No abstract available.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis* ; Chickens* ; Eating* ; Hemodynamics* ; Lacquer*

Haemophilus influenzae grows both aerobically and anaerobically and is an exclusively human pathogen. We present a case of septicemia originating from unilateral sphenoid sinusitis caused by non-typeable H. influenzae. No reports of sinusitis presenting as septicemia in a healthy young immunocompetent adult in South Korea have previously been published.
Adult ; Haemophilus influenzae* ; Haemophilus* ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Sepsis* ; Sinusitis ; Sphenoid Sinus* ; Sphenoid Sinusitis*

Background: This study aims to analyze the risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) by cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, using data from the National Health Insurance Data Sharing Service. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the risk factors during 11 years (2010–2020). Study groups were selected based on the laboratory data of the hospital, which comprised 3,638 and 877 cases of cefotaxime-resistant E. coli and K.pneumoniae, respectively. Controls comprised 8,994 and 1,573 cases of cefotaxime-nonresistant (intermediate or susceptible) E. coli and K.pneumoniae, respectively. Clinical and socioeconomical features were obtained from the National Health Insurance service data. Results: In a multivariate analysis of risk factors for UTI by cefotaxime-resistant E. coli, the odds ratio (OR) of the male sex was 1.335 (95% confidence interval, 1.204–1.480), age 0–9 years was 1.794 (1.468–2.191), chronic renal disease was 1.227 (1.062–1.417), and hemodialysis was 1.685 (1.255–2.262). Moreover, the ORs of L-tube, central venous pressure catheter, and Foley catheter use were 1.204 (1.047–1.385), 1.332 (1.156–1.534), and 1.473 (1.316–1.649), respectively; the OR of previous antimicrobial use was 1.103 (1.009–1.206) and that of healthcare facility use was 1.782 (1.576–2.014). In a multivariate analysis of risk factors for UTI by cefotaxime-resistant K. pneumoniae, OR of the male sex was 1.460 (1.199–1.778), liver disease was 1.295 (1.037–1.617), and hemodialysis was 2.046 (1.263–3.315). The ORs of L-tube and Foley catheter use were 2.329 (1.861–2.915) and 1.793 (1.431–2.246), respectively, and the OR of the healthcare facility use was 1.545 (1.161–2.056). Conclusion In this study, the risk factors for UTI caused by cefotaxime-resistant E. coli or K. pneumoniae were analyzed based on the data of a specific healthcare facility linked to the National Health Insurance system. We suggest that it is a simple and effective way to elucidate risk factors of infections caused by major antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

No abstract available.
Aged ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Foot Injuries/*complications ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Relaxants, Central/therapeutic use ; Tetanus/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Tetanus Toxoid/therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Trismus/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Wounds, Stab/*complications

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Risk factors for mortality resulting from anaerobic infection are incompletely defined. The clinical significance of a broad range of pathogenic obligate anaerobic organisms was examined, and factors independently associated with mortality were identified in patients with clinically significant anaerobic infections. METHODS: The medical records of 1,050 patients with anaerobic infections were retrospectively reviewed at Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 54.1+/-16.8 years, and 57.7% were men. Overall, 320 (30.5%) patients with case-defined illness experienced pain at the affected site, and 230 (21.9%) experienced pus flow from lesions. Ten (1.4%) patients presented with shock, and 80.3% of the clinically significant cases were polymicrobial anaerobic infections. The mean number of pathogens, including aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, was 3.7+/-1.0 (minimum 1, maximum 5), and the number of anaerobic organisms was 1.0+/-0.3 in each specimen. The major pathogens by rank were the Bacteroides fragilis group, which accounted for 41.8% of anaerobic infections, followed by Clostridium spp. (11.8%), Prevotella spp. (9.4%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (8.4%). Escherichia coli (17.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.5%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.5%) were common concomitant aerobic organisms. The overall crude mortality rate resulting from anaerobic infection was 29.7%. Among the determining factors associated with mortality, liver disease (p=0.003) and old age (p=0.005) were significant in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Anaerobic infection is polymicrobial and has a significant role in morbidity and mortality. Underlying liver disease was associated with poor prognosis in anaerobic infection.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Bacteria, Anaerobic/*isolation & purification ; Bacterial Infections/*epidemiology/microbiology/therapy ; Drainage/methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morbidity/trends ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate/trends ; Time Factors ; Young Adult

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020, many pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines. To determine the efficacy of AstraZeneca's and Pfizer's vaccines, which were the first and second vaccines to be approved in Korea, respectively, we developed a method to measure their antibody-generating efficacies using immunology analyzers and a rapid antibody test available in Korea. Methods: The antibody-stimulating efficacies of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were evaluated using Centaur® XPT SARS-CoV-2 (Siemens Healthineers, Germany), Elecsys® AntiSARS-CoV-2 S (Roche Diagnostics, Germany), and STANDARD F SARS-CoV-2 nAb FIA (SD Biosensor, Korea). Healthcare workers were enrolled in two groups: the Pfizer (121) and AstraZeneca (117) groups. Antibody levels were measured pre-vaccination, three weeks after vaccination, and 16 weeks after vaccination. Results: The Pfizer group comprised 41 males and 80 females, while the AstraZeneca group comprised 38 males and 79 females. Antibody results were analyzed after excluding four individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Between weeks 3 and 16, there was no significant difference (P= 0.5, 1.0) between the results of the Roche and Siemens antibody tests in the Pfizer vaccine group. However, the SD biosensor results comparing with the Roche and Siemens antibody tests at three weeks after the initial vaccination showed a significant difference (P < 0.0001). Analysis of the Roche antibody test results before, at three weeks, and at 16 weeks after the administration of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines revealed a statistically significant difference between before and at three weeks after the first injection (P < 0.0001). Conclusion After two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, antibody formation was above the 90 th percentile of the measurement range in all subjects.

