• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.497-503
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• 2005

Backgrounds : The exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been suggested to be associated with respiratory tract viral infections (RTVIs). However, the rates of virus detection in previous studies have been quite variable, with lower rates for the exacerbation of COPD. Therefore, the virus detection of patients with exacerbation of asthma and COPD were investigated. Methods : 20 and 24 patients with exacerbation of asthma and COPD, respectively, were enrolled. Nasal and sputum samples were taken, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rhinovirus and coronavirus and virus culture for influenza A, B, RSV and parainfluenza virus performed. Results : The mean $FEV_1/FVC$ in the exacerbation of asthma and COPD patients were 1.9/2.9 L (65.5%) and 1.1/2.6 L (42.3%), respectively. Respiratory virus was detected in 13 (65%) patients with exacerbation of asthma and rhinovirus was detected in 9. Coronavirus, influenza A, RSV and parainfluenza virus were detected in 2, 2, 1 and 1 patients with asthma. Among patients with exacerbation of COPD, a virus was detected in 14 (58.3%) patients, with rhinovirus, coronavirus and influenza A detected in 10, 3 and 4, respectively. Conclusions : This study suggested that RTVIs may have a role in the exacerbation of COPD as well as asthma.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2011

The Multidrug-resistant Acinetobactor baumanii (MDRAB) is an opportunistic pathogen. Patients with long periods of hospital stay and/or under intensive care unit (ICU) receiving invasive management are more susceptible to this pathogen. In this report, four children with MDRAB infection are reviewed and described their clinical characteristics. There had been concurrent outbreaks of MDRAB infection in adult patients in the ICU at this period of time. The first child had received a craniotomy and epidural hematoma evacuation. The second child was admitted for status epilepticus with hydrocephalus. The third child had pneumonia with status epilepticus with hydrocephalus. The fourth child had poor activity due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and convulsive disorder. Except the fourth child, all had not been exposed to carbapenem prior to infection of MDRAB. That imply the cause of MDRAB infections may be associated with invasive management and prolonged hospitalization together with the previous exposure to carbapenem in our cases. We would like to emphasize the importance and minimizing the spread of hospital infection in patients under prolonged intensive care management regardless of the use of carbapenem.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.218-222
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• 2010

Nephrotic syndrome is a clinical syndrome characterized by heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, edema and hyperlipidemia. Causes of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome include minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and mesangial proliferation. Other causes of nephrotic syndrome are rare genetic disorders and secondary diseases associated with drugs, infections, or neoplasia. Since February 2009, a swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus (S-OIV) from Mexico has been spread among humans in unexpected rapidity. S-OIV is markedly different from seasonal influenza, in that many of those affected are previously healthy young people. While pulmonary complications of S-OIV infection have been frequently documented, renal complications have not been as widely recognized. We report a case of 4 year-old boy who had developed nephrotic syndrome after S-OIV infection with good response after steroid treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.619-623
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• 2005

Blastomycosis is a systemic pyogranulomatous disease that is caused by a thermally dimorphic fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. it's the disease is endemic in the south-eastern and south central states of the USA, which border the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the mid-western states and Canadian provinces bordering the Great Lakes as well as in a small area of New York and Canada adjacent to the St. Lawrence River. We encountered a case of blastomycosis, representing as a pulmonary manifestation after traveling around a nonendemic area and report it with a brief review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2021

Since COVID-19 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2, SARS-Cov-2) was first discovered at the end of 2019, it has spread rapidly around the world. This study introduces an agent-based simulation model representing COVID-19 spread in South Korea to investigate the effect of detect level (contact tracing) on the virus spread. To develop the model, related data are aggregated and probability distributions are inferred based on the data. The entire process of infection, quarantine, recovery, and death is schematically described and the interaction of people is modeled based on the traffic data. A composite logistic functions are utilized to represent the compliance of people to the government move control such as social distancing. To demonstrate to effect of detect level on the virus spread, detect level is changed from 0% to 100%. The results indicate active contact tracing inhibits the virus spread and the inhibitory effect increases geometrically as the detect level increases.

• Advanced Industrial SCIence
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.30-36
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• 2022

Even in 2022, when medical science is highly developed, pandemic infectious diseases continue to occur. COVID-19, which occurred in 2019, is highly contagious and has caused many infections. In Korea, temporary screening clinics, such as screening clinics and respiratory clinics, have been added to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but there are problems such as a bottleneck due to the large number of people who want to take the test, and this creates a bottleneck. In order to solve the problem, this study aims to identify people who want to be tested for COVID-19 in a screening clinic in real time. It uses a real-time database to link with screening clinics and provides users with the real-time status of each screening clinic. Using the app, users can check the status of screening clinics in real time and can select a clinic smoothly.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.297-307
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• 2017

The epidemic model is used to model the spread of disease and to control the disease. In this research, we utilize SEIR model which is one of applications the SIR model that incorporates Exposed step to the model. The SEIR model assumes that a people in the susceptible contacted infected moves to the exposed period. After staying in the period, the infectee tends to sequentially proceed to the status of infected, recovered, and removed. This type of infection can be used for research in cases where there is a latency period after infectious disease. In this research, we collected respiratory infectious disease data for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERSCoV). Assuming that the spread of disease follows a stochastic process rather than a deterministic one, we utilized the Poisson process for the variation of infection and applied epidemic model to the stochastic chemical reaction model. Using observed pandemic data, we estimated three parameters in the SIER model; exposed rate, transmission rate, and recovery rate. After estimating the model, we applied the fitted model to the explanation of spread disease. Additionally, we include a process for generating the Exposed trajectory during the model estimation process due to the lack of the information of exact trajectory of Exposed.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2008

Purpose : The seasonality of influenza virus and rotavirus are well recognized in winter and so viral surveillance and laboratory-based diagnostics are important to guide the timing of prophylaxis and other interventions. Yet the seasonality of these two viruses are changing in Korea. We evaluated the prevalence and clinical features of influenza virus and rotavirus. Methods : From September 2001 to August 2005, nasopharyngeal aspirates were cultured from the hospitalized patients with lower respiratory infections and the stools from hospitalized patients with gastroenteritis were tested for rotavirus. We retrospectively analysed the medical records. Results : During the study period, respiratory virus was isolated in 578 (18.5%) out of 3,121 patients. Influenza virus was isolated in 143 cases. The seasonal distribution of influenza infection was from December to June of the next year. The ratio of males to females was 1.3:1 and the median age was 17 months. The most common diagnosis of influenza infection was bronchiolitis. Fever and cough were present in 94.4% and 83.9% of the patients, respectively. During the same period, 3,850 patients were admitted for gastroenteritis and 1,047 (27%) patients were positive for rotavirus. Rotavirus was prevailed from December to June of the next year and it presented in year-round. The ratio of males to females was 1.1:1 and the median age was 16 months. Diarrhea and vomiting were the most common symptoms. Conclusion : The recent peak prevalence of influenza virus and rotavirus in Korea was in winter and the late spring, respectively. So we need to expand surveillance and carefully consider the correct period to vaccinate people.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.1287-1295
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• 2006

Purpose : The importance of staphylococcal infections in NICU has been emphasized in terms of increased resistant strains and increased incidence of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we inrestignted the clinical characteristics and risk factors for staphylococcal infections, and looked into sensitivity trends of antibiotics in the era of a high rate of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in our society. Methods : This study included 240 neonates with positive blood, urine and other sites cultures for staphylococci who were admitted to NICU of Hanil General Hospital and Kyunghee University Hospital from January 2000 to December 2004. The analyses included clinical characteristics of staphylococcal infections and the relationship of incidence rate among various factors, including invasive procedures. Results : For 5 years, 3,593 patients were hospitalized in the NICU and 7,481 specimens were cultured from blood, urine, and other sites. During the study period, staphylococci were isolated from 240 patients, of whom 88 patients had MRSA, 41 patients methcillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), 63 patients S. epidermidis, 48 patients coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) except S. epidermidis infections. The risk factors associated with staphylococcal infections were less than 37 weeks of gestational age, less than 7 on a 5 minutes Apgar score, receiving TPN, applied mechanical ventilation, use of central venous catheters and other tubes. The sensitivity to vancomycin was 100 percent. A relatively high sensitivity against teicoplanin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and low sensitivity against gentamicin and erythromycin were shown. Conclusion : To reduce staphylococcal infections in NICU, we need to monitor and manage premature neonates from the beginning of the birth process and to avoid as many invasive procedures as possible in NICU. Considering MRSA, control of preceding factors and early use of appropriate antibiotics is expected to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by MRSA infections.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.517-522
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• 2002

Background: Congenital heart surgery may lead to myocardial swelling and hemodynamic instability. Delayed sternal closure may be beneficial in this setting. The purpose of this study was to assess mortality and mediastinal infection rate associated with delayed sternal closure after congenital heart surgery and to evaluate the risk factors which affect mortality and mediastinal infection rate. Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed 40 patients who underwent delayed sternal closure after repair of congenital heart disease at Yonsei Cardiovascular Hospital, from January 1994 to May 2001. In these patients, we assessed the mortality and mediastinal infection rate, and evaluated their risk factors including operation time, bypass time, aortic cross clamp time, duration to sternal closure and postoperative artificial ventilation time. Mediastinal infection was defined to have positive culture in mediastinum. Result: Hemodynamic instability was the most common indication for delayed sternal closure(n=36) and other indications included postoperative bleeding(n=2) and conduit compression(n=2). The median age at operation was $14.4{\pm}33.4$months old(range, 2days-12years). The patients with postoperative bleeding and conduit compression were much older than the others. The sternum was left open for $4.5{\pm}3.4$ days(range, 1-20days). Overall mortality was 25%(10/40) and mediastinal infection occured in 24.3%(9/37) (3 patients were excluded in mediastinal infection for early death). In risk factor analyses, only aortic cross clamp time had statistical significance for mortality in univariate analyses. However, multivariate analyses revealed that there were no significant predictors for risk of mortality and mediastinal infection. Conclusion: Delayed sternal closure after repair of congenital cardiac disease had relatively high mortality and mediastinal infection rate. But, in patients with hemodynamic instability, postoperative bleeding and conduit compression after repair of congenital cardiac disease, delayed sternal closure may be an effective life saving method.