BACKGROUND: Pharmacists could dispense medicines without doctors' prescription in Korea before July 2000. The aim of this study was to compare the prescription behaviors of practicing doctors and pharmacists to common cold by the simulated patients. We selected the common cold as a subject of simulation because it was the most frequent health problem to visit doctors and pharmacists and the abuse of antibiotics might be prevalent in management of it. METHODS: Seventy five private clinics and drug stores were selected in Seoul, Korea. The simulated patients were selected and trained standardized symptoms of common cold. The simulated patients recorded the prescription behaviors of doctors and pharmacists. RESULTS: Average number of prescribed medicines were 5.0 and 5.6 in clinic and drug store respectively. 54.7% of the clinics and 61.3% of the drug stores prescribed antibiotics respectively with no significant difference between them. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were penicillines. About 7% of the doctors and 11% of the pharmacist prescribed glucocorticoid to simulated patients respectively. About 20% of the pharmacists performed some kinds of physical examination to the simulated patients. Both doctors and pharmacist gave little information or advice on use of medicines, possible side effects and past side effects of medicines. CONCLUSION: There were frequent abuse of antibiotics and occasional use of glucocorticoid in private clinics and drug stores. Both doctors and pharmacists did not give enough information on use of medicines to the simulated patients.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Common Cold* ; Humans ; Korea ; Patient Simulation ; Penicillins ; Pharmacists* ; Physical Examination ; Prescriptions* ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists could dispense medicines without doctors' prescription in Korea before July 2000. The aim of this study was to compare the prescription behaviors of practicing doctors and pharmacists to arthritis by the simulated patients. We selected the arthritis as a subject of simulation because the arthritis was one of the major health problem and the abuse of corticosteroids might be prevalent in management of arthritis patients. METHODS: Seventy five private clinics and drug stores were selected in Seoul, Korea. The simulated patients were selected and trained standardized symptoms of arthritis. The simulated patients recorded the prescription behaviors of doctors and pharmacists. RESULTS: Mean number of prescribed medicines were 3.6 and 4.4 in clinic and drug store respectively. 16.2% of the clinics and 25.3% of the drug stores prescribed corticosteroids respectively with no significant difference. 45.3% of the pharmacists prescribed more than two kinds of anti inflammatory or analgesics and it was significantly higher than those of doctors. 65.3% of doctors intended to prescribe parenteral injection and 40% of the pharmacists performed some kinds of physical examination to the simulated patients. Both doctors and pharmacist gave little information or advice on use of medicines, possible side effects and past side effects of medicines. CONCLUSION: There were frequent abuse of corticosteroids and analgesics in private clinics and drug stores. Both doctors and pharmacists did not give enough information on use of medicines to the simulated patients.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Analgesics ; Arthritis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Patient Simulation ; Pharmacists* ; Physical Examination ; Prescriptions* ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Animals ; Blastocyst* ; Insulin* ; Mice*

We report a case of B-cell lymphoma primarily involving the skin in a 12-year-old boy. The histopathologic findings were compatible with those of small lymphocytic type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A cutaneous lesion was the sole manifestation of his disease without any other organ involvement. Immunophenotypic studies and immunoglobulin gene rearrangement with Southern blot analysis determined its lineages and monoclonality with result of B-cell lineage neoplasm, i. d. CD20⁺, C1323⁺, CD35⁻ and rearranged band on JH probe. We treated him with surgical excision and CVP regimen of chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone). There is no recurrence or metastasis during the last six months.
B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Southern ; Child ; Drug Therapy ; Genes, Immunoglobulin ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Vincristine

Recently, there is a growing interest of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in many fields of medicine. We had a 43-year-old female patient presented with severe necrosis of the nose, philtrum, and upper lip due to retrograde arterial occlusion after nasolabial fold hyaluronic acid filler injection. Our patient went through 43 sessions of systemic hyperbaric oxygen therapy from December 2, 2017 to January 18, 2018. We administered 2.8 atmosphere absolute (ATA) for 135 minutes in the first session and the remaining sessions consisted of 2.0 ATA for 110 minutes. In reporting this case, we wish to provide a warning regarding the latent risk of filler injections and share our experience about minimizing soft tissue damage in the early stages with systemic hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Adult ; Atmosphere ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Lip ; Nasolabial Fold ; Necrosis ; Nose

