• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.63-69
• /
• 2002

This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of the aspiration trap method for collection of sputum by comparing with the conventional method which was collecting specimens at canular cap swab. In this study, the author tested by two methods to collect specimens from 46 patients who were cared with tracheostomy and intubation at the intensive care unit of an university hospital in Pusan, and investigated the incidence of the lower respiratory tract infection, the consistency between the two methods, the level of specimen contamination. Major results were as follows: Among the patients, 35 were cared with tracheostomy and 11 were cared with intubation. In clinical diagnosis we were classified the subjects in to two group, 17 of pneumonia group and 29 of non-pneumonia group. A total of 247 strains were isolated. Among them, most three strains were Serratia marcescens (62 strains; 25.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (52 strains; 21.1%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (19 strains; 7.8%). Out of total, 188 (76.1%) strains were Gram negative bacilli. The isolated strains by the aspiration trap method were the average 2.1 strains, but by the canular cap swab method were 1.6 strains. In spite of the high contaminated possibility from the incision site and the oral cavity swab, the low isolated rates of the canular cap may be the dried environment of the canular of cap area. But the contamination rates were 57.2% of the canular cap, 51.5% of the oral swab and 50.5% of the incision site swab, respectively. The consistency of predominant microorganisms according to collection method were 86.7% of aspiration, 78.3% of canular, 74.3% of incision, and 63.6% of oral. In conclusion, the aspiration trap method fur the sputum collection from the patients with intubation of tracheostomy showed the lower contamination rate of the specimens and it was helpful for rapid, accurated interpretation of the lower respiratory tract infection and hospital infection.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.55-58
• /
• 2003

Astromicin is an aminoglycoside antiviotic that is structually different from conventional aminoglycosides. Astromicin has been shown to be active against aerobic Gram-negative bacilli. The pharmacokinetics of astromicin were determined in 12 healthy volunteers ($65.5\pm5.23\;kg$ of body weight) following a 30-min continuous intravenous infusion at a dose of 200 mg. The plasma and urine samples were collected up to 24 h and drug concentrations were measured by a bioassay using Bacillus subtilis. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by fitting individual concentration-time curve to a one-exponential decay model. The plasma levels were $16.9\pm1.68\;and\;1.05\pm0.346\l{\mu}g/ml$ at 0 h and 8 h after the infusion, respectively. The elimination half-life of astromicin was $1.86\pm0.360\;h$ The volume of distribution was $0.182\pm0.0164\;L/kg$, and the total body clearance was $5.25\pm1.74\;L/h$. These pharmacokinetic parameters were similar to these of gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin. Therefore, it is recommended that therapeutic drug monitoring of astromicin could be conducted in a similar fashion as the other aminoglycosides.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 1991

To assess biological air quality, concentrations of viable airborne microbes were determined in hospital home and outdoor air from August 25 to October 18, 1990. Bacteria, fungi and thermophilic bacteria were sampled using gravitational and suctional sampling method. In bacteria groups, the Staphylococcus spp. was identified by microscopic examination and biochemical tests. Results of the study are as follows. 1. Results using the gravitational sampling method indicated that average numbers of airborne microbes in hospital home and outdoor air were 21.5, 12.2 and 17.6 CFU/plate, respectively. These levels are well within an appropriate standard of 50 CFU/plate suggested by Endo. 2. Results using the suctional sampling method indicated that total airborne microbe concentrations in hospital, home and outdoor air were 1,998, 1,363 and $1,880CFU/m^3$, respectively. All of the results were within the recommended remedial action level, $10,000CFU/m^3$ of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH). 3. Concentration of thermophilic bacteria in hospital and outdoor air were 79 and $111CFU/m^3$, respectively. Thermophilic bacteria were not detected in the home air. These results were within the remedial action level, $500CFU/m^3$. 4. Concentrations of Gram negative bacilli in holpital home and outdoor air were 20.3, 23.6 and $16.8CFU/m^3$, respectively. all were within the remedial action level, $500CFU/m^3$, recommended by ACGIH. 5. Concentrations of Staphylococcus spp. in hospital, home and outdoor air were 34.8, 14.7, and $22.4CFU/m^3$. respectively. all were within the remedial action level, $75CFU/m^3$, recommended by ACGIH. The percentages of Staphylococcus spp. in total bacteria in hospital, home and outdoor air were 19.0, 10.2 and 14.5%, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.151-156
• /
• 2002

