Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for a large proportion of healthcare-associated infections and have a significant impact on morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Adherence to the recommended infection prevention practices can effectively reduce the incidence of CAUTIs. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of CAUTIs and the efficacy of prevention programs across hospitals of various sizes. Methods: Intervention programs, including training, surveillance, and monitoring, were implemented. Data on the microorganisms responsible for CAUTIs, urinary catheter utilization ratio, rate of CAUTIs per 1,000 device days, and factors associated with the use of indwelling catheters were collected from 2017 to 2019. The incidence of CAUTIs and associated data were compared between university hospitals and small- and medium-sized hospitals. Results: Thirty-two hospitals participated in the study, including 21 university hospitals and 11 small- and medium-sized hospitals. The microorganisms responsible for CAUTIs and their resistance rates did not differ between the two groups. In the first quarter of 2018, the incidence rate was 2.05 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 1.44 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. After implementing interventions, the rate gradually decreased in the first quarter of 2019, with 1.18 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 0.79 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. However, by the end of the study, the infection rate increased to 1.74 infections/1,000 device-days in university hospitals and 1.80 infections/1,000 device-days in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Conclusion We implemented interventions to prevent CAUTIs and evaluated their outcomes. The incidence of these infections decreased in the initial phases of the intervention when adequate support and personnel were present. The rate of these infections may be reduced by implementing active interventions such as consistent monitoring and adherence to guidelines for preventing infections.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.

Nocardiosis is uncommon. Immunocompromising conditions predispose individuals to pulmonary and disseminated nocardiosis of the brain, skin, and subcutaneous tissues. The most common pathogens are Nocardia cyriacigeorgica, Nocardia nova, and Nocardia farcinica. The speciation of Nocardia to determine antimicrobial susceptibility is difficult using traditional biochemical methods. Here, we report the case of a 73-year-old man with chronic obstructive lung disease who developed a rapidly progressing intramuscular abscess around the left hip and thigh. Within 3 days, the lesions progressed to an epidural abscess at the L4 to S1 level. Although he was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and extensive incision and drainage, he died of rapidly progressive respiratory failure. Nocardia abscessus (N. abscessus) was identified in pus samples using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This case shows that the diagnosis of an intramuscular abscess caused by N. abscessus is challenging and that using MALDI-TOF MS may facilitate the diagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.

Objective: Osteomyelitis in patients with diabetic foot has been diagnosed clinically, radiologically, and histologically. However, the accuracy of these diagnostic modalities is not well established. In this study, we histologically reviewed patients who underwent surgical procedures for diabetic foot osteomyelitis and correlated these histological features with radiological findings. Methods: Eighty patients who were clinically diagnosed with diabetic foot osteomyelitis, who underwent surgical treatment between November 2017 and February 2022, were enrolled. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides and radiological findings were reviewed. Results: Eighty patients were radiologically examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (49 cases) and/or 99mTc-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime-labeled white blood cells single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) (65 cases). MRI findings were suggestive of osteomyelitis in 35 cases (71.4%) and soft tissue inflammation in 46 cases (93.8%). In SPECE/CT, 60 cases (92.3%) and 64 cases (98.4%) showed signs of osteomyelitis and soft tissue inflammation, respectively. Histologically, both bone and soft tissue lesions were found in 32 cases (40%), only bone tissue lesions in seven cases (8.8%), and only soft tissue lesions in 40 cases (50%). The sensitivity and specificity of MRI for osteomyelitis were 83.3% (10/12) and 28.6% (4/14), and that of SPECT/CT was 100.0% (12/12) and 12.5% (2/16), respectively. Moreover, those of by MRI findings for soft tissue inflammation were 90.6% (29/32) and 0% (0/12), while that of SPECT/CT was 97.4% (38/39) and 0% (0/18), respectively. Conclusion For accurate histological diagnosis of diabetic foot osteomyelitis, sufficient specimens should be obtained. White blood cell SPECT/CT seems to be a more sensitive modality than MRI for the detection of osteomyelitis.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.