The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of mortality and disease prevalence related to occupational diseases among agricultural workers in Korea. We evaluated the age-standardized mortality rates and the prevalence of chronic diseases and compared them with those of other populations using death registration data from 2004 through 2008 and the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In addition, we conducted a literature review on published articles examining the health status of farmers in Korea. Agricultural workers have a significantly higher mortality of cancer, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory diseases, liver diseases, suicide, motor and non-motor vehicle accidents. Compared to other populations, farmers have higher prevalence rates of arthritis and intervertebral disc disorders. The literature review revealed a number of work-related diseases among farmers, such as musculoskeletal diseases, pesticide poisoning, infections, and respiratory and neurologic diseases. Korean farmers demonstrate a distinct pattern of mortality and disease prevalence compared to other populations. Although lifestyle factors remain important contributors to those deaths and diseases, our study suggests that occupation is a major determinant as well. Intensive programs such as surveillance systems, therefore, should be developed in order to identify and prevent work-related diseases among agricultural workers in Korea.
Agricultural Workers' Diseases/*epidemiology/mortality ; Bacterial Infections/epidemiology/mortality ; Humans ; Life Style ; Musculoskeletal Diseases/epidemiology/mortality ; Mycoses/epidemiology/mortality ; Neoplasms/epidemiology/mortality ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Virus Diseases/epidemiology/mortality

Infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially gram-negative bacteria, are a common cause of child mortality in Papua New Guinea. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria include the enteric gram-negative bacilli, especially Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Enterobacter, and Haemophilus influenzae type b, a major respiratory tract pathogen and cause of meningitis. Among these bacteria there is now high-level resistance to standard antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, amoxycillin and cotrimoxazole. Reasons behind the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are the widespread unregulated use of antibiotics and the very large burden of bacterial infections. Risk factors for development of resistant enteric gram-negative infections include village births, prolonged hospital stay, kwashiorkor in adopted children and previous treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Cost-effective strategies to combat these pathogens will need to be broad and must focus on reducing the use of antibiotics for trivial illnesses, reducing the need to use antibiotics and reducing the risk factors for resistant bacterial sepsis. There must be stricter regulation of commercial pharmacies, education of health workers on how to avoid inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, a focus on the prevention of pneumonia by immunization with new vaccines, improvements in the quality and uptake of formal maternal care services and public health measures within villages. In addition there is a need for better surveillance for antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hospitals; this will require substantial improvements in laboratory facilities and carefully planned research collaboration. A national committee should be established to advise on these matters and coordinate interventions.
Bacterial Infections - mortality ; Bacterial Infections - prevention & ; control ; Community Health Workers ; Cross Infection - epidemiology ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Health Education ; Infant, Newborn ; Papua New Guinea - epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics and preventive measures of liver failure with nosocomial septicemia.

METHODSRetrospective analysis of nosocomial septicemia seen between 2001 and 2002 was carried out in our hospital.

RESULTSIncidence of nosocomial septicemia was 0.61%, mortality was 14.29%, the main pathogen was Escherichia coli, the drug resistance occurred in most pathogens to the commonly used antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONIn order to reduce nosocomial septicemia, antibiotics should be used rationally, should be paid attention to bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, and preventive measures should be taken.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Ampicillin ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bacteremia ; epidemiology ; etiology ; mortality ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross Infection ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli Infections ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Klebsiella Infections ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; drug effects ; Liver Failure ; complications ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Infections are major causes of both early and late death after lung transplantation (LT). The development of prophylaxis strategies has altered the epidemiology of post-LT infections; however, recent epidemiological data are limited. We evaluated infections after LT at our institution by time of occurrence, site of infections, and microbiologic etiologies. METHODS: All consecutive patients undergoing lung or heart-lung transplantation between October 2008 and August 2014 at our institution were enrolled. Cases of infections after LT were initially identified from the prospective registry database, which was followed by a detailed review of the patients' medical records. RESULTS: A total of 108 episodes of post-LT infections (56 bacterial, 43 viral, and nine fungal infections) were observed in 34 LT recipients. Within 1 month after LT, the most common bacterial infections were catheter-related bloodstream infections (42%). Pneumonia was the most common site of bacterial infection in the 2- to 6-month period (28%) and after 6 months (47%). Cytomegalovirus was the most common viral infection within 1 month (75%) and in the 2- to 6-month period (80%). Respiratory viruses were the most common viruses after 6 months (48%). Catheter-related candidemia was the most common fungal infection. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis developed after 6 months. Survival rates at the first and third years were 79% and 73%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although this study was performed in a single center, we provide valuable and recent detailed epidemiology data for post-LT infections. A further multicenter study is required to properly evaluate the epidemiology of post-LT infections in Korea.
Adult ; Bacterial Infections/diagnosis/*microbiology/mortality ; Catheter-Related Infections/microbiology/virology ; Cytomegalovirus Infections/virology ; Female ; Heart-Lung Transplantation/*adverse effects/mortality ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lung Transplantation/*adverse effects/mortality ; Male ; Medical Records ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses/diagnosis/*microbiology/mortality ; Pneumonia, Bacterial/microbiology ; Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Virus Diseases/diagnosis/mortality/*virology

OBJECTIVETo study the incidence, etiology, outcome, and risk factors of early (is less than or equal to 30 days) pulmonary infection following adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (AALDLT).

