Background: Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection, antibiotics are often prescribed due to concerns about accompanying bacterial infection. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the number of patients with COVID-19 who received antibiotic prescriptions, as well as factors that influenced antibiotics prescription, using the National Health Insurance System database. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed claims data for adults aged ≥ 19 years hospitalized for COVID-19 from December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. According to the National Institutes of Health guidelines for severity classification, we calculated the proportion of patients who received antibiotics and the number of days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days. Factors contributing to antibiotic use were determined using linear regression analysis. In addition, antibiotic prescription data for patients with influenza hospitalized from 2018 to 2021 were compared with those for patients with COVID-19, using an integrated database from Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency-COVID19-National Health Insurance Service cohort (K-COV-N cohort), which was partially adjusted and obtained from October 2020 to December 2021. Results: Of the 55,228 patients, 46.6% were males, 55.9% were aged ≥ 50 years, and most patients (88.7%) had no underlying diseases. The majority (84.3%; n = 46,576) were classified as having mild-to-moderate illness, with 11.2% (n = 6,168) and 4.5% (n = 2,484) having severe and critical illness, respectively. Antibiotics were prescribed to 27.3% (n = 15,081) of the total study population, and to 73.8%, 87.6%, and 17.9% of patients with severe, critical, and mild-to-moderate illness, respectively. Fluoroquinolones were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics (15.1%; n = 8,348), followed by third-generation cephalosporins (10.4%; n = 5,729) and beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors (6.9%; n = 3,822). Older age, COVID-19 severity, and underlying medical conditions contributed significantly to antibiotic prescription requirement. The antibiotic use rate was higher in the influenza group (57.1%) than in the total COVID-19 patient group (21.2%), and higher in severe-to-critical COVID-19 cases (66.6%) than in influenza cases. Conclusion Although most patients with COVID-19 had mild to moderate illness, more than a quarter were prescribed antibiotics. Judicious use of antibiotics is necessary for patients with COVID-19, considering the severity of disease and risk of bacterial co-infection.

To develop a clinical practice guideline for vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIIRD), the Korean College of Rheumatology and theKorean Society of Infectious Diseases developed a clinical practice guideline according to the clinical practice guideline development manual. Since vaccination is unlikely to cause AIIRD or worsen disease activities, required vaccinations are recommended. Once patients are diagnosed with AIIRD, treatment strategies should be established and, at the same time, monitor their vaccination history. It is recommended to administer vaccines when the disease enters the stabilized stage. Administering live attenuated vaccines in patients with AIIRD who are taking immunosuppressants should be avoided. Vaccination should be considered in patients with AIIRD, prior to initiating immunosuppressants. It is recommended to administer influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, measlesmumps- rubella virus, human papillomavirus, and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccines in patients with AIIRD; such patients who planned to travel are generally recommended to be vaccinated at the recommended vaccine level of healthy adults. Those who live in a household with patients with AIIRD and their caregivers should also be vaccinated at levels that are generally recommended for healthy adults.

To develop a clinical practice guideline for vaccination in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIIRD), the Korean College of Rheumatology and the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases developed a clinical practice guideline according to the clinical practice guideline development manual. Since vaccination is unlikely to cause AIIRD or worsen disease activities, required vaccinations are recommended. Once patients are diagnosed with AIIRD, treatment strategies should be established and, at the same time, monitor their vaccination history. It is recommended to administer vaccines when the disease enters the stabilized stage. Administering live attenuated vaccines in patients with AIIRD who are taking immunosuppressants should be avoided. Vaccination should be considered in patients with AIIRD, prior to initiating immunosuppressants. It is recommended to administer influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, measles-mumps-rubella virus, human papillomavirus, and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccines in patients with AIIRD; such patients who planned to travel are generally recommended to be vaccinated at the recommended vaccine level of healthy adults. Those who live in a household with patients with AIIRD and their caregivers should also be vaccinated at levels that are generally recommended for healthy adults.

The efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in radical prostatectomy (RP) remains to be established. We retrospectively compared the occurrence of perioperative infections after RP between the 2 different antibiotic protocols. This study involved 428 cases of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). After excluding patients who had no perioperative urine culture data, 313 consecutive patients who underwent LRP for prostate carcinoma were classified into 2 groups according to the duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis. To group 1 (153 patients), a second-generation cephalosporin was administered for less than 2 days, whilst the remaining 160 patients in group 2 were administered the drug for more than 2 days. The overall incidence of postoperative bacteriuria was 50.8%, being significantly higher in group 1 (56.9%) than in group 2 (45%). The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) was significantly higher in group 1 (5.2%) than in group 2 (0.6%). Multivariate analysis revealed that old age, duration of antibiotics for more than 2 days, and duration of Foley catheter placement were independently associated with postoperative infectious complications (all, P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that duration of antibiotics for more than 2 days, duration of Foley catheter placement, and duration of surgical drain placement were independently associated with postoperative SSI (all, P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative bacteriuria and SSI were higher in patients who received antibiotics for a short duration. Based on our results, we demonstrated that the outcome of postoperative infectious complications is dependent on old age, short antibiotic administration duration, and prolonged Foley catheterization. Prolonged drain placement is associated with SSI, whilst a longer duration of antibiotics use and prolonged Foley catheterization are associated with a decrease in the incidence of SSI.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis* ; Bacteriuria ; Catheters ; Humans ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Wound Infection ; Urinary Catheterization

