No abstract available.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Non-tuberculous mycobacterium has a wide-spread occurrence in nature, and skin, soft tissue, bone, lung and disseminated infection can be involved. Non-tuberculous mycobacterium infection occurs both in immunocompetent patients without underlying diseases and in immunocompromised hosts. Non-tuberculous mycobactrial osteomyelitis is a rare cause of granulomatous osteomyelitis, and has been previously reported in the sternum, spine, humerus, femur, tibia or metatarsal. Mycobacterium abscessus osteomyelitis is a very rare infection in the foot and only 1 case has been reported. Authors report a case of Mycobacterium abscessus osteomyelitis involving the tarsal and metatarsal bones in a non-immunocompromized middle aged women.
Bone and Bones ; Female ; Femur ; Foot ; Humans ; Humerus ; Immunocompromised Host ; Lung ; Metatarsal Bones ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium Infections ; Osteomyelitis ; Skin ; Spine ; Sternum ; Tibia

Candida species inhabit the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals with low virulence, and osteomyelitis due to candida is very rare. However, the incidence of invasive candidal infection caused by intravenous drug use, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and indwelling central venous catheter is increasing. A 73-year old man visited the outpatient clinic complaining of right shoulder pain that radiated to the right acromioclavicular joint. He had undergone multiple injection procedures followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy for several weeks. The ultrasonographic findings showed a heterogeneous mass around the right acromioclavicular joint, while the right shoulder MRI and the overall findings of the body bone scan were suggestive of osteomyelitis. Pathologic findings of ultrasonographically guided joint aspiration fluid showed acute and chronic nonspecific inflammation, while the tissue culture and staining revealed Candida parapsilosis.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Candida ; Central Venous Catheters ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Joints ; Mucous Membrane ; Osteomyelitis ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain ; Skin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) allergy screening test is a simplified and newly developed method for the detection of allergen-specific IgE in human serum. This system has advantages in several ways compared to the Pharmacia CAP system, such as the need for relatively small amounts of serum, no expensive equipment and rapid detection. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test for the detection of specific IgE compared to the Pharmacia CAP system in atopic patients. METHOD: In 27 atopic patients (M:F = 11:16, age:13-51 years, average 27.9+/-10.2 years) who had positive response on skin prick test, the Pharmacia CAP system for the sensitized allergen and Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test were performed. For comparison, 5 normal subjects who had negative response on skin prick test were tested for 5 allergens(Dermatophagoides(D) farinae, D. pteronyssinus, cockroach, dog epithelium, cat epithelium) by the Pharmacia CAP system and Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test. RESULTS: Using skin prick test results as the reference standards, the sensitivity of the Pharmacia CAP system and Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test was 87.5%, 57.1%, respectively. The specificity of Pharmacia CAP system and Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test were 100%. There was a significant correlation between the Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) and CAP system (D.f. r=0.755, D.p. r=0.856) for D. farinae and D.pteronyssinus. CONCLUSION: Auro Dex(R) Visual ENS(TM) screening test showed high specificity for detection of allergen-specific IgE and good correlation with the Pharmacia CAP system. This system may be useful in general practice. However, due to relatively low sensitivity to some antigens compared to skin prick test, further development may be necessary.
Animals ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dogs ; Epithelium ; General Practice ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Mass Screening* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

Vaccination is an important strategy for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey based on Google Forms to collect data on adverse events (AEs) after the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for healthcare workers (HCWs). Among the 1,676 vaccinated HCWs, 59.5% (998/1,676) responded to the survey. In total, 809 (81.1%) respondents reported experiencing AEs. There were no serious AEs, such as anaphylaxis. The most common AE was pain at the injection site (76.2%), followed by fatigue (75.9%), myalgia (74.9%), and fever (58.4%). HCWs in the younger age group experienced significantly more AEs than in the older age group.