We Studied the sport injuries of 135 Korean dissbled athletes who were going to Seoul Paralympics from 15th September 1988 to 30th September 1988. The results were as follows.1. The mean age was 23.3years, male and female ratio was 7 to l. 2. The type of disability were as follows ; Poliomyelitis, Cerebral Palsy and Blindness and transition rate of below 5 years of age was 71.6%. 3. The most common age of begining exercise of the disabled athletes were 16-20 years and composed of 77.4%. 4. The most common cause and process of athletic injuries were heavy training and excessive exercise. 5. The most common athletic injury was soft tissue injury and the most common site was hand and the most common type of injury was blindness and the most common causative sport was baseball and fencing. 6. The protects were used in 41% of athletes and they were globes and glassed as follows. 7. Over 77% of the disabled athletes were answered as “Necessary” to the question about scientification of disabled sport.
Athletes ; Athletic Injuries ; Baseball ; Blindness ; Cerebral Palsy ; Female ; Glass ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Poliomyelitis ; Seoul ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Sports

BACKGROUND: Topical anesthetics, such as eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream, can be applied to reduce pain before minor procedure. This trial evaluated EMLA as pretreatment for facial lacerations and compared pain, discomfort and overall satisfaction. METHODS: This trial included consecutive emergency department patients > or =16 years of age who presented with simple facial lacerations. At triage, lacerations were allotted to either the routine processing group or EMLA pretreatment group according to date of admission. Initially, the emergency department doctors inspected each laceration, which were dressed with saline-soaked gauze. In the pretreatment group, EMLA cream was applied during wound inspection. The plastic surgeon then completed primary closure following the local injection of an anesthetic. After the procedure, all patients were given a questionnaire assessing pain using the 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) ("no pain" to "worst pain"). All questionnaires were collected by the emergency department nurse before discharge. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included in the routine processing group, and fifty patients were included in the EMLA pretreatment group. Median age was 39.9 years, 66% were male, and the average laceration was 2.67 cm in length. The EMLA pretreatment group reported lower pain scores in comparison with the routine processing group (2.4 vs. 4.5 on VAS, P<0.05), and lower discomfort scores during the procedure (2.0 vs. 3.3, P=0.60). Overall satisfaction was significantly higher in the EMLA pretreatment group (7.8 vs. 6.1, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreating facial lacerations with EMLA topical cream aids patients by reducing pain and further enhancing overall satisfaction during laceration treatment.
Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Lacerations* ; Male ; Triage ; Visual Analog Scale ; Wounds and Injuries ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The outcomes of a surgical approach for patients with an esophageal carcinoma remain unsatisfactory despite its high complication rates. We conducted a phase II trial, using combined FP (5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) chemotherapy and concurrent radiotherapy, as a definitive therapy for patients with esophageal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically proven esophageal cancer were enrolled onto this study. The treatment consisted of four courses of chemotherapy and six and a half weeks of radiotherapy. The patients received chemotherapy in weeks 1, 5, 12 and 16 (5-fluorouracil 1, 000 mg/m2 on days 1 to 4 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1). Radiotherapy was administered at a dose of 59.4 Gy, in five 1.8 Gy fractions a week. RESULTS: A total of 22 eligible patients entered the study. Of the 19 evaluable patients, a complete response occurred in 7 (37%), and a partial response in 8 (42%). After a median follow-up of 35 months, the overall survival rate was 32% at three years and the median survival was 11 months. Fourteen (64%) received planned dose of radio-therapy and 13 (59%) received more than three courses of chemotherapy. However, there was no difference in three-year survival rates between the patients that received less than three courses of chemotherapy and those that received three or more courses (31% vs. 32%). The major treatment related toxicity was mucositis, which developed in every patient, with grades III or IV in thirteen (59%) patients. During the treatment, the patients lost, on average, 3.8% of their body weight. The mean hospital stay was 23 days, with a total duration of treatment of 74 days. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent FP chemoradiotherapy was effective as a definitive therapy for patients with esophageal cancer. The major toxicity was mucositis. Although the treatment was relatively feasible, a randomized trial of reduced courses of chemotherapy is warranted.
Body Weight ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Mucositis ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: Many different methods have been undertaken to increase the success rate of tuboplasty. Ttubal reanastomosis, Nd-YAG laser, splint he development of a new generation of surgical lasers has offered a possibility for the practical use of the laser technique in microsurgical fields. In gynecology, the laser beam has been reported to be a precise instrument for successful tubal surgery with minimal bleeding and postoperative reaction. The authors studied the effect of the infrared laser beam in the area of tubal reanastomosis. METHODS: To compare tubal patency, pregnancy rate, and histologic difference in site of anastomosis, total 120 tubes of 60 rabbits were used for experimental tuboplasty. The study groups were divided according to the kinds of reanastomosis methods. Group I : 1 layer(right tube) and 2 layer(left tube) anastomosis without using splint, group II : 1 layer(right tube) and 2 layer(left tube) anastomosis with using splint, group III : reanastomosis using laser with splint(III-b) and without splint(III-a). RESULTS: 1. The infiltration of inflammatory cell were observed in all group by optical microscopic examination. Group II revealed more fibrotic change and inflammatory cell without significant statistical difference and there was no significant difference between left and right tubes in each group. 2. The tubes of group II were significantly more patent(75%) than that of group I(50%). Especially the patency of group III performed Nd-YAG laser with splint was the highest(90%). 3. The pregnancy rates in groups without splint were 40%(one layer without splint, group I-right tube), 60%(two layer without splint, group I-left tube), 30%(Nd-YAG laser without splint, group III-a), were significantly lower than that of group with splint, 60%(one layer with splint, Group II-right tube), 60%(two layer with splint, Group II-left tube), 80%(Nd-YAG laser with splint, Group III-b). Especially the group IIIb showed the hightest pregnancy rate(80%). CONCLUSIONS: From the above results, it is considered that the tubal reanastomosis using splint and Nd-YAG laser will improve the pregnancy rate and could be the procedure of choice in the future.
Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Hemorrhage ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Rabbits ; Splints ; Sterilization Reversal ; Sutures*

