The Effectiveness of Short Term Mobile Phone Text Reminders in Improving Compliance among Hypertensive Patients

BACKGROUND: For the effective management of hypertension, drug adherence and life style modification are important. We investigated the effects of mobile phone text-message reminders on compliance and life style modification in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The study was performed at family medicine outpatient clinics at 15 hospitals in South Korea from July 2008 to June 2010. Study subjects included 1,449 patients who were all prescribed candesartan cilexetil. Patients were randomly divided into two groups- mobile phone text-message reminder group and control group. In the reminder group, contents of text messages were recommendations for antihypertensive adherence, exercise, low salt diet, and reduction of weight and alcohol. In the control group, the date of next visit was sent at 10 week. Mobile phone text-messages were sent at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks by the coordinating center. Thereafter, they were followed up for 12 weeks. Chi-square test was performed to compare compliance and performance indexes of the two groups. RESULTS: The reminder group had 719 (49.6%) patients vs. 730 (50.4%) patients in the control group. Attendance rate were 92.8% for the reminder group and 94.7% for the control group (P=0.14). 94.7% of the reminder group and 94.0% of the control group took their medication regularly (P=0.59). The target blood pressure was attained in 75.8% of the reminder group and 75.4% of the control group (P=0.87). Similarly, rates of weight loss, decreased alcohol use, increased physical activity and a low salt diet showed no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, mobile phone text reminders did not show to have any significant positive effect on the management of hypertension.

Pancytopenia Associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the most common pathogen of the respiratory tract among school-aged children and adolescents. It can also cause extrapulmonary manifestation that involves the skin, nervous system, digestive system, and hematopoietic system. A 12-year old girl was admitted to Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Her respiratory symptoms and signs improved after the treatment with macrolide antibiotics, and she was discharged. However, pancytopenia developed 16 days after the first admission date. She was readmitted, and treated successfully with intravenous immunoglobulin. We reported her as the first case of pancytopenia asscociated with M. pnuemoniae pneumonia in Korea.

STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ULTRASONIC INSTRUMENTATION ON BOND STRENGTH OF SEVERAL DENTAL CEMENTS / 대한치과보철학회지

Ultrasonic instruments transfer electrical energy to mechanical energy resulting in vibration used for various dental treatments. If we could know the effect of ultrasonic instruments on the dental cements within the cast crown, we could take care when conducting periodontal surgery and when using the ultrasonic instruments to remove cast crown, it would be much more convenient. The purpose of this study was to compare the bond strength of several dental cements according to ultrasonic instrumentation time In this study 4 types of cements were used to cement the specimens. They were treated with ultrasonic instrumentation for 0-5 minutes and the change in bond strength were statistically compared The results were as follows : 1. The tensile bond strength of zinc phosphate cement decreased according to the increase in time of ultrasonic instrument and showed significant differance between 0 minutes and the others and between 1 minute and 2,3,4,5 minutes (P<0.05) 2. The tensile bond strength of polycarboxylate cement decreased according to the increase in time of ultrasonic instrument and showed significant differance between 5 minutes and the others and between 4 minute and 0 minutes (P<0.05) 3. The tensile bond strength of zinc phosphate cement decreased according to the increase in time of ultrasonic instrument and showed significant differance between 5 minutes and the others (P<0.05) 4. The tensile bond strength of resin cement showed no statistically differences according to the ultrasonic instrumentation time In conclusion, it this considered that zinc phosphate cement is most affected by ultrasonic instrumentations and resin cement is the least affected. When using ultrasonic instruments the result above should be used as an index.