DN4 is already translated into the Hindi language by Mapi Research Trust. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Hindi version of the S-DN4 including internal consistency and test-retest reliability after 3 days' post-baseline assessment. Diagnostic performance was also assessed. Results: One hundred sixty patients with chronic pain, 80 each in the neuropathic pain (NeP) present and NeP absent groups, were recruited. Patients with NeP present reported significantly higher S-DN4 scores in comparison to patients in the NeP absent group (mean (SD), 4.7 (1.7) vs. 1.8 (1.6), P < 0.01). The S-DN4 was found to have an AUC of 0.88 with adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's ${\alpha}=0.80$) and a test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.92) with an optimal cut-off value of 3 (Youden's index = 0.66, sensitivity and specificity of 88.7% and 77.5%). The diagnostic concordance rate between clinician diagnosis and the S-DN4 questionnaire was 83.1% (kappa = 0.66). Conclusions: Overall, the Hindi version of the S-DN4 has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability along with good diagnostic accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2016

Objective: Although guideline recommends beta blockers (BBs) as first line antianginal agent and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) as alternatives after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the prescription patterns in real practice are not in accordance with the guideline. We aimed to investigate the prescribing patterns of primary antianginal drug and relating factors in patients who underwent PCI. Methods: Patients who have undergone PCI without myocardial infarction (MI) from November 2012 to June 2014 and followed up at least one year in a tertiary teaching hospital were included. Prescribing patterns of primary antianginal drug before, at the time of, and one year after PCI were described. Factors affecting drug selection, and their relationship with incidence of clinical outcomes defined as MI and repeated PCI, unscheduled admission or visit related with heart problem were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 506 patients were included and as primary antianginal drugs, BB, CCB, and both were prescribed in 32.2%, 24.5%, and 17.8% of patients, respectively. Also, neither BB nor CCB was prescribed at the time of PCI in 25.5% of patients. Compared with BB, CCBs were more likely prescribed in patients who had hypertension (Odds Ratio, OR 2.18, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.16-4.07), use of same class before PCI (OR 7.18, 3.37-15.2) and concomitant angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use (OR, 1.92, 95% CI 1.10-3.33). Incidence of clinical outcomes were not significantly greater in patients who prescribed CCB compared with BB at the time of PCI (aOR 1.32, CI 0.65-2.68). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that half of the patients who underwent PCI were prescribed BB. CCB were favored in patients with hypertension, use of same class before PCI, and concomitant ARB use. Significant difference in clinical outcome was not observed between BB and CCB selection as primary antianginal drug.

• Journal of Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2009

Velvet antlers from Cervus elaphus species are one of most famous, expensive and commonly used medicinal materials in traditional oriental medicine. Some distributor had illegal practice of disguising the origin of antlers in Korea market. Therefore, a test to distinguish antler essential to ensure the healthy development of the herbal industry. In this study, the variation in DNA sequences of the mitochondrial ATPase8 and cytochrome-coxidaseI (COI) genes of Cervus elaphus from China, the Republic of Altai, and Canada were evaluated. In addition, the sequence variation among, Rein deer and Cervus elaphus species was also evaluated. Although the sequences of deer from the Republic of Altai and Canada were very similar, polymorphisms that were conserved in each species were observed in the ATPase8 and COI genes. Therefore, these polymorphic markers could be used to distinguish Cervus elaphus antlers from different locations.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.429-434
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• 2011

Korean raspberry, Rubus coreanus Miquel (RCM), contains high concentrations of phenolic compounds, which prevent oxidative stress. To determine the effect of RCM on antioxidant capacity in humans, we assessed in vivo lipid oxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities from plasma in 15 healthy men. The subjects ingested 30 g of freeze-dried RCM daily for 4 weeks. Blood was taken at baseline and at the end of the study to determine blood lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose, liver function, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities. RCM supplementation had no effect on blood lipid or fasting plasma glucose concentrations but decreased alkaline phosphatase activity. RCM supplementation increased glutathione peroxidase activities (P<0.05) but had no effect on lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that short-term RCM supplementation may offer health benefits by enhancing antioxidant capacity in a healthy population.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2010

