Central lines are indispensable in hospital care. The main complication resulting from their use is central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). CLABSI is one of the most frequent healthcare-associated infections associated with high costs, morbidity, and potential lethality. Recent studies on CLABSI prevention show that a multifaceted approach to improving central line insertion and maintenance practices results in decreased CLABSI rates. The question today, then, is not 'what to do,' but 'how to do it.'
Catheter-Related Infections ; Central Venous Catheters ; Comprehensive Health Care

The proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients aged 50 and older has greatly increased since the beginning of the epidemic, particularly after the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy. In Korea, 25% of those infected with HIV were older than 50 in 2009. Older untreated patients with HIV demonstrate faster rates of CD4 lymphocyte loss and more rapid progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and death than younger individuals. Most studies have shown that compared with younger patients, patients over 50 generally have a slower immunologic response to antiretroviral therapy, despite a better virological response. Management of HIV infection in older patients is particularly complex, mainly because they are more likely to have co-morbidities necessitating specific medications that may interact with antiretroviral drugs. Patients living longer with HIV are more likely to develop diseases associated with aging, and at an earlier age, than those without HIV. These include dementia, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Aged ; Aging ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Dementia ; Dyslipidemias ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphocytes ; Osteoporosis

In December 2019, a new strain of betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, the virus quickly spread worldwide and the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In response to the pandemic, many researchers are working on repurposing existing drugs to alter the course of severe COVID-19, and are testing experimental treatments. Among antiviral agents, remdesivir, an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, showed clinical benefit in a randomized clinical trial. In October 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir for treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19, making it the first drug approved for the disease. The race to produce safe, effective vaccines is also progressing at unprecedented speed, with over 200 under development and 45 candidates already being tested in human clinical trials (as of October 2020).

In December 2019, a new strain of betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, the virus quickly spread worldwide and the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In response to the pandemic, many researchers are working on repurposing existing drugs to alter the course of severe COVID-19, and are testing experimental treatments. Among antiviral agents, remdesivir, an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, showed clinical benefit in a randomized clinical trial. In October 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir for treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19, making it the first drug approved for the disease. The race to produce safe, effective vaccines is also progressing at unprecedented speed, with over 200 under development and 45 candidates already being tested in human clinical trials (as of October 2020).

No abstract available.
HIV* ; Humans ; Humans* ; Korea*

The rise of multidrug-resistant organisms represents a serious global public health concern. In Korea, the increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) is particularly concerning due to the difficulties associated with treatment. Data from the Korea Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System indicate a yearly increase in CRE cases, with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales being the predominant type. The capacity of CRE to resist multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics leads to higher medical costs and mortality rates, underscoring the need for urgent action.Effective prevention is crucial to curbing CRE outbreaks and transmission. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) play a key role and require commitment from healthcare professionals to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use, as well as from policymakers to ensure adherence to ASP guidelines.Given the complexity of CRE transmission, ASP efforts must be integrated with infection control strategies for maximum effectiveness. These strategies include adherence to standard and contact precautions, environmental disinfection, preemptive isolation, and comprehensive education and training for healthcare personnel. Additionally, surveillance testing for patients at high risk for CRE and the use of real-time diagnostic kits can facilitate early detection and reduce further transmission.Strategies for the prevention of CRE infection should be tailored to specific healthcare settings. Ongoing research is essential to update and refine infection control guidelines and effectively prevent CRE outbreaks.

Since 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic currently continues.In response to this unprecedented pandemic, several researchers and medical staff have struggled to find appropriate treatments for COVID-19. Patients with mild symptoms can recuperate with symptomatic care, however establishing treatment for severe to critically ill patients who can have a high mortality has been essential. Accordingly, the guidelines for COVID-19 treatment have evolved through numerous trials and errors and have been relatively well established to date. In the Republic of Korea, several evidence-based guidelines for COVID-19 treatment were released and revised, reflecting various research and regional medical conditions. To date, approximately 3 years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reflecting on the changes in the guidelines thus far and have summarized the treatment experience of severe to critically ill patients with COVID-19. The Korean guidelines for COVID-19 treatment have been updated continuously as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines have changed. Dexamethasone is currently used as the backbone for the treatment of severe to critically ill patients with COVID-19, and remdesivir, baricitinib, and tocilizumab can be added depending on a patient’s situation. In addition, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is one of the important adjunctive therapies for patients with severe COVID-19. In the clinical field, treatment of severely ill patients with COVID-19 based on guidelines is widely practiced by medical staff and established currently.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the outcomes of serum galactomannan (GM) assay for the screening of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) recipients while on primary antifungal prophylaxis (PAP). METHODS: This study included patients with hematologic disorders who underwent alloHSCT from January 2013 to November 2015. Patients received routine PAP with fluconazole before 2014 and micafungin after 2014; serum GM tests were performed and retrospectively analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of serum GM tests for detection of probable/proven IPA were evaluated. The serial change of serum GM levels was illustrated on a time series plot. RESULTS: A total of 136 alloHSCT recipients at Seoul National University Hospital were included in the study. Fluconazole was administered in 72 patients for PAP, while micafungin was administered in the remaining 64 patients. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and NPV of serum GM assays were 95.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78.9–99.9%), 93.8% (95% CI 91.7–95.5%), and 99.8% (95% CI 99.1–100.0%), respectively. However, the PPV of GM tests was relatively low at 35.4% (95% CI 23.9–48.2%). The serial change in serum GM levels differed according to the antifungal agents used. With effective PAP using micafungin, serial serum GM levels showed zero order kinetics during the neutropenic period. CONCLUSION: Although the serum GM assay is a sensitive and specific test for detecting IPA in alloHSCT recipients, its role for routine surveillance in an era of effective PAP with micafungin is limited.
Antifungal Agents ; Fluconazole ; Hematology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Kinetics ; Mass Screening* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Stem Cells*

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors are increasingly used in treatment of inflammatory disorders because of their immunomodulatory efficacy. Increased risk of infection is an adverse effect of anti-TNF-alpha therapy. The incidence rate and severity of herpes zoster is significantly higher in patients on anti-TNF-alpha therapy than in the general population. The clinical presentation of varicella zoster virus infection is also often atypical in these patients. We experienced a patient who presented with a disseminated varicelliform rash while on etanercept therapy for ankylosing spondylitis.
Exanthema ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Incidence ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Etanercept

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), a novel bunyavirus. As yet, there is no effective antiviral therapy for SFTS. Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, which has been tried for treatment of SFTS. In this study, antiviral activity of ribavirin against SFTSV has been investigated. METHODS: Vero cell-grown SFTSV strain Gangwon/Korea/2012 was treated with ribavirin at various concentrations. Antiviral activity of ribavirin was evaluated by inhibition of the SFTSV cytopathic effect in Vero cells and quantification of viral RNA load in culture supernatant using one-step real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cytotoxicity of ribavirin was determined by a tetrazolium-based colorimetric method. RESULTS: Ribavirin reduced SFTSV titers in a dose-dependent manner, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration ranged from 3.69 to 8.72 μg/mL. Cytopathic effects were reduced as ribavirin concentration increased. No significant cytotoxicity was detected at ribavirin concentrations of ≤ 31.3 μg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Ribavirin exhibited inhibitory activity against SFTSV replication in vitro, which suggests that ribavirin can be used as a potential antiviral agent for SFTS.
Antiviral Agents ; Bunyaviridae Infections ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Fever* ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Methods ; Orthobunyavirus ; Phlebovirus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; Ribavirin* ; RNA, Viral ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Vero Cells