No abstract available.
Epidemiology*

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Communicable Diseases* ; Emergencies* ; Humans

Background/Aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated digital transformation (DT). We investigated the trend of the public interest in technologies regarding the DT and Koreans’ experiences and their perceptions of the future impact of these technologies. Methods: Using Google Trends, the relative search volume (RSV) for topics including “coronavirus,” “artificial intelligence,” “cloud,” “big data,” and “metaverse” were retrieved for the period from January 2020 to January 2022. A survey was conducted to assess the population’s knowledge, experience, and perceptions regarding the DT. Results: The RSV for “metaverse” showed an increasing trend, in contrast to those for “cloud,” “big data,” and “coronavirus.” The RSVs for DT-related keywords had a negative correlation with the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases. In our survey, 78.1% responded that the positive impact of the DT on future lives would outweigh the negative impact. The predictors for this positive perception included experiences with the metaverse (4.0-fold) and virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) education (3.8-fold). Respondents predicted that the biggest change would occur in the healthcare sector after transportation/ communication. Conclusions Koreans’ search interest for “metaverse” showed an increasing trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Koreans believe that DT will bring about big changes in the healthcare sector. Most of the survey respondents have a positive outlook about the impact of DT on future life, and the predictors for this positive perception include the experiences with the metaverse or VR/AR education. Healthcare professionals need to accelerate the adoption of DT in clinical practice, education and training.

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been one of common nosocomial infections associated with previous antibiotic use. Early diagnosis and adequate management of CDAD is necessary especially for severe cases, however, diagnosis has not been satisfactory. Cytotoxicity assay or toxigenic culture can be considered as a golden standard for diagnosis of CDAD, however, they are labor intensive and require a long time. Instead, a rapid enzyme immunoassay for toxin A and B has been widely utilized in most clinical laboratories. However, its low sensitivity has also been a limitation. Sigmoidoscopy can be helpful in a rapid diagnosis of CDAD for some cases which show negative results in enzyme immunoassay.
Clostridium ; Clostridium difficile ; Colitis ; Cross Infection ; Diarrhea ; Early Diagnosis ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Sigmoidoscopy

There is an increasing tendency of systemic fungal infection because of increase in the number of immunocomproised patients such as the patients receiving anticancer chmotherapy or organ transplant. The frequency of systemic fungal infection is problematic, since it is often difficult for clinicians to manage the patients with fungal infection. Amphotericin B was one of the representativ antifungal agent for the systemic antifungal infection even though it has many kinds of advers reactions for instance nephrotoxicity, electrolyte imbalance, etc. Therefore ketoconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole were develped and prescribed with effect. Because of increase in the number of resistant strains of Candida, Fusarium or Trichosporon nowadays, as for azole antifungal agents there were something to be desired. Other new antifungal agents with fungicidal effect under develpment include polyoxins, echinocandins and pradimicin.
Amphotericin B ; Antifungal Agents* ; Candida ; Danazol ; Echinocandins ; Fluconazole ; Fusarium ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Ketoconazole ; Transplants ; Trichosporon

Although the pandemic influenza (H1N1 2009) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, it could be overcome by enormous efforts of the health authorities, medical societies, and all the people of a nation. In order to evaluate the appropriateness of the management of the influenza pandemic, we performed an on-line survey for the members of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, who were certified for the infectious diseases specialists.
Communicable Diseases ; Data Collection ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Pandemics ; Societies, Medical ; Specialization

To prevent the transmission of pathogens in hospitals, implementation of transmission-based precautions is essential, such as precautions to prevent airborne, droplet, and contact transmissions. However, it is impossible to identify all hidden asymptomatic carriers. Emphasis has therefore been placed on the use of standard precautions, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Recently, the possibility of the spread of imported emerging infectious diseases in medical institutions has also become an area of focus. Prevention of the spread of infections in hospitals should be a top priority to ensure the highest quality of care.
Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Cough ; Hand Hygiene ; Patient Isolation

The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance imposes limitations on successful treatment of infection and also has a significant socioeconomic impact. Emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms and their rapid intercontinental spread, as well as a lack of new antibiotics in the developmental pipeline, have led all stakeholders to take action. Despite reduced consumption of antimicrobials and improvement in appropriate use of antibiotics during the past decade in Korea, such efforts should be further enhanced and an increase in public awareness is needed. A public campaign for 'appropriate antibiotic use' was launched in Korea in November 2011. This campaign, organized by the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases and the Korean Society for Chemotherapy, and sponsored by the Korea CDC, the Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and the Asia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases, has targeted both members of the general public and healthcare professionals. Contents include development and distribution of posters, leaflets, and e-learning programs, education of school nurses, leading to indirect education of students, and mass media campaigns. We hope that this campaign will contribute to an increase in public awareness and that it will encourage both members of the general public and healthcare professionals to join in the effort to overcome a crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Asia ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Communicable Diseases ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Utilization Review ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Media

Tuberculosis has been a major public health threat in modern Korea. A few reports from the mid-1940s have demonstrated a high prevalence of latent and active tuberculosis infections. The high disease burden urged the newly established government to place a high priority on tuberculosis control. The government led a nationwide effort to control tuberculosis by building dedicated hospitals, conducting mass screening, providing technical and material support for microbiological diagnosis, administering Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccination, and improving appropriate antibiotic treatment through public health centers. Such concerted efforts resulted in a gradual decrease in the disease burden of tuberculosis, as demonstrated by National Tuberculosis Prevalence Surveys and notifiable disease statistics. While great progress has been made, new challenges - including an aging population, outbreaks in schools and healthcare facilities, and migration from high-prevalence countries - lie ahead. Here, we review the modern history of tuberculosis in Korea, focusing on epidemiology and public health policies.

Mycobacterium marinum is an uncommon cause of skin and soft-tissue infection. The diagnosis of M. marinum infection is often delayed when only a conventional tissue culture method is used. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using the novel region of the rpoB gene is now available for the rapid identification of Mycobacteria. We report a case of hand infection caused by M. marinum that was identified by PCR-RFLP analysis. The PCR-RFLP assay is a specific and rapid method for the identification of Mycobacteria that facilitates the early diagnosis of non-tuberculous Mycobacterium infection.
Early Diagnosis ; Hand ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium Infections ; Mycobacterium marinum ; Skin ; Tenosynovitis