• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 2019

Detailed description of malaria in low transmission areas is crucial for elimination. The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive description for malaria transmission in Jazan, a low transmission district, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Patients at a tertiary care hospital were recruited in our study between August 2016 and September 2018. Malaria diagnosis was performed through a species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR), microscopy and Paramax-$3^{TM}$ rapid detection test (RDT). Malaria was detected in 30 patients by the PCR, with point prevalence of 10.9%. Of these malaria infections, 80% was imported, 26.6% was asymptomatic and 23.3% was sub-microscopic. Malaria was reported throughout the year, with February/March and September/October peaks. Infection was significantly more in males than in females (P=0.01). Likewise, infections were detected more in febrile than in non-febrile patients (P=0.01). Adult aged 15-24 years, fever and travel were identified as high-risk factors. Malaria was primarily attributed to Plasmodium falciparum mono-infections, followed by P. vivax mono-infections and lastly to falciparum/vivax mixed infections accounting 76.6%, 16.6%, and 6.6% of PCR-confirmed malaria cases, respectively. The nested PCR was superior to the smear microscopy (sensitivity 76.6%; specificity 100%) and the RDT (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 94.2%). The overall percent agreement between microscopy and the RDT was 92.7% (kappa=0.63). High proportion of imported malaria including sub-microscopic and sub-patent cases were described. We suggest that incorporation of molecular tool into the conventional malaria diagnosis is beneficial in Jazan district.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.376-380
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• 2007

Purpose : Febrile seizures occur in childhood associated with a febrile illness not caused by infections of the central nervous system. Provoked seizures are identified with seizures in association with infections that do not usually affect the brain such as gastroenteritis, except criteria for other febrile seizures in this study. We studied seizures provoked by minor extracranial infections, to contrast them with febrile and provoked seizures. Methods : We retrospectively studied one hundred and twenty children with provoked and febrile seizures who visited Chungbuk National University hospital from January, 2000 to December, 2004. Among these children, 36 patients were determined as provoked seizures and 84 patients as febrile seizures. We compared the distribution of minor infections between the patients with provoked seizures and those with febrile seizures, and studied risk factors of subsequent unprovoked seizures after febrile and provoked seizures associated with minor infections. Results : We analyzed the records of 120 children aged from 1 month to 15 years. The common etiologies of minor infections were gastroenteritis and respiratory infections. In the group of febrile seizures, there was a significantly greater proportion of patients with respiratory infections (58.3%) and a lesser proportion of those with gastroenteritis (25.0%). But there was a higher incidence of gastroenteritis (50.0%) in the provoked group. Comparing the distribution of etiologies between the patients with provoked seizures and those with febrile seizures seemed a significant difference. But, there were no difference between the provoked seizures and febrile seizures in the risk for subsequent unprovoked seizures. Conclusion : In conclusion, the leading cause except brain involvement is gastroenteritis in patients with provoked seizures, and respiratory infection in those with febrile seizures. Thus we need prompt recognition of, and medical attention given to, seizures associated with minor infections.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3177-3181
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• 2013

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main causes of cervical cancer in women worldwide. The goal of the present study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes in women from Saudi Arabia. Recently, several HPV detection methods have been developed, each with different sensitivities and specificities. Methods: In this study, total forty cervical samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction and hybridization to BioFilmChip microarray assessment. Results: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections were found in 43% of the specimens. The most prevalent genotypes were HPV 16 (30%) HPV 18 (8.0%) followed by type HPV 45, occurring at 5.0%. Conclusion: Our finding showed the HPV infection and prevalence is increasing at alarming rate in women of Saudi Arabia. There was no low risk infection detected in the tested samples. The BioFilmChip microarray detection system is highly accurate and suitable for detection of single and multiple infections, allowing rapid detection with less time-consumption and easier performance as compared with other methods.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was done to compare the perceived nursing needs as reported by admitted patients and nurses in a general hospital. Method: The participants were 194 patients and 183 nurses in a general hospital in Seoul. The instruments were constructed based on a prior study review and revised after a pilot study with 3 patients. The questionnaire for nursing needs included questions on physical, therapeutic, emotional, educational and socioeconomic domains. Data were collected between February 29 and March 26 for patients and between February 19 and 26, 2002 for nurses. The data were analyzed with frequencies, percentiles, means and t-test. Results: The results were as follow: 1. The total score for perceived nursing needs by nurses was higher than that reported by patients except for socioeconomic needs. 2. There were significant differences between patients and nurses only in the emotional domain (t=3.50, p=.001). 3. The highest score was for therapeutic needs and the next was for educational needs. 4. Relatively higher scored items were for comfort care, prevention of nosocomial infections, immediate treatment, monitoring health condition, kindness, and explanation of tests and treatments. Conclusion: Nurses generally understand patients' nursing needs but have to be more interested in patients' needs in order to prevent nosocomial infections, to provide care in a good relationship with the doctors and to encourage the patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.387-392
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• 2020

A serological survey was performed using ELISA to estimate the prevalence of tissue and luminal helminthic infections among hospital patients in Hanoi region, Vietnam. An overall seroprevalence of tissue and luminal helminthiases was 64.0% (95% CI 61.2-66.8) among 1,120 patients who visited Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Vietnam in 2018. The highest seroprevalence was observed against Toxocara spp. (59.0%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (46.3%), Gnathostoma spp. (25.5%), cysticercus (12.8%), Angiostrongylus cantonensis (10.5%), Fasciola spp. (11.1%), and Clonorchis sinensis (8.7%). Mono-infection by one species (11.1%) was lower than multiple infections (53.0%) (P<0.05). The seroprevalence in males (59.3%) was lower than in females (66.2%) but not statistically significant (P>0.05). Children (<15 years) revealed lower seroprevalence (34.0%) than adults (68.4%), and the age group 51-70 years revealed the highest seroprevalence (76.0%). Among the seropositive patients, eosinophilia (≥8.0%) was noted in 80.2%. The present results suggested active transmission of various tissue and luminal helminths among people in Hanoi, Vietnam.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2019

Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation caused by sparganum, a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Since the first case of human sparganosis reported in 1908, sparganosis has been a global disease, and is common in China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. Consumption of raw snakes, frogs, fish, or drinking contaminated beverages are sources of human infections. Human sparganosis usually manifests in subcutaneous fat in areas such as the abdomen, genitourinary tract, and limbs. Breast sparganosis cases are rare, representing less than 2% of total cases of human infections. Complete surgical extraction of the sparganum is the treatment of choice. Because of the rarity of the disease, clinical suspicion is vital to reach the diagnosis of breast sparganosis. Here we report 2 rare cases of breast sparganosis presenting with a painless breast lump, both treated with surgical excision and sparganum extraction.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.417-420
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• 2017

Hookworm infections are rare causes of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. We report a middle aged man with primary nephrotic syndrome and pulmonary embolism. During the treatment with steroids and anticoagulants, the patient presented acute massive hemorrhage of the gastrointestinal tract. The results of gastroscopy showed red worms in the duodenum. Colonoscopy and CT angiogram of abdomen were unremarkable. Capsule endoscopy revealed fresh blood and multiple hookworms in the jejunum and ileum. Hookworms caused the acute intestinal bleeding. The patient responded well to albendazole. Hematochezia was markedly ameliorated after eliminating the parasites. Hence, hookworm infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Capsule endoscopy may offer a better means of diagnosis for intestinal hookworm infections.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.722-726
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• 2010

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an uncommon inherited disorder caused by mutations in any of the genes encoding subunits of the superoxide-generating phagocyte NADPH oxidase system, which is essential for killing catalase producing bacteria and fungi, such as $Aspergillus$ species, $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$, $Serratia$ $marcescens$, $Nocardia$ species and $Burkholderia$ $cepacia$. In case of a history of recurrent or persistent infections, immune deficiency should be investigated. Particularly, in the case of uncommon infections such as aspergillosis in early life, CGD should be considered. We describe here a case of CGD that presented with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a 2-month-old girl. We confirmed pulmonary aspergillosis noninvasively through a positive result from the culture of bronchial alveolar lavage fluid, positive serological test for $Aspergillus$ antigen and radiology results. She was successfully treated with Amphotericin B and recombinant IFN-${\gamma}$ initially. Six weeks later after discharge, she was readmitted for pneumonia. Since there were infiltrates on the right lower lung, which were considered as residual lesions, voriconazole therapy was initiated. She showed a favorable response to the treatment and follow-up CT showed regression of the pulmonary infiltrates.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5781-5785
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• 2014

Background: As in other developing countries, cervical cancer is the most frequent gynecologic malignancy in Indonesia. Persistent high risk genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) that infect the cervical tissue have been established as the etiology of cervical cancer. This study aimed to explore the profile of cervical cancer patients and the infected HPV genotypes at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital-Bandung. Materials and Methods: During the year 2010, 554 cervical cancer patients were registered. In a subset of the patients during July - November 2010, 40 randomized fresh biopsies were tested for HPV genotype after obtained informed consent. The distribution of HPV genotypes and the association to risk factors were analysed. Results: The result showed that 62.5% of the tested biopsies were infected by multiple HPV infections, with HPV-16 found in most of the cervical cancer patients (90%). Marriage at age younger than 16 years old was statistically significant in relation to multiple HPV infection (p=0.003), but not parity more than three times (p=0.59). Conclusions: Although high paritiy in our study was not associated with multiple HPV infection, good family planning programs and reproductive health education need to be emphasized in Indonesia as high parity and marriage at young age might increase the chance of cervical cancer development.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2000

Acinetobacter baumannii strains are emerging pathogens of the nosocomial infection with an increasing frequency in recent years. The therapeutic difficulty due to the wide spread of multiple resistant strains was major problem in A. baumannii infection. It seems likely that high frequency of A. baumannii infection will be increasing epidemiological importance in the future. However, the current limited understanding of the epidemiology of A. baumannii infections is caused by lack of a rapid and practical method for the molecular characterization of A. baumannii strains. This study was undertaken to determine molecular types and genetic similarity among A. baumannii strains isolated from four hospitals by RAPD analysis. Eighty-five strains, including 40 from Chunnam University Hospital, 27 from Dankook University Hospital, 15 from Yonsei University Hospital, and 3 from Seonam University Hospital, were classified into three molecular types. Molecular type II was the most common pattern and included 72 strains. All strains from Dankook University Hospital and 40 strains from Chunnam University Hospital belonged to molecular type I or II. A. baumannii strains form Yonsei University Hospital were very distant similarity values. The range of genetic similarity values among 85 strains of A. baumannii was 0.26 to 1.00. Although phenotypes including biotype and antimicrobial resistance pattern of A. baumannii strains were same or very similar to each other, their RAPD patterns were quite different. Typing with phenotypes was found to be less reliable than molecular typing by RAPD analysis. These results suggest that RAPD analysis provides rapid and simple typing method of A. baumannii strains for epidemiological studies. This work is the first epidemiological report of A. baumannii infections in Korea and it is hoped that results of this work may contribute to a better understanding of the clinical importance and epidemiology of A. baumannii strains.