• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 1999

Over the last 50 years, a number of antibiotic agents have been developed and clinically used in the area of infectious diseases. Due to antimicrobial resistance problems and increasing health care costs, the rational use of antibiotics has been required. As a drug of choice to treat infections caused by MRSA, vancomycin has been extensively prescribed since the late 1970's. Recently, reports of vancomycin-resistant organisms such as VRE and VRSA have been increased to draw medical concerns. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the rational use of vancomycin and the appropriateness of the Restrictional Program of Antibiotic Utilization (RPAU) which has been operated at Samsung Medical Center. A retrospective chart review was performed in 132 hospitalized patients treated with vancomycin in the surgery departments from. January to June 1998. The guidelines of ASHP and HICPAC for vancomycin were modified and used as our criteria to determine the vancomycin DUE. In one hundred out of the patients, uses of vancomycin were approved by the Department of Infectious Diseases (DID) based on the RPAU. Vancomycin was appropriately used in $62.5\%$ of the 100 patients according to the criteria of justification of use, while $60.0\%,\;60.0\%,\;79.0\%,\;and\;51.0\%$ of the patients showed appropriate according to those of lab reports such as applicable culture obtained, pretreatment SCr, WBC and serum drug concentration monitoring, respectively. Although the rest 32 patients were not approved to receive vancomycin by the DID, twenty two percent continued receiving vancomycin treatment. This might result from the fact that the RPAU was started not before the use of antibiotics but in the middle of antimicrobial therapy. Continual education should be provide to the related health professionals and the RPAU should be simultaneously modified in order to increase the rate of appropriate uses of antibiotics.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2022

It is challenging to treat ventriculitis with parenteral treatment alone in some cases because of the difficulty involved in maintaining an appropriate level of antibiotics in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We report two cases of ventriculitis who did not respond to intravenous (IV) antibiotics but were successfully treated with intraventricular antibiotics using IV agents. The first case was a four-month-old male patient with X-linked hydrocephalus. He showed ventriculitis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae not producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase and susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins and gentamicin, following ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. His condition did not improve during the 47 days of treatment with IV cefotaxime and meropenem. We achieved improvement in clinical presentation and CSF profile after three times of intraventricular gentamicin injection. The patient was discharged from the hospital with antiepileptic drugs. The second case was a six-month-old female patient with a history of neonatal meningitis complicated with hydrocephalus at one month of age, VP shunt at two months of age, followed by a methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) shunt infection with ventriculitis after the shunt operation. CoNS ventriculitis recurred four weeks later. We failed to treat intractable methicillin-resistant CoNS ventriculitis with IV vancomycin for ten days, and thus intraventricular antimicrobial treatment was considered. Five times of intraventricular vancomycin administration led to improvement in clinical parameters. There were only neurological sequelae of delayed language development but no other major complications. Patients in these two cases responded well to intraventricular antibiotics, with negative CSF culture results, and were successfully treated for ventriculitis without serious complications.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 2005

H. pylori strains were isolated from antral biopsies taken during upper endoscopy in 114 dyspeptic patients with no previous therapy against H. pylori. Rapid urease test, PCR amplification of SSA and cagA gene for H. pylori detection, and Western blot for CagA expression detection were performed. H. pylori infected patients were treated with omeprazole, clarithromycin (a macrolide), and amoxicillin. At 6 weeks after the discontinuation of therapy, the bacterial eradication rate was determined by endoscopy. The resistance rate to clarithromycin and amoxicillin was $20.2\%$ and $0.0\%$, respectively. The clarithromycin resistance was mainly caused by the A2142G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene of H. pylori. MICs of clarithromycin for the A2142G mutant isolates were significantly higher than MICs for the A2143G mutant isolates. H. pylori eradication was obtained in all patients with clarithromycin-susceptible isolates but not in patients with clarithromycin-resistant isolates (P = 0.0001). These results did not appear to be biased by any differences in CagA expression. The resistance of H. pylori to clarithromycin included in the therapeutic regimens is the most important reason for treatment failure. H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the gastric biopsy culture should be performed before choosing the first triple therapy in infected patients and the increase in prevalence of clarithromycin resistance in Korea was problematic.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 2008

This study was to detect MBL (metallo-${\beta}$-lactamase) among glucose non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli isolated from clinical specimen and to search antimicrobial combination therapy against MBL producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among fifty one isolates of Gram-negative bacilli with reduced imipenem susceptibility ($MIC{\ge}8{\mu}g/ml$), nine isolates have shown positive results in MBL detection test. They were seven Achromobacter xylosoxidans subsp. xylosoxidans and two P. aeruginosa. The results from EDTA-DDST coin-cided with those of PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis which showed the presence of $bla_{VIM-2}$. The combination of aztreonam (AZT) and piperacillin-tazobactarn (TZP) or AZT and amikacin (AN) screened by one disk synergy test showed no synergistic effect. Triple antibiotic combination therapy with AZT, TZP and AN, however, was shown to be effective and the most synergistic after 8 hrs of exposure. This result strongly suggest that the triple combination therapy of AZT, TZP, and AN could be useful for the treatment of infection caused by MBL producing Gram-negative bacilli.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.85-93
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• 2017

The urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most important infections in hospital. The overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents and the resulting emergence of resistant microorganisms have made choices regarding antimicrobial therapy more difficult. This study examined the changes in the antibiotic susceptibility to the causative organisms of urinary tract infections to provide useful information on the choice of adequate drugs in the treatment of urinary tract infections. The medical records of 2,707 patients with more than $10^5/ml$ microorganism in urine culture between January 2010 and December 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. The most common pathogenic organism was E. coli (28.1%). In the case of E.coli, there were no differences in frequency from 2010 to 2015 in men, but since 2014, the frequency decreased gradually since 2014 in women. For E. coli, the resistance rates to antibiotics were 72.2% in ampicillin, 44.9% in trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and 41.3% in ciprofloxacin, but the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cephalosporin (5%) had low antibiotic resistance rates. The pathogens of urinary tract infection are becoming diverse and their frequencies are also changing over time. These results suggest that the recommended drugs for UTI should be selected more carefully for in-patients and out-patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.342-348
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• 2020

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which is one of the most common infectious diseases in humans worldwide. Since UPEC is increasingly gaining resistance to many antimicrobial agents, antibiotic therapy of UTI has recently become a great concern. This study examined the epidemiological relationship, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of 84 UPEC isolates obtained from UTI patients in Daejeon, from March to December 2017. Molecular epidemiology was investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and an antimicrobial susceptibility test was determined using an E-test. In this study, UTI was more common in females (73.8%) than in males (26.2%), and the highest incidence of UTI was observed in the age group in their 70s. Among the 84 UPEC isolates, 59 isolates (70.2%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR), and the major sequence type was ST131 (44 isolates, 52.4%). Interestingly, the rates of MDR in non-ST131 isolates (72.5%) were higher compared to ST131 isolates (68.2%). These results indicate the possibility of the development and spread of MDR in non-ST131 isolates. Effective surveillance networks and continuous research need to be conducted globally to prevent the emergence and international spread of MDR non-ST131 isolates.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.506-515
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• 2007

Background: Nosocomial pneumonia in an intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with a high mortality rate. Diagnosing a respiratory tract infection in critically ill patients is still difficult but detailed information for the pathogens is needed to establish an adequate antimicrobial treatment. This study examined the causative organisms and their antimicrobial resistance using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from patients suspected of having pneumonia in the ICU. Methods: From January 2004 to June 2006, ICU patients with diffuse lung infiltration were prospectively enrolled. The BAL was used to diagnose the respiratory infection, with 104 > or = organisms considered a positive result. The most common organisms and their antimicrobial resistances were analyzed from the quantitative BAL cultures in the burn ICU and non-burn ICU. Results: A total 72 patients were included, 35 (M 29, F 6) in the burn ICU and 37 (M 26, F 11) in the non-burn ICU. 27 patients (77.1%) in the burn ICU and 22 patients (59.5%) in the non-burn ICU met the criteria for a positive BAL culture. The major pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All strains (100%) of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from BAL (9 cases) were methicillin-resistant (MRSA) in the burn ICU, but 5 strains (71.4%, 7 cases) were MRSA in the non-burn ICU. Regarding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the rate of resistance to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefepime, imipenem, ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam in the burn and non-burn ICU ranged from 45.5% to 90% and 25% to 50%, respectively. In addition, the rate of resistance of Acinetobacter species to the above drugs in the burn and non-burn ICU ranged from 81.8% to 100% and 62.5% to 100%, respectively. Conclusions: These results are expected to provide useful guidelines for choosing the effective empirical antimicrobial therapy in patients with lung infiltrations in the burn and non-burn ICU.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2004

