• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.380-391
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• 2010

Purpose : Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the main pathogens causing lower respiratory infections (LRI) in young children, usually of limited severity. However, in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients, one of the high-risk groups for RSV infection, RSV can cause serious illnesses and fatal results. To elucidate the effects of RSV infection in CHD patients, we observed RSV infection cases among CHD patients and non-CHD patients. Methods : On admission of 343 LRI patients over 3 years, 77 cases of RSV infection were detected by the RSV antigen rapid test of nasopharyngeal secretion. We compared RSV infection cases among groups of CHD and non-CHD patients. Results : During the winter season, RSV caused 20-0% of LRI admissions in children. In patients with completely repaired simple left to right (L-R) shunt diseases such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus, RSV infections required short admission days similar to non-CHD patients. In patients with repaired CHD other than simple L-R shunt CHD, for whom some significant hemodynamic problems remained, RSV infection required long admission days with severe clinical course. In children with unrepaired CHD, RSV infection mostly occurred in early infant age, with long admission days. RSV infections within a month after cardiac surgery also required long admission days and severe clinical course. Conclusion : To avoid the tragedic outcome of severe RSV infection in the CHD patients, efforts to find the subgroups of CHD patients at high risk to RSV infection are needed, and effective preventive treatment should be applied.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 1999

Research results on actual management situation of 16 goat farms and internal parasite infection of 155 goats from January to November in 1997 in southern Kyoungnam area were as follows ; 1. An average number of goats was 93. Among them, 81% were farming the goat as avocation with the income rate less then 50%, Eight-four percent of farms terminated the parasites more than twice a year, and the survey showed the black goats had a high digestive and respiratory disease infection rate. 2. The internal parasite infection rate of the black goat was 96.8% , the goats were infected with 13 types of parasites. Of them, Emeria sp was 87.1%, Ostertagia sp 55.5%, Paraphistanum sp 45.8%, and Moniezia expansa 20%, respectively. 3. On the survey of multiple infection rate, both double and triple infection were 19.4%, more than septuple-infection 15,5%, single infection 13.4%, quintuple infection 12.3 n, sextuple infection 9.0% and quadruple infection 7.7%, respectively. 4. Look over on seasonal infection rate, higher in fall and lower in winter. Especially, Paramishitom sp was higher in summer and winter, both Moniezia expansan and Bonaostom sp were higher in summer. 5. Research on the infection rate of parasites termination period revealed less-than-1-month period had 10-30 infection rate, the infection rate has increased sharply since 3 months passed after the goats were treated with parasite-cid.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.10
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• pp.1071-1076
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• 2008

Purpose : Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most frequent cause of lower respiratory infections in infants and young children. Early detection allows quarantining of infected inpatients to prevent nosocomial transmission and to choose a treatment. To achieve rapid reporting, to facilitate prompt antiviral therapy, and to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics, an easy, rapid diagnostic method for RSV is needed. We evaluated a lateral flow immunochromatography (RSV Respi-Strip test) and EIA (Enzyme immuno assay) compared to RT-PCR. Methods : From April 2007 to March 2008, 112 consecutive respiratory specimens (nasopharyngeal aspirates, throat swabs, tracheal aspirates, sputum) from patients who were suffering from the clinical signs and symptoms of respiratory tract infection were enrolled in Busan. A total of 112 patients were tested with RSV Respi-Strip (Corio-BioConcept, Belgium), EIA, and RT-PCR at the same time. Results : Of the 112 specimens tested, the number of children who showed positive results at RT-PCR and Respi-Strip were 45 and 42, respectively. The Respi-Strip rapid antigen test had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 94%. The positive and negative predictive values were 90% and 92%, respectively. The agreement was 83%. Conclusion : In our study, the rapid antigen test had as much sensitivity as any method for detection of RSV. The test has many advantages such as easy performance, simple interpretation, and rapid results. If the rapid antigen test is widely applied in the clinical setting, the may be useful for diagnostic and epidemiological studies of RSV infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.135-139
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• 2009

