Background. Despite being a clean-contaminated procedure, performed only in patients with sterile urine preoperatively, percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) is associated with significant infectious perioperative complications. A local antibiogram is of paramount importance in optimizing antibiotic prophylaxis in PCNL because of the substantial variation in bacterial distribution and antibiotic sensitivity worldwide.

Objectives. The incidence of post-PCNL infectious complications, microorganism distribution, and antibiotic sensitivities from patients admitted for PCNL was determined. The risk factors associated with positive cultures and the development of fever and bacteremia were also analyzed.

Methods. A retrospective study of 102 patients who underwent PCNL under a surveillance protocol was done. The susceptibility of isolates from different specimens was evaluated against the most common antibiotics in the hospital. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used to determine differences in the frequencies and means for other risk factors for those who developed fever and urosepsis and those who did not.

Results. The incidence of fever and urosepsis was 25% and 4%, respectively. The most common organism on urine specimens was Escherichia coli which showed high sensitivity to aminoglycosides. The most common isolate on stones was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which showed higher sensitivities to the fluoroquinolones. The isolates showed nearly consistent resistance to ceftriaxone. No significant association was found between the clinical variables studied and the occurrence of infectious complications.

Conclusion. There are comparable rates of infectious complications to published literature. A change in antibiotic prophylaxis was warranted, given the high resistance to ceftriaxone and the predominance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on stone isolates. Further surveillance is required to identify significant risk factors for the development of post-PCNL infectious complications.

Surgery-related infections have not been irradicated until now. To solve this problem, it is important to know the relationship between bacterial anatomy and bacterial behavior in the tug-of-war between host and pathogen. In this article, bacterial anatomy and functional behavior, host phagocytic activity, immune system, nutrition and antibiotics are reviewed to win the war against the tiny invaders and leave the host unharmed. My suggestion is that scientists should direct their studies not only to developing potent new antibiotics that will never give rise to drug-resistant mutants, but also to developing a very competitive immune system that can suppress or control infection without the aid of antibiotics.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacteriology ; Immune System

We investigated the prevalence of canine brucellosis in companion and stray dogs between March 2015 and December 2016 and determined the disease characteristics based on the geographic distribution, sex and age of the dogs in South Korea. We conducted a large-scale survey using serological and bacteriological tests. Samples were collected from 2,394 dogs (1,825 companions and 569 strays). Thirty (1.3%) samples were positive for Brucella canis antibodies including 16 (0.9%) from companion dogs and 14 (2.5%) from stray dogs. Two (1.0%) of the 196 samples cultured from the stray dogs were positive. When compared with male dogs, the female companion and stray dogs had a significantly higher prevalence of brucellosis. Moreover, the prevalence of canine brucellosis was significantly higher in stray dogs older than 6 years and the prevalence of the disease in companion dogs was highest in Incheon (2.1%) and Jeolla (2.1%) provinces. Stray dogs from the Daejeon metropolitan area had the highest prevalence of brucellosis (7.9%). National control measures for canine brucellosis have not previously been implemented. Our findings suggest that appropriate screening tests and control measures are necessary to improve the health of dogs and to protect public health in Korea, particularly with the rapid growth of the companion animal industry.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Bacteriology ; Brucella canis ; Brucellosis ; Dogs ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Incheon ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Pets ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Sex Distribution