Bacteria that are resistant to several different groups of antibiotics have increased during the past few years. The importance of surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is now widely recognized. Unfortunately, this development has not been documented continuously in veterinary medicine in Korea. Therefore, the clinical prevalence and trend of antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic isolates were investigated in this study. Total 121 isolates of aerobic bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens of dogs and cats at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University from May 2001 to October 2002. Among them, the most common isolated species was Staphylococcus spp. (48 isolates), followed by E.coli (26 isolates), Enterococcus spp. (21 isolates), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9 isolates), Streptococcus spp. (6 isolates), Enterobacter cloacae (3 isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates), Corynebacterium xerosis (2 isolates), Chryseomonas spp. (2 isolates), and Providencia stuartii (1 isolate). The susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method. Gram-positive bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxacillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, and oxacillin, while Gram-negative bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Staphylococcus spp. were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, cephalothin, and oxacillin. Streptococcus spp. and E.coli were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Of the 48 staphylococci, seven Methicillin Resistant staphylococci were observed (14.6%), distributed among S. auricularis (1), S. hemolyticus (2), S. sciuri (1), S. saprophyticus (1), S. warneri (2) isolates. One strain of E.coli and one strain of Corynebacterium xerosis were resistant to all antibiotics tested. And, resistance trends between the you 2000 (from July 1999 to September 2000) and 2002 (from May 2001 to October 2002) were compared. Resistance to antibiotics was increased in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates (p＜ 0.05). The resistance rates of Staphylococcus spp., E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to all antibiotics tested were also increased (p＜0.05). This study investigated increasing resistance between the year 2000 and 2002 in Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University. Surveillance resistance is helpful to alert to veterinarian and select of appropriate therapy. Antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance of isolates should urgently be continued in veterinary medicine.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens of blood stream infection (BSI) in children with hemato-oncologic disorders, to analyze susceptibility patterns of microorganisms to guide empirical antimicrobial therapy, and to compare temporal trends of the pathogen and antimicrobial susceptibility with those of previous studies. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of children with hemato-oncologic disorders whose blood culture grew pathogens at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between 2011 and 2015. Results: A total of 167 patients developed 221 episodes of bacteremia. Among 229 pathogens, gram-negative bacteria (GNB) accounted for 69.0% (64.0% in 2002 to 2005, 63.4% in 2006 to 2010); gram-positive bacteria (GPB) accounted for 28.8% (31.3% in 2002 to 2005, 34.6% in 2006 to 2010); and fungus accounted for 2.2%. Among GNB, Klebsiella species (53.2%, 84/158) and Escherichia coli (19.6%, 31/158) were common. Staphylococcus aureus (48.5%, 32/66) and viridans streptococci (21.2%, 14/66) were frequently isolated among GPB. The susceptibilities of oxacillin and vancomycin in GPB were 54.8% and 96.9% (51.5% and 95.5% in 2002 to 2005; 34.1% and 90.5% in 2006 to 2010), respectively, whereas in GNB, the susceptibilities of cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, and imipenem were 73.2%, 77.2%, and 92.6% (75.9%, 82.8%, and 93.4% in 2002 to 2005; 62.8%, 82.9%, 93.8% and in 2006 to 2010), respectively. There were no significant differences in the proportion of etiologic agents or the antimicrobial susceptibilities between the current study and that of the previous two studies from 2002 to 2010. Overall fatality rate was 13.1%. Conclusions: GNB predominated in BSI among children with hemato-oncologic disorders. The etiology of bacteremia and antimicrobial susceptibility were comparable to those of the previous studies. Thus, piperacillin/tazobactam can be used as the initial empirical antimicrobial agent in febrile neutropenia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4549-4553
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• 2014

Background: Infection is a serious cause of mortality in febrile neutropenia of pediatric cancer patients. Recently, monotherapy has replaced the combination therapy in empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia. Since there has been no reported trial comparing the efficacy of meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) monotherapies, the present retrospective study was conducted to compare safety and efficacy in febrile neutropenic children with cancer. Materials and Methods: Charts of febrile, neutropenic children hospitalized at our center between March 2008 and April 2011 for hemato-oncological malignancies were reviewed. Patients received PIP/TAZ 360 mg/kg/day or meropenem 60 mg/kg/day intravenously in three divided doses. Duration of fever and neutropenia, absolute neutrophil count, modification, and success rate were compared between the two groups. Resolution of fever without antibiotic change was defined as success and resolution of fever with antibiotic change or death of a patient was defined as failure. Modification was defined as changing the empirical antimicrobial agent during a febrile episode. Results: Two hundred eighty four febrile neutropenic episodes were documented in 136 patients with a median age of 5 years. In 198 episodes meropenem and in 86 episodes PIP/TAZ were used. Duration of fever and neutropenia, neutrophil count, sex, and primary disease were not different between two groups. Success rates and modification rate between two groups showed no significant differences (p>0.05). Overall success rate in the meropenem and PIP/TAZ groups were 92.4% and 91.9% respectively. No serious adverse effects occurred in either of the groups. Conclusions: Meropenem and PIP/TAZ monotherapy are equally safe and effective in the initial treatment of febrile neutropenia in children with cancer.