• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.463-472
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• 2006

Background: Since video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was introduced as a new treatment modality for empyema thoracis, numerous reports have suggested that VATS is a more effective treatment method than the traditional methods that mainly use antibiotics and drainage apparatus. However, no confirmative evidence of the superiority of VATS over the traditional method has been provided yet. Methods: We attempted to evaluate the efficacy of VATS for the treatment of empyema thoracis by reviewing past medical records and simple chest films. First, we divided the patients into two groups based on the treatment method: group A of 15 patients who were treated with the traditional method between January 2001 and December 2003, and group B of 9 patients who were treated with VATS between December 2003 and August 2006. The final outcomes used in this study were the number of days of hospital stay, chest tube duration, leukocytosis duration, febrile duration, and intravenous antibiotics usage duration. In addition, radiological improvements were compared. Results: The mean age(${\pm}$standard deviation) of 11 men and 4 women in group A was $58.2{\pm}15.7$ years, and of 9 men and 2 women in group B was $51.6{\pm}9.5$ years. Group B had a significantly shorter hospital stay ($16.6{\pm}7.4$ vs. $33.7{\pm}22.6$ days; p=0.014), shorter chest tube duration ($10.5{\pm}5.7$ vs. $19.5{\pm}14.4$ days; p=0.039), shorter leukocytosis duration ($6.7{\pm}6.5$ vs. $18.8{\pm}13.2$ days; p=0.008), shorter febrile duration ($0.8{\pm}1.8$ vs. $9.4{\pm}9.2$ days; p=0.004), and shorter duration of intravenous antibiotics usage ($14.9{\pm}6.4$ vs. $25.4{\pm}13.9$ days; p=0.018). However, radiological improvements did not show any statistical differences. Conclusion: Early application of VATS for empyema thoracis treatment reduced hospital stay, thoracostomy tube duration, leukocytosis duration, febrile duration, and antibiotics usage duration in comparison with the traditional methods. The early performing of VATS might be an effective treatment modality for empyema thoracis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.778-780
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• 2010

A 48-year-old female complained of edema and pain in her left neck. She underwent acupuncture therapy for 1 month in a local oriental medicine clinic because of her arm pain. Computer tomography showed left internal jugular vein thrombosis. The patient's condition improved after antibiotic medication and anticoagulation. The patient is currently in outpatient department follow-up and doing well. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an internal jugular vein thrombosis secondary to acupuncture.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.799-802
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• 2008

Infection occurs very rarely in the sternoclavicular joint compared to other joints in the body. It occurs mainly in IV drug abusers, diabetics, chronic renal failure patients, septic patients and those with central vein catheters. In the early phase, it can be treated simply by antibiotics or incision, and drainage. However, when proper treatment is not begun. early, bone destruction can occur, and only en-bloc resection of the involved bone can cure it. To reduce the risk of recurrence, we advanced a pectoralis major flap into the resected area based on the feeding artery. We report a case of a patient with sternoclavicular osteomyelitis who was successfully treated using en-bloc resection and a pectoral advancement flap.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.180-184
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• 2012

Fungal arthritis is a rare joint infection that occurs in immunosuppressant patient, intravenous drug abuser and long term antibiotics user, and is especially rare in a healthy adult. Two case reports of fungal arthritis have been demonstrated in the country, but those in healthy adults have not been reported yet. Here, we experienced an antifungal treatment following successful arthroscopic debridement of fungal arthritis with a popliteal cyst in a healthy adult who got repetitive intraarticular steroid injections and report the case with review of relevant literatures. Surgeons should consider the possibility of fungal arthritis although it is rare and demonstrates nonspecific clinical features.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.236-240
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• 2002

Vertebral osteomyelitis represents only 1% to 2% of osteomyelitis and may pose a diagnostic conundrum, with disastrous consequences if diagnosis and therapy are delayed. We report a neonate with the unique association of vertebral osteomyelitis and MRSA infection. A 1-month-old boy was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of high fever and decreased oral intake. He was born at 34 wks, and his birth weight was 1.6 kg. We founded MRSA on his blood culture. Magnetic resonance imaging study showed findings of T7-T8 vertebral osteomyelitis. With 8 weeks of intravenous vancomycin treatment, the patient improved clinically and radiologically.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1217-1223
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was conducted to assess clinical practices related to the evaluation and treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal infection(AGI) in infants and children. This survey also evaluated the current opinion regarding the use of rotavirus vaccine. Methods : This survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire provided to 82 pediatricians in private clinics of Jeonbuk province. From April to June, 2002, 63 of 82 pediatricians(76.8 %) responded to the survey. Results : The annual proportion of patients with AGI was 13%. The highest proportion of patients with diarrhea were reported for the months of October through December. For the treatment of diarrhea, pediatricians preferred to prescribe lactobacillus products, oral rehydration solution, enzyme products, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheal formula, nothing by mouth(NPO) and bowel movement inhibitors in descending order of frequency. Most pediatricians(79.4%) prescribed antibiotics in less than 20% of patients with AGI. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotics followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole(TMP/SMX) and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Clinical manifestations that pediatricians considered as important factors in prescribing antibiotics were bloody diarrhea, mucoid diarrhea, high fever, persisting disease and abdominal pain. Diagnostic procedures that pediatricians preferred for AGI patients were stool examination(rotavirus antigen, RBC, WBC), abdominal X-ray, and serum electrolytes. Pediatricians had a strong interest in rotavirus vaccine(71.4%). Conclusion : Acute gastrointestinal illness remains a common problem, especially during the winter months in Korea. AGI manifesting as watery diarrhea is appropriately treated with commonly available agents but pediatricians appear ready to consider additional approaches to decrease the sizable disease burden of AGI among children in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.36-48
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• 2010

Purpose : In children on anticancer chemotherapy, bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We investigated febrile episodes and bloodstream infections in pediatric cancer patients to guide proper selection of empiric antibiotics for febrile pediatric hemato-oncologic patients. Methods : All febrile episodes treated in the division of hematology-oncology, the department of pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, between July 2005 and June 2008 were reviewed. Episodes with and without bloodstream infections were compared. Results : Forty cases (18.9%, 25 patients) of BSI occurred in 212 febrile episodes (63 patients). Thirty-seven cases (23.6%, 22 patients) of BSI occurred in 157 febrile episodes with neutropenia (54 patients). Microorganisms identified in BSI corresponded to 23 gram-positive bacteria (51.2%), 20 gram-negative bacteria (44.5%), and 2 fungi (4.4%). Rates of BSI between those who had received umbilical cord blood transplantation and those who had received transplantation from other source were significantly different (55.0% vs. 7.7%, P =0.001). No differences in mortality rate were observed among organisms in BSI patients. For febrile episodes the rate of BSI was higher among those with Chemoport than those with Hickman catheter (P =0.029) and gram-positive pathogens were more likely to be associated with Chemoport (P =0.001). Conclusion : The study showed the rate of BSI, distribution of pathogens with regard to neutropenia, transplantation, central venous catheters, and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens in order to help guide in the choice of optimal empiric antibiotics in pediatric febrile neutropenic hemato-oncologic patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1015-1024
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• 2023

Antibiotics have greatly contributed to the treatment and prevention of bacterial diseases in humans, animals, and fish. However, antibiotic misuse has led to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In addition to antibiotic discovery research, efforts are being made to combat such multidrug-resistant bacteria using antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, host immune enhancement, probiotics, and bacteriophages, as well as various symptomatic therapies. To discover novel bioactive compounds, it is crucial to adopt approaches that incorporate fresh ideas, new targets, innovative techniques, and untapped resources. Halophytes are plants that grow in high-salt soils and are known to adapt to salt-induced stress through unique metabolic processes that produce secondary metabolites. This study aimed to investigate the effects of extracts of halophytes native to Korea on oxidative stress and to determine whether they exert inhibitory activity against biofilms, which are major pathogenic factors of infectious bacteria. The Acinetobacter baumannii strain ATCC 17978, a representative drug-resistant bacterium, was used to measure anti-biofilm activity. The results showed that Aster spathulifolius, Carex kobomugi, Rosa rugosa, and Asparagus cochinchiensis exerted strong antioxidant and anti-biofilm effects without affecting bacterial growth itself. The halophytes used in this study are promising candidates for the development of pharmaceutical agents with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2002

Mastitis is the most costly disease results in lost milk production, decreased milk quality, milk discard, early culling of cows, drug costs and labor costs in dairy cow. Until now, a antibiotic administration at the end of lactation, dry cow therapy has been known the most effective and widely used mastitis control method. However, dry cow therapy do not control a new infection in the late dry and prepartum period because dry cow products have only persistent activity in the early dry period. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate clinical effect of sustained released biodegradable cephalexin microsphere using PLGA in bovine mastitis control during dry period. PLGA has been approved as controlled drug release system because of non-toxic, non-tissue reactive and bioerodible characteristics. This study revealed that cephalexin microsphere had a spherical shape with characteristic porous structure on the surface. Also, in vitro drug release studies are clearly observed that the release rate of cephalexin from PLGA microsphere decrease during the first 21 days after initial burst and then increase again between 3 and 4 weeks showing pulsatile releasing pattern. On the other hand, as tried in field the new infection rate, cure rate and mean SCC after parturition in cephalexin microsphere infused group were significantly differenced as compared to the control group. Accordingly, a sustained release of cephalexin from a biodegradable microsphere could make dry cow therapy more efficiently by preventing a new infection and decreasing the number of existing infection of mammary gland during dry period.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the actual situation of animal medicine use in Hanwoo farms, which were a total of 114 farms. Items surveyed were preference of animal medicine, choice criterion, purchase route, purchase frequency, antibiotics substitution products, etc. Data were collected from May to June, 2010. The kinds of animal medicine which preferred in Hanwoo farms is probiotics (40.4%). Whereas the lowest preference is immunizing agent (12.3%). There was significant difference among regional group (p<0.05), and the significant difference was also found in different farm size group (p<0.05). The factor of choice for purchase of animal medicine was efficiency (31.6%), first of all. There was significant difference among regional group (p<0.05). The purchase route of animal medicine was mostly supplied with the help of government (41.6%). The significant difference were showed in regional group (p<0.05). But that was not found in farm size group (p>0.05). The highest frequency at purchasing antibiotics was less than 1 time per 1 year (38.6%). There was statistically significant difference among regional group (p<0.05). However, there was not significant difference among farm size group (p>0.05). Probiotics of antibiotics substitution products was mostly preferred (50.9%).