BACKGROUND: Mycotic aortic aneurysms are rare and life-threatening. Unfortunately, no established guidelines exist for the treatment of patients with mycotic aortic aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the midterm outcomes of the open repair of mycotic thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms and suggest a therapeutic strategy. METHODS: From 2006 to 2016, 19 patients underwent open repair for an aortic aneurysm. All infected tissue was extensively debrided and covered with soft tissue. We recorded the clinical findings, anatomic location of the aneurysm, bacteriology results, antibiotic therapy, morbidity, and mortality for these cases. RESULTS: The median age was 62±7.2 years (range, 16 to 78 years), 13 patients (68%) were men, and the mean aneurysm size was 44.5±4.9 mm. The mean time from onset of illness to surgery was 14.5±2.4 days. Aortic continuity was restored in situ with a Dacron prosthesis (79%), homograft (16%), or Gore-Tex graft (5%). Soft-tissue coverage of the prosthesis was performed in 8 patients. The mean follow-up time was 43.2±11.7 months. The early mortality rate was 10.5%, and the 5-year survival rate was 74.9%±11.5%. CONCLUSION: This study showed acceptable early and midterm outcomes of open repair of mycotic aneurysms. We emphasize that aggressive intraoperative debridement with soft-tissue coverage results in a high rate of success in these high-risk patients.
Allografts ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected ; Aortic Aneurysm* ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; Bacteriology ; Debridement ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Polyethylene Terephthalates ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Prostheses and Implants ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: There have been few evaluations of the performance of automatic stainers used instead of manual staining in clinical laboratories. We evaluated the performance of an automated stainer, KS-S100 (KS Co. Ltd., Korea), in Gram and acid-fast fluorescence staining of clinical specimens. METHODS: Repeatability was evaluated by comparing the results of Gram stains performed 10 times over 5 days using two standard strains and duplicated acid-fast bacilli (AFB) fluorescence stains using 40 samples. Comparisons to manual staining and to another automatic stainer, AT-2000 (Dagatron, Korea), were performed using 40 remnant respiratory specimens or liquid AFB culture media. The results were interpreted by two experienced technicians, and total test time was measured during the staining of 1, 10, and 20 slides. RESULTS: All 10 pairs of Gram staining results obtained with KS-S100 were identical, and the concordance rate of the duplicate AFB fluorescence stains was 92.5%. Among the results for 20 culture-positive liquid media samples, three AFB fluorescent staining results were not concordant. The weighted kappa values between KS-S100 and manual staining for Gram and AFB fluorescence staining were both 0.94, with concordance within the ±1-grade range. For the staining of a single slide, manual staining was faster. KS-S100 was more efficient than AT-2000 at staining 20 slides. CONCLUSIONS: The automated stainer KS-S100 showed reproducible results comparable to those of manual staining in two major microbiological staining methods, Gram and AFB fluorescence staining, used in clinical applications. Performance evaluations should be conducted before implementation of the automated stainer in microbiological staining.
Automation ; Bacteria ; Bacteriology ; Coloring Agents ; Culture Media ; Fluorescence ; Mycobacterium

The search for ideal brucellosis vaccines remains active today. Currently, no licensed human or canine anti-brucellosis vaccines are available. In bovines, the most successful vaccine (S19) is only used in calves, as adult vaccination results in orchitis in male, prolonged infection, and possible abortion complications in pregnant female cattle. Another widely deployed vaccine (RB51) has a low protective efficacy. An ideal vaccine should exhibit a safe profile as well as enhance protective efficacy. However, currently available vaccines exhibit one or more major drawbacks. Smooth live attenuated vaccines suffer shortcomings such as residual virulence and serodiagnostic interference. Inactivated vaccines, in general, confer relatively low levels of protection. Recent developments to improve brucellosis vaccines include generation of knockout mutants by targeting genes involved in metabolism, virulence, and the lipopolysaccharide synthesis pathway, as well as generation of DNA vaccines, mucosal vaccines, and live vectored vaccines, have all produced varying degrees of success. Herein, we briefly review the bacteriology, pathogenesis, immunological implications, candidate vaccines, vaccinations, and models related to Brucella.
Adult ; Animals ; Bacteriology ; Brucella* ; Brucellosis ; Cattle ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolism ; Models, Animal ; Orchitis ; Vaccination ; Vaccines* ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; Vaccines, DNA ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; Virulence

Annual proficiency surveys were conducted in March, June, and September in 2015 by the Clinical Microbiology Subcommittee of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service. The program covers the sections of bacteriology, advanced bacteriology and mycology, mycobacteriology, and parasitology. Each trial was composed of three sets of different combinations of five bacteria and yeasts. These sets were distributed among laboratories for Gram staining, culture, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Five slides with fixed sputum smears were provided as part of each trial for acid-fast bacilli detection. The survey material distribution was section-based. Two survey materials were provided in each trial, while five specimens for mycobacterial culture and identification, five specimens for anti-tuberculosis susceptibility testing and two Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains for rapid detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance were distributed in the March and June trials. Five virtual microscopy files for stool parasite examination were availed by registered participants in the June trial. Out of the 334 enrolled laboratories, 328 (98.2%), 328 (98.2%), and 329 (98.5%) submitted responses in trials I, II, and III, respectively. Identification of bacteria, namely, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Vibrio fluvialis by more than 95% of participants was acceptable. Surveillance cultures for vancomycin-resistant enterococci and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were determined accurately by 75.8%–85.3% and 93.1% of the respondents, respectively. Species-level identification of Candida krusei, Candida lusitanae, and Candida guilliermondii was still low at 79.8%, 55.7%, and 42.7%, respectively. Disk diffusion method revealed an unacceptably high false-positive rate of resistance to glycopeptides in E. faecalis and to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in S. pneumoniae. Advanced bacteriology trials revealed unsatisfactory results for species-level identification of moulds. Mycobacterial culture, identification and susceptibility testing, and molecular detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance were performed exceedingly well by participants. Hymenolepsis diminuta could not be identified by participants, with a correct answer rate of only 46.5% and ‘no parasite seen’ answer rate of only 31.8% for negative specimens. Species-level identification of Candida and moulds was challenging for clinical microbiology laboratories. Disk diffusion method was found to be problematic in testing the susceptibility of microorganisms to glycopeptides and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Improvement is required in result interpretation of negative specimens in parasitology.
Bacteria ; Bacteriology ; Candida ; Diffusion ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Escherichia coli ; Glycopeptides ; Isoniazid ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Korea* ; Methods ; Microscopy ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Mycology ; Parasites ; Parasitology ; Pneumonia ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Quality Control ; Rifampin ; Sputum ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci ; Vibrio ; Yeasts

