• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.334-341
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the cause of cholera outbreak in Gyeongbuk province in 2001.90 strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor serotype Inaba were isolated from diarrheal patients. By multiplex-PCR, all of the isolated strains revealed positive for detection ctxA, hlyA and tcpA genes. There were DNA sequence difference of the cholera-toxin subunit A gene and subunit B gene between isolated V. cholerae O1 and the strain of GenBank. In analysis of PFGE patterns, all of the isolated strains were showed the same DNA fragments. We also collected plankton samples in the east coast of Gyeongbuk to isolate V. cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139 from August to October 2002. The samples were examined to detect the rfb gene and cholera-toxin gene by multiplex-PCR. The cholera-toxin gene was detected and then we tried to isolate V. cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139, but they were not isolated.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.280-283
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• 2013

Leuconostoc spp. is intrinsically resistant against vancomycin and rarely causes the infection in immunocompromised patients. In this report, we describe a fatal case of Leuconostoc lactis bacteremia in a patient with biliary tract stent insertion to resolve the biliary tract obstruction by multiple pseudocysts in the pancreatic head region. Leuconostic lactis isolated from the blood of the patients was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing and this isolate was susceptible against most antibiotics, including levofloxacin, penicillin, erythromycin and cefotaxime except vancomycin. The septic shock and multi-organ failure was abruptly progressed due to delayed use of adequate antibiotic. Using vancomycin as the empirical antibiotics in a bacteremic patient by Gram positive cocci, the treatment failures by the isolates with intrinsic resistance against vancomycin have to be considered. In addition, the prompt and accurate identification of Leuconostoc spp. are very important to select the adequate antibiotics.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.121-126
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• 1986

Bactericidal activity of normal and cirrhotic patients' sera against Vibrio vulnificus was investigated and compared each other as a part of the pathogenesis study of V. vulnificus septicemia. Bactericidal activity of serum against V. vulnificus was complement-dependent and the alternative pathway played the major role. V. vulnificus strains CDC A1402 and ATCC 27562 appeared serum-sensitive, and CDC C7184, clinical isolate CNUH1 and ATCC 29307 were serum-resistant. When bactericidal activity of cirrhotic sera against serum-sensitive CDC A1402 and serum-resistant CDC C7184 was compared with that of normal sera. showed slightly poorer bactericidal activity than normal sera. Especially in the case of serum-resistant CDC C7184 strain, cirrhotic sera showed statistically significant decrease(p<0.05) in their bactericidal activity.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.417-422
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• 1986

The specimens were collected from 89 diarrheal patients who had visited Pusan National University Hospital from June to September 1985. They were cultured and tested for the bacteriological identification of causative agents. In this study we identified 5 strains of Salmonella species, 5 strains of Shigella species, 2 strains of Y. enterocolitica, and 17 strains of enteric pathogenic E. coli. Enteric pathogenic E. coli were classified into enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, and enteroinvasive E. coli by serological type. We tried to isolate V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus too but we cannot find them out.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.285-294
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the colonization rate of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), the characteristics of CRE isolates, and risk factors for CRE colonization in patients transferred to the general wards of a small/medium-sized hospital. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent CRE culture tests within 24 hours of admission among patients transferred to a small/medium-sized hospital. Forty-seven patients confirmed as positive for CRE were classified as belonging to the patient group. For the control group, 235 patients (five times the number of the patient group) were matched by sex, age, and diagnosis, and then selected at random. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The CRE colonization rate was 5% (47 out of 933 patients), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (68.0%) was the most common isolate of CRE. The positivity rate of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae was 61.7%. The risk factors for CRE colonization included renal disease (odds ratio [OR]=4.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-16.31), heart disease (OR=3.86; 95% CI, 1.35-11.01), indwelling urinary catheters (OR=4.43; 95% CI, 1.59-12.36), and cephalosporin antibiotic use (OR=8.57; 95% CI, 1.23-59.60). Conclusion: Having a comorbid renal or cardiac disease, an indwelling urinary catheter, or a history of exposure to cephalosporin antibiotics could be classified as risk factors for CRE colonization in patients transferred to small and medium-size hospitals. It is necessary to perform active infection control through proactive CRE culture testing of patients with risk factors.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.247-259
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• 1999

Small round structured viruses (SRSV) are the major ethological agents which can cause outbreaks of non-bacterial gastroenteritis or food poisoning both in children and adults. The classification of family Caliciviridae to which SRSV belong, is based on the genome encoding three open reading frames. The rotavirus is another major pathogen which causes diarrhea in young children. We examined stool specimens obtained from diarrheal patients in Wonju from which bacterial pathogens were not found. To detect causative viruses from stool specimens of patients, reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nested PCR using rotavirus or SRSV specific primers was performed. In this study, RT-nested PCR procedure which can amplify a 330 bp fragment derived from RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP) region within ORF1 was applied for the detection of SRSV. For the detection of rotaviruses, a 877 bp fragment from the VP4 region of rotavirus genome was amplified. As a result, rotavirus was not detected while SRSV sequences were detected from one out of five specimens. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the Wonju isolate were compared with other 6 Korean isolates which have been isolated and sequenced in our laboratory. Sequence analysis revealed that the Wonju isolate was rather distinct from other Korean isolates: the Wonju isolate was closer to genogroup I of SRSV while other 6 Korean isolates belonged to genogroup II.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.73-77
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• 1985

