BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The purpose of this study was to investigate the HAV vaccination status and related factors among college students. METHODS: The study subjects were 503 students conveniently sampled from C university located in one district of Jeollanamdo. General characteristics and HAV vaccination related factors were collected by a self-reported questionnaire in October 2013. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate related factors with HAV vaccination. RESULTS: Of the 503 subjects without a history of HAV infection, 65 subjects (12.9%) reported that they were vaccinated. In multiple analyses, subjects who have had health screening (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=2.44 and 95% confidence interval, 95% CI=1.26-4.73) and those who were aware of HAV infection (aOR=6.00, 95% CI=1.81-19.91) or who perceived the benefits of HAV vaccine (aOR=2.05, 95% CI=1.07-3.93) were more likely to be vaccinated than those not involved in these factors. With regard to intention for HAV vaccine, 314 subjects (71.9%) reported that they have the intention to be vaccinated against HAV. In multiple analyses, higher grade level, high monthly allowance, awareness of HAV vaccine, perceived susceptibility of HAV, perceived seriousness of HAV and perceived benefits of HAV vaccine were significantly associated with the intention for HAV vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: The vaccination rate for HAV was found to be low in our sample of college students. To reduce health risks related with HAV, prevention efforts should consider these results.
Communicable Diseases ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis A virus* ; Humans ; Intention ; Jeollanam-do ; Liver ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Vaccination* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationship of skin temperature changes to clinical, radiologic, and electrophysiological findings in unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy and to delineate the possible temperature-change mechanisms involved. METHODS: One hundred and one patients who had clinical symptoms and for whom there were physical findings suggestive or indicative of unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy, along with 27 normal controls, were selected for the study, and the thermal-pattern results of digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) performed on the back and lower extremities were analyzed. Local temperatures were assessed by comparing the mean temperature differences (DeltaT) in 30 regions of interest (ROIs), and abnormal thermal patterns were divided into seven regions. To aid the diagnosis of radiculopathy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiological tests were also carried out. RESULTS: The incidence of disc herniation on MRI was 86%; 43% of patients showed electrophysiological abnormalities. On DITI, 97% of the patients showed abnormal DeltaT in at least one of the 30 ROIs, and 79% showed hypothermia on the involved side. Seventy-eight percent of the patients also showed abnormal thermal patterns in at least one of the seven regions. Patients who had motor weakness or lateral-type disc herniation showed some correlations with abnormal DITI findings. However, neither pain severity nor other physical or electrophysiological findings were related to the DITI findings. CONCLUSION: Skin temperature change following lumbosacral radiculopathy was related to some clinical and MRI findings, suggesting muscle atrophy. DITI, despite its limitations, might be useful as a complementary tool in the diagnosis of unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy.
Electrodiagnosis ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscular Atrophy ; Radiculopathy ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Thermography

Chikungunya infection is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. A 19-year-old man who had traveled to the Republic of Surinam to perform volunteer work complained of a fever, arthralgia, articular stiffness, and a skin rash on both the arm and trunk. Chikungunya fever was diagnosed using a Chikungunya virus specific IgM antibody in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using blood samples obtained during follow-up visits. In this report, we describe a case of imported Chikungunya fever that presented with arthralgia and a skin rash, with islands of normal skin, that occurred following travel to Surinam, South America.
Aedes ; Arboviruses ; Arm ; Arthralgia ; Chikungunya virus* ; Culicidae ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Islands ; Skin ; South America* ; Suriname* ; Volunteers ; Young Adult

This study inquired the relationship between serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and extracellular water in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 30 CAPD patients. Each patient was admitted to the department of internal medicine, Chosun University Hospital between February and October, 2006. Echocardiography was performed using HDI 5000, allowing M-mode, two-dimensional measurement. A multifrequency bioimpedance analyzer was used; extracellular water was calculated as a percentage of total body water and was understood as the index of volume load of CAPD patients. The mean age was 47+/-12 years. Underlying causes of renal failure were 14 with diabetes mellitus, 7 with hypertension, and 9 with chronic glomerulonephritis. The mean serum NT-proBNP level was 14236.56 (83-35,000) pg/mL. LV mass index and LV ejection fraction were 151.67+/-42.5 g/m2 and 57.48+/-12.9%, respectively. The mean extracellular water was 35.97+/-1.04%. Serum NT-proBNP levels correlated positively with LV mass index (r=0.768, p=0.01) and extracellular water (r=0.866, p=0.01) and negatively with LV ejection fraction (r= -0.808, p=0.01). Serum NT-proBNP levels significantly correlated with LV mass index, LV ejection fraction, and extracellular water. Therefore, serum NT-proBNP levels can be a clinical predictive marker for LV hypertrophy, LV dysfunction, and volume status in CAPD patients.
Body Water ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Echocardiography ; Extracellular Fluid ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Internal Medicine ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Peptide Fragments ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Renal Insufficiency ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

