• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권10호
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• pp.1383-1392
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• 2021

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) that produce Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase are increasingly reported worldwide and have become more and more resistant to nearly all antibiotics during the past decade. The emergence of K. pneumoniae strains with decreased susceptibility to carbapenems, which are used as a last resort treatment option, is a significant threat to hospitalized patients worldwide as K. pneumoniae infection is responsible for a high mortality rate in the elderly and immunodeficient individuals. This study used Lactobacillus fermentum as a candidate probiotic for treating CRE-related infections and investigated its effectiveness. We treated mice with L. fermentum originating from the vaginal fluid of a healthy Korean woman and evaluated the Lactobacilli's efficacy in preventive, treatment, nonestablishment, and colonization mouse model experiments. Compared to the control, pre-treatment with L. fermentum significantly reduced body weight loss in the mouse models, and all mice survived until the end of the study. The oral administration of L. fermentum after carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella (CRK) infection decreased mortality and illness severity during a 2-week observation period and showed that it affects other strains of CRK bacteria. Also, the number of Klebsiella bacteria was decreased to below 5.5 log₁₀ CFU/ml following oral administration of L. fermentum in the colonization model. These findings demonstrate L. fermentum's antibacterial activity and its potential to treat CRE infection in the future.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제25권4호
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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 Korean journal of internal medicine
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.513-523
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic. Results: The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.