PURPOSE: Annual influenza vaccination is the best strategy to prevent healthcare-associated influenza transmission. Influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers (HCWs) vary by country, region, and year. We investigated the influenza vaccination rates for HCWs during the 2017–2018 influenza season in South Korea, where a non-mandatory vaccination campaign was conducted.METHODS: We retrospectively investigated factors affecting the influenza vaccination rate among HCWs during the 2017–2018 influenza season in three tertiary hospitals in Goyang City, where the non-mandatory influenza vaccination program is conducted.RESULTS: Consequently, 6,994 of 7,180 HCWs (97%) were included, and the overall vaccination rate was 85%. Nurses had the highest rate with 92%, followed by health technicians (88%), physicians (84%), and non-medical HCWs (79%, P<0.001). Vaccination rates differed, depending on the frequency of contact with patients in the non-medical HCWs (frequent contact vs. less-frequent contact; 90% vs. 73%, P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS: The influenza vaccination rate among HCWs during the 2017–2018 influenza season in Korea was 85%, which is among the highest rates compared with previously reported non-mandatory vaccination rates in other countries. The vaccination rate may vary depending on the HCW's occupational characteristics, including the extent of contact with the patient. Therefore, a multifaceted strategy is needed to increase the vaccination rate of HCWs.
Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Mass Vaccination ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vaccination

Streptococcus dysgalactiae has two main subspecies: S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) and S. dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (SDSD). SDSE often colonizes and causes infections in humans; however, SDSD is an animal pathogen which often causes pyogenic infection in domestic animals. We present a case of meningitis with SDSD and herpes simplex virus in a 22-day-old newborn baby who had no exposure to animals.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Bacteria ; Colon ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Meningitis ; Simplexvirus ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of inflammatory biomarkers in acute infectious diarrhea among children. METHODS: Clinical parameters including fever, bacterial and viral etiology based on stool culture and multiplex polymerase chain reaction, and nine biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and leukocytes in blood and calprotectin, lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, polymorphonuclear elastase, leukocytes, and occult blood in feces were evaluated in children who were hospitalized due to acute diarrhea without underlying disease. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were included. Among these patients, 33 had fever, 18 showed bacterial infections, and 40 patients were infected with 43 viruses. Of all the biomarkers, CRP was significantly correlated with fever (p<0.001). CRP, ESR, calprotectin, lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, fecal leukocytes, and occult blood were significantly associated with infection with bacterial pathogens (p<0.001, p=0.04, p=0.03, p=0.003, p=0.02, p=0.03, p=0.002, respectively). The combination of CRP and fecal lactoferrin at their best cut-off values (13.7 mg/L and 22.8 µg/mL, respectively) yielded a sensitivity of 72.2%, and a specificity of 95.5% for bacterial etiology compared with their individual use. CONCLUSION: Blood CRP is a useful diagnostic marker for both fever and bacterial etiology in acute pediatric diarrhea. The combination of CRP and fecal lactoferrin yields better diagnostic capability for bacterial etiology than their use alone for acute diarrhea in children without underlying gastrointestinal disease.
Bacterial Infections ; Biomarkers ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Diarrhea ; Feces ; Fever ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Lactoferrin ; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex ; Leukocytes ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Occult Blood ; Pancreatic Elastase ; Peroxidase ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy is associated with increased disease severity and an increased risk of perinatal complications. However, few studies of pregnant women with COVID-19 have been conducted in Korea. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical course and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women admitted to our hospital with COVID-19 according to the severity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included women aged 18 years of age or older who were hospitalized in the Gachon University Gil Medical Center with COVID-19 during pregnancy between July 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022. COVID-19 severity was classified according to the “Criteria for severity classification by symptoms of COVID-19” presented by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Severe cases were defined as those who required oxygen treatment administered via a high-flow nasal cannula or invasive mechanical ventilation or should be applied extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or continuous renal replacement therapy. Results: A total of 103 pregnant women were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the study period. Their mean age was 33 (± 4.14) years, and 4 (3.9%) had been vaccinated against COVID-19. At the time of diagnosis of COVID-19, 3 (2.9%), 33 (32.0%), and 67 (65.1%) patients were in the first, second, and third trimester, respectively. The most common symptoms were cough (99 patients, 96.1%) and fever (85 patients, 82.5%). There was 1 (1.0%) asymptomatic patient. Forty patients (38.8%) required supplemental oxygen and 19 patients (18.4%) had severe disease. Of the 19 severe cases, 7 were in the 2nd trimester and 12 were in the 3rd trimester. Forty-one (39.8%) patients delivered, including two twin deliveries. Of the 41 cases of delivery, 14 were premature, 4 out of 21 (19.0%) in mild, 4 out of 12 (25.0%) in moderate, and 6 out of 8 (75.0%) in severe. Severe disease was associated with an increased rate of preterm birth (P = 0.012). Four of the 43 neonates (9.1%) received oxygen treatment. Conclusion Pregnant women with COVID-19 had a high rate of severe disease and a high preterm delivery rate, especially among those with severe disease.