The short time antibacterial effect of tetracaine hydrochloride was studied. S. aureus, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and P. aeruginosa were each incubated with tetracaine hydrochloride(preservative free) for 18 hours or for 2 minutes and then diluted and cultured on nutrient agar plate. Colony counts were done after 18 hours. In cases of 18 hours incubation, there was no growth of microbials in 0.5%, 0.1% tetracaine hydrochloride, but there was no inhibitory effect of 0.02% of tetracaine hydrochloride on growth of microbials, irrespective of inoculum amount. In cases of 2 minutes incubation with 0.5% tetracaine hydrochloride, there was no difference between the amount of microbial inoculum and colony count. Above in vitro study indicates that tetracaine hydrochloride has no inhibitory effect on bacterial growth in short time exposure less than 2 minutes.
Agar ; Coagulase ; Staphylococcus ; Tetracaine*

The short time antibacterial effect of tetracaine hydrochloride was studied. S. aureus, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and P. aeruginosa were each incubated with tetracaine hydrochloride(preservative free) for 18 hours or for 2 minutes and then diluted and cultured on nutrient agar plate. Colony counts were done after 18 hours. In cases of 18 hours incubation, there was no growth of microbials in 0.5%, 0.1% tetracaine hydrochloride, but there was no inhibitory effect of 0.02% of tetracaine hydrochloride on growth of microbials, irrespective of inoculum amount. In cases of 2 minutes incubation with 0.5% tetracaine hydrochloride, there was no difference between the amount of microbial inoculum and colony count. Above in vitro study indicates that tetracaine hydrochloride has no inhibitory effect on bacterial growth in short time exposure less than 2 minutes.
Agar ; Coagulase ; Staphylococcus ; Tetracaine*

KOH examination is a simple, rapid and diagnostic procedure to confirm dermatophytic infections. It is important to select a proper examination site of the lesion. To determinate the proper examination site of the lesion, mycologic studies were done with multiple specimens collected from the center, margin and out of margin of the ring-shaped dermatophytic skin lesion on the 58 patients. The results were as follows. Positive rate of KOH wet smear was 94.8% at the center and 100% at the margin of the lesions, 22.4% at the 1 cm and 5.2% at the 2 cm out of the lesions. The more hyphae were found in the lesion, the more hyphae were found out of the lesion. Culture was done on the Sabouraud's glucose agar from the highest KOH positive area and the positive culture was 48 strains (82.8%) of 58 patients. These findings suggested that the ring-shaped active margin was the best site to examine mycologic studies.
Agar ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Early and appropriate antibiotic treatment improves the clinical outcome of patients with septicemia; therefore, reducing the turn-around time for identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) results is essential. We established a method for rapid ID and AST using short-term incubation of positive blood culture broth samples on solid media, and evaluated its performance relative to that of the conventional method using two rapid ID systems and a rapid AST method. METHODS: A total of 254 mono-microbial samples were included. Positive blood culture samples were incubated on blood agar plates for six hours and identified by the MicroFlex LT (Bruker Daltonics) and Vitek-MS (bioMeriéux) systems, followed by AST using the Vitek2 System (bioMeriéux). RESULTS: The correct species-level ID rates were 82.3% (209/254) and 78.3% (199/254) for the MicroFlex LT and Vitek-MS platforms, respectively. For the 1,174 microorganism/antimicrobial agent combinations tested, the rapid AST method showed total concordance of 97.8% (1,148/1,174) with the conventional method, with a very major error rate of 0.5%, major error rate of 0.7%, and minor error rate of 1.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Routine implementation of this short-term incubation method could provide ID results on the day of blood culture-positivity detection and one day earlier than the conventional AST method. This simple method will be very useful for rapid ID and AST of bacteria from positive blood culture bottles in routine clinical practice.
Agar ; Bacteria* ; Humans ; Methods ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of automated ozonated water endoscopic reprocessing system (AORS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cases were collected and randomly assigned to 3 groups according to the disinfection methods (Group A, AORS for 5 minutes; Group B, AORS for 10 minutes; Group C, automated disinfection with superoxidized water for 3 minutes 30 seconds). After disinfection was finished, samples were collected from the tip of scopes (Site 1, S1) and rinsing water through biopsy channel (Site 2, S2). Samples were inoculated in blood agar plate for 48 hrs, and then colony count was evaluated. RESULTS: Culture positive rate of S1 was 0% in all three groups. Culture positive rates of S2 were 70% (7/10), 70% (7/10) and 90% (9/10) in group A, group B and group C, respectively. High culture rate group (> or = 1 CFU/ml rinsing water) was 0% (0/10), 30% (3/10) and 70% (7/10) in group A, group B and group C, respectively. Disinfection efficacy between group A and C showed a significant difference in high culture rate (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AORS for 5min was at least equally effective in endoscopic reprocessing compared with the conventional superoxidized water system.
Agar ; Biopsy ; Disinfection* ; Endoscopes ; Water*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of automated ozonated water endoscopic reprocessing system (AORS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cases were collected and randomly assigned to 3 groups according to the disinfection methods (Group A, AORS for 5 minutes; Group B, AORS for 10 minutes; Group C, automated disinfection with superoxidized water for 3 minutes 30 seconds). After disinfection was finished, samples were collected from the tip of scopes (Site 1, S1) and rinsing water through biopsy channel (Site 2, S2). Samples were inoculated in blood agar plate for 48 hrs, and then colony count was evaluated. RESULTS: Culture positive rate of S1 was 0% in all three groups. Culture positive rates of S2 were 70% (7/10), 70% (7/10) and 90% (9/10) in group A, group B and group C, respectively. High culture rate group (> or = 1 CFU/ml rinsing water) was 0% (0/10), 30% (3/10) and 70% (7/10) in group A, group B and group C, respectively. Disinfection efficacy between group A and C showed a significant difference in high culture rate (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AORS for 5min was at least equally effective in endoscopic reprocessing compared with the conventional superoxidized water system.
Agar ; Biopsy ; Disinfection* ; Endoscopes ; Water*