Appropriate drug information is essential in pharmaceutical care practice. In recent years, educating patients with their prescription and drug therapy is becoming an increasingly important aspect of health care. Appropriate drug information has been shown to improve patients' adherence to their medication and the results of pharmacotherapy. The purpose of this study was to study patients' sources of drug information and their preferences in Korea. This study was a 11-questionnaire survey conducted from February 8, 2010 to February 25, 2010. Major sources of drug information used by respondents, proportions of respondents who received drug information on administration, dosage, indication, or warnings and precautions, sources of drug information which patients prefer, and the reasons of their preferences were studied. Of the 303 respondents, the most common sources of drug information were pharmacists (29.7%), doctors (23.8%), and the Internet (17.2%). There were significant differences according to sources of drug information in proportions of respondents who received drug information on administration, dosage, indication, or warnings and precautions. Patients preferred pharmacists as a drug information source the most (38.9%), and the reasons were reliability (72.0%) and easy to use (28.0%). Based on the results of this study, further studies should be conducted to establish the best way to provide appropriate drug information for patients and improve the results of pharmacotherapy.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2002

Falun Gong (FG) is an advanced system of cultivation and practice, which is beneficial for both mind and body. In this study we investigated the effects of FG on the production of cytokines in FG practitioner (FGP). To study whether plasma cytokines levels were affected by FG, their levels were analyzed. The amount of $interferon-{\gamma}$ $(IFN-{\gamma})$, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-6 (2.5-fold for $IFN-{\gamma}$, 1.2-fold for IL-2, 2.1-fold for IL-4 and 2.5-fold for IL-6, respectively) were significantly higher in the FGP group than normal group (P<0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from normal healthy control and FGP were cultured for 24 h in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide. The amount of $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 in culture supernatant was quantified. However, there were no significant differences in the level of the same cytokines between the normal and FGP group. These data suggest that FG cultivation may contribute to immune-enhancement in vivo.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.74-83
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• 2014

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 1999

Retinoids in anti-wrinkle cosmetics are widely used for the treatment of the photoaging skin these days, but very unstable in the presence of water. Multilamellar liquid crystal vesicles consisted of $poly(oxyethylene)_{15}oleyl$ ether $(POE_{15}OE)$ or $poly(oxyethylene)_{15}stearyl$ ether $(POE_{15}SE)$, cetostearyl alcohol (CSA) and cholesterol or oils were prepared to increase the stability of retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate. $POE_{15}SE-CSA-Water$ systems were more unstable than $POE_{15}SE-CSA-Water$ systems due to the bended structure of oleyl groups. For the modification of vesicles, cholesterol was added. The enthalpy values were decreased reaching to zero and the water permeability of systems was decreased, but the stabilizaton of retinyl acetate was not greatly improved. The stability of retinyl acetate may depend on its location in the structure. Various oils were added for further stabilization and isopropyl myristate was most effective. In practice, retinyl palmitate showed better stability in the same vesicle than retinyl acetate, and the improved vesicles could be used for the anti-wrinkle cosmetics

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.181-186
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• 1998

This study was attempted to investigate the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine (10mg/kg, oral) in rabbits with $CCI_4$ and bile duct ligation-induced hepatic disorder. The area under the curve (AUC) of blood cyclosporine concentration versus time was significantly increased ($CCI_4$-induced hepatic disorder. Elimination rate constant (Kel) was significantly decreased (p<0.05, p<0.01) in rabbits with $CCI_4$ and bile duct ligation-induced hepatic disorder. Volume of distribution (Vdss) and total body clearance (CLtot) were significantly decreased (p<0.01) in rabbits with $CCI_4$-induced hepatic disorder. But Vdss was significantly increased (p4-induced hepatic disorder were 874ng/ml and 2.71 hr, respectively. Cmax and Tmax values in rabbits with bile duct ligation were 105ng/ml and 2.834 hr, respectively. From results of this experiment. It is desirable to do therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine for effective treatment when the cyclosporine is administered to patients with liver disorder m clinical practice.