A leukemoid reaction is usually associated with malignancies of the lung, stomach, and thyroid. In contrast, urothelial cell carcinoma is rarely associated with leukemoid reactions, with few cases reported over the past 30 years. Here, we describe a patient with urothelial cell carcinoma who exhibited a leukemoid reaction. The patient had an elevated white blood cell count and experienced a rapid and aggressive clinical course, terminating in death. For urothelial cell carcinoma patients exhibiting a leukemoid reaction, removal of the inciting tumor is the definitive treatment. However, considering the aggressive nature of these tumors, if the patient is unsuitable for radical surgical management, palliative chemotherapy should be considered.
Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Leukemoid Reaction* ; Leukocyte Count ; Lung ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes* ; Prognosis* ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a very rare hematological malignancy in children that is characterized by bruise-like skin lesions, with or without bone marrow involvement. Because the clinical course of BPDCN is highly aggressive and fatal in adults, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is recommended as the optimal treatment. Due to its rarity, the pediatric experience with BPDCN is limited and standard treatment has so far not been defined. We report a case of a 14-year-old boy with BPDCN involving the skin, bone marrow and lymph nodes. The patient was treated with high-risk group acute lymphoblastic leukemia protocol. He achieved a complete remission after induction chemotherapy and still maintains clinical remission without HSCT for 17 months after initial diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Marrow ; Child ; Dendritic Cells ; Diagnosis ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Skin

Cheek ; Dentofacial Deformities ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orbit ; Smiling

PURPOSE: To investigate patients who had transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy to define the role of the serum testosterone level in predicting prostate cancer risk and its association with a high Gleason score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 568 patients who underwent prostate biopsy were entered in this study. We divided the patients into two groups according to serum testosterone level (median level, 3.85 ng/ml): the high-testosterone group (n=285) and the low-testosterone group (n=283). Multivariate regression analysis was used to define the effect of age, prostate volume, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and PSA density, and serum testosterone level on the risk of prostate cancer and a high Gleason score. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. Compared with the high-testosterone group, the low-testosterone group had a significantly higher prostate cancer incidence (38.9% vs. 29.5%, p=0.018). Factors associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer were increased age (odds ratio [OR]=1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.25-3.16, p=0.001), a high serum PSA level (OR=3.35, 95% CI=2.63-4.25, p=0.001), a low prostate volume (OR=0.183, 95% CI=0.11-0.30, p=0.001), and a low serum testosterone level (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.25-3.16, p=0.001). Among these, only the serum PSA level was a strong predictor of high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score > or =7) (OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.57-2.95, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lower levels of serum testosterone had a higher risk of prostate cancer than did patients with high serum testosterone. Even though a lower serum testosterone level was a predictor of prostate cancer risk, it was not associated with an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer.
Biopsy ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Risk Factors ; Testosterone

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has emerged in patients who do not have the established risk factors. In Korea, little is known about the epidemiology and clinical features of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical microbiology laboratory databases of 7 hospitals were reviewed to identify the patients from whom MRSA was isolated during the period of January to July 2005. Only one isolate per patient was enrolled. In order to identify the risk factors of MRSA acquisition, the medical records and the Health Insurance Review Agency databases were reviewed. CA-MRSA was defined as MRSA isolated from patient without established risk factors. We analyzed patient demographics, underlying medical conditions, characteristics of infection, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. RESULTS: Of total 3,251 S. aureus isolates, 1900 (58.4%) were MRSAs. Of the MRSA isolates, 114 (6.0%) were CA-MRSA. Of 114 CA-MRSA isolates, 22 (19.3%) were colonizers, 22 (19.3%) were pathogens, and the clinical significance of remaining 70 (61.4%) could not be determined. Median age of the 22 patients with CA-MRSA disease was 47 years. Nine patients had skin and soft tissue infections, 9 ear infections, 3 bacteremia, 1 septic arthritis. Seven patients had underlying medical disease. None died of the CA-MRSA infections. Of the 73 isolates of CA-MRSA, 47 (64.4%) were resistant to more than 3 classes of antibiotics besides beta-lactams. CONCLUSION: Although MRSA is highly prevalent among hospital-associated S. aureus infection, CA-MRSA infections are not common.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Bacteremia ; beta-Lactams ; Colon ; Demography ; Ear ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea* ; Medical Records ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has emerged in patients who do not have the established risk factors. In Korea, little is known about the epidemiology and clinical features of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical microbiology laboratory databases of 7 hospitals were reviewed to identify the patients from whom MRSA was isolated during the period of January to July 2005. Only one isolate per patient was enrolled. In order to identify the risk factors of MRSA acquisition, the medical records and the Health Insurance Review Agency databases were reviewed. CA-MRSA was defined as MRSA isolated from patient without established risk factors. We analyzed patient demographics, underlying medical conditions, characteristics of infection, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. RESULTS: Of total 3,251 S. aureus isolates, 1900 (58.4%) were MRSAs. Of the MRSA isolates, 114 (6.0%) were CA-MRSA. Of 114 CA-MRSA isolates, 22 (19.3%) were colonizers, 22 (19.3%) were pathogens, and the clinical significance of remaining 70 (61.4%) could not be determined. Median age of the 22 patients with CA-MRSA disease was 47 years. Nine patients had skin and soft tissue infections, 9 ear infections, 3 bacteremia, 1 septic arthritis. Seven patients had underlying medical disease. None died of the CA-MRSA infections. Of the 73 isolates of CA-MRSA, 47 (64.4%) were resistant to more than 3 classes of antibiotics besides beta-lactams. CONCLUSION: Although MRSA is highly prevalent among hospital-associated S. aureus infection, CA-MRSA infections are not common.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Bacteremia ; beta-Lactams ; Colon ; Demography ; Ear ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea* ; Medical Records ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections