BACKGROUND: This study aimed at identifying the effects of improved methods of endotracheal suction and hand washing on incidence of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in the neurosurgical ICU. METHOD: Repeated training of nurses about hand washing and adherence of the single use of suction catheter and sterile normal saline of endotracheal suction was provided. Then hand washing compliance of nurses before and after training was investigated. and the incidence of NP in all patients hospitalized for more than 72 hours in the neurosurgical ICU was investigated from Sep 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2001 (2nd surveillance). The NP rate of that period was compared with the incidence of the 1st surveillance period, from Sep 1, 1999 to Jan 31, 2000. The data were analyzed with chi-square-test. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis by SAS 8.0. RESULT: The proportion of hand washing performance increased from 15.6% to 46.8%. The rates of NP per patient during 1st surveillance and 2nd surveillance were 10.3%, 3.9%(p=0.01) patient-days rates of NP were 10.0 cases/1,000 patient days, 4.1 cases/1,000 patient days(p=0.04), and ventilator-days rates of NP were 67.6 cases/1.000 ventilator days, 16.2 cases/1,000 ventilator days(p=0.00) respectively. Out of 29 isolates, 18 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was the most frequently isolated microorganism. The risk factors associated with incidence of NP were age, length of stay, Glasgow coma scale, diabetes mellitus, duration of intubation, insertion of endotracheal tube, duration of tracheostomy, presence of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator, use of ventilator, and insertion of nasogastric tube. CONCLUSION: These results showed that single use of suction catheters and sterile normal saline and increased compliance of hand washing were important factors to decrease the incidence of NP.
Catheters ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Pneumonia* ; Risk Factors ; Suction* ; Tracheostomy ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First*

BACKGROUND: With increase of antibiotics use and invasive procedures, infections caused by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) are increasing. Recently, we experienced the outbreak of- nosocomial infections caused by MRAB resistant to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam in intensive care units (ICU) and general ward. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the infected patients and antibiotic susceptibility of the organisms. And surveillance cultures and IRS-PCR were performed to find out the transmission route. METHODS: We collected data from physical examination and clinical records. We performed surveillance cultures of environment, patients not infected with MRAB in ICU, and hands of health care workers. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and June 1997, 49 strains of MRAB were isolated from the 26 patients hospitalized in Kangnam St. Mary' s Hospital. The lower respiratory infection (13 cases) was the most common infection and sputum was the most common sources (47.1%). All strains of MRAB showed the same genotype. In disk diffusion test, all strains were resistant to piperacillin, gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipencm, ciprofloxacin. From the surveillance cultures, the genotypically identical strains were isolated from ventilator Y-piece, the floor of ICU, and hands of health care workers. It suggested that this strain was transmitted through ventilatory device or hands of health care workers. We instructed all the health care workers to wash hands, to disinfect hospital environment completely. Since July 1997, no further case has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Since A. baumannii could be transmitted through ventilatory devices and the hands of health care workers, it is important to wash hands and to disinfect hospital environment completely.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aztreonam ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Imipenem* ; Critical Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Piperacillin ; Sputum ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Granulomatous(lobular) mastitis is a distinct disease entity of unknown etiology which is characterized by noncaseating granulomatous lobulocentric inflammation. We describe a rare case of granulomatous(lobular) mastitis of a 36 year-old pregnant woman a review of the literature. The mass which was discovered in the third month of her pregnancy, began as a localized, nontender mass on the left breast and persisted during her entire pregnancy. It decreased slightly in size when she began taking post-partum bromocriptine. Clinically and mammographically, the mass was highly suspected as a carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis. Fine needle aspiration smears revealed numerous aggregates of granulomas composed of epithelioid histiocytes admixed with multinucleated giant cells of Langhans' and foreign body type, and collections of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Ziehl-Neelsen, silver methenamine and PAS stain were negative for acid-fast bacilli, fungus, and bacilli on the smear respectively. Histologically, granulomatous inflammation was centered on the breast lobules. Caseation necrosis was absent, instead, numerous microabscesses were formed in the center of the granulomas. Cultures of the fresh tissue for the AFB, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungus were all negative. Excision of the mass was performed without further treatment and there was no recurrence of the mass 6 months postoperatively. An autoimmune mechanism, infection, and some association with oral contraceptives have been suggested as etiologic factors in the literature.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at providing scientific evidence for minimizing ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP) by identifying appropriate timing of exchange of circuit for mechanical ventilator that is well suitable for the medical environment of intensive care units of hospitals in Korea. METHOD: This was a quasi-experimental study with a convenience sample of 19 adult subjects aged over 18 years who were admitted to the NS ICU of C university hospital, and placed on mechanical ventilator. The subjects were placed in two groups, compared on the incidence rate of VAP after they received exchange of circuit either at 1-week interval (N =10) or 2-week interval (N = 9). RESULT: 1) When considering 1000 days as the standard unit of analysis for incidence, the incidence rate of VAP was 7.19 cases at the 1-week cycle exchange group and 15.23 at the 2-week cycle exchange group, showing no statistically significant difference between the two groups. 2) There were a total of 3 types of bacteria isolated from the patients with VAP, including 2 cases with P. aeruginosa, 1 case with Streptococcus group F and A. baumannii. CONCLUSION: With thorough hand washing and strict management of tracheal tube of mechanical ventilator as well as use of tracheal intubation techniques, exchange cycle of circuit of mechanical ventilator by nurses may be changed from 1-week to 2-week interval.
Adult ; Bacteria ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation ; Korea ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated* ; Streptococcus ; Ventilators, Mechanical*

