Objectives: This study aimed to identify the opinions of Gyeongsangbuk-do residents on out-of-hours (OOH) pharmacies and to examine the operating experiences of pharmacists who are operating OOH pharmacies in other areas. Methods: Cross-sectional survey was carried out for 1,000 Gyeongbuk residents employing a questionnaire via online or face-to-face, and 82 pharmacists who currently operate OOH pharmacies employing a postal questionnaire. Out of eighty-two, 46 pharmacists replied (response rate 56.1%). Results: As for the necessity of introducing OOH pharmacies in Gyeongsangbuk-do, 84.9% answered more than necessary.86.1% favored the local government support for OOH pharmacies. The necessity of OOH pharmacies was highly evaluated among participants who experienced to be unable to use medicines or services in out of service hours, regardless of their characteristics or health condition. County residents consistently put a positive opinion for the necessity of OOH pharmacies if they have elderly family member(s), while city residents had significant differences across subgroups depending on their conditions (family members, household economics, health status, etc.). Almost all (95.7%) pharmacist participants highly evaluated the necessity of OOH pharmacies and the majority of them (63.0%) felt satisfied. However, 60.9% of participants have ever considered closing their OOH pharmacy business due to private, business management and professional reasons. Conclusion This study made suggestions to address anticipated issues for the Gyeongbuk-style OOH pharmacy model.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to explore dental status and denture satisfaction in some rural elderly people. METHODS: A total of 546 participants aged over 65 years was surveyed cross-sectionally. The subjects were surveyed with regard to their denture satisfaction by a structured questionnaire. The Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis test was used for analysis. RESULTS: As for respondents' satisfaction for dentures by the Likert scale of 5 score, aesthetic satisfaction (3.73) was highest, followed by general satisfaction (3.56) and masticatory functions satisfaction (3.45). In addition, the educational level, occupation, monthly income, the number of remaining teeth, use of denture variables have statistically significant difference in the denture satisfaction of those elderly people interviewed. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that denture satisfaction in some rural elderly people was different in each categories. Consequently, providing tailor-made oral health education programs for the effective denture management of the elderly people should be needed in order to improve the quality of life of the aged.
Aged ; Dentures ; Humans ; Occupations ; Oral Health ; Quality of Life ; Tooth ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease in South Korea with clinical features similar to those of scrub typhus. Infected patients with these two diseases usually visited the emergency department (ED) complaining of fever that was not responsive to treatment in a local clinic. Aggressive management of SFTS is required in order to prevent rapid progression and human-to-human transmission, thus rapid and accurate differential diagnosis of the two diseases in the ED is important. We reported three laboratory confirmed cases of SFTS during 2013-2014 in a single center, with fever, skin lesions, and history of outdoor activities in order to help in differential diagnosis between SFTS and scrub typhus in the ED.
Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Fever* ; Humans ; Korea ; Scrub Typhus* ; Skin ; Thrombocytopenia*

BACKGROUND: Anti-inflammation, anti-bactericidal, and collagen synthesis are important for health skin conditions. However, the effect of horse oil on anti-inflammation, anti-bactericidal, and collagen synthesis is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and synthesis of type I collagen of horse oil. METHODS: Anti-bacterial effect was evaluated by disc diffusion test. Expressions of inflammatory cytokines were studied by RT-PCR analysis, real time PCR. Type I collagen expression was evaluated by Western blot in human HaCaT kertinocytes and fibroblasts. RESULTS: Our data showed that horse oil exerted anti-bacterial effect on P.acnes and S.aureus. Expression of IL-10 was increased by horse oil-treated HaCaT cells. In addition, increased expression of type I collagen was observed in horse oil-treated human skin fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Horse oil exerts an anti-bactericidal effect against P.acnes and S.aureus. In addition, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects of horse oil will be mediated by up-regulation of IL-10 and type I collagen, respectively.
Blotting, Western ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I* ; Cytokines* ; Diffusion ; Fibroblasts* ; Horses* ; Humans* ; Interleukin-10 ; Keratinocytes* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Up-Regulation

Abstract The study of the use of active substances in the raw materials of drugs used in traditional medicine by modern medical methods, especially the relationship between their secondary metabolites and their biological activity, has become a topic of great interest. The purpose of this study is to clarify the taste, potency, and chemical composition of some medicinal herbs used in traditional Mongolian medicine to treat arthritis. The main methods used in the research are analysis of ancient source materials and checklist. Four herbs were selected for the study: Linari buriatica Turcz, Veronica incana, Inula Britannica, and Ledum palustre L. According to the theory of traditional medicine, the taste, potency and general use of these four herbs are different, but the medicinal herbs have the ability to cure arthritis. In addition, the active substances in the chemical composition of these four herbs has been shown to be effective against a variety of diseases, including: Linari buriatica Turcz, used in large doses has purgative action and in small doses, it has the effect of stimulating gastrointestinal peristalsis and secretory function, Veronica incana contains cardiac glycosides and saponins while Inula Britannica contains inulin, and Ledum palustre L have been shown to suppress inflammation and promote apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is essential for healthy living. However, the use of these four herbs in the treatment of arthritis in traditional medicine is noteworthy and needs to be studied in more depth.

PURPOSE: It has been known that clinical features of anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union (APBDU) are thought to result from cholestasis and regurgitation of pancreatic juice. The purpose of our study is to clarify the relationship of clinicopathological factors and to get information on mechanism of biliary ductal injury in APBDU. METHODS: A total of 23 patients who underwent operation for APBDU from March 1995 to March 2003 were examined. The results of patients were analyzed for their relevance to the clinicopathological factors such as age, sex, age at onset, size of cyst, grade of inflammation, type of APBDU, level of pancreatic enzymes sampled from biliary ductal system, and Ki67 labeling index. RESULTS: Level of amylase in biliary ductal system was decreased with age, especially after 20 years. The grade of hyperplasia in gallbladder was increased with level of amylase in gallbladder. The grade of inflammation in gallbladder was increased with age, but inflammation of gallbladder decreased with the level of amylase in gallbladder, and the size of cyst was increased with grade of inflammation and age. CONCLUSION: Level of amylase in the bile of biliary ductal system was decreased with age, especially after 20 years, which suggests that reflux of pancreatic amylase is closely related with onset of symptom in adult with APBDU. As far as mechanism of biliary ductal injury in APBDU is concerned, inflammation of biliary ductal system is increased with age and size of cyst. And hyperplasia of gallbladder is increased with the degree of regurgitation of pancreatic juice.
Adult ; Amylases ; Bile ; Choledochal Cyst ; Cholestasis ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Inflammation ; Pancreatic Juice