Haemophilus aphrophilus is a fastidious gram-negative bacillus found in mouth of normal individuals. Though H. aphrophilus infection is quite rate, it includes such serious ones as endocarditis and brain abscess. The authors isolated H. aphrophilus from five patients with the diagnosis of lung abscess, conjunctivitis, brain abscess and facial masticator space abscess. Two of the patients died. Three of the patients also yielded other species of bacteria from the same specimens. One of the isolate was intermediately susceptible to amikacin and resistant to tobramycin, indicating the necessity of a routine susceptibility test in order to select the proper antimicrobial agents. Since H. aphrophilus can be differentiated from other similar organisms by morphological and biochemical characteristics, one should determie the possibility of this organism when fastidious gram-negative bacilli are isolated from blood or from sites adjacent to upper respiratory tract.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2010

The aims of this study were to investigate the nosocomial infection route of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and explore preventative methods for this pathogen that involve blocking its dispersion. We cultured MRSA from nasal cavity swabs collected between June and July 2008 that we obtained from eight dental healthcare providers, 32 nurses and the sputum specimens of two patients from our hospital. In addition, we used VITEK 2 equipment to measure drug sensitivity, and we further performed biochemical testing and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to isolate MRSA colonies. The incidence of these bacteria on the nasal swabs was 25.0% from dental clinic healthcare providers, 13.6% from the internal medicine ward nurses and 30.0% from intensive care unit nurses. Moreover, MRSA was detectable in sputum specimens of ward patients. The antimicrobial agents resistance and partial PFGE types of MRSA showed a similar pattern. We suggest from these analyses that nasal cavity infection by MRSA could occur by cross contamination between healthcare providers and patients which underscores the importance of stringent MRSA management practices.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2004

Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic bacterium frequently involved in human infection of seafood-associated primary septicemia and primary wound infection, mostly in men with over 40-years of age with underlying liver disease. The primary septicemia, which is the most common form of V. vulnificus infection in Korea, is defined as a systemic illness presenting fever or hypotension with recovery of V. vulnificus from blood or tissue without the apparent primary focus of infection. V. vulnificus typically do not produce acid from sucrose, but a case of primary septisemia was found in a patient at Chonnam K hospital in 1993 from whose blood a sucrose-fermenting strain was isolated. The patient was a 62-year-old man, heavy drinker, with underlying liver disease. He consumed a raw seafood dish two days before onset of the present illness. His symptoms were tenderness and swelling on the right foot. He rapidly developed septicemia, resulting in sudden death. V. vulnificus was isolated from the venous blood culture of the patient. On subculture, the isolate formed yellow colonies on TCBS and produced acid from sucrose. Because of these characteristics, species identification was not achieved by the API 20E and was delayed. Other characteristics of the isolate were identical to those of typical V. vulnificus. The isolate was common serotype O4A and possession of V. vulnificus-specific cytolysin gene was detected by PCR. The isolate was susceptible to all the antimicrobial agents tested including tetracycline, but was intermediate to colistin. In conclusion, it is important that microbiologists be aware of the presence of sucrose-positive V. vulnificus when he or she identifies gram-negative bacilli, which is isolated from the blood of patients with a recent history of raw seafood dish consumption.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.301-307
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• 2012

Background: Perioperative transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) may cause adverse effects. Bloodless-cardiac surgery has been spotlighted to avoid those problems. Off pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery can decrease the transfusion. However, the risk factors of transfusions in OPCAB have not been investigated properly. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirteen patients (male:female=35:78, mean age=$66.7{\pm}9.9$ years) who received isolated OPCAB were retrospectively analyzed from March 2006 to September 2007. The threshold of RBC transfusion was 28.0% of hematocrit. Bilateral internal thoracic arteries graft were used for 99 patients (87.6%). One hundred and three (91.1%) and 35 patients (31.5%) took aspirin and clopidogrel just before surgery. Results: Sixty-five patients (47.5%) received the RBC transfusion (mean $2.2{\pm}3.2$ units). Mortality and major complications were not different between transfusion and no-transfusion group. But, ventilator support time, intensive care unit stay and hospitalization period had been reduced in no-transfusion group (p<0.05). In multivariate analysis, patients risk factors for RBC transfusion were preoperative low hematocrit (<37.5%) and clopidogrel medication. Surgical risk factors were longer graft harvesting time (<75 minutes) and total operation time (<5.5 hours, p <0.05). Conclusion: We performed the transfusion according to transfusion guideline; over 40% cases could conduct the OPCAB without transfusion. There were no differences in major clinical results between transfusion and non-transfusion group. In addition, when used together with accurate understanding of transfusion risk factors, it is expected to increase the proportion of patients that do not undergo transfusions.