PURPOSE: For the production and evaluation of the tissue-equivalent phantom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used agarous gel and oil as a basic component of the mixture and added Tween 80 for the stabilization of phantoms. We did the test for homogeneity and measured T1 and T2 relexation times of each phantom tube. RESULTS: T1 relaxation time ranged from 642 to 2781 msec and T2 relaxation times from 42 to 157 msec. Each phantom was significantly different in T1 relaxation time and T2 relaxation time (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Tissue equivalent phantom may provide good information on the optimal sequence before MR imaging of patients and may be valuable if it is used with the patients' MR imaging.
Agar ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Polysorbates ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: Rapid species identification of enterococci is necessary for optimal treatment of infected patients as they are frequently resistant to various antimicrobial agents. Minimal identification scheme is necessary to cut the laboratory cost. In this study, a minimal identification system was modified to expand the identifiable species. METHODS: Performance of MGP test was compared to that of MIO motility test. Colonies on blood agar were used to inoculate primary identification media: SFA, BEAA, mannitol agar, tellurite agar, sorbose agar and MGP agar, which were prepared in biplates. Pigment production was tested when necessary using colonies on a blood agar. Isolates, which were not identifiable by the primary test, were inoculated to secondary test media: ADH, and arabinose-, raffinose- and sucrose-containing CTA. Vitek GPI cards were used to test isolates with a doubtful identification or no identification. RESULTS: MGP test was selected for the modified scheme, as it was more rapid and accurate than motility test. Among the 879 clinical isolates of enterococci, 462 (52.6%) and 3 (0.3%) were identified as E. faecalis and E. casseliflavus, respectively, by the primary test only. With the additional secondary tests, 379 (43.1%) isolates were identified as E. faecium. Vitek test showed the identification of 4 isolates with atypical test results and 5 isolates of rare species by modified scheme were correct. Nine isolates (1.0 %) were not identifiable by the modified scheme. CONCLUSIONS: The modified minimal identification scheme which included MGP test identified most E. faecalis isolates rapidly and accurately. Most of E. faecium isolates were identified with the additional secondary tests. In conclusion, the system is useful for the identification of commonly isolated species of enterococci.
Agar ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Humans ; Mannitol ; Sorbose

Herein, we report a case in which cholestasis caused discrepancy in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels measured using various methods. The discrepancy in HDL-cholesterol level originated from the abnormal increase in the level of an unusual lipoprotein, apo E-rich HDL, in the patient's serum. An abnormal slow alpha-migrating lipoprotein was observed on agarose gel electrophoresis, and an abnormal large-sized HDL was observed in a lipoprotein subfraction study. The level of apolipoprotein E was elevated.
Apolipoproteins ; Cholestasis ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Lipoproteins

Herein, we report a case in which cholestasis caused discrepancy in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels measured using various methods. The discrepancy in HDL-cholesterol level originated from the abnormal increase in the level of an unusual lipoprotein, apo E-rich HDL, in the patient's serum. An abnormal slow alpha-migrating lipoprotein was observed on agarose gel electrophoresis, and an abnormal large-sized HDL was observed in a lipoprotein subfraction study. The level of apolipoprotein E was elevated.
Apolipoproteins ; Cholestasis ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Lipoproteins