This study was performed to obtain the thermostable $\beta$-glycosidase producing bacteria from hot spring of volcanic area at Atagawa in Japan. KNOUC 202 was selected because it showed thermostable $\beta$-glycosidase activity in sodium phosphate buffer(pH 6.8) at $70^{\circ}C$ for 4h, and it was identified. The strain was aerobic, asporogenic bacilli, immobile, gram negative, catalase positive, oxidase positive, and pigment-producing. Optimum growth was at $70~72^{\circ}C$, pH 7.0~7.2, and it could grow in the presence of 3% NaCl. The main fatty acids in cell were iso-15:0 and iso-l7:0. 16S rRNA sequence of KNOUC 202 showed 99.9% similarity with that of Thermus thermophilus ATCC 27634(HB8). Based on morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics, cellular fatty acids profile and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, KNOUC 202 was identified as Thermus thermophilus.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.41-45
• /
• 2013

Nontyphoidal Salmonella are gram negative bacilli organism, which may induce systemic infection such as febrile enteritis, bacteremia, and osteomyelitis. Main route of infection is known as food but also possible through reptile, amphibian, and fish raised as pets in the house. There is no known cases report of Salmonella infection through pets in Korea and also rare in the overseas. We report 2 patients who visited Severance children's hospital with chief complaint of fever and diagnosed as nontyphoidal salmonellosis. Each case had a history of raising turtle or tropical fish with possibility of Salmonella infection through these pets. Increasing incidence of raising pet reptile and fish lately, contact precaution and proper prevention and control of Salmonella infection of these pets especially in children under 5 years old are necessary due to higher risk of serious complications of salmonellosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.1591-1598
• /
• 2004

To isolate the $\beta$-galactosidase producing thermophilic bacteria, samples of mud and water were collected from hot springs of avolcanic area near Golden Springs in New Zealand. Among eleven isolated strains, the strain of KNOUC112 produced the highest amounts of $\beta$-galactosidase at 40 h incubation time (0.013 unit). This strain was aerobic, asporogenic bacilli, immobile, gram negative, catalase positive, oxidase positive, and pigment producing. Optimum growth was at 70-72$^{\circ}C$, pH 7.0-7.2, and it could grow in the presence of 3% NaCl. The main fatty acids of cell components were iso-15:0 (30.26%), and iso-17:0 (31.31%). Based on morphological and biochemical properties and fatty acid composition, the strain could be identified as genus Thermus, and finally as Thermus thermophilus by phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequence. So the strain is designated as Thermus thermophilus KNOUC112. A gene from Thermus thermophilus KNOUC112 encoding $\beta$-galactosidase was amplified by PCR using redundancy primers prepared based on the structure of $\beta$-galactosidase gene of Thermus sp. A4 and Thermus sp. strain T2, cloned and expressed in E. coli JM109 DE3. The gene of Thermus thermophilus KNOUC112 $\beta$-galactosidase(KNOUC112$\beta$-gal) consisted of a 1,938 bp open reading frame, encoding a protein of 73 kDa that was composed of 645 amino acids. KNOUC112$\beta$-gal was expressed as dimer and trimer in E. coli JM109 (DE3) via pET-5b.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.22-25
• /
• 2006

Ochrobactrum anthropi, previously known as Achromobacter species biotypes 1 and 2 (CDC groups Vd-1, Vd-2), belong to the groups of non-Enterobacteriaceae- nonfermentative Gram negative bacilli. Achromobacter is not presently a recognized genus. Achromobacter xylosoxidans has been transferred to genus Alcaligenes as A. xylosoxidans subsp. xylosoxidans, and "Achromobacter" sp. group Vd has been named Ochrobactrum anthropi. O. anthropi was isolated from a blood culture. Organisms were identified as O. anthropi by use of the biochemical test and the VITEK 2(bioMerieux, USA). The Organism was susceptible only to colistin, imipenem, meropenem, and tetracycline, but were resistant to amikacin, aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, cefpirome, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, isepamcin, netilmicin, pefloxacin, piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, ticarcillin, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, tobramycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. We report the clinical and microbiologic characteristics of O. anthropi infection in the patient. This is the first case of O. anthropi infection after using a plant as medicine at Chosun University Hospital.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.57 no.2
• /
• pp.132-138
• /
• 2013

