OBJECTIVE: Although clinical practice guidelines recommend oral vancomycin for hospitalized patients with severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), oral metronidazole is still the preferred regimen due to its tolerability and low cost. In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical efficacy based on clinical cure, recurrence, and 30-day mortality of oral metronidazole and oral vancomycin in treating severe CDI. METHODS: The medical records of patients with the diagnosis of severe CDI in a tertiary hospital in South Korea, between June, 2006 and December, 2013, were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 162 severe CDI patients were enrolled for this study: 139 received oral metronidazole and 23 received oral vancomycin. The rate of clinical cure was not significantly different between treatments (79.86% for oral metronidazole and 82.61% for oral vancomycin, P>0.99). The rate of recurrence was comparable (20.77% vs. 18.18% for metronidazole and vancomycin, respectively; P>0.99), as was the rate of 30-day mortality (9.35% vs. 4.35%, P=0.69). Risk factors for treatment failure were histamine-2 antagonist treatment (odds ratio [OR], 4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64–11.51; P=0.0032) and fever (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.0–5.8; P=0.049). CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of oral metronidazole for severe CDI was no difference from oral vancomycin, in a real world setting. Oral metronidazole can be a reasonable option for treating severe CDI.
Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium Infections ; Clostridium* ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Metronidazole* ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome ; Vancomycin

Early diagnosis and early treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are essential for clinical and public health benefits. Diagnostic algorithms for early diagnosis are being emphasized, and rapid tests at the point of care have been expanded to improve voluntary testing rates. Despite advances in laboratory diagnostic tests, early HIV infection can still be missed due to window periods, and it is crucial to recognize the limitations of testing methods and the potential for false negative and false positive results.

Early diagnosis and early treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are essential for clinical and public health benefits. Diagnostic algorithms for early diagnosis are being emphasized, and rapid tests at the point of care have been expanded to improve voluntary testing rates. Despite advances in laboratory diagnostic tests, early HIV infection can still be missed due to window periods, and it is crucial to recognize the limitations of testing methods and the potential for false negative and false positive results.

Early diagnosis and early treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are essential for clinical and public health benefits. Diagnostic algorithms for early diagnosis are being emphasized, and rapid tests at the point of care have been expanded to improve voluntary testing rates. Despite advances in laboratory diagnostic tests, early HIV infection can still be missed due to window periods, and it is crucial to recognize the limitations of testing methods and the potential for false negative and false positive results.

Early diagnosis and early treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are essential for clinical and public health benefits. Diagnostic algorithms for early diagnosis are being emphasized, and rapid tests at the point of care have been expanded to improve voluntary testing rates. Despite advances in laboratory diagnostic tests, early HIV infection can still be missed due to window periods, and it is crucial to recognize the limitations of testing methods and the potential for false negative and false positive results.

Staphylococcus schleiferi has been infrequently reported as a human pathogen. We experienced the case of vascular access infection by Staphylococcus schleiferi in a 65-year-old hemodialysis patient. Metastatic infection occurred despite the removal of infected focus and appropriate antibiotic therapy. This case highlights the importance of considering Staphylococcus schleiferi as a true pathogen in vascular access infection with hemodialysis patients.
Aged ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis* ; Staphylococcus*

Patulous Eustachian tube is a benign, but bothersome condition, which can cause severe physical and psychological problems. We investigated the clinical features and the therapeutic result of the surgery in three patients, whose patulous Eustachian tube symptom were treated by the surgical insertion of a specially designed, tripod-tipped-bone wax-filled angiocatheter into the bony orifice of the Eustachian tube. Immediate disappearance of the troublesome symptoms was observed in all six patients. No serious complications were observed during the follow-up period. Factors considered for this surgical therapy and the method of designing our specific angiocatheter are introduced in detail. Surgical therapy for patients with serious patulous Eustachian tube symptoms by inserting the tripod-tipped-bone wax-filled angiocatheter seemed promising. Further studies on its long-term therapeutic effects might be necessary using a large number of the patients.
Eustachian Tube* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans

As the number of people vaccinated increases, people who complain of adverse reactions continue to occur. We experienced a case characterized by low blood pressure, persistent fever, edema due to increased systemic vascular permeability, and systemic inflammation confirmed by image and laboratory examinations after ChAdOx1 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. The diagnostic criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) in adults are known as fever of 3 days or more in adults, 2 or more mucocutaneous/ gastrointestinaleurologic symptoms, elevation of inflammatory markers, and clinical/ imaging diagnosis of heart failure. A 67-year-old man who was medicated for hypertension and diabetes was admitted complaining of fever, maculopapular rash, diarrhea, headache, chills, and dizziness 6 days after the first vaccination of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in Korea.The COVID-19 test was negative but with low blood pressure, leukocytosis, skin rash, pulmonary edema, and increased inflammation markers. His lab findings and clinical course were consistent with those of MIS after COVID-19 vaccination. He was medicated with methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg and diuretics and recovered rapidly. He was discharged after 2 weeks and confirmed cure at outpatient clinic. We report an MIS case after COVID-19 vaccination in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is associated with high mortality. One of the strategies to reduce the mortality in patients with CRAB infections is to use intravenous colistin early but the effect of this strategy has not been proven. Therefore, we investigated the association of early colistin therapy with 28-day mortality in patients with CRAB bacteremia. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter propensity score-matching analysis was conducted in the Korea by reviewing the medical records of adult patients with CRAB bacteremia between January 2012 and March 2015. Early colistin therapy was defined as intravenous colistin administration for > 48 hours within five days after the blood culture collection. To identify the risk factors associated with the 28-day mortality in CRAB bacteremia, the clinical variables of the surviving patients were compared to those of the deceased patients. RESULTS: Of 303 enrolled patients, seventy-six (25.1%) patients received early colistin therapy. The 28-day mortality was 61.4% (186/303). Fatal or rapidly-fatal McCabe classifications, intensive care unit admission, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores ≥ 8, vasopressor use, and acute kidney injury were statistically independent poor prognostic factors. Catheter-related infection and early colistin therapy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21–0.94) were independent favorable prognostic factors associated with 28-day mortality in patients with CRAB bacteremia. Early colistin therapy was still significantly associated with lower 28-day mortality in the propensity score-matching analysis (aOR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11–0.88). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that early colistin therapy might help reduce the mortality of patients with CRAB bacteremia.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Bacteremia ; Catheter-Related Infections ; Classification ; Colistin ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Organ Dysfunction Scores ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an effective treatment for patients with relapsed or high-risk Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). HSCT fundamentally interferes with the immune system. As a consequence, development of autoimmunity after HSCT has been observed during the past several decades. Most evidence is derived from single case reports or studies on small series of patients who developed novel-onset autoimmune diseases after use of HSCT to treat various conditions. We treated 3 NHL patients with autoimmune disease among 54 NHL patients who received high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Autoimmunity ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Stem Cell Transplantation