Vaccination is an important strategy for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey based on Google Forms to collect data on adverse events (AEs) after the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for healthcare workers (HCWs). Among the 1,676 vaccinated HCWs, 59.5% (998/1,676) responded to the survey. In total, 809 (81.1%) respondents reported experiencing AEs. There were no serious AEs, such as anaphylaxis. The most common AE was pain at the injection site (76.2%), followed by fatigue (75.9%), myalgia (74.9%), and fever (58.4%). HCWs in the younger age group experienced significantly more AEs than in the older age group.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at risk of being exposed to or transmitting infections in hospitals, and vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) is a well-known preventive strategy. Vaccination against influenza, hepatitis B virus, measles-mumps-rubella, varicella, and pertussis is recommended for HCP. However, there is no information on the current status of hospitals' vaccination policies for HCP in Korea.METHODS: We conducted a nationwide survey on hospital vaccination policies and barriers to implementing recommended vaccination programs in 2018. The online survey questionnaire was distributed to 652 hospitals, and 200 of them responded.RESULTS: Of the 200 surveyed hospitals, 151 (75.5%) conducted a pre-employment screening program for at least one VPD, and 196 (98%) had vaccination programs that included at least one vaccine. Influenza vaccine was most commonly included in their programs (97.5%, n = 195), followed by hepatitis B vaccines (69%, n = 138). However, < 25% of the hospitals included other vaccines in their policies (measles-mumps-rubella, 24.5%; varicella, 18.5%; pertussis, 11%). Only 13 hospitals (6.5%) included the five recommended vaccines for HCP in their policies. Influenza vaccination coverage had a mean of 89.9% and was significantly higher in hospitals fully funding the vaccination cost (91.8% vs. 80.4%, P < 0.001). Among hospitals funding influenza vaccines, the coverage was lower in hospitals with ≥ 700 beds (−6.5%, P = 0.003). Hospitals' financial burden was the most important barrier to implementing vaccination polices as recommended (78.6%, 121/154), followed by lack of awareness (21%) or campaign (21%) and lack of leadership (17%).CONCLUSION: Despite the recommendations on vaccination for HCP, the vaccination policies for HCP differ in hospitals and appear to be insufficient to protect HCP and prevent nosocomial transmission. Strong leadership of each hospital to protect HCP and financial support from the government are required to implement appropriate vaccination policies in hospitals.

No abstract available.
beta-Lactamases*

BACKGROUND: Wearing a long-sleeved shirt and tucking the pants legs into the socks is recommended to prevent scrub typhus. This study investigated associations between the location of eschar and the type of clothes and shoes to evaluate the efficacy of these protective measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred and fifty nine patients in whom scrub typhus was confirmed or suspected based on the typical clinical manifestations, presence of eschar, or positive results of serologic tests at 6 Korean hospitals from October to December 2005 were included in this study. We collected the information on the location of eschar, presumed exposure date to chiggers, and the clothes and shoes which they had worn. RESULTS: Serologic tests were positive in 99 patients. Eschars were observed in 142 patients and 6 of them exhibited more than 2 eschars. Eighty-two (60.3%) of 136 patients with a single eschar had an eschar on the lower half of the body. Of the 44 patients whose exposure date could be estimated, and who had only a single eschar, 5 of the 17 patients with eschars in the lower half of their bodies, and none of the 27 patients with eschars in the upper half of their bodies went barefoot or wore open footware (P=0.006). Only 4 patients tucked the pants into their socks, and an eschar was found in the lower half in one patient, and in the upper half of the body in the other 3 patients. Of 42 patients who wore long-sleeved shirts, eschars were found in their lower bodies in 16, and on their upper bodies in 26 (P=1.00). CONCLUSION: When the feet were not protected properly with shoes, eschars were found more frequently on the lower half of the body than on the upper half. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt or tucking the pants legs into the socks was not found to be significantly correlated to the location of eschars. Further studies involving larger samples are necessary for the development of practical guidelines of protective measures to prevent scrub typhus.
Clothing* ; Foot ; Humans ; Leg ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Protective Clothing ; Scrub Typhus* ; Serologic Tests ; Shoes ; Trombiculidae

No abstract available.
beta-Lactamases*