• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.551-555
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• 2013

Complicated malaria is mainly caused by Plasmodium falciparum, but, increasingly, Plasmodium vivax is also being reported as a cause. Since the reemergence of indigenous vivax malaria in 1993, cases of severe malaria have been steadily reported in Korea. Herein, we report a case of vivax malaria complicated by adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that was successfully managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A 59-year-old man presented at our hospital with fever and abdominal pain, which had persisted for 10 days. On admission, the patient had impaired consciousness, shock, hypoxia and haziness in both lungs, jaundice, thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation, metabolic acidosis, and acute kidney injury. A peripheral blood smear and a rapid diagnostic test verified P. vivax mono-infection. Ten hours after admission, hypoxia became more severe, despite providing maximal ventilatory support. The administration of antimalarial agents, ECMO, and continuous venovenous hemofiltration resulted in an improvement of his vital signs and laboratory findings. He was discharged from the hospital 7 weeks later, without any sequelae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.289-293
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• 2015

A 38-year-old male was admitted with symptoms of upper respiratory infection. Despite medical treatment, his symptoms of dyspnea and anxiety became aggravated, and bilateral lung infiltration was noted on radiological imaging studies. His hypoxemia failed to improve even after the application of endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilator care, and we therefore decided to initiate venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) for additional pulmonary support. On his twentieth day of hospitalization, hypotension and desaturation (arterial saturated oxygen <85%) developed, and right ventricular failure was confirmed by two-dimensional echocardiography. Therefore, we changed from VV ECMO to venoarteriovenous (VAV) ECMO, and the patient ultimately recovered. In this case, right ventricular dysfunction and volume overloading were induced by long-term VV ECMO therapy, and we successfully treated these conditions by changing to VAV ECMO.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.462-465
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• 2001

Severe cough may contribute to serious complications such as pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, rib fracture, subconjunctival hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and cough syncope. However abdominal wall hematoma is a rare complication. Because it usually presents with abdomianal pain, abdominal wall hematoma needs to be differentiated from the acute surgical abdomen. A 78-year old woman was admitted with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and a palpable mass for several days. She experienced abdominal pain after violent coughing associated with an upper respiratory tract infection. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an approximately $7{\times}4cm$ sized, ill-defined, soft tissue density lesion in the right lower posterolateral abdominal wall. An abdominal wall hematoma was diagnosed. After admission, she had persistent right lower abdominal pain and an increasing mass. The mass was surgically removed and she was discharged without complications. In summary, when a patient complains of abdominal pain after severe coughing, an abdominal wall hematoma as a differential diagnosis must be considered.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.239-250
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• 2020

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally. Although its etiologic agent is discovered as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), there are many unsolved issues in COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The causes of different clinical phenotypes and incubation periods among individuals, species specificity, and cytokine storm with lymphopenia as well as the mechanism of damage to organ cells are unknown. It has been suggested that in viral pneumonia, virus itself is not a direct cause of acute lung injury; rather, aberrant immune reactions of the host to the insults from viral infection are responsible. According to its epidemiological and clinical characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 may be a virus with low virulence in nature that has adapted to the human species. Current immunological concepts have limited ability to explain such unsolved issues, and a presumed immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 is presented under the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis. Every disease, including COVID-19, has etiological substances controlled by the host immune system according to size and biochemical properties. Patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 show more severe hypercytokinemia with corresponding lymphocytopenia than patients with mild pneumonia; thus, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids, has been considered. However, current guidelines recommend their use only for patients with advanced pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since the immunopathogenesis of pneumonia may be the same for all patients regardless of age or severity and the critical immune-mediated lung injury may begin in the early stage of the disease, early immunomodulator treatment, including corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin, can help reduce morbidity and possibly mortality rates of older patients with underlying conditions.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.62-72
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• 2023

Purpose: A change is expected in the pattern of respiratory viruses including human coronavirus (HCoV) after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Accordingly, identifying the distribution of respiratory viruses before the COVID-19 outbreak is necessary. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results of samples of nasal swabs collected from children under aged ≤18 years who were hospitalized at Myongji Hospital, Gyeonggi-do due to acute respiratory infections from 2017 to 2019. Viruses were detected by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Out of 3,557 total patients, 3,686 viruses were detected with RT-PCR including coinfections. Of the 3,557 patients, 2,797 (78.6%) were confirmed as PCR-positive. Adenovirus and human rhinovirus (hRV) were detected throughout the year, and human enterovirus was most detected during summer. Respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and HCoV were prevalent in winter. In patients with croup, parainfluenza virus was most frequently detected, followed by hRV and HCoV. The PCR positive rate in summer and winter differed significantly. Conclusions: Respiratory virus patterns in northwestern Gyeonggi-do were not much different from previously reported data. The data reported herein regarding respiratory virus epidemiological information before the COVID-19 outbreak can be used for use in comparative studies of respiratory virus patterns after the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.188-192
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• 2023

Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) is a rare, benign, vascular condition that primarily affects infants, and is possibly associated with respiratory viral infections. A case involving a 47-day-old male infant, who was admitted with a 1-day history of fever, is presented. Initially, the patient developed an erythematous macular rash and patches on the hands and feet, along with swelling. The fever subsided after the first day of hospitalization, and the patient remained in generally good condition with normal oral intake. Timely recognition of AHEI is crucial to avoid unnecessary medical investigations or therapies, and to promptly identify any rare but potentially severe complications that may arise.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.475-480
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• 2012

Background: Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an effective antitubercular drug that becomes toxic to Mycobacterium tuberculosis when converted to pyrazinoic acid by pyrazinamidase (PZase), encoded by mycobacterial pncA. A strong association was noted between the loss of PZase activity and PZA resistance. The causative organisms in extrapulmonary tuberculosis are rarely cultured and isolated. To detect pncA mutations in specimens from extrapulmonary tuberculosis as confirmative diagnosis of mycobacterial infection and alternative susceptibility test to PZA. Methods: Specimens were collected from clinically proven extrapulmonary tuberculosis. pncA was sequenced and compared with wild-type pncA. Results: pncA from 30 specimens from 23 donors were successfully amplified (56.6% in specimens, 59% in donors). Six mutations in pncA were detected (20.0% in amplified specimens, 26.1% in specimen donors) at nucleotide positions of 169, 248 and 419. The mutation at position 169 results in substitution of aspartic acid for histidine, a possible allelic variation of M. bovis that have intrinsic PZA resistance. The mutation at position 248 changes proline into arginine and that at position 419, arginine into histidine. Conclusion: DNA-based diagnosis using pncA may be simultaneously useful for the early diagnosis of mycobacterial infection and the rapid susceptibility to PZA in extrapulmonary tuberculosis. A potential implication of pncA allelic variation at 169 might be suggested as a rapid diagnostic test for M. bovis infection or Bacille Calmette-Gu$\acute{e}$rin (BCG) reactivation.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.31.1-31.15
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• 2022

A pandemic of respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is reported prostate cancer patients are susceptible to COVID-19 infection. To understand the possible causes of prostate cancer patients' increased vulnerability and mortality from COVID-19 infection, we focused on the two most important agents, transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2) and the C-X-C motif 10 (CXCL10). When SARS-CoV-2 binds to the host cell via S protein-angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor interaction, TMPRSS2 contributes in the proteolytic cleavage of the S protein, allowing the viral and cellular membranes to fuse. CXCL10 is a cytokine found in elevated level in both COVID-19 and cancer-causing cytokine storm. We discovered that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 are overexpressed in prostate cancer and COVID-19 using the UALCAN and GEPIA2 datasets. The functional importance of TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 in prostate cancer development was then determined by analyzing the frequency of genetic changes in their amino acid sequences using the cBioPortal online portal. Finally, we used the PANTHER database to examine the pathology of the targeted genes. We observed that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10, together with their often co-expressed genes, are important in the binding activity and immune responses in prostate cancer and COVID-19 infection, respectively. Finally, we found that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 are two putative biomarkers responsible for the increased vulnerability and fatality of prostate cancer patients to COVID-19.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.511-524
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• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a threat to human health and public safety. People of all ages are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. However, the clinical manifestations of this infection differ by age. This study purposes to describe healthcare considerations for special populations, such as children, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults, who may have unique healthcare needs, in the pandemic situation. To realize the research purpose, we conducted a review of the practice guidelines of public documents and qualified studies that were published online/offline during a specific period. The review identified current knowledge on care for newborns, children in schools, pregnant women (from antenatal to postpartum care), and older adults suffering from high-risk conditions. Subsequently, we summarize vaccination guidance for special populations and, finally, discuss the issues currently affecting special populations. Therefore, this current knowledge on care for special populations helps nurses to provide accurate information on vaccinations aimed at preventing COVID-19 and protecting the masses from infection. Currently, the scarcity of information on COVID-19 variants necessitates further research on measures to reduce pandemic spread.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.344-346
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• 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. To curb the unchecked spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, most countries have enforced travel restrictions. However, it is debatable whether such restrictions are effective in containing infections and preventing pandemics. Rather, they may negatively impact economies and diplomatic relationships. Each government should conduct an extensive and appropriate analysis of its national economy, diplomatic status, and COVID-19 preparedness to decide whether it is best to restrict entering travelers. Even if travelers from other countries are allowed entry, extensive contact tracing is required to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, governments can implement "travel bubbles," which allow the quarantine-free flow of people among countries with relatively low levels of community transmission. An accurate evaluation of the benefits and losses due to entry restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic would be helpful in determining whether entry restrictions are an effective measure to reduce the spread of infection in future pandemics.