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently recognized human respiratory pathogen, which is known to be associated with upper and lower respiratory tract infections mainly in children, immunocompromised patients, and the elderly. The clinical manifestations of hMPV infections are similar to those of the human respiratory syncytial virus infection, which range from mild upper respiratory tract infection to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Recently, hMPV has come to be thought of as the cause a similar spectrum of disease in adults as that seen in children; however, most of the reports of hMPV infections have focused on infection in children. We report a case of severe hMPV pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation in an immunocompetent adult in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.521-532
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• 2008

The prevalence of major calf disease was investigated in 117 Holstein dairy calves in Chonnam area. All of them were moved in the College experimental farm which is operated in intensive units. clinical signs were daily examined throughout two months after the introduction of the College farm. Among calves, 92 cases(78.6%) died in the two months after the introduction in it. Outbreaks of respiratory and alimentary diseases were their main causes of their fatality. The incidence of respiratory disorders during the full period of the experiment was up to 42.8%, and the alimentary diseases were occurred 35.9% of the herd. Most of the mortality was related with respiratory(59.9%) and alimentary(52.1%) pathogens. Also calf mortality by combined infection claimed 6.6% among 100 morbidity cases. Principle pathogens to cause mortality were Pasteurella spp(44.4%), E coli(29.9%), bovine viral diarrhea virus(16.2%), IBRV(12.0%), respectively. Viruses also played as an important role in increasing calf morbidity to secondary respiratory bacterial pathogens. Pasteurella infection combined with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus(11 cases), parainfluenza virus type-3(9 cases), or bovine respiratory syncytial virus(7 cases) was appeared as major pattern to mortality. colibacillosis in causing enteritis was concurrently infected with BVD(19 cases), bovine coronavirus infection(14 cases), salmonellosis(5 cases), coccidiosis(5 cases) and clostridial infection(4 cases). Ninty-two cases to death were appeared to have 100% neutralizing antibodies to BCV; Among them, 73.8% had the neutralizing antibody level higher than 64. Calves with neutralizing antibodies higher than 16 to BVDV were 50%. The cases with neutralizing antibody level lower than 8 to BEFV were 89.4% that means the necessity of appropriate vaccination.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.49-76
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a computerized review program which was introduced in August 1, 2003, using claims data for acute respiratory infection related diseases. National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data on respiratory infection related diseases before and after the introduction, with six month intervals respectively, were used for the analysis. Clinic was the unit of observation, and clinics with only one physician whose specialty was internal medicine, pediatrics, otorhinolaryngology and family medicine and clinics with a general practitioner were selected. The final sample had 7,637 clinics in total. Indices used to measure practice pattern was prescription rates of antibiotics, prescription rates of injection drug per visit, treatment costs per claim, and total costs per claim. Changes in the number of claims for major disease categories and upcoding index for disease categories were used to measure claiming behavior. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, t-test for indices changes before and after the introduction, analysis of variance (ANOVA) for practice pattern change for major disease categories, and multiple regression analysis to identify whether new system influenced on provider' practice patterns or not. Prescription of antibiotics, prescription rates of injection drug, treatment costs per claim, and total costs per claim decreased significantly. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that a computerized review system had effects on all the indices measuring behavior. Introduction of the new system had the spillover effects on the provider's behavior in the related disease categories in addition to the effects in the target diseases, but the magnitude of the effects were bigger among the target diseases. Rates of claims for computerized review over total claims for respiratory diseases significantly decreased after the introduction of a computerized review system and rates of claims for non target diseases increased, which was also statistically significant. Distribution of the number of claims by disease categories after the introduction of a computerized review system changed so as to increase the costs per claims. Analysis of upcoding index showed index for 'other acute lower respiratory infection (J20-22)', which was included in the review target, decreased and 'otitis media (H65, H66)', which was not included in the review target, increase. Factors affecting provider's practice patterns should be taken into consideration when policies on claims review method and behavior changes. It is critical to include strategies to decrease the variations among providers.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.205-211
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• 2010