Bacteriology ; history ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Penicillins ; history ; therapeutic use ; Philately ; Scotland

Annual proficiency surveys were performed in March, June and September 2014 by clinical microbiology division of The Korean Association of Quality Assurance for Clinical Laboratory. Parasitology part has been newly incorporated in this survey. For each trial, three sets which were composed of different combinations of five bacteria and yeast were distributed for gram stain, culture, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests of general bacteriology and five fixed sputum smear on slides were distributed for acid fast bacilli stain. Two advanced bacteriology survey materials for culture and identification of anaerobic bacteria and mold were distributed to the voluntary participants in every trial and five mycobacterial culture and identification specimens, five anti-tuberculosis susceptibility testing specimens, and two Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains for rapid detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance were distributed to the voluntary participants in March and June trials. Five virtual microscopic slides for stool parasite examination were open for the registered participants in June trial. A total of 340 laboratories were enrolled and 330 (97.0%), 331 (97.4%), and 331 (97.4%) returned the results on trial I, II, and III, respectively. For bacterial identification, the percent acceptable identification of Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and Enterococcus faecalis were greater than 95%. Group C and group D Salmonella species challenged as the different sets of M1422 resulted in the acceptable rate lower than 95% because nine participants reported the identification of different sets. Surveillance cultures for methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci were correctly determined by 89.6% and 69.0% of the respondents, respectively. Correct identification to species level of Candida albicans, Candida auris, Candida glabrata, and Candida parapsilosis were 86.1%, 1.6%, 48.1%, and 83.8%. Vancomycin disk diffusion test in S. aureus, missing oxacillin screen or penicillin susceptibility test in S. pneumoniae and lack of reliable methods of quinolone resistance detection in Salmonella species caused unacceptable results in antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Advanced bacteriology trials revealed low performance in species identification of mold. Mycobacterial culture, identification and susceptibility test performance was kept in excellence. The performance of identification of stool parasites was acceptable >90% for detection of helminth eggs and amebic cysts but 28.6% false positive responses resulted from negative specimens. In conclusion, species-level identification of fungi of both candida species and mold were challenging to clinical microbiology laboratories. Vancomycin disk diffusion method for S. aureus and lack of proper penicillin susceptibility test for S. pneumoniae were still common cause of inaccurate results. Virtual microscopic survey has been successfully introduced in parasitology.
Bacteria ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Bacteriology ; Burkholderia cepacia ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diffusion ; Eggs ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Fungi ; Helminths ; Isoniazid ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Korea* ; Methicillin Resistance ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Ovum ; Oxacillin ; Parasites ; Parasitology ; Penicillins ; Plesiomonas ; Pneumonia ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Rifampin ; Salmonella ; Sputum ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; Vancomycin ; Yeasts

OBJECTIVES: Otitis media (OM) is an infectious disease that affects all age brackets. Aural discharge is a typical symptom, occurring in all subtypes of OM. We have compared the identity and antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria isolated from aural discharges of adults and children with various types of OM, including acute OM (AOM), OM with effusion (OME), chronic OM (COM), and cholesteatomatous OM (CSOM). METHODS: The study involved 2,833 patients who visited five tertiary hospitals between January 2001 and December 2010 and were diagnosed with AOM, OME, COM, or CSOM. The patients were divided into a pediatric group and an adult group, and the distribution of cultured bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity were compared in the two groups. RESULTS: Bacterial detection rates were higher in adults than in children with OME and COM (P=0.000 each). The majority of the bacteria cultured from patients with AOM and OME bacteria were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Bacteria cultured from children were more susceptible to antibiotics (P=0.002) and had higher antibiotic sensitivity (P=0.001) than were bacteria cultured from adults. The majority of bacteria culture from patients with COM and CSOM were MSSA and pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was significantly higher in adults than in children, and more strains of bacteria isolated from adults were sensitive to the antibiotics septrin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin. CONCLUSION: Bacteria cultured from children were more susceptible to antibiotics and had higher antibiotic sensitivity than did bacteria cultured from adults.
Adult* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacteriology ; Child* ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Otitis Media* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Teicoplanin ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Vancomycin ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination