• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.908-913
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• 2010

Bojungiki-tang is a traditional oriental medicine to boost the immune system. In this study, we investigated the effects of Bojungiki-tang by withdrawal of isolation of VRE colonization. Four cases of post-stroke patients with VRE colonization took Bojungiki-tang and continuously were followed up with stool cultures. After three times negative stool VRE, we withdrew isolation of VRE colonization. One case patient was diagnosed with VRE colonization in another hospital and had no withdrawal during that period. He was admitted to Kyung-hee University Oriental Medicine where he took Bojungiki-tang. After three times negative stool VRE, we withdrew isolation of the patient. These results demonstrate that Bojungiki-tang is effective on boosting immunity level. Further studies are needed to better characterize this protective effect of Bojungiki-tang.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.162-170
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• 2007

Purpose : While cases of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have increasingly been reported worldwide since it was first reported in the late 1980s, there have been few systemic studies on the pediatric population. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the planning of VRE prevention by investigating the prevalence, risk factors and transmission of VRE infection. Methods : We studied 230 patients under age 15 years who were isolated VRE between January 2001 and December 2006 retrospectively. The patients were classified into the intensive care unit (ICU) and the non-ICU groups. We reviewed the procedures before VRE detection as well as antibiotic sensitivity of detected organisms. Results : The number of VRE-isolation cases was higher in the ICU group than the non-ICU group. Instances of VRE-isolation were also more prevalent in patients who underwent operations or active procedures while taking 3rd-generation cephalosporins or glycopeptides. Almost all antibiotics except tetracycline were resistant to VRE. The proportion of 3rd-generation cephalosporin use was higher than those of any other antibiotics before VRE detection. Additionally, the use of 3rd-generation cephalosporins has increased annually, but that of glycopeptides had decreased in 2006. Also, the rates of VRE isolation have been increasing since 1998. Conclusion : VRE infection is increasing in pediatric population. Strict adherence to appropriate infection control guidelines for the prevention of VRE transmission in hospitals, and tracking of VRE colonization through active surveillance in high risk units are recommended.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.295.1-295.7
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• 2018

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage. Methods: This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups. Results: Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378-46.651), hospital days (4-7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229-16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1-3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137-3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007-1.043). Conclusion: VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1191-1199
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• 2020

We studied the effect of Korean medicine treatment on the clearance of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization and on improvement in symptoms in a stroke patient. The patient was continuously followed up with stool VRE cultures while being treated with herbal medicine, Chunglijagam-tang, acupuncture, and oxygen therapy. We also checked the coccygeal pressure sore condition and the oxygen levels during therapy. No VRE colonization was found after treatment and the oxygen levels and pressure sores had improved. This study proved that Korean medicine treatment could be effective for the clearance of VRE colonization and improvement of symptoms.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2023

Objectives: Enterococcus faecalis is a gram positive diplococci, highly versatile and a normal commensal of the gut microbiome. Resistance to vancomycin is a serious issue in various health-care setting exhibited by vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE) due to the alteration in the peptidoglycan synthesis pathway. This study is thus aimed to detect the VRE from the patients with root caries from the clinical isolates of E. faecalis and to evaluate the in-silico interactions between vanA and the Aegles marmelos bio-compounds. Methods: E. faecalis was phenotypically characterized from 20 root caries samples and the frequency of vanA and vanB genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Further crude methanolic extracts from the dried leaves of A. marmelos was assessed for its antimicrobial activity. This is followed by the selection of five A. marmelos bio-compounds for the computational approach towards the drug ligand interactions. Results: 12 strains (60%) of E. faecalis was identified from the root caries samples and vanA was detected from two strains (16%). Both the stains showed the presence of vanA and none of the strains possessed vanB. Crude extract of A. marmelos showed promising antibacterial activity against the VRE strains. In-silico analysis of the A. marmelos biocompounds revealed Imperatonin as the best compound with high docking energy (-8.11) and hydrogen bonds with < 140 TPSA (Topological polar surface area) and zero violations. Conclusion: The present study records the VRE strains among the root caries with imperatorin from A. marmelos as a promising drug candidate. However the study requires further experimentation and validation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2005

An antimicrobial molecule was purified from centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch, by reverse phase-HPLC. Its molecular weight was determined to be 1208.5493 by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Total amino acid composition analysis revealed that it consists of E, G, P, V, L, F, and W. It exhibited a broad antimicrobial spectrum against not only Gram-negative, but also Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, it was found to have an antimicrobial activity against vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). It may be a useful molecule for a new antibiotic development, especially against drug-resistant bacteria. We suggest that it may playa role in the defense system of this animal. This is the first report of a peptidic antimicrobial substance from centipede.

• 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.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

Purpose : Recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become one of the major nosocomial pathogens in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the epidemiology of VRE colonization among neonates. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of VRE colonization, risk factors for VRE, and how to control the spread of VRE infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH). Methods : We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 192 neonates who were admitted to the NICU of PNUH from March 2006 to March 2007. Surveillance cultures from rectal swabs for detecting VRE were obtained weekly during the study period. We analyzed the prevalence of VRE and various risk factors. Results : The rate of VRE colonization among NICU patients was 25% (48/192). Thirty five of these VRE colonized patients were transferred to the NICU from other local hospitals. Compared with the non-VRE group, the risk factors associated with VRE colonization were lower birth weight, congenital heart disease, applied mechanical ventilation, use of a central venous catheter, chest tubing, a history of surgery, and use of antibiotics. Conclusion : VRE colonization among patients admitted to the NICU is rapidly increasing. Monitoring and managing premature neonates from the beginning of the birth process, avoiding many invasive procedures, avoiding antibiotics such as vancomycin and third generation cephalosporin are important for preventing the emergence and spread of VRE colonization in the NICU.