Either increased cellular proliferation or decreased death might result in an expansion of their numbers in the oncogenic process. Cellular apoptosis represents an autonomous suicide pathway that helps to restrict the cell number. However bcl-2 and mutant p53 inhibit programmed cell death. To determine whether the bcl-2 gene is activated during colorectal tumorigenesis and whether it has any relationship with p53 and apoptosis, we studied the expression of bcl-2 and p53 in the normal colonic mucosa, in the adenomatous polyps and in the adenocarcinomas using the immunohistochemical method. Also we evaluated the status of apoptosis using the in situ end labeling method. The bcl-2 immunoreactivity was restricted to the basal epithelial cells of all normal colonic mucosa and they were expressed in all adenomas and 86% of adenocarcinomas, especially in the superficial lesion of some tumors. Mutations of p53 were not found in the normal colonic mucosa, but they were present in dysplastic cells of adenomas (52%) and in cancer cells of the adenocarcinomas (47%). Apoptosis was confined to the tips of the normal colonic mucosa. It was more easily detected in the p53-positive adenomas than in the p53-negative adenomas (p=0.010). In the adenocarcinomas, the findings of apoptotic process are not related with p53 mutation (p=0.3) and bcl-2 expression (p=0.187). p53 and bcl-2 are probably one step of several apoptotic processes in the adenocarcinomas.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenoma* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Apoptosis* ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Count ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Colon ; Epithelial Cells ; Genes, bcl-2 ; Mucous Membrane ; Suicide

Paradoxical response during antituberculosis treatment occurs frequently in non-HIV-infected patients as well as in HIV-infected patients, and intraperitoneal tuberculous abscess can develop as paradoxical response in tuberculous peritonitis patients rarely. The unique CT findings are not present and microbiologic or pathologic confirm is needed for diagnosis of intraperitoneal tuberculous abscess. Further study is needed to define steroid use or operation indication of intraperitoneal tuberculosis abscess.
Abscess ; Humans ; Peritonitis, Tuberculous ; Tuberculosis

We report a case of secretory carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis in a 21-year old woman. She was aware of a mass in her breast for 10 years and noticed a rapid growth of the preexisting mass during the last years. Histologically, the tumor was composed of micropapillary and microcystic or cribriform glandular structures which contained eosinophilic, mucinous, intraluminal secretions. The center had a dense hyalinized strama with a solid infiltrative growth of tumor cells with intracytoplasmic secretory vacuoles at the periphery. In addition, marked intraductal papillary epithelial proliferations were present at the superficial portions of the tumor near the nipple. Prognostic factors and their relationship to juvenile papillomatosis are discussed with a review of the literature.
Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Breast Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Cross Infection*

No abstract available.
Malaria*