BACKGROUND: We thought that nitroimidazoles including metronidazole had been overused empirically for treatment of trichomoniasis in Korea. But there were not any reports about in vitro-drug susceptibility and distribution of resistant strains of Trichomonas vaginalis up to date. Therefore, we made an experiment in order to observe the susceptibility of clinical isolates of T. vaginalis to a variety of antiprotozoal agents. METHODS: Twenty-six strains of T. vaginalis isolated from 217 patients afflicted with the increased vaginal discharge were tested by Meingassner's microtiter plate method in newly devised anaerobic box, in which anaerobic and microaerobic conditions were more easily manipulated. The agents used in this study for testing the minimal lethal concentration (MLC) to the clinical isolates were as follows; nitroimidazoles, doxycycline, Zinc sulfate and gentian violet as chemotherapeutic agents and povidone-iodine as vaginal cleansing agents were studied. RESULTS: In anaerobic culture, according to anaerobic resistance cut-point (minimal lethal concentration >3.1 microgram/mL) proposed by M ller etc., metronidazole (MTZ)-, tinidazole (TNZ)-and ornidazole (ONZ)-resistant strains were four (4/26, 15.4%), two (2/26, 7.7 %) and two (2/26, 7.7%) strains, respectively. Among these resistant strains, two strains (G7 and G16) were resistant to two drugs and one strain (G20) resistant to three drugs concomitantly. Their resistance range was narrow as 6.25~12.5 microgram/mL. MLC of clotrimazole was > or = 2,000 microgram/mL in all strains, econazole was as high as 62.5~250 microgram/mL and miconazole was also high as 62.5~> or = 2,000 microgram/mL. In microaerobic culture (O2 concentration <5%), all strains showed lower MLC to MTZ, TNZ and ONZ than >100 microgram/ mL (aerobic resistance cut-point proposed by M ller etc.). MLC of doxycycline ranged 62.5 to 250 microgram/mL both in microaerobic and anaerobic conditions. All strains of T. vaginalis growed well in 3,000 microgram/mL of povidone-iodine. 22 strains (84.6%) among 26 T. vaginalis strains showed MLCs of 3.5 mM~7.0 mM to zinc sulfate. Gentian violet showed 15.6~62.5 microgram/mL of MLC. CONCLUSION: In absolute anaerobic culture, 4 strains (15.4%) among 26 T. vaginalis strains were resistant to metronidazole. But these 4 strains were not resistant in microaerobic culture depending on Miler's aerobic resistance cut-point (>50~100 microgram/mL), the value decided in normal O2 pressure. Vaginal PO2 is 0~28mm Hg (median 1 mmHg) at healthy or trichomonas-infected women. Therefore, we think that his aerobic resistance cut-point value is hard to be available in microaerobic condition and microaerobic resistance guide-line is to be established newly.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Antiprotozoal Agents* ; Clotrimazole ; Detergents ; Doxycycline ; Econazole ; Female ; Gentian Violet ; Humans ; Korea ; Metronidazole ; Miconazole ; Nitroimidazoles ; Ornidazole ; Povidone-Iodine ; Tinidazole ; Trichomonas vaginalis* ; Trichomonas* ; Vaginal Discharge ; Zinc Sulfate

BACKGROUND: We recently encountered a case of typhoid fever in a patient who visited us after travelling India. The patient received ciprofloxacin therapy, but developed typhoid pneumonia and typhoid hepatitis, and nalidixic acid resistance Salmonella Typhi (NARST) was identified. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro efficacy of several antimicrobial combinations, which are commonly used in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Time-kill studies were performed for a clinical NARST strain to evaluate synergy. Synergy was defined as a > or = 2 log10 decrease (100-fold drop) in CFU per mL at 24 hours by a drug combination compared to the most active constituent. RESULTS: The combination regimen of cefotaxime plus ciprofloxacin significantly reduced the bacterial counts (> 3 log CFU) at 3/4 MIC and at 24 hours compared to the ciprofloxacin or cefotaxime alone and showed synergistic effect against a NARST strain. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our time-kill studies showed that ciprofloxacin plus cefotaxime was the best in vitro combination against a NARST. This combination may improve efficacy compared to fluoroquinolone alone in typhoid fever patient with NARST. Time kill studies with more NARST strains and clinical studies are required to test the relevance of our findings
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Load ; Cefotaxime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; India ; Nalidixic Acid ; Pneumonia ; Salmonella ; Salmonella enterica ; Salmonella typhi ; Sprains and Strains ; Typhoid Fever

BACKGROUND: We recently encountered a case of typhoid fever in a patient who visited us after travelling India. The patient received ciprofloxacin therapy, but developed typhoid pneumonia and typhoid hepatitis, and nalidixic acid resistance Salmonella Typhi (NARST) was identified. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro efficacy of several antimicrobial combinations, which are commonly used in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Time-kill studies were performed for a clinical NARST strain to evaluate synergy. Synergy was defined as a > or = 2 log10 decrease (100-fold drop) in CFU per mL at 24 hours by a drug combination compared to the most active constituent. RESULTS: The combination regimen of cefotaxime plus ciprofloxacin significantly reduced the bacterial counts (> 3 log CFU) at 3/4 MIC and at 24 hours compared to the ciprofloxacin or cefotaxime alone and showed synergistic effect against a NARST strain. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our time-kill studies showed that ciprofloxacin plus cefotaxime was the best in vitro combination against a NARST. This combination may improve efficacy compared to fluoroquinolone alone in typhoid fever patient with NARST. Time kill studies with more NARST strains and clinical studies are required to test the relevance of our findings
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Load ; Cefotaxime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; India ; Nalidixic Acid ; Pneumonia ; Salmonella ; Salmonella enterica ; Salmonella typhi ; Sprains and Strains ; Typhoid Fever