• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.346-357
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• 2015

Purpose: This descriptive study was to examine uncertainty and performance of infection control in the VRE patients' caregivers. Methods: The participants were 82 caregivers who involved with the VRE patients care in D tertiary hospital in D metropolitan city. Data were analyzed with number, percentage, t-test, and ANOVA using SPSS/Win 21.0. Results: The participants' uncertainty was 56.99 and performance of infection control was 35.09. Performance of infection control was significantly different by age (F=121.38, p<.001), education (F=102.77, p<.001), relationship with the patient (F=17.80, p<.001), hours of caring per day (t=3.14, p=.002), and type of family (t=-8.65, p<.001). There was a significant negative correlation between participants' uncertainty and performance of infection control (r=-.96, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of the study will be used to develop nursing intervention program and standard protocol for infection control for the VRE patients' caregivers.

• Archives of Hand and Microsurgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2018

A 60-year-old male presented with a three-month history of redness and swelling on his left little finger. His medical history was not informative. Wound culture revealed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. After vancomycin administration, the skin lesions became worse and whole body bullae and desquamation occurred. This was initially suspected to be a drug eruption; thus, we switched antibiotics from vancomycin to teicoplanin. However, biopsy revealed Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). After several days, generalized skin symptoms improved. The patient recovered and is in good physical health without recurrence six months later. We describe a localized form of SSSS, which is very rare in healthy adults. Consequently, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis. Thus, we report a rare case of SSSS in a healthy adult and the importance of early histological examination for accurate diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.287-295
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization rate in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), associated risk factors and clinical outcomes for VRE colonization. Methods: Of the 7,703 patients admitted to the ICUs between January, 2008 and December, 2010, medical records of 554 VRE colonized and 503 uncolonized patients were reviewed retrospectively. To analyzed the impact of colonization on patients' clinical outcomes, 199 VRE colonized patients were matched with 199 uncolonized patients using a propensity score matching method. Results: During the study period, 567 (7.2%) of the 7,703 patients were colonized with VRE. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent risk factors for VRE colonization: use of antibiotics (odds ratio [OR]=3.33), having bedsores (OR=2.92), having invasive devices (OR=2.29), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus co-colonization (OR=1.84), and previous hospitalization (OR=1.74). VRE colonized patients were more likely to have infectious diseases than uncolonized patients. VRE colonization was associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher mortality. Conclusion: Strict infection control program including preemptive isolation for high-risk group may be helpful. Further research needs to be done to investigate the effects of active surveillance program on the incidence of colonization or infection with VRE in the ICU.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2022

The treatment of invasive infections caused by multidrug-resistant vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is challenging, particularly in pediatric patients with underlying medical conditions. Newer antibiotics used to treat VRE infections in pediatric patients are insufficiently studied. This report presents the case of a 6-month-old infant who underwent heart-lung transplantation and was successfully treated with a combination of daptomycin and tigecycline for recurrent VRE bacteremia shortly after the discontinuation of linezolid.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1792-1800
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• 2010

In this study, we isolated five macrolactin compounds from a fermentation broth of Bacillus polyfermenticus KJS-2. The macrolactin compounds were structurally identified as macrolactin A (MA), 7-O-malonyl macrolactin A (MMA), 7-O-succinyl macrolactin A (SMA), macrolactin E (ME) and macrolactin F (MF) via a variety of NMR techniques, COZY, DEPT, HMQC and HMBC, and mass and specific rotation assays. The three macrolactin compounds, MA, MMA and SMA, profoundly inhibited the growth of both vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VREs) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the inhibition of which were estimated via a disc agar diffusion bioassay. MA, MMA, and SMA exhibited antibacterial activities superior to those of vancomycin and teicoplanin.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing the spontaneous decolonization period of vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) species in pediatric patients. Methods: The medical records of patients presenting positive VRE cultures between January 2005 and November 2010 at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea, were reviewed retrospectively. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the average number of days for decolonization (325 days). Clinical characteristics were compared between shorter VRE colonization patients (<325 days, n=41) and prolonged VRE colonization patients (>325 days, n=110). Results: There were 151 patients who had more than 1 year of follow up period or confirmed of VRE decolonization among patients who were identified with VRE. The average age at the time of initial VRE colonization was significantly younger in shorter decolonization group than in prolonged decolonization group (44.9 months vs 40.9 months, P =0.040). The prolonged decolonization group received more vancomycin treatments after VRE colonization in comparison with patients in shorter decolonization group (7.0% vs 27.2%, P =0.008). Conclusion: For the duration of VRE colonization, it was found that the initial age of acquiring VRE and use of antibiotics were important factors. Antibiotics should be used properly and precisely in order to treat infectious diseases and to control the colonization of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.360-366
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• 2013