METHODSMedical records of 108 AALDLT without pre-operative respiratory disease from 2005 to 2008 were retrospective to evaluate the incidence, etiology, outcome, and risk factors of pulmonary infection following AALDLT. Univariate analysis was used to determine relative risk factors leading to postoperative pneumonia, and significant factors (P less than 0.05) were then used for multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe incidence of pneumonia was 22.2 % (n = 24 ); etiology including bacteria (n = 23, 21.3%), gram negative bacteria account for 78.3%, fungi (n = 4, 3.7%) and virus (n = 1, 0.9%), 4 patients were coinfection by bacteria and fungi; 6 among 24 patients (25%) and 4 out of the other 84 patients (4.76%) died early following the AALDLT, respectively (x2 = 6.850, P = 0.009). In univariate analysis, intraoperative volume of whole blood/packed red blood cells transfusion (P less than 0.01), intraoperative volume of fresh frozen plasma transfusion (P = 0.001), total volume of intraoperative transfusion (P = 0.015), mechanical ventilation (P less than 0.01), intensive unit care (ICU) stay (P = 0.012) and acute rejection (P = 0.001) are of statistical significance. Multivariate logistic regression showed only mechanical ventilation (P = 0.023) and acute rejection (P = 0.026) are independent factors predicting pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONGram negative bacteria is the main etiology for pneumonia following AALDLT which has high morbidity and mortality; mechanical ventilation and acute rejection are independent risk factors.

Adult ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; epidemiology ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Incidence ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; mortality ; Living Donors ; Lung Diseases ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; epidemiology ; Pneumonia ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Regression Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transfusion Reaction ; Young Adult

Helicobacter pylori can cause variety of upper gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer, mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-lymphoma, and gastric cancer. The prevalence of H. pylori infection has significantly decreased in Korea since 1998 owing to active eradication of H. pylori. Along with its decrease, the prevalence of peptic ulcer has also decreased. However, the mean age of gastric ulcer increased and this is considered to be due to increase in NSAID prescription. Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in Korea and Japan, and IARC/WHO has classified H. pylori as class one carcinogen of gastric cancer. Despite the decreasing prevalence of H. pylori infection, the total number of gastric cancer in Korea has continuously increased from 2006 to 2011. Nevertheless, the 5 year survival rate of gastric cancer patients significantly increased from 42.8% in 1993 to 67% in 2010. This increase in survival rate seems to be mainly due to early detection of gastric cancer and endoscopic mucosal dissection treatment. Based on these findings, the prevalence of peptic ulcer is expected to decrease even more with H. pylori eradication therapy and NSAID will become the main cause of peptic ulcer. Although the prevalence of gastric cancer has not changed along with decreased the prevalence of H. pylori, gastric cancer is expected to decrease in the long run with the help of eradication therapy and endoscopic treatment of precancerous lesions.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/adverse effects ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/complications/*epidemiology ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/epidemiology ; Peptic Ulcer/epidemiology/etiology ; Prevalence ; Stomach Neoplasms/etiology/mortality/pathology

BACKGROUND: The incidence of bacteremia caused by Gram-negative bacteria has increased recently in febrile neutropenic patients with the increase of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. This study aimed to identify the distribution of causative bacteria and the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in bacteremia diagnosed in febrile neutropenic children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of febrile neutropenic children diagnosed with bacteremia between 2010 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The causative bacteria and proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria were investigated and compared yearly during the study period. The clinical impact of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections was also determined. RESULTS: A total of 336 bacteremia episodes were identified. During the entire study period, 181 (53.9%) and 155 (46.1%) episodes were caused by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Viridans streptococci (25.9%), Klebsiella spp. (16.7%), and Escherichia coli (16.4%) were the most frequent causative bacteria. The overall distribution of causative bacteria was not significantly different annually. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were identified in 85 (25.3%) episodes, and the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was not significantly different annually. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were most common among antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and they accounted for 30.6% (n = 34) of the identified E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci were most common among antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, and it accounted for 88.5% (n = 23) of the identified coagulase-negative staphylococci. Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, especially antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, caused significantly higher mortality due to bacteremia compared with non-antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections (P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Recently, Gram-negative bacteria caused more bacteremia cases than Gram-positive bacteria in febrile neutropenic children, and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections increased. Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections caused poorer prognosis compared with non-antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, and therefore, continuous surveillance for changing epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and their clinical impact is necessary.
Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Child* ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Epidemiology ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections* ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Klebsiella ; Medical Records ; Methicillin Resistance ; Mortality ; Neutropenia ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Viridans Streptococci

INTRODUCTIONIn Malaysia, Klebsiella pneumoniae ranks high as a cause of adult pneumonia requiring hospitalisation.

PATIENTS AND METHODSWith concern over its rising microbial resistance, we explored the association of empiric antibiotics choices with the hospital outcomes of patients treated for microbial proven K. pneumoniae pneumonia in an urban-based teaching hospital.

RESULTSIn 313 eligible cases reviewed retrospectively, hospital mortality and requirement for ventilation were 14.3% and 10.8% respectively. Empiric regimes that had in vitro resistance to at least one empiric antibiotic (n = 90) were associated with higher hospital mortality (23.3% vs. 10.8%, P = 0.004) with risk increased by about two-fold [Odds ratio (OR), 2.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3 to 4.8]. Regimes (n = 84) other than the commonly recommended "standard" regimes (a beta-lactam stable antibiotic with or without a acrolide) were associated with higher ventilation rates (16.7% vs. 8.8%, P = 0.047) with similar increased risk [OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.3].

CONCLUSIONSOur findings reiterate the clinical relevance of in vitro microbial resistance in adult K. pneumoniae pneumonia and support empiric regimes that contain beta-lactam stable antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Community-Acquired Infections ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Hospital Mortality ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inpatients ; Klebsiella Infections ; drug therapy ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; drug effects ; Malaysia ; epidemiology ; Medical Audit ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Data on the epidemiology of alcoholic cirrhosis, especially in Asian countries, are limited. We compared the temporal evolution of patterns of alcoholic and nonalcoholic cirrhosis over the last decade. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the inpatient datasets of five referral centers during 2002 and 2011. The study included patients who were admitted due to specific complications of liver cirrhosis. We compared the causes of hospital admissions and in-hospital deaths between patients with alcoholic and nonalcoholic cirrhosis. RESULTS: Among the included 2,799 hospitalizations (2,165 patients), 1,496 (1,143 patients) were from 2002, and 1,303 (1,022 patients) were from 2011. Over time, there was a reduction in the rate of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) as a cause of hospitalization and an increase in the rate of hepatocellular carcinoma. Deaths that were attributable to HE or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) significantly decreased, whereas those due to hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) significantly increased over time in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. However, in patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis, hepatic failure and HRS remained the principal causes of in-hospital death during both time periods. CONCLUSIONS: The major causes of in-hospital deaths have evolved from acute cirrhotic complications, including HE or SBP to HRS in alcoholic cirrhosis, whereas those have remained unchanged in nonalcoholic cirrhosis during the last decade.
Aged ; Asia/epidemiology ; Bacterial Infections/etiology/mortality ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/etiology/mortality ; Cause of Death ; Female ; Hepatic Encephalopathy/etiology/mortality ; Hepatorenal Syndrome/etiology/mortality ; Hospital Mortality/*trends ; Hospitalization/*trends ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications/mortality ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/*complications/mortality ; Liver Neoplasms/etiology/mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritonitis/microbiology/mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors

BACKGROUND: We conducted this study to describe the epidemiology of community-acquired bacteremia and identify its prognostic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients admitted to a community-based tertiary hospital with community-acquired bacteremia from June 2002 to May 2004 were included and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: During the study period, clinically significant community-acquired bacteremia occurred in 223 patients with the frequency of 5.3 patients per 1,000 patient-admission. The commonly isolated organisms were E. coli (47.1%), K. pneumoniae (13.0%), S. aureus (8.1%), and S. pneumoniae (4.5 %). The leading source of bacteremia were urinary tract infection (34.5%), intraabdominal infection (33.6%), primary bacteremia (10.3%), and skin & soft tissue infection (8.1%). The overall mortality was 17%. S. aureus (34.8%) and K. pneumoniae (30.4%) were two major organisms of primary bacteremia with high case fatality of 50% and 28.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the followings were associated with significant increase in mortality: male patient; S. aureus and other streptococci bacteremia; increasing APACHE II score; definite diagnosis after 3 days of admission; inappropriate antibiotics therapy within 24 hours of admission; emergency room; admission to ICU. The independent predictors of mortality were male patient (RR 3.02, P=0.031), increasing APACHE II score (RR 1.12, P=0.011), and admission to ICU (RR 9.73, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Rapid definite diagnosis and prompt administration of appropriate antibiotics according to the local epidemiologic pattern are the most important controllable factors for the better outcome.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; APACHE ; Bacteremia* ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Male ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Urinary Tract Infections