Acinetobacter baumannii is gram-negative bacilli that can be widely found in environments. Recently, A. baumannii emerged as a serious nosocomial infection. A total of 92 A. baumannii were isolated from hospitalized patients in Seoul, Korea, between December 2010 and April 2011. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was investigated using CLSI agar dilution methods. Tigecycline non-susceptible A. baumannii isolates were investigated by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed to determine the epidemiological relationships. All clinical isolates showed high-level resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics: Ciprofloxacin (87.0%), Ampicillin/sulbactam (82.6%), Cefotaxime (81.5%), Ceftazidime (80.4%). Moreover, 50.0% of these isolates were non-susceptible to tigecycline. When evaluated by RAPD analysis, generated distinct band ranging in size from 1kb to 8k band varying from 4 to 10 bands. Stricter surveillance and more rapid detection are essential to prevent the spread of multi drug resistant A. baumannii.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.421-427
• /
• 2016

We aim to offer basic materials about infection management through conducting bacterial contamination test about general radiography equipment and CT equipment installed in ER of three general hospitals with 100 sickbeds or more located in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and suggest management plan. It had been conducted from 1st December 2015 to 31st December, and objects were general radiography equipment and CT equipment of emergency room located in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. For general radiography equipment, sources were collected from 4 places such as upper side of control box which employees use most, upper side of exposure button, whole upper side of table which is touching part of patient's skin, upper side of stand bucky's grid, and where patients put their jaws on. For CT equipment, sources were collected from 3 places such as upper side of control box which radiography room employees use most, X-ray exposure button, whole upper side of table which is touching part of patient's skin, and gantry inner. Surface contamination strain found at general radiography equipment in emergency room of radiology are Providencia stuartii(25%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(18%), Enterobacter cloacae(8%), Pseudomonas species(8%), Staphylococcus epidermidis(8%), Gram negative bacilli(8%), and ungrown bacteria at incubator after 48 hours of incubation (67%) which is the biggest. Most bacteria were found at upper side of stand bucky-grid and stand bucky of radiology's general radiography equipment, and most sources of CT equipment were focused at patient table, which means it is contaminated by patients who have various diseases, and patients who have strains with decreased immunity may get severe diseases. Thus infection prevention should be made through 70% alcohol disinfection at both before test and after test.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.64 no.3
• /
• pp.194-199
• /
• 2008

Background: Early identification of pathogens can improve the prognosis of patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of performing multiplex PCR for endotracheal aspirates to detect three important pathogens (P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and MRSA) in patients with VAP. Methods: The endotracheal aspirates of 24 patients were collected within 24 hours of the diagnosis of VAP for performing multiplex PCR. Forward and reverse primers were designed to target the specific site of each pathogen (the oprL gene for P. aeruginosa, 16S rRNA for K. pneumoniae and the mec gene for MRSA). We analyzed the clinical data of the VAP patients, including the culture reports for the endotracheal aspirates. Results: Twenty-four patients (M:F=18:6, mean age=$70{\pm}11$) with VAP were enrolled. Pathogens were isolated from 11 patients (P. aeruginosa in 2, K. pneumoniae in 1, MRSA in 2, other enteric Gram negative bacilli in 3, S. pneumoniae in 2 and mixed infection in 1). Multiplex PCR detected three cases of P.aeruginosa (2 cases coincided with the culture reports) and four cases of K. pneumoniae (1 matched with the culture report). PCR detected two MRSA cases, which did not coincide with the culture reports. Conclusion: Multiplex PCR of the endotracheal aspirate showed some ability to detect Gram negative bacilli, although caution is required when interpreting the results.