Background: Procalcitonin is a well known marker in infection that plays a role in distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections in screening. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of procalcitonin in differentiating between 2009 H1N1 influenza pneumonia and community acquired pneumonia of bacterial origin, or mixed bacterial origin and 2009 H1N1 influenza infection. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed over the 6-month winter period during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Ninety-six patient-subjects were enrolled, all of whom had been diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia in emergency department during the study period. On admission, laboratory studies were performed, which included 2009 H1N1 influenza real-time polymerase chain reaction of nasal secretions and procalcitonin on serum; the laboratory values were compared between the study groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed on the resulting data. Results: Compared to those with bacterial or mixed infections (n=62) and bacterial pneumonia with confirmed organisms (n=30), patients with 2009 H1N1 pneumonia (n=34) were significantly more likely to have low procalcitonin levels (p=0.008, 0.001). Using cutoff of value >0.3 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin for detection of patients with confirmed bacterial pneumonia were 76.2% and 60.6%, respectively. A significant difference in procalcitonin was found between 2009 H1N1 pneumonia and pneumonia caused by mixed influenza viral and bacterial infections (0.15 [0.05~0.84] vs. 10.3 [0.05~22.87] ng/mL, p=0.045). Conclusion: Serum procalcitonin measurement may assist in the discrimination between pneumonia of bacterial and of 2009 H1N1 influenza origin. High values of procalcitonin suggest that bacterial infection or mixed infection of bacteria and 2009 H1N1 influenza is more likely.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.309-315
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• 2012

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of severe respiratory tract illnesses in infants and young children worldwide. Despite its importance as a respiratory pathogen, there is currently no licensed vaccine for HRSV. Following failure of the initial trial of formalin-inactivated virus particle vaccine, continuous efforts have been made for the development of safe and efficacious vaccines against HRSV. However, several obstacles persist that delay the development of HRSV vaccine, such as the immature immune system of newborn infants and the possible Th2-biased immune responses leading to subsequent vaccine-enhanced diseases. Many HRSV vaccine strategies are currently being developed and evaluated, including live-attenuated viruses, subunit-based, and vector-based candidates. In this review, the current HRSV vaccines are overviewed and the safety issues regarding asthma and vaccine-induced pathology are discussed.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2023

A 5-year-old neutered male domestic short-haired cat presented with acute dyspnea characterized by open-mouth breathing and stridor for 2 days. Direct visualization via laryngoscopy revealed diffuse laryngeal swelling and severe thickening of the vocal folds bilaterally; thus, the upper respiratory tract was obstructed owing to severe edema. Neutrophil infiltration was found on fine needle aspiration of the larynx cytology, and no discrete mass with polyp or neoplasia was identified on diagnostic imaging. The cat was diagnosed with acute obstructive laryngitis, and a tracheostomy tube was immediately installed. After 17 days of treatment with steroids, doxycycline and azithromycin, the swollen larynx gradually improved, and there was no recurrence of laryngitis or respiratory obstruction. A feline upper respiratory polymerase chain reaction panel revealed Mycoplasma felis infection; however, it could not be determined whether it was pathogenic or opportunistic. Herein, we report a case of obstructive laryngitis in a cat. When respiratory obstruction due to acute laryngitis is identified, a good prognosis is expected with rapid and appropriate treatment.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 1998

Sparfloxacin is a new synthetic quinolone antimicrobial developed at the Research Laboratories of Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sparfloxacin in acute pulmonary infection, we administered sparfloxacina(100mg) twice in a day to 30 patients who had signs and symptoms of acute pulmonary infectious diseases regardless of their underlying lung disease for 7 days. The results were as follows: 1) A total 30 patients were enrolled in the trial. Among them, 24 cases(80%) had underlying lung problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(36.4%), bronchiectasis(36.4%), bronchial asthma(3.3%), or lung cancer(3.3%). 2) In 26 cases(86.6%), we observed effective improvement, and 4 cases(13.4%) show mildly effective improvement of symptoms and signs of respiratory infection. 3) In 23 cases(73.4%), we observed bacteriological eradication in culture or decreased the number of bacteria by Gram stain which found dominantly in previous Gram stain. 4) The significant side effect was not noted. The above results suggested that sparfloxacin was effective as a first line therapy in patients with acute respiratory infection.