Human ovarian follicles reduce rapidly in number throughout fetal and adult life. Throughout the menstrual cycles, primordial follicles grow into mature follicles and then ovulate to form corpus luteum. Apoptosis has been implicated in several events that occur during the process of follicular growth, atresia and the regression of the corpus luteum. By the use of immunohistochemistry, we clarified the involvement of apoptosis in the human ovary during follicular growth, regression and atresia by investigating the expression of Fas, Fas-ligand, Bcl-2 and Bad in primordial follicles, primary follicles and mature follicles. Fas immunostaining was present in primordial oocytes, both oocytes and granulosa cells of primary follicles, preantral follicles and all follicular cells of mature follicles. Fas-ligand and Bad immunostaining patterns were similar to those of Fas except for theca cells. Bcl-2 immunostaining was present in both oocytes and granulosa cells of primary, preantral and mature follicles. In corpus luteum, Fas, Fas-ligand, Bcl-2 and Bad immunostaining were observed and decreased in the regressing corpus luteum. In postmenopausal ovary, Fas, Fas-ligand, Bcl-2 and Bad immunostaining were entirely negative. Bad immunostaining was observed but Bcl-2 was not in atretic follicle. These results suggest that Fas, Fas-ligand, Bcl-2 and Bad may play important roles in human ovary during follicular growth, regression and atresia simultaneously. Further studies should be required to elucidate the underlying mechanism and apoptosis of the disease associated with normal and abnormal ovarian aging.
Adult ; Aging ; Apoptosis ; Corpus Luteum ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Menstrual Cycle ; Oocytes ; Ovarian Follicle* ; Ovary ; Theca Cells