This study was it conducted on effluent or river water close to discharge locations from a treatment plant, which were analyzed for the presence, phenotype and antibiotic resistance rates of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE). The test results for isolation and identification of Enterococcus spp. showed that they all were VRE positive, with a total of 32 strains detected. Multiplex PCR was conducted for 32 strains, each of which were identified as E. faecium, and the results indicated that they were all confirmed as VRE, corresponding to the Van A phenotype. The results of E. faecium concentrations measured at various locations indicated that they were, on average, higher at the location of sewage treatment plants. The frequency of positive tests as well as the number of colonies was higher downstream of treatment plants. The minimum inhibitory concentration was inspected for 26 strains of discharged water samples from sewage water treatment plants, and 6 strains of river samples. Out of 19 antibiotics, 14 and 5 species showed resistance and sensitivity, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) knowledge and awareness with VRE infection control in compliance with VRE infection control among nurses in intensive care units. Method: Participants (N=154) were recruited in B city from August 2007 to October 2007. Data were analyzed with SPSS PC+. Result: The degree of VRE knowledge of the participants was 12.41 out of the total score, 17; that of awareness with VRE infection control was 3.87 out of the total score, 4; that of compliance with VRE infection control 3.75 out of the perfect score, 4. A significantly positive relationship between awareness of VRE infection control and compliance with VRE infection control has been observed. Awareness with VRE infection control and type of intensive care unitpredicted 21.1% of the variance in compliance with VRE infection control. Conclusion: The study indicated that awareness with VRE infection control has the most important impact on the compliance with VRE infection control for the participants. Based on the finding, a suggestion is made to continue the research on VRE knowledge and nosocomical infection on the subject of nurse and nurse managers who are responsible for infection control in a medical institution.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.325-336
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors influencing compliance of multidrug-resistant organism infection control in intensive care units (ICU) nurses. Methods: Data were collected from 254 ICU nurses who were working at 6 general and advanced general hospitals in D city and G Province. Results: 77.2% and 84.4% of the subjects correctly answered to questions about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), respectively. The scores of MRSA infection control compliance and VRE infection control compliance were 3.41 and 3.43, respectively. The factors influencing MRSA infection control compliance were empowerment, environmental safety recognition, and education satisfaction, which explained 30% of MRSA infection control compliance. The factors significantly related to VRE infection control compliance were empowerment, hospital types, environmental safety recognition, number of education sessions, and neonatal ICU, which explained 37% of VRE infection control compliance. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop efficient educational programs for infection control including educational contents to improve empowerment and environmental safety recognition of nurses. Furthermore, administrative support for those infection control programs is also necessary.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.435-445
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was to examine whether VRE infection control strategies have an effect on the decrease in incidence rates for VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection in ICU. Methods: All the patients were examined for VRE carriers on ICU admission. Among them, patients hospitalized for over 48 hours were investigated for VRE acquisition rates and VRE nosocomial infection rate using VRE infection control strategies in ICU for the experimental group from September 2007 to April 2008. Before that, incidence of VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection for the control group without Intervention were investigated from May to August 2007 retrospectively. Results: VRE acquisition rate in clinical specimens was 0.6% in the experimental group, that was significantly lower when compared to the control group. VRE carrier rate at admission to ICU was 15.4%. Out of 182 VRE carriers, 180 patients were identified by the active surveillance culture. Conclusion: These results suggested that active surveillance culture at admission was considered to be an essential measure for detection of VRE carrier. But without strict isolation and adherence rating after each intervention, hand washing and contact isolation alone did not significantly decrease VRE nosocomial infection, although it did significantly decrease incidence of VRE acquired from clinical specimen.