Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most prevalent nosocomial pathogens in Korea. The prevalence of MRSA is nearly 70% of clinical isolates of S. aureus, and the importance of infection control has increased. Many DNA-based molecular techniques have been introduced to type MRSA strains, but no single method of molecular techniques is universally applicable. This review summarizes the molecular techniques in epidemiological analyses of MRSA, describing some practical applicatiais of these techniques.
Epidemiologic Methods* ; Infection Control ; Korea ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Rapid and accurate detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is important for patients with tuberculous meningitis because early diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment improve the outcome of the disease. PCR techniques have been applied but are not yet well established for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. The Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc. ) can be used fur the detection of M. tuberculosis by PCR technique, but its use has not been recommended currently for extrapulmonary samples. We evaluated the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens of patients suspicious of having tuberculous meningitis. METHODS: We examined a total of 103 CSF samples from 76 patients. Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed by clinical history, chest X-ray, CSF chemistry, bacteriology, computed tomography and response to antituberculous treatment. Twenty-six samples were obtained from 13 patients with tuberculous meningitis. For the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test, 0.3 - 2.0 mL of CSF was centrifuged at 15,000 rpm for 15 min and its pellet was treated as the instructions of the kit. RESULTS: Of the 103 CSF samples, none were smear-positive by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain, seven were culture-positive and twelve were PCR-positive. Of the 26 samples from 13 patients with tuberculous meningitis, seven from six patients were culture-positive and eleven from six patients were PCR-positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test for the patients compared to the clinical diagnosis were 46.2, 98.4, 85.7, and 89.9%, respectively, while the culture yielded 46.2, 100.0, 100.0, and 90.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test using CSF specimen for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis is specific and is as sensitive as culture. The assay will provide rapid and valuable information for the diagnosis and control of tuberculous meningitis.
Bacteriology ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chemistry ; Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal*

BACKGROUND: Rapid and accurate detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is important for patients with tuberculous meningitis because early diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment improve the outcome of the disease. PCR techniques have been applied but are not yet well established for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. The Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc. ) can be used fur the detection of M. tuberculosis by PCR technique, but its use has not been recommended currently for extrapulmonary samples. We evaluated the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens of patients suspicious of having tuberculous meningitis. METHODS: We examined a total of 103 CSF samples from 76 patients. Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed by clinical history, chest X-ray, CSF chemistry, bacteriology, computed tomography and response to antituberculous treatment. Twenty-six samples were obtained from 13 patients with tuberculous meningitis. For the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test, 0.3 - 2.0 mL of CSF was centrifuged at 15,000 rpm for 15 min and its pellet was treated as the instructions of the kit. RESULTS: Of the 103 CSF samples, none were smear-positive by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain, seven were culture-positive and twelve were PCR-positive. Of the 26 samples from 13 patients with tuberculous meningitis, seven from six patients were culture-positive and eleven from six patients were PCR-positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test for the patients compared to the clinical diagnosis were 46.2, 98.4, 85.7, and 89.9%, respectively, while the culture yielded 46.2, 100.0, 100.0, and 90.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Amplicor(TM) M. tuberculosis test using CSF specimen for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis is specific and is as sensitive as culture. The assay will provide rapid and valuable information for the diagnosis and control of tuberculous meningitis.
Bacteriology ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chemistry ; Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal*

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Knee* ; Menisci, Tibial*

No abstract available.
Arthroscopy* ; Hip*

BACKGROUND: Intravenous urography(IVU) has long been accepted as the primary radiologic study for the diagnosis of renal colic. But the IVU does pose disks of contrast material reactions and exposure to radiation. Recently, IVU has been challenged as a first line modality and ultrasonography proposed as a replacement. We, therefore, felt obliged to re-evaluate the IVU, KUB and ultrasonography as diagnostic tools. METHODS: We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound, IVU and KUB in detecting urinary calculi in suspected acute renal colic, a prospective study of 69 patients, both sides of kidney and ureter, who visited urban university hospital emergency center from September 1997 to January 1998. Our sonographic criteria far a positive examination consisted of visualization of urinary tract calculus and/or hydronephrosis and/or urinoma. RESULTS: In Ultrasonography, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 94, 94 and 94%. In IVU and KUB, they were 90, 81, 98% and 71, 43, 96%. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography is very useful diagnostic tool in initial evaluation of acute renal colic.
Calculi ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Colic* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography* ; Ureter ; Urinary Calculi ; Urinary Tract ; Urinoma

BACKGROUND: From 1980s the methamphetamine(phillopon) was suddenly spread to our country and it becomes a serious social problem. Although the proportion of transfusion associated hepatitis C declined after introduction of Anti-HCV assay as screening test of blood donors, the overall prevalence of hepatitis C has remained the same, primarily because of increase of the proportion of hepatitis C patients among intravenous drug abusers. So we studied about prevalence of Anti-HCV, and other viral infectious disease transmission by intravenous drug abuse. METHODS: Total 202 drug abusers who had been admitted to Taegu Medical Center in 1994-1996 were tested for the presence of Anti-HCV. Epidemiologic data and histories related to drug use were obtained, as were serum test for hepatitis B, aminotransferase, HIV. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity of anti-HCV was 79.2%. Patients In HCV positive group were significant old age(34.0 yrs) and had long duration of injection(3.0 yrs) and the number of patient who had elevated aminotransferase level were significantly more than HCV negative group(p<0.05). No significant difference in sex, prevalence of HBs Ag and Anti HBc were observated between HCV positive group and negative group. The prevalence of Anti HBc was 52.1% and HBs Ag was 4.2%, but anyone was not detected for AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The seropositivity of Anti-HCV in intravenous drug users in Taegu, Korea was 79.2%, comparable to that in Europe and U.S.A. This finding suggest that its time to hurry up for medical and public walfare service personal to concern and education of drug abusers, and inview of preventive medical care the need of general public information and education is pressing.
Blood Donors ; Daegu ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Drug Users* ; Education ; Europe ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C ; HIV ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Social Problems ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

PURPOSE: Although most researchers agree that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a good source of autogenous growth factors, its effect on bone regeneration is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether increasing angiogenic factors in the human PRP to enhance new bone formation through rapid angiogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In vitro, the human platelets were activated with application of shear stress, 20 microgram/ml collagen, 2 mM CaCl2 and 10U thrombin/1 x 109 platelets. Level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet microparticle (PMP) in the activated platelets were checked. In the animal study, human angiogenic factors-enriched PRP was tested in 28 athymic rat's cranial critical bone defects with beta-TCP. Angiogenesis and osteogenesis were evaluated by laser Doppler perfusion imaging, histology, dual energy X-ray densinometry, and micro-computed tomography. RESULTS: In vitro, this human angiogenic factors-enriched PRP resulted in better cellular proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, increasing angiogenic potential of the PRP showed significantly higher blood perfusion around the defect and enhanced new bone formation around acellular bone graft material. CONCLUSION: Angiogenic factor-enriched PRP leads to faster and more extensive new bone formation in the critical size bone defect. The results implicate that rapid angiogenesis in the initial healing period by PRP could be supposed as a way to overcome short term effect of the rapid angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Animals ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Regeneration ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen ; Durapatite ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Osteogenesis ; Perfusion ; Perfusion Imaging ; Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Rats, Nude ; Transplants ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A